Last time Steve and I were visiting Tina and Joel in New Jersey, we met up with a group of friends for dinner at Four Monkeys in Summit. Tina's friend Ritesha was there too. Dr. Ritesha Krishnappa, is a psychiatrist with his own practice in Florham Park. He grew up in India, so whenever the group goes out for Indian food, everyone leaves the ordering to him. After this dinner, I can definitely see why.
The food just kept coming, and every dish was packed with flavor. It was one of those dinners where you're too busy eating and chatting to think about taking photos, so apologies in advance for the rather sparse coverage. We had a lot more food than what is shown in the photos.
My favorite was the Kharda Chicken Tikka. I had never had kharda chicken before, but it was so good. Kharda is a specialty from western India, made with a spicy green chili and garlic paste that gives the dish a fresh, vibrant heat. The chicken was super tender and even though it was spicy, it was manageable, and so very tasty.
The Shrimp Balchao Lettuce Wraps were another standout. Balchao is a spicy Goan sauce, and the shrimp definitely had some heat, but wrapped in crisp lettuce, it made for such a delicious bite.
Picking favorites is actually difficult because everything was so good. We also had lots of warm naan, which was perfect for scooping up every last bit of sauce. I don't think we left much behind. It was such a nice evening, and time just flew, so before we knew, it was past closing time, and we were the only table left in the restaurant.
I've had plenty of Indian food over the years, but I love it when someone orders dishes I probably would never have picked myself. I walked away with a bunch of new favorites, and I'll definitely be looking for Kharda Chicken on the menu the next time I go out for Indian food.
Four Monkeys Indian Bistro, 83 Summit Ave, Summit, NJ 07901, United States
