Hirsute Lieutenant Colonels

I know I've been very, very remiss about updating the blog, but that's not for lack of effort. It's just that, like Barry Bonds off of steroids, I've been on something of a mysterious slump lately, and though there have been some decent bites (the puff chicken at Fulton Thai, the take-out Korean barbecue at Joa), nothing really jumped out at me. Until this Sunday.

This Sunday might have been the greatest food day I've had all year. What started out as a frustrated attempt to get the amazing grits and shrimp at the River Room in Riverbank State Park (we got there too late) turned into a serendipitous taco discovery (more on that in a later post) and ended with an evening of spectacularly moist, tender chicken at Richmond Hills' Tandoori Hut.

The star items here clearly come from the tandoor, and a good introduction is the combination platter ($15 feeds two), which includes lemon chicken, haryali chicken, and a meaty, half-sausage, half-kebab concoction that was probably the weakest of the bunch. It comes on one of those sizzling platters that, though a fleeting plus on the "Oh, neat!" factor, has the unfortunate effect not not letting any juicy, meaty, fatty sauces pool on the bottom like a good plate should. In fact, I'd recommend getting the haryali chicken separately.

Okay, so what is this hairy Ollie business? It's chicken thighs marinated in this spectacular combination of ginger, mint, garlic, and salt, resulting in this near-neon green flesh that, strangely, tastes like savory barbecue sauce. Barbecue? Savory? And naan? Count me in.

Tandoori Hut (map)
119-04 94th Ave. (Atlantic Avenue and Lefferts Blvd.; J, Z to 121st St., A to Lefferts + a 10-minute hike)
Richmond Hill, Queens