• Garlic Nan $2.25 (shared)
• Vegetable Samosa $2.99 (shared)
• Malai Kofta - minced vegetable balls simmered in a rich sauce & garnished $8.99

I was pleasantly surprised, I was not sure what to expect for an Indian restaurant in Eagan, but I think they are doing a good job, in a nice strip mall location.

The garlic nan was good, light and warm bread, is really hard to beat. The samosas were a good rendition of the popular Indian appetizer. My entree was very good, I have never had this particular Indian dish before, it was a nice flavorful combination of veggies chopped made into patties and then deep fried. They are served in a very rich sauce that softens the crispy crust, but I liked it. Somehow it all worked together.

If you live in Minneapolis, this is probably not worth the drive, there are plenty of comparable restaurants near you, but if you live in the southern metro this would be a great place for Indian.

• Sri Lankan Chicken Curry - with basmati rice $9.99

I was neither thrilled nor disappointed by Sambol. More than anything, I wish I could go back in time to the delicious Udupi Café that was absolutely marvelous in every way. We lost a gem when Udupi closed. But we can't live in the past.

The present, as many lament, does not contain enough Indian restaurants in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Well, Sambol is one Indian restaurant worth going to if you are craving Indian and live in or near Eagan. This is not worth driving across the river for, but they serve a good selection of standard Indian fare. I was happily surprised to be greeted with the delicious complimentary papadum: a nice, fresh, crunchy surprise. The garlic nan was nothing special, but not bad, either. The vegetable samosas were well made, also fresh and hot. The Sri Lankan chicken curry was also pretty good. Right after I ordered it medium spicy, Renee told me that I could not complain about it not being spicy enough. It was good at the medium level, though I would be tempted to go hotter on a return visit. At the medium level, I could tell that the curry was fine but not as inspired as some of the truly inspired curries in the metro area. I can still remember the tremendous curries that we had at True Thai and Evergreen Taiwanese. Sambol is miles away from that level, but solidly in the good category.