I had my first true Indian dining experience at one of the Coast’s top new restaurants
The Coast knows food.
Dozens of restaurants opened in South Mississippi in 2023 and we put 30 of them into a bracket. The two most popular served as a small microcosm of what the food scene consists of here: a little bit of everything.
The final vote was so close that co-winners were named: Staigle’s Steakhouse in Wiggins and Indian Delight in Ocean Springs. Yours truly will be reviewing both, with the first stop being a trip to Ocean Springs.
Located at 6615 Washington Avenue, Indian Delight fills a need in the area by offering an authentic Indian cuisine experience.
The Ocean Springs site is the brand’s second — the first one opened in Hattiesburg — and has been open for a little under three months. The restaurant was so popular in its first week that it had to issue an apology for wait times.
I had never had a genuine Indian meal before I walked in, but I quickly caught on to what was bringing people through Indian Delight’s doors.
The dining area is cozy and decorative. A black-and-gold motif is accented by colorful wallpaper and overhead lampshades.
The first thing I noticed was the simple, easy-to-read menu. Items are divided largely by meat and the descriptions are quite helpful.
As an appetizer, the non-veg sampler was brought to us as a plate loaded with chicken pakora, tossed chicken lollipop, shrimp chili and fish amritsari. This is a great start and I highly recommend it. You get three different meats served in four unique ways and it showcases the kitchen’s range of sauces and spices used in its dishes.
A must-have for us was the naan, which we ordered in original and garlic. It was a hit. It’s similar to pita bread and will pair well with any sauce accompanying your entree.
And for the entrees, we had mango chicken curry, lamb roganjosh and lamb biryani. The kicker is the kick. Indian food is known for its spice, and Indian Delight is well aware we are working with weak American taste buds. Those on the Coast are at least somewhat prepared thanks to the deep Cajun roots here, but the menu allows you to customize the spice levels.
The range is simple: mild, medium or spicy. The roganjosh does not have a mild variety, however, and that happened to be my entree. It was a sinus-clearer. But fantastic. The lamb was served in a bowl of kashmiri sauce alongside a plate of rice.
The naan dipped well in both mine and the mango chicken sauce. The lamb biryani was served in an ornate bowl of basmati rice and carried a fresh, herbal taste with it.
The service was quick and attentive, adding to the experience. My first foray into Indian dining was thoroughly impressive and I’m looking forward to my next trip.
