Offbeat Urban Turban a breath of fresh air

“Are you familiar with Indian food?” asked our server at Urban Turban.

Sure, it’s one of our favorite cuisines. But then again, it didn’t really matter, since Urban Turban isn’t your average Indian restaurant.

First, the decor, which naturally was the first thing we noticed. While local Indian restaurants tend to go with opulent draperies and elaborate accents, Urban Turban’s design reflects the “urban” part of the name more than the “turban.” There’s a decidedly industrial vibe, with steel furniture and a concrete floor, and decorations are pretty much limited to Turbie, the motorized “urban rickshaw” near the entry, plus some colorful wall graphics.

The food, too, isn’t classically Indian or even London Indian — we’ll call it more of a fusion. For example, instead of the papadums usually served before a meal, Urban Turban presented us with a plate of what appeared to be fried wonton strips, with a green chutney that we guessed was intended as mint-coriander (cilantro), but which was extremely neutral.

Which is not to say this wasn’t a good way to start. The chips were nice and crispy, and the chutney was tasty, just not exactly classical. And tasty — though maybe not classical — ruled the day with everything we had at Urban Turban, starting with a Pimm’s Cup cocktail ($10). This old-school drink usually is made with lemonade (that’s how it’s served at Wimbledon, anyway) and garnished with cucumber, but in this case, it was ginger beer garnished with lemon. Very refreshing.

As a paneer lover, I searched the menu in vain for palak paneer or saag paneer but finally settled on the paneer tikka ($7.95), large cubes of the house-made cheese that had been seasoned tandoori-style and served with a little shredded salad.

Cream-blanched grilled chicken bites ($9.95) were also large chunks, with white meat that was extremely moist and even sort of rich, thanks to the cream and butter they were brushed with. Very good, though one was rather undercooked.

More traditional was the curry leaf shrimp ($11.95), skewered and rolled in a spice mix and curry leaves and grilled, the shrimp fresh, perfectly cooked and only enhanced by the seasoning.

And some garlic naan ($2.95), which was pretty good.

Service throughout was somewhat sporadic. It took our server too long to get to us, but once she did and the food started arriving, dishes were cleared promptly.

If you frequent Indian restaurants, this offshoot of the New Zealand original may seem a little offbeat. But in many ways, it’s a breath of fresh air.

Las Vegas Review-Journal restaurant reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense. Email Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Find more of her stories at reviewjournal.com and bestoflasvegas.com, and follow @HKRinella on Twitter.