Bengal Modern Indian Cuisine

Featuring walls of pastel mint green minimally adorned with brightly colored sconces, Bengal's contemporary two-level space is lovely. Bollywood music videos summon sound and fury on a high-def TV set. The food, unfortunately, is decidedly low-def - the flavors of a vegetable biryani or chicken tandoori don't leap on the tongue like a tiger, but meander as meekly as a kitten. Still, the offerings are fresh and exude familiar Indian spicing. Among the better dishes is a trio of large vegetable samosas; a tandoori kebab sampler; a thin, delicate mulligatawny soup; and lamb rogan josh, which boasts a bit of bite. Entrées prices average about $16, appetizers half that much. Add a few bucks more for Indian bread, toss in $2.50 for a condiment such as cucumber-yogurt raita or mango chutney, tack on tax and tip, and the tab can tilt toward $40.