Akash India Restaurant, Cincinnati

Nary a dish at Akash India Restaurant has been “Americanized.” Instead, the chefs rely on India’s impressive array of spices and herbs to flavor dishes such as chicken curry, lamb vindaloo, and aloo saag—potato cubes simmered with spinach and cream. At the eatery’s lunchtime buffet, guests can load vast quantities of Indian food onto their plates or inside their second papier-mâché stomachs.