LOCAL Houston | The City Guide March 2017 | Page 22

" Curry is a sauce , a spice blend that changes , that matches what is being sauced ."

Bar Area
fashion . Here tandoori refers to the oven – here fusion fuses in hot , intense , ovenprepared dishes such as NY bison strip loin with chaat masala truffle fries , blue cheese and garlic asparagus and Chilean sea bass with charred poblano-mango chutney and a wild mushroom biryani .
Verma acknowledges that menu development becomes a balancing act of staying current and stimulating as a chef and pleasing long-term customers .
“ As a chef , I start to get bored if I don ’ t reinvent my food . I tried to cut the menu down to be shorter but long-time guests – I have guests that have been eating my food for 21 years – they want what they want . So I compromise – sometimes I make small changes like adding a little kumquat to the Scotch egg curry ( lunch menu ) – it adds a new depth and creates a new flavor memory , yet the dish remains familiar .”
And this concern for her customers ’ pleasure fits nicely with another expectation Kiran Verma long ago set for herself .
“ When I cook I always thought , I want to pamper people , not to just fill up their stomachs .”
Lamb Rhogan Josh

KIRAN ' S

2925 Richmond Ave . | Houston , TX 77098 | 713.960.8472 | www . kiranshouston . com Lunch : Mon – Fri , 11am – 2pm | Afternoon Tea : Fri – Sat , 3pm | Bar & Lounge Opens at 4pm | Dinner : Mon – Sat 5 – 10pm ( until 11pm on Fri – Sat )
22 LOCAL | march 17