Hosh
Google
I have a hard time understanding when restaurants are in business of serving food, that would end up making people feel satisfied/contented/happy, what mindset would a restaurant owner have to want to pinch on little things, such as portion size, condiments or a nay say saying attitude?
Here, an experience left me sad where the ridgedness of how the food should be ordered overcame with lack of service, overcooked food and a portion size beyond my comprehension!
I ordered the chicken tikka masala without the chicken. It's a pretty simple process everywhere for someone who wants to enjoy the flavors of what the Tikka masala has to offer without the meat. The meat or tofu here is added later anyways, so it really isn't a problem. I didn't want the paneer (tofu) option either since I just wanted to enjoy the gravy with rice.
This request was met with a sorry, I can't do this, because I have to charge you full price and you will not want to pay that! A bias judgemental assumption, without any basis. When I dismissed his assumption in laughter and said, it's ok, you can charge me full price, can you make it? He sighed and reply, well, I only make whats in the menu. I expressed my reason for not having it with meat or tofu, and confirmed, the protein is added later, yet, the resentment continued. Finally when I spoke to him in Hindi, explaining my reason, he sighed again but agreed. Felt like I had to hustle just to order food! 😞
To food preparation... He took over 25 minutes to warm up the already premade gravy for the Tikka masala and made it super think. Great, no worries.
Finally came the portion, and here is what really ground my gears... The size of the container is 16 ounces. He filled it up a little over half, hence, 8, may be 9 ounces. To top it off, this did not come with naan or roti which is pretty standard! I paid over $22 for rice and gravy! Lol 🤣
I was so disappointed seeing this, it put a grin of disappointment on my face questioning, why? Why is this owner in business? To make money? Or it being a by product of good food and service?
I see food along with music and a handful of other things that helps bring people, communities and cultures together. Having such a short hand and nay attitude is very disappointing to see in such a good vibey environment!
Lastly we ordered a dosa, momos, and the tikka masala. From a flavor standpoint, the dosa, was good tasting. The sambhar that comes with it was also good, but then again the portion was filled only halfway to the bowl, but let's ignore that. The moms felt dry and the flavor wasn't quite authentic to what an indo/Asian fusion dish would have. The Tikka masala sauce was pretty unauthentic and unflavorful. It felt more like a tamato based curry than a Tikka masala which has a very different masala pallet. The sauces unfortunately as well were not flavorful and we're missing the zing a sauce would offer that helps complement itself with the main dish.
I would recommend coming to the market as it's a vibrant environment and give the momo spot a shot. If you overlook the portion size and super high pricing, may be your experience might be different than mine!