Things still to do this weekend:
Call parents of students on behalf of my team.Make a Powerpoint on behalf of my other team.- Sleep at a reasonable hour
for a reasonable amount. - Keep ignoring the need to replace the tie rod on the car.
- Keep putting off finding a "Big & Tall" store for Mike.
Keep debating what to do in class on Monday since, ironically, I don't want to do the Powerpoint I'm making for my team.Discontinue burping paneer korma... mostly because it even tastes delicious coming back up.
We had a total splurge at the Samosa Factory on West Sahara. After going to the library (Mike is not ashamed to call heavily upon Bill Nye videos in his science lessons) and to Palace Station to pick up this week's gift (chip and salsa set), we were starved. Being right by the Samosa Factory, we caved in to hunder and ignored the reason we never visited before: why pay $13 for one dish when you can pay less for delicious Indian buffet on the Strip?
Samosa Factory is in a strip mall and, from the outside, could be any Roberto's (spit) taco outlet. In fact, it's next to a (spit) Roberto's. Can you tell that I hate Roberto's? When I see Hispanic people recommending it, it reminds me of that phenomenon of people thinking that, because they're of XYZ culture, they have total food critic credibility for that culture. Bad cooking and limited experience are a part of all cultures. And I'm telling you, Roberto's is inedible. To me, obviously. But also to anyone who prefers that their tacos/enchiladas/whatever not be 75% water. And 25% "unidentifed brown matter."
Luckily, Samosa Factory is very pleasant inside, with little cushions on seats and smiling, attentive staff. The food is fragrant and mostly delicious. I say "mostly" because I prefer my pakoras not to be done up as "pressed patties," but others may not feel the same.
Before we went in, Mike said, "Let's just be like your Dad and order whatever we want." Mike has extremely fond memories of eating out with my parents back in Victoria, when Dad wouldn't hold back. If you're going to eat out, then eat out.
Plus, Dad loves playing the congenial host. These days he does it at home by whipping up multi-course feasts. Back then, he was a master of ceremonies, liberally summoning command performances from all sections of the menu. It made an impression on Mike.
So, in honor of the tradition, or to celebrate Mike's extra pay as a long-term sub, or to do our bit to stimulate the economy - however you care to justify this - we ordered what looked good.
That ended up being two appetizers, pakora and vegetable samosas:
A side order of vegetable kulcha naan and garlic naan:
And three main dishes, served in bowls to spoon over our individual plates of rice:
(That's paneer korma for me up front, barely visible butter chicken for Mike, and a bowl of paneer tikki masala to share, although I filled up on korma quickly.)
Plus a soft drink for each of us. (How a waiter treats us when we order water helps determine the tip and whether we patronize the place again. I'm looking at you, Grand Cafe at Red Rock Resort. However, we both are a bit sick still, so something fizzy sounded nice.)
Sorry about the blurry camphone photos. That's how I roll lately. Terry aside:
(His whiskers are stretching! For those hamster enthusiasts who wonder, Terry is a "normal" Campbell's Russian with platinum and a satin coat.)
The bill was... eek... $60, before tip, so we basically gave up almost three meals at Tamba (where we always have a 10%-off coupon from their website) for one at Samosa Factory.
Was the tradeoff worth it?
No. At least, not for us.
The food was absolutely yummy, but so is the food at Tamba. You might say these are apples and oranges. At Samosa Factory, I can have exactly what I want. I don't have to hope that Tamba has paneer (mmm, blessed paneer!) on the menu that day. It's a different deal.
Except, for me, I enjoy so much of Tamba that it doesn't make sense to go back to Samosa Factory. It's a credit to SF that I'm not saying I'll never go back, but why would I? At Tamba, I get a variety of foods (peas! mushrooms! potatoes! cucumber yogurt! nice pakora! naan! paneer or dumplings!), and I can have all I like. At SF, I don't. Mike thinks Tamba has the edge on taste, but SF is very tasty. SF is also easier for parking, but once inside, it's just a little room for dining. Clean, yes, but very close quarters, whereas Tamba is a soothingly dark and decorated space with opportunities for privacy.
Oh, but as I lie here sleepless-in-sofaland (see list at top of post), how I'd love more of that kulcha and korma now. Why have I not yet mastered either of these? (For "mastered," read "attempted.")
Meanwhile, this Sunday's Postsecret has a great offering:
(I didn't write it, but I could have!)
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