The building may look worn down on the outside but once you’re inside Kashmir Indian Cuisine in Salem, N.H., you’ll be surprised at what you find. We came across this little bit of the subcontinent thanks to a recommendation from some good friends, and boy, are we happy they suggested it!

As you enter the restaurant, you’ll find a small bar area and where the weekend lunch buffet is situated. The main dining room is through a small passageway where you’re whisked away to a calming, yet casual dining space with windows covered in drapes of flowing fabric.

Let’s take a closer look at the food of this hidden gem…

I started off my meal with a lassi, a yogurt drink mixed with strawberries. These are the perfect beverage for any spicy Curry meal.

We both shared an appetizer of the meat samosas, a fried pastry – almost like a turnover – filled with lamb, potatoes and peas.

Brett also ordered a cup of the mulligatawny soup. The soup recipe dates back to when the British Raj ruled India from the mid-1800s to the first half of the 20th Century. It’s name comes from the words ‘molegoo’ (meaning pepper) and ‘tunes’ (meaning water) to translate to ‘pepper water.’

There are many variations to mulligatawny soup but most often it is a rich yellow-colored broth filled with curry, carrots or apples, then meat, like chicken, beef or lamb, and thickened with rice.

Still every time I hear the name ‘mulligatawny soup,’ I think of the infamous “Soup Nazi” episode of “Seinfeld.”

On to the entrees, I ordered the Tandoori Chicken. The chicken, marinated in a blend of spices and yogurt, cooks in the clay oven where it gets a smoky flavor and the bright red color. The meat is super moist and delicious as all of the spices have been imparted on the flavor. It’s served on a bed of onions and peppers along with a side of Basmati rice and various chutneys.

Naan is one of my most favorite parts of going out for Indian food. The puffy bread is baked on the side of the Tandoor oven. Usually when we dine out, we get one filled with garlic but we heard rave reviews about the restaurant’s “Kashmir Naan,” a bread filled with cashews, raisins and coconut. It was simply heavenly!

Kashmir is located just over the Massachusetts/New Hampshire-border in Salem, N.H. It offers a lunch buffet Fridays through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. During the week you can find other lunch specials from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We found the restaurant staff to be super nice and always checking to make sure we had enough water or beverages. If you’re unsure of what kind of heat level you can tolerate, they’re happy to make it mild, medium or hot so you can enjoy.

To find out more about the restaurant, visit www.kashmirindianfood.com.