Tastebuds, the ever-popular Indian food joint in town, is once again open for business! Originally located in White Sulphur Springs, the restaurant has relocated to Lewisburg, just beside Tudor’s Biscuit World north of town.
The restaurant offers a variety of ‘American-Indian’ foods prepared by chef Prajakta Pence. Pence, who moved to the United States two years ago, assembles authentic Indian dishes she learned to make while residing and traveling around Asia. With salads, appetizers, entrees, breads, and desserts, everyone can try all types of indigenous foods.
A popular menu item, the chicken tikka masala entree, is prepared by cooking the chicken in a thick and spicy onion tomato curry sauce, and is served with a portion of rice. Goddard recommends both the chicken tikka masala as well as the butter chicken for patrons that aren’t very familiar with Indian food. Vindaloo, a popular dish in India, is also available. Pork, chicken, and lamb are cooked with a vindaloo spice paste and coconut vinegar. The taste of vindaloo comes from a unique blend of the fat in the pork, garlic, vinegar, jaggery and kashmiri chili. For those who want to try a bit of everything, their meat platter has a combination of the chicken tikka, Malai kebab, Seekh kebab, and boti kabab served with rice, naan bread, mint chutney, and salad.
Not everything Indian is spicy, something Tastebuds wants to make diners aware of. The ‘American-Indian’ title stems from a more mild taste for some who may not be huge fans of spice. There is still a variety of hotness for those seeking the burn brought on by traditional Indian food, however, so there’s something for everyone! And with delivery available in Lewisburg, White Sulphur Springs, and Ronceverte, it’s easier than ever to get your Indian fix.
“Since we’ve opened, we’ve been very busy!” said Goddard. Although the restaurant holds 40 people, it’s still full to the brim most evenings during prime dinner hours. She recommends calling ahead of time to check how busy it is, or eating a bit later in the day if you want to get a seat. “Please be patient, we try to serve everyone as we can,” she added. She plans to add a back deck to the building as the weather warms up to expand the seating area, but until then, it might be tricky to guarantee a seat.
Open Monday through Saturdays, Tastebuds serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Call 304-647-5070 to place your takeout order or schedule delivery.
