When I tell people I’ve enjoyed Indian food, the response usually is along the lines of: &#8220Wasn’t it really spicy?” The answer is yes and no. Like any ethnic restaurant, Taj Palace tries to remain faithful to the culture they are representing, but also run a business that caters primarily to American palates.

So, yes, the food may be prepared very spicy, if you wish, or it can be prepared very mild if you wish. I’ve found at Taj Palace they are very accommodating because they want your visit to be a pleasant one.

Even though the restaurant is located in a nondescript strip center off Scottsville Road behind Starbucks, the interior is very pleasing to the eye. The lighting is very subdued, the white linen tablecloths are elegant and modern black gloss chairs make it very appealing.

The background music is in keeping with the theme of authentic Indian cuisine.

The Sunday afternoon my gastric adventurous companion and I ate at Taj Palace, there were only four other diners. As you might expect, the service was very good. The server arrived and seated us promptly and took our drink order. There was a chilly rain falling so we both decided that tea sounded good. Our server confirmed that we wanted chai tea by taking a little time to explain what is was.

It’s a mixture of Indian tea (which normally is a black

tea – not green) in equal parts, then flavored with cinnamon, cloves, fresh ginger, whole black pepper, and cardamom (another spice from India).

It is a flavor that is different and refreshing and gets your mouth ready for more spices.

The menu at Taj Palace can be somewhat overwhelming, but eventually you will see a pattern to the dishes, and when in doubt, your server will explain. For example, there are many variations of saag, an Indian creamed spinach, so you will find saag mushroom, chicken saag, lamb saag, etc. Masala is a Hindi word for spices, and you will find many variations on the menu for that also.

We chose the saag shrimp and half tandoori chicken.

As the front of the menu explains, a tandoor is a clay oven where meat and bread are roasted at a very high heat, &#8220a whopping 600 degrees C.” That converts to over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

The half-chicken was a leg and breast, prepared at medium spiciness.

Since it was Sunday afternoon, and I had the rest of the day for my stomach to recover if needed, I ordered the hot sauce that was served on the side. Turns out, no recovery period was needed. The tandoori chicken was very mild. The skin had been removed and the meat was sliced to allow the flavor to permeate to the bone. It came to the table sizzling on a bed of onions.

Of course, spiciness is in the mouth of the beholder, but the spices served at Taj Palace were just enough to give your mouth and lips a tingle and certainly didn’t leave me gasping for water. It was a very enjoyable dish.

The saag shrimp was savory, too. Six nice-size shrimp were covered with the creamed spinach. If you’re a spinach lover, you will enjoy this treat.

A large helping of white rice accompanied our meals. We also ordered cheese naan bread, a pita-like bread, which was flavored with cheese made on site. The server was very proud of the fact that they make their own cheese at Taj Palace. The bread was delish.

My dessert was gulab jamun, deep-fried milk and cream dumplings, soaked in sugar syrup and rose water, served in a small dish with extra sugar water. Each dumpling was about the size of a golf ball.

The server suggested that the best way to eat them was whole. He said trying to cut them just would make them fall apart. He was right. I popped the whole dumpling into my mouth and it just melted away to a doughy sweetness.

My companion ordered pistaju kulfee, recommended because it matched her sweater! Turns out it is a homemade Indian ice cream flavored with saffron, nuts and cardamom. And again, our server was right.

Both these sweet dishes were an excellent way to top off a meal of spiciness.

By the way, cardamom (or cardamon) is touted to be the queen of all spices, with black pepper being the king. Like Kentucky bourbon, it seems to be a cure for many ailments, including digestive disorder, bad breath, depression and hiccups.

So if you’re suffering from the flu, here’s my prescription: bourbon, cardamom and chicken soup.

What won’t kill you may make you better.

Taj Palace

2800 Scottsville Rd. Tower Place, 843-2233

Hours: Mon. through Fri.: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to10 p.m.; Sat. and Sun.: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Cuisine: Indian

Specialties: Clay oven cooking

Price range for dinner: $8.95-$12.95

Libation situation: Beer and wine

Smoking: Yes

– New restaurants are given an eight-week grace period. Comments can be e-mailed to Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at malexieff@bgdailynews.com or by calling him at 783-3232.