I am the kind of parent that childless people hate. I take my kids to hip restaurants and am not deterred by the complete lack of booster seats, high chairs, or chicken fingers on the menu. I am simply not content to while away my weekends at home or limit our outings to places that have designated stroller parking. I wheel our mammoth double wide into petite boutiques and carry my cooing baby into austere galleries. We boldly go where no family unit has gone before.

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16th January 2012

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Try Shai.

I didn’t discover Indian food until I was 19, when I flew the coop and landed in San Diego for college. At a grubby hole in the wall near Sports Arena, I had my first bite of warm, chewy Naan bread dipped in cool, tangy Raita. It was a revelation.  I vowed to spend less time toying with navy guys and more time eating Aloo Gobi.

Kansas City has its fair share of Indian restaurants, most of them good, but indistinguishable.

I expected more of the same when we tried Chai Shai. That is, I assumed I would be eating familiar dishes done well in a dining room with lackluster decor. Instead, I entered a smartly designed, modern space and perused a small menu of surprisingly exotic choices.  

My first visit was for lunch with a friend.

 

We were both guilty of skipping breakfast and giddily ordered an appetizer sampler to share.  It came with crispy, crunchy Pakoras (a fried spinach snack made with chickpea batter), savory Samosas, and luscious slices of ripe, juicy mango peppered with spice. 

I was so enamored with Chai Shai that I dragged my husband and kids in for dinner just a week later.  I had been thinking about the Masala Paneer for days, craving that sweet red sauce over fluffy rice.

 

After seeing a photo of the daily special (displayed on an ipad no less!), I jilted the Paneer for a first date with…something yummy that I don’t remember the name of!  It was a combo meal – half Chana Masala (spicy garbanzo beans) and half a sweet Indian porridge made from Sooji (Cream of Wheat) decadently studded with golden raisins and nuts. It tasted like dessert, but I wasn’t complaining.

The kids inhaled my husband’s order of moist, tangy Achari chicken until there were only a few sad little bones left for him to gnaw on. 

 My 6 year old gave the light, flakey Samosas a definite thumbs up. They really are outstanding, not your typical grease laden appetizer. And the baby sucked up her half of a thick, icy mango shake.  Chai Shai will certainly be seeing our hungry faces again soon.

Tip: the table in the back is perfect for families.  It’s out of the way, there is a couch to lounge on, and kids can peruse the interesting grocery offerings while waiting for their food to arrive.

http://www.chaishaikc.com/

Tagged: localtravelKansas CityKCMidwestMissouriBrooksidefood blogtravel blogmommy blogkidsfamily lifeChai Shairestaurant review

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