Balaka Indian Restaurant - Corner of 14th and 6th Ave

Went tonight at 10:15pm. There were 2 other parties of 2 when we arrived, but both left before we did and we basically closed the restaurant.

I am not an Indian fan, I have it once or twice a year, I'd say, mostly for nan and pakoras, so I don't really know what I'm talking about as far as Indian goes. We ordered: banana pakoras, vegetable pakoras, onion nan, mango lassi, and crab curry.

First a word about the sauces. They are always the same at every restaurant, and they were the same here, too. But usually there is one sauce of the three offered at an Indian restaurant that I cannot stand. Not so here, I liked them all.

The banana pakoras were sooo good because I love savory and sweet. The vegetable ones were ok, but I've had much, much better. The onion nan was one of my major complaints. I should have ordered regular nan because I really didn't care for the thick layer of nearly caramelized onions on the bottom, but the bread itself was so delicious and fluffy. The mango lassi was the best part. I could have had 5 of them. It could have done to be a little less sweet, but I know I've disliked lassi in the past, so this was awesome. Lastly, the crab curry, was probably our mistake for ordering something like CRAB curry. But it didn't taste at all like crab and the entire dish, including the rice, was just unremarkable if just plain not good. The curry did not taste very curry-like, and it was very soupy, not chunky or thick at all.

The staff was very attentive. Too attentive. Kept refilling my glass when it was half empty, which was a little too frequent, but maybe some people like that. They were all standing around staring at us the whole time. The manager/proprietor kept coming over and staring over at us eating, but not say anything. But the food came out quickly, it's right near our apartment, and it was tasty enough.

Unless I had a craving for Indian that I just had to satisfy, I wouldn't go back because I would rather try out another place, like the ones that have been suggested here. I think this place will survive, but it was boring and the decor really left something to be desired, so I think they need work.