I have to admit: one of the biggest lessons I learned from my abroad experience in England is the importance of genuine cultural cuisine. They always say English food isn’t all that great (it sure is, if you like greasy piles of fried deliciousness, which I do), but that’s probably because the typical English pub fare is vastly overshadowed by the Friday night Indian takeaway or the authentic street grub from that kabob place around the corner. Upon the return to the States, I truly missed scrubbing off those pesky yellow curry stains from the kitchen table. Rule of thumb: the worse the final condition of the table, the tastier the meal and the better the dinner conversation. Thus brings me to my search to curb my curry craving in little ol’ Carlisle.

Unfortunately, Carlisle just didn’t do to the trick, so off we went to the parking lot of a Days Inn in Harrisburg. It sounds sketchy, and well, it is, but it sure is delicious. Passage to India is literally attached to the outdoor pool of this economic temporary housing, but don’t be turned off. The décor is charming, the menu is expansive, the wait staff is extraordinarily attentive, and the food is spicy. Perfect for a date night, eh, ladies? In order to try as much of the menu as possible, I ordered The Ultimate combination platter, which came with creamed lentils, lamb palak, chicken makhani, spiced vegetables, and the most tender tandoori chicken I’ve ever had. To scoop it all up, we splurged on an order of garlic naan, which was magical. Finally, some saffron rice pudding satisfied my insatiable sweet tooth.

Despite being a little hard to find, Passage to India delivered on legit fulfillment in a way only an Indian restaurant in a hotel parking lot can. We left feeling full almost to the point of regret. I always consider that a success.