Fearless Critics have a Pavlovian response to the phrase “in the back of a grocery.” We begin to salivate: Fluorescent lights! Formica! Torn vinyl seats! But Teji’s has recently prettied itself up, expanding into the space next door and painting the walls a warm and inviting red. Fortunately, the food‘s as excellent as ever, as the lunchtime crowds will attest.

Heaps of food still come (just no longer come on Styrofoam plates) and if it’s a Friday, one of those heaps will be goat biryani. As opposed to other biryani here, this one is cooked with the rice, goat, and spices stewing together over several hours until each grain is infused with all the flavors. It’s a thing to behold.

Everything else is equally impressive, the familiar flavors given a revealing amplification, as if you’d been listening to Vivaldi out of a broken speaker all along. Vindaloos, instead of being merely tasty gravies, actually layer harmony upon hot, vinegary harmony; even lentils and chickpeas have a distinct voice. Where other Indian kitchens roll out dishes with a heavy, relative sameness, these resonate with high notes of cardamom, tomato, and ginger. Even simpler achievements like lassis and naan outclass the competition. Be sure to add bright raita and fresh-mint chutney to starchy dishes to crank the experience up to eleven.