Amber Indian Restaurant

A Review of the Best Indian Eatery in the Greater Scranton Area

I live in Pittston, PA, which is a rather small, mostly Italian town that one may consider to be a suburb of Scranton, PA, a city with somewhat greater diversity. Living in this mostly Italian town of mine, there does occasionally come a time when I want to eat something other than pasta or Burger King. Often, my hankering will be for the exotic, flavorful delights of Indian food. Alas, there is none to be found in Pittston. Can I get a good malai kofta without spending a day in New York City? Apparently, the answer is yes.

Conveniently located between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, on Route 11 off Interstate 81, is a little town called Moosic, which happens to be the location of an absolutely fabulous Indian restaurant by the name of Amber. After you park in their ample lot, the exterior of the building might through you. The paint job and adobe-like construction materials give the impression of a Mexican restuarant. However, once you walk in, you are greeted by an elegant decorating arrangment that features a lot of warm woods and lighting dim enough to lend ambience while also bright enough to see. I have been to Amber several times now, and I have never failed to be greeted immediately upon walking in, and not for lack of clientelle. The first room you walk in to contains a simple water feature and the bar. If you intend to eat, you are lead into the adjoining dining room.

The atmosphere at Amber is exactly what anyone acquainted with fine Indian dining would expect, quiet and peaceful, with that provocative lighting I mentioned earlier and some sitar-heavy ethnic music in the background. A sever is usually at your table taking a drink order within a minute or two, while you snack on the complementary papadum (a very thin flatbread, very much akin to a tortilla) and chutneys. I noticed that, of the usual three chutney selections, one sweet, one spicy, and one made with chopped tomatoes, only the sweet and spicy were present.