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The same is true at Indian restaurants. How many buffets seem like lumps of food with various sauces? In both cases, it's a shame because the regional differences in the food are lost. At King of Tandoor, the new Indian restaurant at 18th and Callowhill streets, the nuances of this very complex cuisine aren't dismissed.

Owner Muhammed Islam is partner in two Indian restaurants in Brooklyn. This is his first in Philadelphia and a full dining room a month after opening should be taken as a warm welcome.

The decor has a bit more polish than some of Philadelphia's Indian restaurants.

Or, as one of my tasters commented, "Some places are shabby not in the shabby chic kind of way, but in the run down casino shabby."

So when you find a place with a nod to more formal dining, it's a pleasant surprise.

The menu represents the many different regional styles. From Northern India to the Portuguese influences of the western coast of Goa, or the seafood of the Bengal Bay in the east, each creates its own layering of flavors and aromas.

A tandoor is the signature clay oven of Indian cuisine, so if your name is King of Tandoor, the breads and barbecued meats had better live up to their namesake. They did.

The Grilled Meat Appetizer ($10.95) was a mix of luscious chunks of lamb, chicken, beef and sausage. The tandoor cooks at very high heat, so the risk is the meat will dry out. These retained their juices. Just don't ask if you can substitute meats, though. Our waiter was a bit put out by that request.

The Chana Chat ($4.95) was a tangy salad blend of chick peas potatoes and onions tossed in a tamarind sauce, sprinkled with Indian herbal salt. This was so delicious we ate the chick peas as though they were peanuts. Good thing we only ordered the appetizer portion.

One of the delights of the menu was the Fresh Shrimp appetizer ($7.95). This Bengal dish offers shrimp in a spicy sauce served with a light fluffy bread that was similar to a crepe, but with many layers. There's the slightest hint of heat in the sauce that has that addictive quality to keep you coming back for more.

We ordered two breads with our entrees, both baked in the tandoor.

The Onion Kulcha ($3.25), unleavened bread stuffed with fresh onions and coriander was a light texture. The Garlic Naan ($3.25) had a little crisp from the clay oven and was redolent with garlic.

Biryani ($12.95) is a staple of Northern Indian dishes. A fragrant and fluffy basmati rice hid moist chicken pieces mixed with onions, fresh ginger cashew nuts and golden raisins flavored with saffron. A lovely delicate spice aroma enhanced each bite.

If you enjoy the olefactory element, try the Lamb Dumpakht ($13.95) which cooks with a pastry seal over the casserole which not only keeps the meat tender, but also develops the aromas even from oven to table.

The only truly disappointing dish of the evening was the Chef's Special Vegetable Delight ($12.95). Although the vegetables were grilled in the clay oven, they lacked flavor and texture. The accompanying almond sauce didn't have much almond flavor and the presentation was lumps of vegetables covered in sauce.

The Lamb Karahi ($14.95), however, was beautifully presented in a casserole that was piping hot. So hot that a delicious rice crust forms on the bottom, much like the Korean hot pot, bibimbap. The heat allowed a spice perfume to linger around the dish.

Overall, the service is professional. Some kinks are being worked out as is common in a new restaurant. On a busy Friday night there was a little frenzy as the servers struggled to develop a rhythm.

Although our appetizer request for a mixed grill substitute wasn't well received, by dessert our interest in the cuisine apparently curried favor with our waiter. He sent a complimentary order of Rasmalai ($2.95) to the table just so we could try it.

This morsel of paneer (cottage cheese) cooked with cream and topped with almond sauce was a tasty sweet - a lesson not to bring our own cultural expectations of cottage cheese to the table.

Gulab Jamon ($2.95) or fried cheese ball dipped in honey syrup was a surprise. It tasted more like a semolina dumpling wrapped in honey than a hunk of fried cheese.

And, of course, who could go wrong with Firni ($2.95), a sweet Indian rice pudding with a splash of rose water. The hint of rose is a perfect ending to a meal.

There are a variety of lunch specials ranging from $11 to $13. And you can order a lunch box to go for around $12. In a neighborhood with limited lunch options, this is good news. *