The Twisted Indian debuts in the Grand Central District
/THe Twisted Indian’s 25-seat restaurant features a massive floor-to-ceiling mural by local artist Jimmy Breen. the mural depicts lotus flowers, which represent strength, resilience, and rebirth, swirling around five elemental mudras.
Downtown St. Pete is filled with incredible restaurants serving a variety of cuisine. Hungry residents and visitors can indulge in Venezuelan, Portuguese, even Nordic/Asian fusion. But for whatever reason, there is very little Indian food.
Luckily, we have The Twisted Indian.
Owner Lokesh Vale introduced the concept to St. Pete in 2016 with the unveiling of The Twisted Indian food truck. It quickly became a staple at downtown’s Saturday Morning Market. And in 2019, The Twisted Indian graduated from food truck to food hall.
But if the rave reviews are to be believed, The Twisted Indian is deserving of its own dedicated restaurant space. And that’s exactly what we’ve got. Last week, after a year a planning, Vale debuted The Twisted Indian’s first brick-and-mortar location at 2639 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District.
The Twisted Indian pairs popular Indian flavors with American-style presentation, like tacos, burritos, and bowls.
Upon entering the 1,173-square foot space, you’re greeted by a massive floor-to-ceiling mural spanning the entire right-side wall. Conceptualized and painted by local artist Jimmy Breen, the mural depicts lotus flowers, which represent strength, resilience, and rebirth, swirling around five elemental mudras, or symbolic gestures of the hands and fingers used in ceremonies, dance, and art in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism
Meander to the back of the restaurant to place your order at the counter before taking a seat in the dimly lit 25-person dining room.
Mango Lassi, an Indian-style Mango yogurt smoothie
At The Twisted Indian, Vale pairs American-style presentation with popular Indian flavors. Traditionally, Indian food is spread out, whereas American food is layered, especially in the final assembly. Tacos, burritos, bowls, and fries are familiar to American customers, which is where the fusion began.
The restaurant’s menu is nearly identical to the food truck’s menu, but with a few additions, such as Tofu Tikka Masala. Also in the works, but not currently available, is another appetizer and a wider selection of drinks.
Diners have their choice of bowl, burrito, tacos, or “naanwich” (a sandwich with buttermilk naan bread). For example, The Bollywood Bowl consists of your choice of protein, white basmati rice, fresh spinach leaves, tangy slaw, yogurt raita sauce, curried chickpeas, and cilantro.
Lokesh Vale, owner of The Twisted Indian
While the Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Korma are great options, Vale has also included many vegetarian and vegan selections. The Paneer Tikka Masala is made with a non-aged, non-melting soft cow’s cheese that vegetarians will love. Vegans should check out the Tofu Tikka Masala or Seitan Korma.
While you wait for your meal, share an order of Yogi Fries with the table. The sidewinder chat fries are topped with tikka masala sauce, mozzarella cheese, tangy slaw, raita yogurt sauce, and cilantro.
To drink, try the Mango Lassi, an Indian-style Mango yogurt smoothie. Mexican Coke, La Croix, Vita Coco, and San Pellegrino are also available.
The Twisted Indian is now open at 2639 Central Avenue. Look for the large red lotus flower window decal!
The debut of The Twisted Indian restaurant is dream realized for Lokesh Vale. His journey from food truck to brick-and-mortar space on Central Avenue is a true St. Pete success story.
“I’m so thankful to all of our loyal fans,” said Vale. “None of this would be possible without the support of the St. Pete community. We are so thrilled to be joining the Grand Central District and hope to be here for many years to come.”
The Twisted Indian is now open at 2639 Central Avenue. Hours will expand soon, but for now are Tuesday through Sunday from 12 to 6pm. Be sure to follow along on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.
