Moghul Restaurant in Vestal, New York

I am sure you can relate to my dilemma. Here I am in Binghamton, New York when suddenly a craving for Indian food hits me. Without the assortment of eateries one might know in New York City, I am left to the mercy of the locals to satiate my craving. Then, upon the recommendation of an acquaintance, I happen upon Moghul Fine Indian Cuisine located on the Vestal Parkway in University Plaza.

Let me talk about the plaza just for a moment. The University Plaza is, easily, the most unfortunate thing I have ever seen. What clearly began as a strip mall now has large student apartments clustered on one side of the parking lot. One would notice upon walking through this strip mall, that the owners attempted to create a student commons out of a strip mall and instead fabricated a horrible bastard of a strip mall that offends anyone who finds delight in order or symmetry. Located on the inner ring of this commons, beside Tully's Restaurant and across the way from Salsarita's Fresh Cantina, one will find the Moghul Restaurant with its distinct ethnic styled facade. Walking in you will likely be greeted within a minute and shown to your table.

The interior of the restaurant balanced a traditional look employing fine wood furniture and tasteful decor with contemporary elements such as a water feature at the entrance. Both design concepts are done tastefully without overpowering the senses or detracting from one's dining experience. The menu has just enough items to where I cannot complain it has too few or too many. The assortment is clearly meant to cater to a diverse clientele. I ordered the Aloo Dum (potato stuffed with sweet potato and smothered in a spicy curry), a piece of naan and a mango lassi for my dinner.

The lassi was sweet and refreshing and I needed to order a second by the time I was finished with my salad which was simple but clean and fresh. With a new mango lassi in hand I didn't have to wait long for my Aloo Dum to arrive. I first checked the curry to see if it had acquired "skin" as curry tends to do when left sitting out for extended periods of time. Glad to see that my dish appeared and smelled fresh, I bit into the first potato. The curry was just spicy enough to complement the taste of the potato without sending one running to stick their head in the aforementioned water feature. The yogurt content of the lassi surely helped to keep the fire at bay as I made my way through the dish. The flavors were simple, yet put together in such a complex way that you knew what you were tasting but still could not explain why it tasted so much better than you could have imagined.

My only complaint for my experiences at Moghul was that I did not have time to check out the bar in great detail and didn't have the desire to have dessert, neither of which could possibly reflect poorly upon the owners and staff of the restaurant. Service was prompt, polite and efficient and encouraged me not just to be generous with a tip but to be sure to return in the near future.