The Saffron Patch

Place:  The Saffron Patch

Web-site: www.thesaffronpatch.com

Location:  1244 Weathervane Lane, Akron, OH 44313-5102 Google Maps

Quick Blurb:

Fresh ingredients, pleasant staff and stiff drinks keep us coming back! The Saffron Patch is one of the better Indian restaurants I’ve been to and so far the best in Akron. 

Review:

Appearance:

Located in “The Valley”, the restaurant has a charming outer appearance. It feels as if you were walking into someone’s house for dinner.

Inside, you have a bar to your left with some small tables for two, and then on the right you have the main dining area. The tables are a little too close together in some places, but otherwise the dim lighting and good background music give a great ambiance.

Staff:

We’ve never had a problem any time we’ve been here. Once, they had three dinner parties of 10+ ppl. Needless to say, service was slower, but they apologized continuously and knowing how they usually are very prompt, I didn’t mind at all. They are more than willing to make recommendations in terms of both dishes and ‘hotness’.

Meal:

We tend to stick to the same Indian dishes – what can I say? We have our favourites!

Appetizer:

We go for the Vegetable Pakroas and Samosas. Both are delicious and nicely spiced. While they are both fried, they never come out dripping in oil. We usually ask for additional ‘dipping’ sauce – the flavours are hard to describe – they’re simply yum! Give them a try and you wont be disappointed.

Entrée:

While it’s not on the menu, we go for the Shrimp Tikka Masala. The shrimp are extremely fresh, and this is one of the main reasons I like The Saffron Patch – in a lot of restaurants the shrimp can have an ammonia taste to them – I cannot stand this. This isn’t the case here, they are cooked perfectly and the tikka masala sauce is delicious – creamy with flavours of cumin and ginger. I can’t get enough of this dish. Pair it with their rice and you’ll be set.

We also go for the Okra – Bhindi Masala. Okra is a vegetable that you don’t see often on restaurants’ menus, which is one of the main reasons we get it. Cooked with the “Chef’s special spices”, the okra holds its own, I say rice is optional. Oh, and don’t worry about it being overcooked and mushy like any member of the squash family can get sometimes –it still has substance to it.

Our final selection is the Baingan Bhartha – sautéed eggplant that has a distinct smokey flavour from fire roasting. In another restaurant, they call it the “Smokey Eggplant”. Again, the spice combination is incredible and I enjoy pairing it with some rice as we do with the tikka masala.

Don’t forget ordering some Naan – the garlic is pheonomenal, but then again I’m a huge garlic fan. Oh, just don’t plan on kissing anyone afterwards.

Desserts:

We pass on dessert as we always order too much. One great thing about the food is that it heats up great! People at work may look at you strange, but who cares? You’re lunch is a million times better than their PB&J.

Drinks:

They make some great drinks. I shy away from my usual martini and go for a gin and tonic and switch to Singah during the meal. My wife usually gets their drink special of the day, which never disappoints her. Usually includes passion fruit and/or limoncello – how could you go wrong?

Prices:

Their main dishes run from $12-20 – not cheap, but not crazy either. Personally, I think it’s well worth it. We get a variety of dishes and have a lunch or two with the leftovers.

Overall Experience:

I hear of other Indian restaurants opening up, but I’m hesitant in trying them. I have been to others in the area and none match this place, in my opinion. Make reservations so you’re assured of a seat and if you’re not sure what to order, the servers are more than happy to suggest something.
One thing that I would like to note - go for dinner. I wasn't impressed with their lunch buffet. Sure, you can sample a variety of simple dishes, but there wasn't anything that excited me.