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Business & Tech

Parsippany Eatery Presents Dishes Both Subtle and Spicy

Cinnamon on Route 10 is a can't miss destination restaurant.

Indian cuisine is one of the latest food fashions to win the hearts and taste buds of many Americans. Here in New Jersey, and specifically, the Parsippany area, there is a surfeit of accomplished Indian chefs offering everything from fair to superlative East Asian cuisine.

One example at the top end of the scale is Cinnamon, a sleek restaurant featuring warm tones of red and gold reflecting the many spices favored in Indian cookery. We’ve sampled the eatery’s food several times over the last few years and what brings us back is the prospect of enjoying another fix of delicious Indian food. In the past, we ordered from the a la carte menu but this time, we chose the buffet.

Cinnamon attracts a solid following of Indian natives sometimes dining with fellow Indians or with their American friends. On an unremarkable weekday in August, both dining rooms in the 100-seat space were nearly filled with diners discussing the food and their vacation or business plans.

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The sizeable buffet ($9.95 a person during the week and $10.95 on weekends), possibly the largest we’ve ever seen, was full of many familiar dishes as well as less familiar offerings. It’s worth at least two trips up to the buffet to make sure you try a representative sampling of what Cinnamon has to offer.

To start, there are refreshing salads you may want to include on your plate to temper the spicier dishes. You'll also see a generous selection of chutneys and sauces, among them cool cucumber raita, plain yogurt, sweet mango and mint chutneys and Achar, the spicy mixed-pickle relish.

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There are many appetizers from which to choose. One of our favorites was the vegetable pakoras, fritters arrayed on a large circular tray and served with yogurt. Once you sit down, a basket of warm and freshly made naan—lightly leavened Indian bread—is offered, the perfect assist for the many meat and vegetable offerings.

If you’ve been turned off by tandoori chicken made in the typical clay oven that sports that neon orange pallor seen in many Indian establishments, the tandoori chicken at Cinnamon is another version altogether. The chicken is naturally burnished and is meltingly soft and easy to remove from the bone.

Mahaendra Singh, the executive chef and owner, says the reason his tandoori chicken is natural looking is because there is no food coloring added to the dish.

“I don’t like it so I don’t use it,” he explained simply.

Singh has manned the restaurant with his American wife, Julia, since Cinnamon opened six years ago. His 20 years experience in four- and five-star hotels in India and with successful restaurants in New York, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia shine through in the attention to detail and expertise exhibited evident at the restaurant. He is a hands-on chef/owner, always shopping for his supplies himself, not relying on a middleman who will add to the cost but may not apply the same standards.

Cinnamon’s website includes the philosophy that addresses the two basic tenets of food and family. It is the joint goals of nourishing our bodies and our souls that make a person feel loved, it explains.

The food you'll find at Cinnamon certainly lives up to this way of thinking.

Chicken Tikka Masala is one of those dishes that make us go weak in the knees. Cinnamon's version had a spectacular tomato sauce lightly blended with cream and featuring a mild but noticeable spice; it was coached into full flavor with the addition of chopped onions, peppers and fresh cilantro.

Nicely charred vegetables, including broccoli, peppers, onions and more, provide good contrast to the chicken.

An unexpected side dish is the biryani. It features basmati rice cooked with chicken or vegetables, which gives the rice a generous boost of flavor.

Lamb Rogen Josh does lamb cubes proud in a sauce of onion, tomatoes and yogurt with the chef’s special mix, topped with cilantro. Kadai Cholley, chickpeas cooked with onions, garlic, ginger and spices is an appropriate accompaniment. Saag Paneer, the spinach dish made with homemade cottage cheese is another good choice.

It’s worth it to save room for dessert, especially the summery mango pudding that’s filled with tiny bits of pistachio and chunks of fresh mango. Other dessert offerings are kheer, a cold Indian rice pudding, and Gulab Jamun, warm pastry balls soaked in honey.

Don’t miss the Masala Chai. The tea has a sweet, rich flavor that bears no resemblance to the packaged preparations offered by too many establishments.

Cinnamon Indian Restaurant 2929 Route 10 West in Powder Mill Plaza, 973-734-0040. Open seven days a week 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5:30 to 10 p.m. for dinner (until 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday) Major credit cards accepted.

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