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The Tandoori chicken served at Mem Sahib is every bit as good as the best rotisserie or roasted chicken around. With its iconic reddish-orange hue and exotic seasonings, the skin of each piece of Tandoori chicken is crisp, while the meat is moist and tender. It is served so hot out of the oven that it's difficult to handle, which is a challenge because almost all the six courses presented for dinner are to be eaten with one's fingers.

Although the entrance to the restaurant inconspicuously blends into its strip mall environment, the dining room is a cushy labyrinth of sofas and low tables. Dinner at Mem Sahib Restaurant is an immersion experience with hospitality and food that is designed to be savored. Dinner here is programmatic, the menu is fixed from night to night; there is no ordering a la carte, and an early arrival does not necessarily ensure an early departure. Beverage options include several Indian beers and non-alcoholic lassi, which is basically the original yogurt fruit smoothie. Before any food is served, a waiter arrives with towels, a pitcher and a basin so fingers can be washed before dinner.

As the restaurant fills, the kitchen gathers steam and platters begin to arrive at the table. The first is a large tray of chicken kabobs hot from the fire served with an array of chilled vegetables including spiced cooked carrots, a coriander-flavored puree of roasted eggplant and a salad of diced cucumber, peppers and tomatoes tossed with vinegar, spices and chilies. Crisp papadum and soft baguettes are the vehicles for conveying food to the mouth.

For a party of four, an entire Tandoori roasted chicken is quartered and served smoking hot with a bowl of coarsely ground green chili chutney, which is both piquant and refreshing. The platter is finely dusted with salt and spice and garnished with a few wedges of fresh lime. The meat of the chicken is succulent with layers of spice and flavor; it's too hot to touch, yet too good not to.

Next is the diner's choice of buttered chicken or lamb curry; one or the other, not both. The lamb curry is good, hunks of lamb shank meat are stewed to complete tenderness in a dense broth a professional seasoned with just the right spicy burn. Watch out for large shards of bone; they provide flavor and body, and a primal authenticity to the curry, yet they should be eaten around. Basmati rice flecked with peas and diced carrots absorb the moist goodness of the broth and are easily scooped up with bread and papadum.

After the curry is cleared, hot towels are presented, followed by a bowl of fresh fruit. Dessert is a cool rice pudding served with spiced milk chai tea.

Midway through dinner, dazzling Bollywood dance videos are projected on screens at either end of the room, which is fine for those who can tolerate TV with their dinner, yet hazardous for those who are easily distracted. As it turns out, dinner culminates with a display of belly dancing that routinely begins at 9 p.m. Saturdays, 8:30 weekday nights. When it comes to dinner at Mem Sahib, do not be in a rush; it is a leisurely and tasty dinner event, not an "eat and get to the movie on time" kind.

Lunch is an entirely different affair, featuring an array of chafing dishes stocked with vegetarian as well as meaty dishes. An extensive menu of carryout items also is available.