Expatriated Microsoft engineers drive from the Eastside to this cute little house in the heart of the U District for a taste of home. It’s always packed, as it’s also a favorite of UW students and professors. The rooms are kind of tight—or at least feel that way thanks to low ceilings—and sporadically decorated with houseplants and batik tapestries. The staff is attentive to a fault (it’d be nice to set down a water glass without three servers pouncing on it).

Quirks aside, Taste of India is tough to beat when it comes to the basics. There’s not much creativity in the kitchen or arcane house specialties, just meats and fish from the tandoor, coconut curries, and plenty of vegetarian masalas. The fun part is the rogan josh and vindaloo dishes.

And they’re the real thing, done really well. (Taste of India has a small selection of dishes like falafel and shish kebab, but those are overpriced and not as good as the Indian food.) The dessert menu is fairly long and includes treats like traditional condensed milk ice cream and kheer (rice pudding with cardamom and nuts).