pleasantly surprised. i wasn't expecting much on the first try at this venue, as most indian restaurants in the nearest large cities of portland and seattle are pretty ersatz (with one -maybe two exceptions in portland), especially if you've been to india and/or eaten in indian households, which is where you'll get the real thing in many interpretations.
i must state that indian and spanish foods are my favorite cuisines and i've lived, traveled and eaten all over this amazing planet as well as studied and cooked both of these much under-appreciated (in the usa at least) but vibrant and very regionally defined types of food.
to the subject matter, the decor at himani is very tasteful, restful and restrained with subdued lighting and large framed tapestries on the walls, in an inviting storefront (oxymoron perhaps but not in this case) looking on to marine drive in astoria, the main n.e -s.w. drag of the divided main center of the town. one could have a romantic dinner for two here or a group meeting; neither would seem out of place and the differing sizes of granite or the like tables are set apart with excellent spacing
one disappointment initially -no bar nor booze but it's early days yet and that's just me, who enjoys a bit of suds or a sting before din-dins. perhaps the owners are muslim, as was the case in my favorite indian place khushi's in edinburgh, and we'd just go to the pub next door and haul beer in; not really a problem, just an observation and there are plenty of watering-holes within whispering distance.
the service was initially a little slow between delivery of menus and water but fine after the orders were taken by a quite knowledgeable and pleasant but not gushy young lady.
to the food, a good balance of north and southern indian selections and not a huge menu, always a good sign, especially in a new establishment.
our samplings were of the mixed starter plate, a selection of vegetable pakoras (fritters made with besan or chickpea flour batter) with three chutney dips all mild and varied -mint, tomato and tamarind; at $8.00 for a generous serving this is a bargain and plenty for two -in fact quite filling. for main dishes, my companion chose her invariable "test piece" when eating indian "murg makahani" -tandoori chicken pieces take off the bone and simmered in a butter/cream sauce, which she declared was the best she'd ever had in a restaurant. my "test" dish was saag gosht -lamb and spinach curry, which is a rich curry with a velvety texture provided by the spinach puree with chunks of lamb to give textural contrast (i ordered "very spicy" but it was pretty mild -but again, that's just ol' asbestos-palate-me writing and, no complaints about the flavor or textures). again. the best i can remember in arestauranton the pacific rim. vegetables were represented by an eggplant/coconut dish which i'd never tried before but again, well conceived and a good foil for the other choices. plain basmati rice was served with main dishes. for essential bread components to any indian dinner, we tried a tandoori roti (chapati made with atta, or whole-wheat flour) and naan, a pear -shaped leavened bread, which at $2.00 each was another bargain.
one thing i'll never forget. i had not eaten all day (ok, silly me!) and had just played music for four hours at the astoria thursday river people's market so began to feel faint and dizzy just after the appetizer had been served, so went outside for a breather. one of the young men in attendance at the front desk asked my companion if there was a problem, which she explained. he suggested a mango lassi (mango pureé´and youghurt drink) to restore sugar and this was presented on the house. we took the rest of our meal home but that kind of gesture is rare indeed and got the staff a lot of points just for class and attentive but unobtrusive patron service.
a nice feature by the way, was the small copper plated serving dishes (i forget their names) in which the individual items were presented before being transferred to the dining plate. yet again a touch of authenticity and class.
i can happily report that our first experience at himani was a satisfying one and would recommend it to anyone who is new to indian cuisine, or an old sweat and curry-hound like myself. please don't insult them by asking for a hamburger or fish and chips if you have kids -open them up to the wonderful kaleidoscope of the great indian sub-continent.
one suggestion i'd make for the future is that the owners offer a "thali" menu. a "thali" is a brass or silver tray (or a banana leaf in humbler homes) containing a variety of different dishes, pickles, rice and breads laid out on "katoris" or small bowls (or just placed in piles around the banana leaf) which is how food is typically presented in indian homes and is a wonderful opportunity to experience hot, mild, sour, sweet, cool and crispy in one meal (and eaten with the fingers or breads).
so far i'd give himani 8 out of 10 and the two missing points are not so much negative as just things i'd like to see personally.
and i'll remember that kindly and thoughtfully given lassi for a long time.
can't wait to return and also to try their lunch buffet offerings.