NAME : PARK DAE SUNG (PHILL)

Indian cuisine makes Irish pub more traditional

In America, all we expect from the Irish is beer brewed to perfection, ironic limericks, potatoes and corned beef and cabbage served up right.
Sean Kelly's caters to these expectations by dishing out the expected shepherd's pie and dumplings, but there are a few items that stand out on the new "Empire Grill" menu. The names of the courses are difficult to pronounce on the first try — especially if you don't know Hindi.
The waiter smiled sympathetically as I stumbled over the words. Defeated, I finally pointed to "Kali Vattana" ($11.75) — an Indian dish made with in-house Paneer cheese, black beans, mushrooms, cilantro, chutney topped with Basmati rice, and served with flatbread — the restaurant's version of naan. While I waited for my food, I sipped on a beer to remind myself I was still at an Irish pub.
"It's actually more traditional — adding the Indian food is historically accurate," said manager Brad White.
He was referring to pubs being a staple of the British Isles, as are curry houses. After Britain claimed India, the English began importing traditional spices and distributing them to neighboring countries in the 1600s. Today, pubs and curry houses are one in the same, where Bhurtura and brews are served side by side.
Sean Kelly's created the Empire Grill menu this summer to bring the tradition to Missoula. It features six Indian dishes that have all the spices, rice, grilled vegetables and tofu that you could want. The creations are unique to the restaurant by head chef Dan Brasington — a long-time vegetarian with Indian cuisine expertise.
"We're trying to broaden people's minds," said sous chef Jared Butterworth. "If you like British and Irish food, you're playing right into Indian."
The rice sat packed on top of the rest of the dish, just waiting to be mixed in. A little spice cleared my cold congestion to taste the tang of the cilantro. When the cheese touched the beans, the kick was somewhat muted, but it didn't detract from the richness.
The bread was heavier than traditional naan, but complemented the meal and duly worked as an edible spoon.
My full stomach forced me to ask for a box, and when I received the bill, I noticed that my meal was 50 percent off.
No, it wasn't because I told the waiter that I was writing a restaurant review. Sean Kelly's discounts all Indian dishes on Mondays, which means I got dinner and the next day's breakfast for $5.88.