Taj on Fifth brings a modern twist to Indian food

Taj on Fifth aims to offer a different Indian food experience than you've become accustomed to.

Flashback: Ajay Kumar's family opened Taj Mahal in 1984 on OSU's campus, where the restaurant operated for nearly 30 years.

• Last year, Kumar and his wife, Roopa Singh, partnered to open Taj on Fifth as a new project that connected to Taj Mahal's roots but "felt a little more contemporary."

The vibe: The new focus is on dinner and cocktails, with a modern space built around a large and aesthetically pleasing bar that makes the restaurant's "bistro & bar" tagline feel earned.

The menu: Most Indian food favorites are here, but might be tweaked or interpreted differently.

• The substantial menu offers several small plates, over a dozen large plates, four flatbreads, grilled tandoori meats and biryani dishes.
• Drinks are an emphasis here, with a cocktail menu featuring interesting flavors like cardamom, chicory, jasmine and masala salt.

What I ate: I started with aloo tikki chaat ($10), and galouti kebabs ($14) before moving on to chicken makhani ($21) and punjabi chicken curry ($22) with garlic naan ($6).

• I went with some entry-level choices (chicken makhani is just butter chicken) for comparison's sake.

Best bites: The apps were good, but signature large plates are going to be the draw for most.

• Makhani and Punjabi curry were absolutely delicious.
• Huge shout-out to the garlic naan, which was incredible.

💭 Final thoughts: Oh, to have two stomachs.

• I've got to go back to try the Delhi hot wings, lamb biryani and tandoori meats, and try the cocktail menu.

📍 Stop by: 4-10pm Tuesday-Friday, 11am-10pm Saturday, 11am-9pm Sunday. 1021 W. Fifth Ave. Menu.

🌎 Worthy of your time: This trip was part of our Eating Around the World series. Check out the other international foods we've mapped so far.