Taste of India
Tod Lyon
New Haven Register
July 14th, 2006

New Haveners, we’re in for a treat: Prasad Chirnomula, who has been called "The Most Exciting Indian Chef in America," has come to town, and opened Thali, Regional Cuisine of India.

Soon, you’ll forget everything you thought you knew about Indian food.Thali had its grand opening Wednesday, and well-wishers got to samplePrasad’s culinary wizardry in the oversized space that once housedAvellino’s, on the corner of Orange and George Streets in New Haven’s Ninth Square.

It is the third of Prasad’s restaurants of the same name (the others are in New Canaan [opened in 2001] and Ridgefield [2004]. Here, Prasad and Chef de Cuisine Kishan Lal Sharma weave wonders from ingredients like fresh mint, pomegranate, lentils, cardamom, saffron, poppy seeds, cinnamon, red chilies, cumin, sesame, coconut and so much more, and have been educating a public that once believed Indian food to consist of chunks of meat in brown curry gravy.

Chef Prasad’s journey began in his home city of Hyderabad, a melting pot known for its mingling of Northern and Southern Indian cursines. Born into a family of doctors, he broke ranks to study hotel management and applied nutrition. After graduation, he joined the Ritz Hotel group, then landed in New York at the Akbar Restaurant.

"I came with $100 in my hand," recalls the twinkle-eyed Prasad. It wasn’t long before he was working in the kitchen as a sous chef; then, in 1988, he was recruited by a Stamford restaurateur to launch Meera (which is still in business). Soon he formed a series of partnerships that led to the openings of Kismet in Georgetown, the Bombay Bar & Grill in Westport, and eight other restaurants in Portchester, Darien, New Rochelle and Litchfield.

"My goal was to modernize the idea of Indian restaurants," he says, "and make them livelier, sparkling clean, with updated china, silverware, glassware, lighting. I figured, if a French restaurant can get three stars, so can we."

By 2000, Prasad found himself further and further away from day-to-day restaurant operations. "I was spending lots of time at meetings, dealingwith boards of directors instead of the kichen and the customers," So, Prasad bowed out of his restaurant group and took a long culinary tour of inspiring sites, mostly in India and London.

"The Indian restaurants in London are 20 years ahead of the US, At the time, there were 8,000 Indian restaurants in the U.K., many of them very high quality." he says.

He went to work as a guest chef at the top-rated Cinnamon Club in London, and returned to Connecticut armed with a commitment to the regional cuisines of India as well as a determination to be a hands-on chef /owner -and, of course, to make beautiful restaurants.

When the original Thali in New Canaan opened, the public sent up a collective gasp, and the critics swooned. Housed in a former bank, Prasad had made over the space to include a 60-foot brook and waterfalls from the ceiling. The food was nothing short of magical, and woke up the palates of people who thought they knew Indian food.

Now, we fortunate New Haveners can count Thali on our side. I have been there four times since its soft opening a few weeks ago, and I can’t get enough of the deep and fascinating flavors that Prasad has brought to the table.

Thali’s motto is "Not Just Curry!" That’s an understatement: .Adventurous diners can experience such dishes as Konkan Crab with ginger, mustard seeds, green chilies and coconut; Murgh Burrah, farm-raised chicken in pineapple, green papaya and saffron marinade; Lamb Chop Kabobs with nutmeg, black cumin and mace; Prawn Gassi, with roasted coriander and red chilies; and so many more outstanding dishes, some hot, some not.

For those who are insecure about ordering from such an exotic menu, I suggest an inaugural visit to Thali’s Sunday Brunch Buffet where bits of this and that can be sampled without commitment.

I also suggest a leasurely visit to Thali’s expansive bar, where customers like you can spend leisurely afternoons sampling traditional Indian snacks, plus exciting desserts and drinks from an all-day menu.

However you approach the place, you absolutely must try it: Thali is a sparkling jewel in New Haven’s culinary crown.