THE TRUCK STOP TANDOOR

AT AKAL TRAVEL CENTER, A TINY FAMILY-OWNED RESTAURANT IS CHURNING OUT SOME OF WYOMING'S BEST INDIAN FARE

- PATRICIA KAOWTHUMRONG

INSIDE AKAL TRAVEL CENTER, a 24-hour truck stop on Wyoming's high plains, the smells of sizzling garlic and earthy curry powder permeate the air.

It's a gray, windy day in late January, and Ediquis Brown has parked his rig at the fuel station off Interstate 80, about 20 miles from downtown Laramie, Wyoming. He walks past aisles stocked with candy bars and kitschy souvenirs to the checkout counter, where he orders without even looking at the faded whiteboard menu. His go-to: tandoori chicken, garlic naan, one mango lassi, and two cups of creamy chai.