Tabla - Oviedo FL

By Melanie Courcy | December 20, 2022

This week, we stepped outside my husband's comfort zone and dined at Tabla. He typically does not favor Indian cuisine, but since this restaurant also offers Chinese and Thai style food, we thought we'd give it a try. I don't get to eat Indian food that often (and I enjoy it), so I was happy to try it!!!

The Digs

The atmosphere was fancier than we expected. There are edison lights hanging from the ceiling casting a soft glow. The tables are plated with cloth napkins. The chairs are super comfortable and stylish, adding to that upscale feel. There is soft music playing. And there is an outdoor patio with heaters (it was cold outside) that adds to the ambiance.

My husband was fascinated with the silverware - especially the knife that twisted, so it gets a special mention here!

The Service

When we entered the restaurant, there was not anyone at the front desk to seat us. I believe the person tending the bar was doing double duty, and he was finishing up with making a drink. As soon as he was done, he seated us. We were asked if we wanted cold or room temperature water, which I very much appreciated since I was already cold from the outside and don't typically like drinking cold water as it is. We were given plenty of time to peruse the vast menu. Once our order was taken, it did not take too long to get our meal.

The Tastebud Delights

The menu has a large selection of items. Since many of the items are foreign to us, it took a bit to get through the whole thing in order to make our selections. The menu was well laid out, so was easy to pick out the Indian style food vs the Thai and Chinese based items. We ended up ordering garlic naan, a Chili Garlic dish, and Palak Gosht.

I'd have to say, if there was a competition, the garlic naan won. It was so flavorful that I could make a meal of just that! It had just the right texture and the garlicy buttery flavor was not overpowering. One order was big enough for both my husband and I to eat along with our very generous meals.

The Chili Garlic dish comes with a choice of vegetables, paneer cubes, or chicken tossed in a chili garlic sauce. My husband chose the chicken. He said the chicken was cooked just right but the coating was a bit mushy. He would have also liked more meat in the dish. However, the sauce was very savory and had a brothy flavor. The dish was supposed to be medium spicy, but it didn't taste much spicier than my mild dish. Though this spice level may not be desired by some, it was good for tonight since hubby already had a touch of heartburn before arriving.

The Palak Gosht comes with a choice of lamb or goat cooked in braised spinach, garlic, and tomato-onion masala. This dish was really good. I ordered the lamb which was tender and came in decent sized chunks. The sauce had a curry flavor which I enjoyed very much. The dish was not too spicy since I ordered mild, but it did have a slight kick. Both dishes were served with rice. However, one was more of a sticky rice and the other was a basmati style rice. I preferred the basmati rice, which was the one my husband originally picked up. However, he did the gentlemanly thing and switched with me when I voiced that I preferred it (even though he did too - yes, I got a keeper!!)

The Takeaway

We both enjoyed our meals at Tabla. I would like to return at some point, but my husband found the menu limiting for someone who doesn't like Indian food and also does not care for curry of any kind. The atmosphere was upscale if you are looking for a nice place to dine. The portions were large, and the food was flavorful. It was a little pricey, but worth it for a good meal at a nice restaurant.

The Restaurant Info

Address: 945 City Plaza Way, ste 1001, Oviedo FL

Phone: 321-966-8069

Website: https://www.tablacuisine.com/