Indian cuisine is some of the best food in existence, but entering an Indian restaurant for the first time can be a big culture shock. Globe Indian Cuisine, located at 117 S.E. Quincy St., is the only Indian restaurant in Topeka, and the uninitiated who enter its doors may be overwhelmed by the unfamiliar, foreign smell of curry. But scrumptious, exotic flavor sensations await those willing to expand their horizons beyond American, Chinese and Mexican food.

The following pointers and recommendations should make Indian cuisine a less daunting challenge for first-timers.

Be prepared

Curries are spicy dishes with distinctive scents and flavors that originated in South Asian cultures. To inexperienced amateurs, though, curries and other Indian dishes often look bizarre – even unappealing – at first glance. However, my own personal experience has led me to form the following hypothesis: An Indian dish’s unpleasant appearance or name is inversely proportional to its deliciousness. Basically, what this boils down to is “don’t knock the mutter paneer before you try it.”

Take advantage of the buffet

Like any decent Indian restaurant the Globe has a lunch buffet, open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and this is by far the cheapest time to eat there. My husband, a professional penny-pincher and expert in all things curry, won’t even consider eating at an Indian restaurant after 2 p.m. because he says that’s when they jack up the prices.

Bring someone fluent in Hindi

It’s always a good idea to bring along a Desi friend who knows how to translate the names of the foods. For instance, a person fluent in Hindi knows that “aloo” means potato and “ghobi” means cauliflower, so something called “aloo ghobi” contains cauliflower and potatoes (and is delicious, by the way).

Admittedly, the buffet and the menus at the Globe usually contain English descriptions of the food. Still, a person familiar with Desi culture may come in handy with certain menu items like onion kulcha, whose sole description is “stuffed with spicy onion.”

Something for everybody

Because it’s an Indian restaurant worth its salt, the Globe provides chicken tikka masala, a particularly favored dish among Westerners. Chicken tikka masala consists of boneless chunks of chicken in a thick, flavorful curry sauce. According to popular legend, it was originally created for the British, who loved the concept of Indian cuisine but required their food to be based in some sort of gravy. Generally, chicken tikka masala isn’t as spicy as other curries.

Other well-liked Indian foods featured at the Globe are the small, reddish-orange chicken legs called chicken tandoori, and naan, a flat bread which nicely counteracts spicier fare.

Dessert

For dessert, try the little syrupy donut balls called gulab jamun. Or how about a big bowl of mango ice cream? On second thought, don’t try the mango ice cream. It’s highly addictive, and the Globe is the only place in Topeka that serves that sweet nectar of the gods.

Nap time

If nothing else, remember one final thing. After eating lunch at the Globe, don’t make any big plans for the afternoon. The laws of Indian cuisine dictate that a person shall nap for two full hours after dining on Indian food.