Tuck into the curry lamb dosa from the four-month-old Gol Bowl (6227 Delmar) in the Delmar Loop, and you might think you’ve been teleported from a University City storefront into the home kitchen of a long-lost Indian aunty. Generous hunks of mild lamb are not merely tender; they pull apart with the mere suggestion of a fork prod like a gently perfumed pot roast. Scented with cinnamon and clove, you could call its sauce by its official namesake, curry, as much as you could refer to it as a hearty gravy. Alone, the lamb is extraordinary; enveloped in its wonderful wrapper – pillow-soft south Indian uttapam rather than the thinner, crepe-like dosa often associated with the dish – the curry lamb dosa becomes a masterpiece of the handheld form and one of the many delights at this delightful restaurant that is a must-visit for enthusiasts of Indian cuisine.
Wraps and rice bowls may not be the first things that come to mind when you think of the standard playbook that has dominated St. Louis’ Indian restaurant scene for decades. This is precisely the point. In place of the more formal setup found at the area’s traditional sub-continental spots, Gol Bowl – which just last week added a second location at 7278 Manchester (formerly Tapped) in Maplewood – draws upon the fast-casual model to appeal to more on-the-go, budget-friendly customers. Its intended audience – aside from anyone who is eager to try wonderful versions of curries, kabobs and street food – is the Washington University St. Louis student body which dominates the Delmar Loop’s dining landscape. In that spirit, at Gol Bowl you will find no gilded dishes or attentive waters ready to refill your water glass after every sip. Instead, you’ll find to-go packaged dishes, plastic-wrapped cutlery, minimal decor and counter service that forces the food to stand on its own.
It does so magnificently. Though Gol Bowl is a wholly casual concept, it does not sacrifice an iota of quality in its food. Like the lamb curry, the chloe bhature, or chickpea curry with flatbread, has the sort of slow-cooking, from-scratch care you’d expect from a higher-end restaurant. Here, the chickpeas are expertly cooked, softened yet without losing their snappy exterior and are soaked in a curry that is both electrified by warm spice and zest and impossibly rich with butter. The accompanying naan, which is meant to be covered with the curry or dipped into it, its like a lovely golden fry bread. It’s a simple dish, yet its elegance is in its flawless execution.
Chicken curry, too, is a lovely representation of the form. Tender hunks of boneless dark meat bob in a mouthwatering chili and black peppery heat that is enough to make the tip of the tongue tingle but not so much as to form beads of sweat on the brow. Unlike smoother sauces, Gol Bowl’s curry – whether chicken, lamb or chickpea – has a pleasantly rustic texture that makes the dishes heartier than other versions. Like the lamb curry, the lamb biryani features pull-apart lamb, and fluffy rice accented with warm, medium-heat spices that wrap the palate in perfume.
Unlike the oft fenugreek-forward butter chicken, Gol Bowl’s version leans more toward red chili heat; it’s still a mild enough dish, but what is so lovely about this version is how well the subtle spice cuts through the richness. I was equally impressed with another go-to comfort dish: samosas. Here, the wrapper is the star of the show thanks to its stunningly flaky and delicate texture – a departure from so many versions of the dish. It’s a beautiful canvas for spiced peas and potatoes, their heat tempered by the accompanying tamarind chutney.
Another appetizer, kale and palak chaat, is like a cross between a greens-flecked falafel and a veggie burger. Round spheres of kale and spinach are coated in chickpea batter and topped with yogurt and chutney. There are so many layers of flavor and texture it’s difficult to process – tang, vegetal, savory, sweet, richness, crispness; with every bite, something new reveals itself.
Perhaps Gol Bowl’s biggest surprise is its chicken kathi roll, a dish so reminiscent of a Buffalo chicken wrap it stopped me in my tracks. Like its American counterpart, the Bengali street food features pieces of chicken marinated and then sauced in a mouth-puckering red chili glaze, topped with crisp and cooling slaw (lettuce and celery sticks, anyone?) and a drizzle of yogurt that is a perfect stand-in for ranch dressing. It was as utterly mind blowing as it was delicious – a common refrain at this delightful addition to St. Louis’ dining landscape…