New restaurant in Destin: Indian cuisine in abundance

In just a matter of months, Taste of India is already riding high in restaurant reviews. 

“People are liking our food,” said Jay Ghosh, co-owner of Taste of India in Destin. His partner, Rudy Kapur, has had success with Taste of India in Pensacola; Montgomery, Alabama; Columbus, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama. 

Taste of India opened April 15 in Destin at 385 Harbor Blvd. and is already sitting at a 4.9 rating in reviews. 

“A lot of people already knew about us from going to Pensacola,” Ghosh said, noting that the locals are glad to have a place closer to home. 

In fact, Ghosh used to make a trip to Pensacola a couple of times a month to get his “India fix.” 

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Ghosh, who has other businesses in the area, said he kept bugging Kapur about putting a restaurant in Destin. 

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“Finally, he said he would do it if we were partners … so here we are,” Ghosh said. 

Taste of India is open seven days a week and offers a lunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every day. Dinner, which is from 5-9 p.m., is strictly off the menu, Ghosh said, and on Sunday their last seating for dinner is 8:30 p.m. Although reservations are not required for dinner, Ghosh suggests making a reservation on the weekends. 

"We’ve been pleasantly surprised with the turnout so far. The response has been very good,” Ghosh said. 

So far, Ghosh said, about 70 percent of the business has been locals, who have been waiting on an India cuisine restaurant. 

“We have people come in on a regular basis from Navarre and Santa Rosa Beach. So, there is something in the food we are doing right,” he said. 

However, some of the people in the restaurant for lunch Tuesday were from out-of-state. 

Cassandra Hinson and Mike Gargiulo of South Carolina were enjoying the buffet. 

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“I looked it up before I came,” Gargiulo said, noting he likes to try various places and foods. 

“The goat curry was the best,” Gargiulo said. This house specialty is made with fennel, tomato and star anise. 

The Purohit family from Birmingham was also having lunch. They found the restaurant after searching for it on Google and checking the ratings. The dad said, “they liked it … and we have some picky eaters,” he said referring to the children. 

As for the buffet, “We try to change it up. There are a lot of vegans and vegetarians out there, so we try to change it up as much as possible,” Ghosh said. 

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Tuesday on the buffet, Taste of India had everything from lemon rice to chilli gobi mysore bonda to homemade mango ice cream. 

The best sellers off the menu are the Tikka Masala, which is a velvery curry with a tangy twist, and the Butter Chicken with onions, tomato cream and butter. 

“People who love Indian food love the naans,” Ghosh said. Included in the bread section are the Butter Nann, Bullet Naan with jalapenos and garlic and the Cheese Garlic Naan to name a few. They also offer an Onion/Potato Kulcha made with fresh onion, potato herb crusted flour bread. 

“Indian food is becoming more and more mainstream,” Ghosh said. 

Taste of India prides itself in featuring an array of authentic Indian dishes from curries to sizzling tandoori grills. Also, each dish is prepared with a blend of spices. 

“India kitchens are very extensive … lots of different spices,” Ghosh said. 

Taste of India also offers many desserts as well as a full bar, which will be open in a couple of weeks. 

“We’re excited to be here and plan to be here for a long time … we think we have a great location,” he said. 

The restaurant can seat 140 and can host parties, with reservations. 

For more information about Taste of India go to www.destintasteofindia.com or call 850-353-2890.