My sister Nadia and I find ourselves in the midst of packing and preparing for big moves yet again this summer. We are gluttons for punishment! To unwind, we planned a relaxing long weekend over Memorial Day in Orlando and nearby space coast beach towns. My nephew is going through his astronaut phase and was obsessed with checking out the Kennedy Space Center. Nadia and I were also invited to try out the newest Tabla restaurant location in Lake Nona and decided to make a girl’s day out of it by treating ourselves to pedicures and a long-awaited Downton Abbey A New Era outing. Tabla is a set of traditional Indian hand drums that play a primary role in classical Indian music dating from the 18th century.

Since the Lake Nona location is close to the house, Jalal and I went for the soft opening back during the Christmas holidays at Nadia’s recommendation. So I was excited, to return with her and check out the full menu since she has the highest spice tolerance in the family.

Kaushal and Chef Sagoo took great care of us and explained some of their popular fusion items. Chef Sagoo is originally from the Orissa region of India and has decades of international experience – including in London, the mecca of Indian curry houses.

What I enjoy about Tabla restaurant are the extensive but approachable traditional Indian, Indo-Chinese, and Thai menus. Plus Jalal prefers noodles over rice, so we can both get what we like at Table. The staff at Tabla can also easily adjust menu items to suit different dietary needs and preferences — from vegan-friendly items to dishes that accommodate Jain or halal dietary restrictions.

As new part-time residents, we are always on the hunt to find halal-friendly fine dining options in Orlando. The fact that Taba isn’t afraid to take bold risks with inventive fusion creations is a bonus. Their fusion sweets have me rethinking dessert priorities and wondering what other French and Indian classic desserts could be remixed.

First stop mango lassi

The best part about living in or visiting Florida is that it always seems to be mango season. After extensive research (aka taste testing) at mango festivals in India and Pakistan, in my humble opinion, Alphonso mangoes are the best varieties. Named after Portuguese Viceroy Alfonso de Alberquue, these mango varieties are a nod to the historic European quest for Indian spices and exotic fruits. I am so obsessed with Alphonso mangoes that we just planted a tree in our backyard. Of course, I had to begin my meal with a traditional mango lassi. There is a good reason why this mango and yogurt-based drink is a staple on every Indian restaurant menu. It helps to balance out the spiciness of the meal.

At Kaushal’s recommendation, we also tried a rose-flavored falooda for dessert – a Moghul era cold dessert that mixes ice cream, vermicelli noodles, and sweet basil seed. Best described as an Indian milkshake. Like a mango lassi, a falooda will cool you down after a spicy Indian meal. Tabla also has a variety of alcoholic cocktails in addition to the mocktails. For instance, the Winter Park location mixes together an alcoholic twist to a mango lassi called Mucho Mango Martini. They also dream up new fusion drinks for special occasions.

Chaat Time

Chaat is having a moment with the overall rise in popularity of street food around the world. Growing up in a South Asian family, chai (or tea) time was the most popular time for large extended family gatherings. Chaat are typically savory snacks served at teatime or grabbed on the run at roadside stalls and street food carts all over South Asia.

Nothing beats milky chai with savory samosas and pakoras with sweet and spicy sauces. And the chaat options at Tabla do not disappoint. In keeping with the Mango theme, we ordered the Mango bhel chaat (the mango adds a sweet twist to the savory and crunchy traditional bhel which includes puffed rice and black chickpeas with tamarind sauce).

Kaushal also recommended the chaat platter so we could sample a variety of the chaat and assemble our own pani puris. Also called gol gappa or phuska depending on the region of South Asia, pani puris are possibly the most famous of Indian street foods after samosas. The crispy hollow dough is usually stuffed with mashed potatoes or chickpeas and drenched in a watery minty sauce (the “pani”).

Indo-Chinese and Thai compliment traditional menu

Halal Indian and Bangladeshi-Chinese restaurants first started popping up in the North East when we were growing up in the late nineties. The owners of Tabla introduced their Indo-Chinese and Thai menus almost seven years ago. The origin of South Asian Chinese is debated but is said to have developed in Kolkata, which boasts the only Chinatown in India in the Tiretti Bazaar neighborhood. As the capital of British-ruled India in the eighteenth century, when it was governed by the East India Trading Company, Kolkata was a natural destination for the first Chinese migrants to India.

Bengalis are known to be foodies and over the years Chinese wok cooking techniques were adapted to Indian tastes for spicy and saucy noodle dishes and stir-fries. Kaushal recommends the Gobbi Manchurian appetizer from their Indo-Chinese menu. For a non-veg option, there is a Chicken Manchurian.

Indian sizzler platter and curries

We had to keep the mango theme going with for the entrees too 🙂 ! I asked for an extra spicy version of the Alphonso mango chicken curry and Kausal customized a red, white, and green sizzling chicken platter for sharing since Nadia and I could not make up our minds on tandoori chicken versus kebabs.

Just look at the steam from the sizzling platter. All of the grilled meat was on point and accompanied well by the garlic naan. Sizzler and tandoori options also include lamb chops and seafood, which Jalal enjoyed during the soft opening.

Creative fusion desserts

In keeping with Bengali culture, our family has a reputation for being sweet lovers.  My brother in law, the other resident dessert addict in the family and someone who has a sweet dish with every meal, recommended the gulab jamun crème brûlée when he heard that we were checking out the newest Tabla location.  He ranks it in his overall top ten of lifetime desserts.  He much prefers it over other gulab jamum fusion desserts he has tried elsewhere like gulab jamun cheesecake.  

Although gulab jamun, a deep fried milk powder dough soaked in spicy sugar syrup, is extremely popular in South Asia, I am usually not a fan of fried desserts and prefer ras malai. For me anytime ras malai (a cream and saffron infused cheese dessert) is on the menu, I stop looking. If my parents are to be believed, I sustained myself entirely on ras malai as a 3-year old on my first trip to Bangladesh.

Tabla also serves ras malai, but Kaushal noted that the creme brullee was Tabla’s top dessert. So, I had to go with the double recommendation. Despite Covid lockdowns and strikes, we managed to try lots of crème brûlée in Paris over three years. When done right, its one of my favorite French desserts.

Initially, I doubted that it would live up to the hype or top the pure Madagascar vanilla crème brûlée served in Parisian bistros. The Tabla fusion version has made me a convert. The base was the perfect consistency of vanilla custard mixed with gulab jamun slices that were not overly fried or sweet – topped off with the traditional caramelized shell.

I-Drive location:

5847 GRAND NATIONAL DRIVE,

ORLANDO, FL 32819

Winter Park Location:

407-248-9400

216 N PARK AVE

WINTER PARK, FL 32789

321-422-0321

Lake Nona Location:

9971 TAGORE PLACE

ORLANDO, FL 32832

407-743-2846

Tabla group also provide catering services.