Origin India 2nd Anniversary

Origin India Turns 2, Celebrates in Style

Origin India may only be two years old, but its roots are ancient. The popular restaurant held a celebration for media and friends on Thursday, April 10, and the silk and spirits flowed in one long dance and music-filled event. Proceeds from all donations went to Safe Nest, a social service agency dedicated to the prevention of domestic violence.

Origin India Restaurant
Photo by Stephen Thorburn

The attractive interior space, resplendent in warm, golden walls and hanging tapestries, featured a buffet of delicacies including Nan, a puffy, circular flatbread cut into dangerous triangles of goodness, and succulent lentil patties that could be top with a tamarind or a cilantro/mint sauce that was habit forming. Other patties featured chickpeas and lamb, making for a plate of colorful fare to rival the elegant surroundings.

Passed appetizers included battered shrimp and roasted chicken which was almost supernaturally tender, as if the blessings of Krishna accompanied each morsel.

Photo by Stephen Thorburn

Men in formalwear and women in brightly colored silk saris (reds, blues, golds and pinks) greeted attendees, while white-jacketed servers took drink orders and cleared tables unobtrusively, with smiles and hospitality that apparently endure as a permanent fixture of the place, not just rolled out for this special occasion. Consistency is the key to this restaurant’s success.

A fashion display of Indian finery was nestled in one corner for inspection, provided by sponsor Taj Boutique (located at the corner of Sahara and Decatur). One look at those sublime examples of how to cover a human body will send you to Taj, aiming for a little eastern influence to invade your southwest mindset.

Photo credit: Stephen Thorburn

DJ-controlled tamba music played (defined by a particular drum sound, one you don’t even know you recognize until you hear it) while belly dancing beauty Aradia and the Ra dancers undulated and whirled to the various, ever-changing tempos, sometimes enticing a patron or employee to join in the movement. The impressive performances continued at intervals throughout the evening, always eliciting appreciative exclamations and applause from the crowd.

As if there weren’t enough action in the intimate venue, a Bollywood film was projected on the ceiling in all of its colorful gyrations. Bollywood is the name given to the Hindi-language film industry in India. The melodramatic plots and musical numbers assure that the production is as eye-catching as the colorful costumes and jewelry that adorn the actors. There’s no room for boredom and no compunction to sit still when such movement in all around, even above your head.

Photo credit: Stephen Thorburn

Origin India is known for its fine Indian dining, employing chefs from the subcontinent who are skilled in multi-regional favorites like tandoori, tikka and masala dishes. Vegetarians will be quite content with the multitude of vegetable, rice and salad offerings to choose from (or choose them all, you won’t be “sari. Sorry). The carnivores among us will gravitate toward the chicken, lamb and seafood fare, all aromatically coaxed into the signature flavors of India.

Origin India is a culinary force to be reckoned with, pretty impressive for a two-year-old; pretty to look at, too. Here’s hoping that the toddler eatery has a long, healthy life in its location on the very appropriately-named Paradise Road.


For further information:

Origin India Restaurant and Bar
4480 Paradise Road #1200
Las Vegas, NV
702-734-6342