A Review of Palace at the Ben Restaurant in Philadelphia

The Palace at the Ben recently opened in the historic Benjamin Franklin Building in Wash West. Entering thru the Ben Franklin's entrance, you'll gasp when you see how the Palace has conquered a bit of the stodgy Franklin interior and transformed it into the lair of a decadent and mad majarahah. The décor is modern, Indian inspired, clean, crisp, and clearly posh.

My pal and I poured ourselves into a fantastic booth in the back of the restaurant prepared hoping for a lunch that would surpass our normal Potbelly fair. We quickly learned that not all Indian food is spicy. Actually, there are over 60 spices used to flavor Indian cuisine, and only two are hot: red chili powder and tiny green chilies. Don't expect an unwanted blizzard of curry either, the chefs at Palace are very accommodating to any personal preference.

The lunch menu is easily navigatable, even for the most isolationistic of eaters. I opted for the non-vegitarian Thali (14.95). Thali, Hindi meaning plate, consists of a selection of different dishes, usually served in small bowls on a round tray. Typical dishes include rice, dal, vegetables, chapati, papad, curd (yoghurt), chutney or pickle, and a sweet dish. I was treated to the incredible Cashmere Chicken (in a mild cream sauce with cashews and raisins) , the delicious lamb of the day, and the Navratan Korma (9 veggies in a coconut cream sauce). Along with these three gutt-busters, I also got some papadam (lentil flat breads), raita (cucumber and yogurt with mint), and daal (thick, spicy stew), buttery naan (flatbread), rice, dal makhani (a dip made from seven verity of lentils). The Thali option, was an incredible little peek into what Palace can offer, and was delicious as well and more then enough for any lunch date.

My companion tried the Tandoori Combination (12.95). A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven used in India, in which food is cooked over a hot charcoal fire. Temperatures in a tandoor can approach 900°F. Tandoor is used for cooking certain types of Indian dishes, such as tandoori chicken and bread like tandoori roti and naan. The tandoor is a very important fixture in Indian restaurants, since the food cooked in a tandoor retains all the juices and taste. Our combo featured Chicken Tikka (tender and moist chicken braised in tomatoes and oriental spices), the multi-meat Seekh kabab and the expected and aptly named chicken tandoori. The favorite of the trio was the seekh kabab, but only by a nose. I noshed on all three, and I'd be happy to have a full plate of either of them at any other sitting.

Palace At Ben features a wide range of incredible cocktails, appetizers, and desserts, so if lunch isn't a possibility, keep them in mind for other dining options. But if your in the Wash West neighborhood, and want a healthy and upscale lunch, consider the Palace. It might not be Qdoba or Wendy's, but good lord who wants it to be? Palace At Ben brings Philadelphia a gourmet and classy taste of India, but at prices that even the plastic fork crowd can afford.

Palace at The Ben, Ben Franklin House, 834 Chestnut St, 11 am to11 pm Sun-Thur, 11 am-Midnight, 267- 232-5600, thepalaceattheben.com.