The Naan: So Many Reasons To Return To This Westport CT Indian Gem

I recently had the opportunity to dine at The Naan in Westport. Located on the Post Road (near Whole Foods) the restaurant is easily missed if you’re not looking for it  -- You’ll want to keep your eyes peeled open for this one. 

I’ve eaten at my fair share of Indian restaurants over the years. To be quite honest, all of it has been very good. Many places have been delicious, quite a few have been excellent, and a handful have been exceptional. The Naan fits into the latter category. Chef Prashant focuses on the cuisine of his hometown region of Punjab, and with 25 years of experience up his chef’s sleeves, his proficiency is evident in each and every bite.

We sat down with Simi, the restaurant’s GM and sister to owner Raman Bindra and his wife and co-owner Pratiba Anand who set the restaurant’s exceptionally high standard, and strive to be as authentic as possible. In order to do this certain ingredients are imported from India and many lengthy cooking methods are utilized in order to achieve authenticity.  

For example, Simi explained to us that the Goat Rogan Josh and the Lamb Rogan Josh require a particularly lengthy prep time as these dishes are slow cooked in the meat fats.  Additionally the Saag/ Sarson ka saag (spinach and mustard greens) are also time intensive as most of their clay oven dishes are marinated for several hours before they are cooked to ensure that each bite is as flavorful as possible. 
Simi also told us that she believes that “Indian cooking creates an emotion which is derived from the unique and whole spices like mace, nutmeg and others traditional to their cuisine. Each individual spice is so unique unto itself, with such a distinctive flavor profile that the only way this can be replicated is to have the spices imported.” They are so grateful to have a vendor that is able to import most of their spices for them. 

Just about everything at The Naan is house made, from their own spice blends, their sauces, their yogurt (which serves as a base for many of their sauces and dishes as well as their mango lassi) and their ice cream. 

We feasted on several traditional dishes which included Butter Chicken with its creamy, aromatic, slightly sweet and slightly tangy flavors. The Lamb Saag, one of my favorites, is slow cooked in a sauce that’s a mixture of onions, greens and assorted spices. Vegetable biryani is always a crowd pleasure. Made with basmati rice and assorted vegetables and spices this colorful rice dish is as pretty as it is delicious. Another favorite of mine was the Tandoori Shrimp, spicy and slightly smoky the perfectly grilled shrimp simply burst with flavor. 

The Tandoori Mixed Grill Sampler, which features a selection of meat, is a must for people who want to try a variety of dishes and with layers of flavors from smoky to spicy. What’s a meal at an Indian restaurant without some naan? We nibbled on Garlic Naan and the new to us, Peshawari Naan. The latter is sweetened with sugar, dried fruit and nuts and is served to balance the heat of the spicier dishes. We ended our meal on the sweetest notes and made our way through some traditional Indian desserts which included Gajar Halwa (Carrot Pudding) which is made with milk, sugar, ghee and cardamom, another traditional dessert Gulab Jamun, a confection that’s served warm and drenched in a sweet, sugary syrup with flavors of cardamom and mild rose syrup. Lastly we tried the Gulkan, or Pan ice cream, is made with a variety of unique ingredients which include nutmeg, fennel and betel leaves to create a refreshing “bomb of flavors.” 

Whether you’ve never been or you’ve not been in a while The Naan really should be at the top of your restaurant list.

The Naan 361 Post Road W

(203) 557-6667

info@thenaanct.com