• 5
• We'll Be Back.... Many Times!

My wife and I have eaten twice at Shankara, once as a sit down dinner upstairs and the second time for the buffet on the main floor. We loved both. The sit down dinner was warmer and more intimate, served in their upstairs dining room. It was a unique dining experience for a few reasons. For one, sharing is recommended. The dinner was offered as a base dish of greens and grains. This night was Jasmine Rice and Quinoa over Field Greens. Then you get to choose from a lot of options to add to this. We chose Trumpet Mushrooms is a Cranberry Clove Reduction (which you would think was sweet, but it was deliciously savory), Garlic Crusted Tofu and Kale, Black Sesame Purple Slaw (which was warm, not cold) and a scrumptious Lentil Dahl. (Its full name I forget.) Everything was incredible, unusual, delicious, and an adventurous eating experience. As far as our second visit, I can’t even begin to list everything that was served on the buffet. There were 12 hot choices, 6 cold choices, a variety of teas, and desert (but we were too full for desert because we stuffed ourselves). Chef/Owner Wendy kept bringing out new dishes while we were eating. Chef Wendy Landiak is an artist who uses unique combinations of international flavors that take you on a culinary journey to places you’ve never been before. I’m an amateur cook myself who loves experimenting and creating new dishes. Whenever I eat somewhere new I’m guessing the spices and ingredients. Chef Wendy had me stumped. Frankly, I was a little hesitant on our first visit to Shankara. I was expecting Indian food and there is only a small selection of Indian food that I like. Was I mistaken! Both about the food and also what I knew (or didn’t know) about Indian flavors. I can’t describe our sit-down dinner as coming from any certain part of the world. It was totally and completely unique and delicious. The buffet lent itself more so to hints of Indian flavors, but again unique, with unique fusions of Indian/Japanese and what seemed like it might have been Indian/French, other flavors I could not put a name to and some that certainly were Indian in nature. My wife and I loved everything. Friday nights are buffet nights on the main floor. If you come on a Saturday night, as we did on our first visit, don’t be surprised if the main floor is empty. Dinner is served upstairs. Shankara is almost an hour from our home and totally worth the drive.