Thai, Chinese, Mexican, American, Italian: Despite its more than 100 restaurants, American Fork never had Indian cuisine. Until now.

Move over, hot dogs and hamburgers, American Fork’s cuisine just got more ethnic.

For the first time an Indian eatery opened in American Fork, and this is great news for locals who until now had to drive to Orem, Provo or Draper to satisfy their cravings for this increasingly popular cuisine. A survey by The Washington Post in 2007 stated that more than 1,200 Indian food products had been introduced into the U.S. since 2000.

The restaurant was packed Friday night, barely a week after its Grand Opening, replacing Wingers at 784 E. on State Street. Wait, what? An Indian food joint in a wing joint?

There is no pretense and no claims of grandeur: American Fork’s Ganesh Indian Cuisine is just a nice neighborhood eatery where you can go without breaking the bank. The place is simple — booths for seating — and simply decorated, but not gimmicky. The Citizen applauds the restraint. It’s just right for a nice-but-still-casual lunch or dinner. 

Still, it displays a menu filled with tempting dishes, like chicken 71, a fiery mélange of boneless chicken in a bright-orange curry-yogurt sauce. Garlic naan, freshly charred in the tandoor oven and sprinkled with sesame seeds and cilantro, which could serve as the perfect tool for sponging up the creamy masala curries. At lunchtime, pig out on all these great Indian dishes at the all-you-can-eat buffet.

The buffet features tempting treats for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. The offerings change from day to day but you’ll usually find a vegetarian and meat curry, sometimes korma, along with chana dal, tandoori chicken, fresh-baked naan, raita, sambar soup, papadum, samosas, masalas and rice pudding.

The restaurant is opened for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. It closes every Sunday.

The cooks are Indian. The owner has been in the U.S. for 20 years, making his debut in California. The restaurant in Midvale has been opened since 2007. The American Fork location is run by his 36-year-old son-in-law, Lakireddy Vijayalakshmi, a very friendly man who takes pride in his food. The American Fork City Council is expected to approve a beer license for the restaurant today, which was named after the Hindu god of wisdom.

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