Tickets to a recent show at the Schenectady Civic Theatre (which is really very nice—I recommend taking in a performance if you get a chance.) gave my wife and I a perfect excuse to take another step in our quest to sample all of the Indian restaurants in the area with a visit to Aashiana, right in the heart of the shopping district in downtown Schenectady.
The very first thing we noticed when we walked into Aashiana was that it was warm—probably about 75 degrees. Since I start melting around 70, this did not endear the restaurant to me, but for many people, it would be a reason to drive out to Schenectady all on its own.
The next thing I noticed was the sign advertising an $8.95 dinner buffet on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. Since a buffet makes for an excellent way to learn a lot about a restaurant’s offerings in a single meal, I went for that. My wife ordered off the menu, selecting malai kofta, a dish with soft cheese and vegetables in a creamy sauce.
The buffet offered eight dishes, half of which were vegetarian, and I sampled most of them. Everything I tried was tasty enough, but, with two exceptions, the food wasn’t all that inspiring.
One of the exceptions was the Tandoori chicken, a dish which has seemed rather bland to me on most occasions. Aashiana’s take was much more flavorful. The real winner of the evening, though, was my wife’s malai kofta—it had a very mild, subtle flavor that we both enjoyed more than anything else. The portion size was also a bit larger than we’re used to seeing from local Indian establishments.
Our service was very solid. The food arrived quickly, the water glasses never stayed empty, and the owner, who bustled about for much of the evening, was very friendly.
The tab was about what I’ve come to expect—entrees from the menu were mostly in the $6-9 range, except that seafood was a bit more. Throw in tax, tip, and the obligatory order of nan, and we escaped for just over $20 for the evening.
Basically, Aashiana is to Union College what Shalimar is to RPI. I prefer Shalimar on the grounds of proximity (and air temperature), but if you’re over in the Electric City, I recommend giving Aashiana a try.
Aashiana is located at 118 Jay St. in downtown Schenectady. To get there, take Route 7 (Hoosick St.) west out of Troy. Stay on Route 7 through Latham and Niskayuna, and then bear right onto Union St. Follow Union St. for a couple of miles, until you get to Union College on the right. Across from the college is Nott Terrace—make a left. Make the second right onto Franklin St. Aashiana is a couple of blocks up the street, almost directly ahead of you.
Editor’s Note: To comment on this column, or to recommend a restaurant to be reviewed in Words to Eat By, send an e-mail to restaurants@poly.rpi.edu.
