When you drive by York Garden Restaurant and Bar (9726 York Road, Cockeysville, 410-666-5303), you can't help but do a double take. A big sign out front announces that there is Indian and Mexican cuisine being served at what was formerly Asiana Indian Cuisine. Whoa, this is taking fusion to a whole new level.
Once inside and settled in the hushed dining room with pink overtones, we asked our server why the restaurant had chosen to serve two seemingly divergent types of cuisines. She explained the owners were hoping to draw in more customers that way. Fair enough.
The night we were there, the menu was still heavy on Indian fare, but there were several Mexican-style appetizers. Try the blazing-hot jalapenos stuffed with chicken ($6.95) if you have a palate that likes heat.
You can also count on the spicy lamb vindaloo ($14.95, pictured above right) and shrimp biryani ($16.95) for main dishes. For dessert, opt for the gulab jamun ($3.95), addictive little balls of cottage cheese that are deep-fried and bathed in honey-and-rose-water syrup—a nice contrast to the fiery punch of the entrées. But perhaps the best part of the visit was the impeccably sweet and attentive service. No matter what the content, that always counts.
