Chicken Tikka Masala at Aab

Proof that I'm not always obsessed with the newest and buzziest: this chicken tikka masala from Aab India is the latest addition to my ongoing arsneal of solid renditions of classic dishes I could happily eat over and over again.

I first fell head over heels for the stuff on a trip to London, where a huge Indian population guarantees fanstastic restaurants on nearly every corner. It's a pretty simple dish -- chunks of yogurt-marinated chicken served in a spicy sauce. Not, mind you, spicy according to the standards of authentic Indian fare. Think of chicken tikka masala, the most commonly ordered dish in Britain, as the Tex-Mex version of Indian food. But anyway, that sauce! It's a tomato-based sauce that's so creamy I would almost describe it as buttery, and it can improve my mood even on the dreariest of days.

Aab's version does the trick. On this particular visit, I ordered the Special Chicken Tikka Masala, which includes onions and green bell peppers in the mix. And naan is a must -- go with the traditonal variety and use it to soak up every last drop of that sauce.