Mehek pleases with fresh look, Indian lunch buffet
by Lynn Williams
maindish@baltimoreguide.com
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I usually do dinner instead of lunch for my reviews meals, but a recent visit to Fells Point had me seeking out a restaurant at the noon hour. I had a good excuse, though: I was escaping from pirates.
It was Privateer Day, and the square was teeming with pirates: scurvy pirates, foppish pirates, buxom-wench pirates, dueling pirates, pirates singing sea chanteys (accompanied, incongruously, by electric bass), and lots and lots of adorably decked-out mini-buccaneers.
We were hungry, though, and needed a place offering non-piratical peace and quiet, non-piratical chow (no hardtack and grog for us) and, ideally, a menu that would not scuttle our wallets. And right there on the square, there it was: Mehek.
Mehek is a notable addition to Baltimore’s curry scene not only for its location, but also for its fresh, contemporary aesthetic. There’s none of the starving-student boho funkiness we used to associate with Indian places, or with the Raj-inspired elegance of some of the newer favorites. Pretty Mehek—which means “aroma”—has a breezy California vibe, with its pale woods, spring-green walls, and filmy embroidered Indian textiles.
Like most Indian places, though, it offers a buffet at lunch. As someone who likes to eat and to save money, I’m a particular fan of buffets. To be sure, you aren’t going to find a kitchen’s most inspired offerings on a steam table. But you can get a cross-section of popular dishes, for an all-you-can-eat price (here, $8) usually lower than any single item on the dinner menu.
No beef or pork is served at Mehek, and the menu’s lamb and seafood dishes do not, alas, make it onto the buffet. You will, however, find three different types of chicken—oven-baked tandoori and two curries—several vegetarian entrees, pakora (deep-fried vegetable fritters), rice, salad, rice pudding and fruit for dessert, and the usual chutneys and condiments. Hot fresh naan bread is brought to the table. Our favorites included the juicy tandoori chicken, paneer saag (subtly-spiced creamed spinach studded with cubes of mild homemade cheese), and channa masala (whole chickpeas in a savory tomato-based curry that makes them taste more delicious than chickpeas have any right to taste.) A special dish of lentil-flour balls in yogurt is decidedly an acquired taste, but its distinctive sweet-and-tangy sauce is worth a try, and buffets make trying new things easy.
I’m eager to return to Mehek sometime in the evening, to try some of its seafood dishes, or its signature kebabs. At the very least, I know that this is a restaurant that will always elicit an “Ahhhhh…..” instead of an “Arrrrrrrr…..”
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Baltimoreans had a new place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year: El Patron. Billing itself as a homestyle, authentic Mexican restaurant, rather than a Tex-Mex place, El Patron (801 N. Charles St., 410-244-8494) has taken over the Victorian townhouse at Mount Vernon Square that has long been home to Chinese restaurants, most famously Tony Cheng’s. The opulent surroundings, complete with chandeliers and fancy marble fireplaces, are still in place—don’t expect the usual cantina shtick—but prices are not correspondingly upscale, and the mood is casual. El Patron (“the boss”) is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and dinner only on Sundays.
