Throughout our lives, we are required to do several basic, and sometimes cumbersome things, one of which is to eat. Many believe that if eating must happen, then the food might as well be good. This belief is strongly followed by the staff at Clove Fine Indian Cuisine.

This Indian restaurant is located a little out of the way for Southern Lehigh Students in Allentown along Union Boulevard, near the Iron Pigs Baseball Stadium. Clove Fine Indian Cuisine is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch, and again from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for dinner service.

When I first sat down, I got the sense that the restaurant more upscale. The napkins were fabric, and there were small water glasses in addition to any other drinks ordered, so this wasn’t your run of the mill Friday night eatery. Because of this classy set up, the prices were a little higher, as the total cost for three fell at $45.37, and we did order some of the cheaper meals available.

Our waiter was very polite but didn’t make much conversation, which, in my introverted opinion, is a plus. I ordered Chicken Vindaloo, one of my favorite Indian dishes, and my partners in crime on this culinary adventure, my brother and father, ordered chicken tikka masala and chicken vindaloo, respectively.  

Now, shortly after ordering, the best thing in the world happened; we received a complimentary appetizer. The dish was called pakora, and it was absolutely amazing. The sauce served with it was sweet and salty, and the pakora was crunchy, but not greasy. All in all, an amazing appetizer experience.

The wait wasn’t all that long before I recieved my main dish. The food was served almost family style. I say this because each of us received a bowl with the dish we ordered, but we were given individual plates and the rice was heaped onto only one platter.

One thing I will say is that Indian food is best served as spicy as you can handle. That being said, my brother can not handle even the weakest spice, and he was fine with his mildly spiced chicken tikka masala.

The food was cooked to perfection, and I can honestly say I’ve never had a better chicken vindaloo. The chicken was perfect, the sauce spicy, and the naan bread we ordered was perfectly toasted. My whole family, with the exception of my brother, are all avid lovers of Indian food, but no vindaloo we’ve ever made could match the flavor of the one I ordered.

The food, while on the pricer side, was well worth the cost. Our server was polite, and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was friendly. I would definitely go again, and I highly recommend it to anyone searching for somewhere that’s classier than your typical place of eating and if you have a fair amount to spend.