A final farewell to Bindi! You'll be missed!

Since it wouldn't do anyone much good to read a full review of Bindi, considering by the time you read this, they will have closed their doors, I just wanted to write a short farewell note. I was fortunate enough to get in to Bindi before they officially closed, and given the caliber of the meal we had, it still baffles me that they couldn't make it work. I feel as though the concept may have been what failed them. Indian food, at least in Philadelphia, isn't nearly as common as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or even Thai meaning that people have relatively limited exposure to it. The idea of creating dishes that are based on Indian staples, with a new twist, can be confusing for diners if they didn't know what the inspiring dish was. I have enjoyed many, many Indian meals in Philadelphia, across the country, and abroad (although not in India) so this concept worked for me. Personally, I don't usually like the concept of food fusion. I think your chances of success are much higher if you pick a type of food and perfect it. Marcie Blaine has made it very clear that she is capable of doing so at Barbuzzo and Lolita, but Bindi was always up against a wall (as are many Indian restaurants). I know many people that will steer clear of Indian food because they fear the strong flavors of the various curries and spices and then to go and turn those dishes on their head as she did, probably didn't help matters. I loved Bindi and am truly sad to see such a unique restaurant leave the Philly scene. I wish people would open up to Indian food, because it has become of my favorite ethnic foods, but until then, we must say goodbye! :-(