It almost appears as though design doctor Thom Filicia from the Fab 5 jumped in and out of Hillcrest’s new India Palace restaurant in a blink of a queer eye. For those who remember the generic Mexican joint that stood in its place, the remodeled interior has been dramatically transformed into a cushy den-like atmosphere that now embodies some rather fine northern-Indian meals.

The threshold to this strip-plaza storefront leads to a trickling water fountain in the foyer and a dining room adorned in cherrywood trimmings, muted-green table linens and decorative wall paint that bestows grace and serenity to the motif. It’s truly one of those before-and-after jobs that pop your eyeballs straight out of their sockets.

My dining companion, an aficionado of Indian food, immediately steered me toward a bottle of Maharaja beer, a light, oaky ale that paired with our basket of Papadum (crispy lentil crackers) as naturally as American beer speaks to pretzels. Tamarind and mint-chutney sauces serve as the exotic “dippers” for the crackers — and they became necessary aids for our Mixed Appetizer plate.

The problem I have with Indian “starters” is that most of them are deep-fried. And it’s sometimes hard to distinguish the difference between a nugget of batter-coated cauliflower versus a lump of paneer cheese sporting the same outer coating. In this case, most of the fixings on our sampler platter were too dry — and the garbanzo bean batter a little too thick for our liking.

Of the two samosas on the plate, the one stuffed with spiced potatoes and green peas tasted much better than one filled with crumbly lamb meat. And the Chicken Pakora easily won over its cheese and vegetable counterparts in terms of flavor and texture. On the next visit I’ll choose either the broiled Mumbai Chicken Wings or the Assorted Mixed Grill, which includes chicken, lamb and fish cooked in the kitchen’s charcoal-fueled tandoori oven.

Our culinary foray continued to lag temporarily with a cup of Dal soup, a lentil-rich concoction that is normally infused with myriad spices. Perhaps I’ve become spoiled by the bastardized version of Dal at Jimmy Carter’s Café (of all places), which downright screams with exotic flavors. This, we felt, tasted flat and salty.

With mellow Indian music floating through the room, the food suddenly leapt to fantastic heights. A sucker for Chicken Makhani, my companion requested it be made with all white meat — and then rated the dish among the best she’s ever eaten. Seldom do Indian restaurants cook the chicken for this meal in their tandoori ovens. But the Palace does, which scored an initial round of honors from us. The smoky flavor of the marinated breast meat, combined with the traditional butter-laced tomato sauce, earned our final approval as we frantically soaked it up with some excellent Nan bread.

Equally pleasing was my Prawns Vindaloo, served with pieces of nicely cooked potatoes in a spicy deep-red sauce. The menu describes the dish as “hot” in capital letters. But in keeping with the tradition of mildly spiced northern Indian cuisine, the owners can safely change the font to lowercase. Curried dishes such as Mung (chicken) or Rogan Josh (lamb), which might singe your lips in other Indian eateries, are much gentler here. Patrons who like that kind of pain need only inform their waiter.

The menu offers a long list of vegetarian dishes as well as chicken, lamb and seafood specialties. Beef is sacredly omitted. And most of the entrées come with a generous portion of fluffy basmati rice on the side topped with bright green peas.

Desserts include traditional favorites, such as Khir (saffron rice boiled in milk), Gulab Jamun (milk balls dipped in sugar and honey) and Rasmalai (cream cheese patties in thick milk sauce). We instead chose the restaurant’s two homemade ice creams, which were thick and excellent — pistachio and mango.

The restaurant features an eight-entrée lunch buffet seven days a week for $8.95, which provides a great opportunity for sampling the Palace offerings before making your kill for an elegant dinner some evening.