Bun Omelet at Superkhana

nature vs. nurture vs. nature vs. nurture vs. nature vs. nurture

I was a picky eater as a kid. Now I eat most things. It’s still a mystery why and how my tastebuds did a 180; how I went from a strict chicken nugget / banana / boxed mac and cheese / occasional break for chow fun with BBQ pork diet to vegetables and flavor combinations described as “inventive” in reviews. Meal times were stressful, but they didn’t get less stressful when I was 12 or 13, which was roughly when I began to seek out phở and seafood and vindaloo. Is there a link between tastebuds and puberty? Someone — Emily Oster (not really her wheelhouse) / Ed Yong (definitely not his) / I don’t know enough scientists — do a deep dive on this for me, I am not going to do it but will keep thinking about it.

Back to vindaloo - Indian food wasn’t on my radar until my late teens. I’d had it before, mostly at India Palace in Roseville, Minnesota, but didn’t eat it regularly until I moved to Chicago for college. Since then, there have been plenty of “At Last” moments: my first mango lassi. Gobi Manchurian over fragrant basmati rice. A crisp dosa dipped in chutney. And now, a basically-perfect, 10/10 no notes Indian-fusion breakfast sandwich: the Bun Omelet at Superkhana. My palate has come a long way, and so has my brain: I work on being kind to my younger self. I wasn’t ready for spicy and sour and textural, but I got there in my own time. Hoping I can continue to extend the same perspective to my 2.5-year-old, who loves every carb and crunchy snack she’s ever met but also like, broccoli and beans and raisins. Maybe in a few years we can go up to Devon together. Or Superkhana! Everyone’s got to start somewhere.

Bun Omelet at Superkhana

I feel mildly weird that you can see my busted, unpolished nails and recurring wrist ganglion (it’s harmless just funny-looking), but whatever. This is a hell of a breakfast sandwich. The crunchy, buttery Texas-ish toast makes it a little unwieldy, and I don’t care one bit because Texas toast rules in most contexts and especially in this one. The overall flavor profile is spicy and mild, with the tomatoes and jalapeños bringing a welcome vegetal pop to all that egg and cheese and fluffy white bread. The egg is that square patty that seems to be a thing and I really want to be a thing, and which I like so much I’m googling how to make my own. It seems easy, kind of like this sandwich: there’s nothing here to not like. The Amul cheese is new to me and its creaminess plays perfectly with everything else. There’s a classy jalapeño popper vibe. But not pretentious. It doesn’t feel overly fussy or too much: it’s just perfectly executed and tastes really good.

Also, get everything else on the menu. I’m often prepared for soggy disappointment with home fries and was happy to be wrong: they were crispy and seasoned with many very good spices. The saffron cardamom ice cream sandwiches made with Parle G biscuits were amazing and the size all desserts should be. I only took bites of other people’s food and didn’t concentrate on it, but it was all great too.