When you walk into Turmeric, you might think it was still occupied by Público, the restaurant that previously held the space. The bar and booths are in the same configuration, and the dramatic tree sculptures are still there. Your nose will tell you otherwise, though. The heady scents of cardamom, cilantro, shallots, and truffle oil hit you at the door.
Turmeric describes itself as a modern take on pan-Indian cuisine. With such categories as small plates, entrées, and cocktails, the menu comprises all the usual offerings of a modern restaurant. Dishes are presented on white platters of odd sizes and shapes, garnished with colorful sauces dotted and drizzled, veggie spirals, and fresh herbs. These elements nod at contemporary dining, and the food, rather than being avant-garde, is both warmly familiar and comforting.
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The restaurant offers 17 small plates. The Neptune Platter is a sampling of four: samosas, green tikki, paneer, and Manchurian cauliflower bezule. The lightly crisped samosas, stuffed with potato, are wonderful, but the Indo-Chinese cauliflower dish is the star. Florets—crisp on the outside, tender on the inside—are tossed in a ruby-hued sweet-and-sour sauce, yielding vegetable candy. The Charminar lamb, intriguingly described as being “cooked on a special jungle stone,” consists of thin slices of lightly spiced buttery-soft lamb loin coated in a thick, rich paste that’s redolent of fresh crushed mint. Golgappa arrive as cherry tomato–size wheat flour pillows. Inside each, a dollop of chickpea-and-potato mash is topped with pomegranate seeds and cilantro. Tall, thin shot glasses of a tangy tamarind and a mint dressing accompany the golgappa, to be poured inside each shell. The dish is entertaining and delicious.
Executive chef Kishore Reddy, who came to St. Louis from Atlanta, is proud of the majestically presented Turmeric kebab sampler of chicken, lamb, tiger shrimp, and paneer, as well as the enormous rolled dosa, cooked in truffle oil and gently wrapped around a filling of potato masala. The modest and beautiful chicken biryani balances spices, aromatics, and pieces of chicken, sticky with vivid crimson curry paste and buried in a pile of steaming-hot soft rice finished with crisp-fried shallots. The green bean thoran alone is worth the visit.
A specialty cocktail list includes some cheekily themed options, such as Madhubala’s Mango Margarita and the Be My Gulabo Martini. The Bomberry Mule—blueberries, brown sugar, lemon juice, dark rum, and ginger beer—is lightly salted, giving it a refreshing effect similar to that of shikanji, India’s salted lemonade.
Turmeric is a beautiful space where great effort is given to the creation of striking, detailed presentations, and the robust, balanced flavors make the food warm and inviting.
