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Darbar
India
1070 Main St., Branford, 481-8994 
New Haven has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to Indian restaurants. We honestly haven't been to one that we didn't appreciate. But Darbar! Laxman Sharma's restaurant earns special recognition for his delicately seasoned menu. There's more subtlety to his curries and pasandas, vindaloos and biryanis. And service is always gracious without being ingratiating.
So what makes Darbar better than other Indian eateries? "Most important is my own hot sauce," says Sharma, who also wears the chef's hat. He makes his own "marination, for chicken tandoori or tandoori kabobs" from his own secret recipes, he says.
The name Darbar means king's meeting place. Since Sharma also owns New Haven's Royal India, it's not surprising that his hat of choice--other than chef's--is a crown (pictured above), a "king's hat, not for me but for my customers."