I had the chance last night, along with my wife Karen and our friend Carmella, one half of The Food Duo, to check out a the new fast casual restaurant in King of Prussia – Choolaah Indian BBQ. Located in  the King of Prussia Town Center, basically a shopping plaza set in a small town street atmosphere, brings with it some much needed vegan options to this area.  The restaurant, open for just over two weeks now, is big, bright and open – including the kitchen.  You can see all the happenings right down to the front row of the Tandoori ovens, each labeled with its own name! This new restaurant is hip and vibrant yet the decor, drawing on the colors of Indian spices,  is warm and welcoming.  The staff is also very friendly and helpful. Anthony greeted us right away, explained the concept of the restaurant and was quickly able to point to all the vegan options on the menu.

We placed our order, which can also be done ahead of time online. For the meal selection you pick your protein, your style rice, your bread, and then which masala you would like.  There are also wraps, salads, and sides available.  All the vegan, vegetarian, and  gluten free options are clearly marked. We received our buzzer for when our order is up, and checked out the rest of the place while we waited.  They have a nice condiment bar with a few vegan options.  We got the Tamarind Apple (perfect for the fall), Spicy Mango (sweet fruity with a kick!), Choolaah Fire (sorta like an Indian spiced Frank’s Hot Sauce) and the Choolaah Lava (good amount of heat, but not that overpowering) sauces.  They also have chopped chilies, onions, and lemons if you feel the need to add to your dish.  Self serve ice / soda machines and black and berry non-sweetened brewed teas. They also have the coolest hand wash station I have ever seen – I want one in my home, my office…maybe a portable one – ha!

Condiment Bar

Condiment Bar

Chutneys & Chillies

Coolest Hand Wash Station Ever!

Our buzzer went off and we picked up our food from one of the smiling associates.  We pretty much picked all the vegan items they had to offer:

• Tofu & Veggie BBQ Meal – with Wheat Naan, Jasmine Rice, and Yellow Lentil Daal – The Daal was rich and flavorful and the veggie had a good char and flavor from the Tandoori Oven. The tofu while not bursting with flavor had the BEST texture of any tofu dish I’ve had! The whole wheat Naan bread (served with both meals) was nicely spiced and perfectly cooked!
• Veggie Croquette BBQ Meal – with Wheat Naan, Brown Rice, and Chickpea Masala – The Masala was REALLY good, bold in flavor and rich in texture. The croquettes were awesomely crispy and no sign of grease at all – great flavor and perfect with the spicy mango chutney!
• Cauliflower and Chickpea Roti Bread Wrap – The roti bread was classic and the filling flavorful with a bit of spice – I’d happily eat this weekly for lunch!
• Samosas – The only item that didn’t wow us. The filling was good, but the wrappers were slightly raw/doughy tasting. Perhaps just undercooked as the kitchen gets its service legs.

Tofu & Veggie BBQ Meal

Veggie Croquette BBQ Meal & Samosas

Cauliflower and Chickpea Roti Bread Wrap – Wrapped up with a Vegan label!

Cauliflower and Chickpea Roti Bread Wrap – Shown with Chickpea Masala

As their posted mission states “Delight every guest every time. Creating Raving Fans.’ I can say with certainty that we were delighted with our meal and I already raved about our meal and overall experience.  Already planning a return visit with a few friends.  I think you should plan a visit with friends, enjoy a great meal, and let me know what you think!