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.
Yes! Something does happen at 12/13! Well. 2 things. 1) the taste buds that used to try to protect you from poisoning yourself by making bitter and strong flavored things hit your actual physical pain receptors change and you physically reconceptualize those flavors 2) social stuff; you want to impress friends and rebel against parents.
Also: cannot wait to try this sandwich!
Bibliography because I’m a nerd:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4654709/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7649857/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S003193841500298X
Is it similar to tamago sando? https://tiffycooks.com/japanese-egg-sandwich-tamago-sandu-creamy/