Elizabeth W.
Yelp
Don't be daunted by the outside. With the blue garbage cans in plain view along the Fountain Ave side The inside has a casual graciousness with beautiful artwork...the dining area is spacious...open seating... with both booths and tables.
Service is welcoming friendly with nicely-timed unsolicited check-ins for drink refills. Lovely service.
We did the buffet. It's not the most bountiful buffet I've ever seen, not an over-welcoming feast for the eyes, and the labelling isn't the clearest...but what's there is delicious...and not too spicy.
My companions and I have both been to India...the cuisines there are so varied region to region...we agreed this place was The best we've tasted since. Also bec we can't do heat, nothing was too spicy...
We agreed we loved the following;
The saag (spinach and paneer)!!
the chicken tikka masala ...omg that sauce was da bomb!!
The tandoori chicken, great color and flavor, easy off the bone with a fork, never had to pick up with fingers.
The naan...omg the naan, also da bomb...comes hot from the kitchen delivered by the server. i hated leaving even one naan behind, really superior naan.
Some suggestions: I wish they didnt stretch the papadums by breaking them into quarters bec piling my plate with them obscured the vision of the lovely rice with the even lovelier tikka marsala...papadums tho, good...potato samosa, okay, but big and nicely formed triangle, but a little too past golden, kinda on dark side...but fine, at least not greasy.
My companions loved the lamb dish too.
The chutneys were visually unappealing, but tasted great, especially the tamarind...
I took away a star bec in the two hours we brunched/lunched there, only the tandoori chicken had been replenished and when I went to get a small 3rd helping of marsala, there was just sauce in the metal container...good thing i totally loved that sauce...tasted and looked more like a creamy korma sauce...so I enjoyed more sauce on the basmati rice, since all the chicken was gone by 1 pm.
P.s. This place was a destination for us, we drove all the way from the SGV to eat here. Very happy birthday dining experience on a drizzly Monday.
P.s.s they have a champagne brunch buffet...we gotta return. Prices inexpensive. Metered parking on Fountain...and free mini-mall parking.