We stopped at this place on the way back to the Bay Area for the lunch buffet. The food is bland and has no flavor. The vegetable curries were stale. The tandoori chicken had too much of some sort of red coloring and was not cooked completely. The guy wearing a suite (either manager or owner) is rude and doesn't have any hospitality sense. Bad Karma..
Review Source:I have eaten at Karma three times in the last four weeks, typically on Friday's where I can be seen mauling the buffet and all it has to offer.
I'm a huge fan of Indian cuisine and at $9.95 for the lunch buffet you really can't go wrong, I feel the selection is great and I have never had any issues with the service.
The food in my opinion is well seasoned, not too spicy, basically just right. Â By cruise ship comparison (where else can you find 100s of Indian chefs?) it's pretty darn good.
Going to try dinner with my wife hopefully this week!
I will never give this place my business again. Â I came in for lunch one day with my boyfriend and from the second we walked through the door, the man who greeted us (he was either the manager or owner, I am not quite sure which one) had already decided that he did not like us. It was clear that he did not want to serve us and made a point to act extremely rude while informing us that we had to order right then and finish eating within the next 15 minutes because he was closing the restaurant. Â The restaurant was full of people and they had just seated another couple along with us who they went on to serve shortly after. Â
We decided to leave because were hoping to stay for longer than 15 minutes for a sit-down lunch. Â When we informed the waiter that we had decided not to stay, he loudly said, "GOOD!" at us as we were walking out the door. Â
We ended up going down the street to Stone Fire. Â When we drove by an hour later, they were still opened and were full of people. I still do not understand why we were treated this way.
Go across the street to Tandoori Grill for dinner or Parashar's for lunch instead. Â Both are more authentic than Karma and the service is always great.
The staff was nice enough to sit us outside for the lunch buffet--a plus for us because it's so peaceful on their patio. Â The lunch buffet was AMAZING--they offer such a wide variety of dishes, and especially since I'm a vegetarian I had many options that tasted wonderful! Â Very flavorful food. Â When we went in for seconds, the waiter was so quick he had refilled our drinks, took our empty plates AND came back with more delicious garlic naan before we sat back down. Â Great service, great food--we are returning customers!
Review Source:Nope, just wasn't feeling it. Â Like the two star rating suggest, I've experienced better.
Went to try out Karma's lunch buffet with my fellow Yelp friends Krissy, Catalina and Robert on a weekday and sadly I left disappointed. Â There was a variety of dishes including Samosas, Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Makhni, Saag Paneer, Vegetable Biryani, Kheer, etc but nothing stood out to me. Â I tried most of the dishes and for me, most of them lacked flavor and or spice. Â Even the Samosas didn't make me happy. Â When really how do you mess up fried dough and potatoes? Â
The price for their lunch buffet is reasonable. Â There was a decent selection of hot and cold items, including all you can eat naan. Â But seriously I just wasn't happy with the food here. Â I've had far better Indian food for around the same price at other places.
We went to Karma last Saturday and had a really wonderful meal. Â The owner was extremely hospitable and the servers were all very attentive.
Sauces were very flavorful and the garlic naan was really fresh and delicious.
Looking forward to trying the buffet so we can taste other things on the menu.
We were there over the weekend for their champagne brunch buffet on Sunday.  Absolutely horrible experience.  Very limited selection and half the time trays were empty. Constantly ran out of bowls, plates, and other utensils  Air conditioning was either not working or it wasn't turned.  Not even once we were asked whether we wanted any champagne. Food quality was bad.  Had some shrimp curry.  First time around it was decent but when I went for second, shrimp wasn't cooked at all.  Total waste of $16.  Will never go back.
Review Source:I HAVE to write this review as Karma has just redeemed itself.
My husband and I went last night with great trepidation. Â Our previous visit (almost 6 months ago) was horrible. Â But let me be clear. Â It was NOT the food we complained about. Â It was the service. Â The table next to us got up and walked out and we were about to do the same as we hadn't received anything but a glass of water and had not placed an order having been there for over 30 minutes.
But last night, we gave it another shot.
The food (always amazing) was excellent.
The service was also excellent.
We will go again.
I only hope they remain consistent.
You can bet I will report back upon my next visit!
BONUS: the month of April they are having a AAA discount on your bill! Â Buy one entree, get a second of equal or lesser value half off!
If you like Indian cuisine, you should give Karma a try. Indian is one of my favorites, and Karma has about the best I've had. No, it is the best. I've tried to duplicate their Chicken Korma at home, and haven't come close. (Well, I'm probably chicken to add all the heavy cream they must put in the dish.) We like the lamb dishes too. My wife wishes they had more vegetable dishes that didn't come in sauces, for health reasons, but then the really authentic dishes East Indians eat at home are items like breaded/deep fried vegetables she wouldn't eat.
The decor and formal-but-friendly service is more typical of a fine dining restaurant. I find it a bit hard to like Indian music, but they play in the background this Indian jazz that's quite good-- didn't know there was such a thing! Since the dishes are on the small side, and you pay extra for rice, bread, etc., the final bill tends to be a bit pricey compared to other cuisines. But Karma runs a lot of specials-- <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a>, and presently an AAA discount-- that brings the bill down.
The lunch buffet is your basic Indian restaurant lunch buffet, but maybe a couple cuts above your typical in terms of the variety of dishes, the freshness, and not putting out a lot of the cheaper stuff. Well worth trying.
Each time I've been to Karma the service has always been superb.  Every employee  has the cheeriest of dispositions and exhibit a level of attentiveness you would expect to find at fine dining establishment.  The decor is nice as well, and falls somewhere between casual and classy.  There are Indian decorations mixed into an otherwise neat and sleek facility.
Service and decor aside, the reason my wife and I keep coming back to Karma, is the food. Â The food is always extremely flavorful and well presented. Â There are so many great dishes at Karma, but if I would have to choose my favorite I would say Chicken Tikka Masala. Â It is absolutely amazing. Â My wife and I rotate our other entrees but the Tikka Masala is one dish we order every time. Â
I don't think you can go wrong dining at Karma. Â It's a great place for a date or meeting with friends, but I'm not sure I would take my young children there.
This was my first time having indian cuisine. Our server and the owner were very helpful, both being very attentative to us and making great recomendations. We had the saffron basamati, lamb plate, chicken vindiloo, and garlic naan (not sure on spellings :/ ). Everything was so flavorful and tender, the naan was so delicious its unreal! We had an imported indian beer I cant recall the name of, but it was awesome as well. I loved the vibe here, and definitely the service. BTW the leftovers are just as good the following day! This place is a new obsession!
Review Source:I went to meet one of my lab partners who lived in the area, and we were trying to figure out a place to eat. While we were roaming around by the mall, we randomly ran into this place. The place is located in a shopping center, and next to a korean market.
The place is beautiful! We were seated within 10 minutes, and there was even a sitting area in the front. After we were seated, we had to wait literally 30 minutes to order! The busboy, well she was a girl, was awesome and kept trying to figure out why no one was coming to take our order. She tried to make us comfertable as much as possible, but we were ready to leave. As soon as we gathered our stuff together to leave, the waiter came! We ordered right away, and a glass of white wine; which didnt come until we mentioned it 3 times!! WTH!!!
* TANDOORI CHICKEN: It was really good chicken. Usually when I get tandoori chicken, it is dry. This was juicy and perfect, on top of a bed of onion and veggies.
* SHAHI PANEER: It is the first time I ever had this. It is basically curry with cube pieces of Indian cheese. It isnt spicy, and we ordered medium spicy. It is sooo good, if you like cheese. If you arent a fan of cheese, then this isnt the dish for you.
* PLAIN NAAN: We ordered 2 orders of Naan because we didnt order any rice. It was fresh, but wasnt the best I ever had.
Okay sooo basically the service sucked. I got my white wine after the meal came, even tho we mentioned it to the waiter 3 times. We waited 30 minutes after we arrived to even order food. The busgirl was amazing, and sweet and the only good experiance about this place! The food was amazing! It was really good, and fresh. However, the food isnt worth all the drama at this place!
Ok, so the food here is very delicious, which is what the two stars are for. I have never been here for the lunch buffet but the entree prices are outrageous! $15.95 for chicken tikka masala which maybe has 1 1/2 chicken breasts in it? $15.95, seriously? $5.95 for a bowl of plain rice? $5.95, seriously? The entrees are a la carte so if you just want the chicken it will cost you $15.95 by itself, if you want rice it'll be another $5.95, plus $2.95 for naan bread. I'm sorry but $26.00 is ridiculous for what you get when other indian places are charging $13.95 in the valley, which includes rice and naan. The service sucked too. The food had good flavor but I can't justify the high prices.
Review Source:Oh Karma. In earlier days, this was the place where I would treat myself after a long week. Â The food was delicious, the ambience calming and the service excellent. However, in the past few years the quality of service has declined. Significantly.
Every once in a while, I get sentimental and question if a restaurant was *really* that bad only to be reassured that, yes, it was. What restaurants don't seem to get is exactly how much competition they really have. Â It's a service industry. What could have been your restaurant's $20 sale is now someone else's. Enough defections from formerly faithful patrons (who tell two friends . . .) and your bottom line suffers.
As one of 11 patrons for the afternoon buffet, I assumed service wouldn't be a problem. How much work can it be? First, I was seated alone in the rear of the restaurant, which seemed odd as I was eating by myself. I ordered from the buffet, and while the food was fine, it was not nearly as savory as in the early days. Neither of the two servers came to pick up my dirty plate from my table and I had to flag down the staff for water. Â When my glass was finally refilled I was almost done with my meal.
As I looked around, I noted that the paint and upholstery and carpets looked worn and sad. Â It was not the treat I wanted and I regretted not driving to Thai Dishes around the corner. It takes a lot of capital and chutzpah to run and maintain a restaurant, to attract and keep outstanding staff and to ensure that customers are satisfied. Â I can only hope Karma turns it around. For me, this was a third chance. Sadly, I won't be going back.
what a fantastic place. The decor was superb and made you feel like you were part of the Indian culture. Â
The Good:
1) flatbread was excellent and both sauces they served were unique; one sweet and the other wonderfully refreshing and spicy.
2) Assorted Appitizer was amazing, Â samosa, tandoori chicken, Â lamb were a exquisite taste of what was to come later.
3) 4 people spilt 5 dinners. Â Chicken Tiki Masala the sauce was on point. Â Lamb platter was so well prepared the could have charged more. Shrimp Tandoori was smokey and spicy from a Clay oven.
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4) the Garlic naan, basmatti rice, Â and Raiti were superb and I think that put us over the top. Wish we could have done dessert but everyone was stuffed.
5) prices was alot less than I thought it was going to be for the amount of food ordered and quality.
6) Thr Service was fantastic. Â The staff is super attentive.
Can't wait to go back. Â Looks like they have a lunch buffet. And I wanted to try some of the desserts.
We have been back a number of time now and the food keeps getting better. every dish is better than the last.
I had eaten Indian food in the past, and each and every experience was terrible. It was all one shade of brown, and everything was just 'blah'. I had actually sworn off the entire continent's cuisine, vowing never to eat it again. I bought a coupon here, and didn't actually realize it was an Indian place until the day I had planned to visit. To be honest, I was actually kinda bummed out.
  I walked in, and was assaulted by the smell of curry, and I was fully prepared to hate this place. I expected more food that was all the same color and just 'blah'. When we were seated, I perused the menu, and I had no clue what any of it was. But, I managed to find some animals I recognized, and began to order them. Lamb, Shrimp, Bread, Appetizers...when they arrived, I tested them, and to my surprise, they were actually really good!
  The Lamb Platter had several presentations of lamb, and when I bit one of the first one, I knew I'd found a good restaurant. Everything was downright wonderful. The samosas of the appetizer platter, the lamb, and the shrimp. Everything was great. I now know that all Indian food isn't just the miserable crap I'd had experienced prior to this place.
  The one downside, when I left the place, my clothes reeked of curry.  Kinda reminded me of  when I hang out with my pot smoker friends. That smell is just really worked in there, and you have to wash it a few times to get it out. But the food was really good, the waiter was very helpful and eager to please, explaining things when we had questions, and letting us know that the guy who made Kingfisher beer also had a company with airplanes. The prices weren't half bad. With the coupon, 3 people ate (and brought home many, many leftovers) for about $75.
 Thank you Karma Bar & Lounge, you've renewed my faith in Indian food.
Lunch: Buffet is well worth the $10 price tag during the week. It is somewhat "Americanized" North Indian fair though. Nothing spicy on the buffet at all. They bring your table fresh naan on request.
Dinner: Lamb vindaloo, Chicken tikka masala, Saffron rice, Naan all very good.
Check this place out if you are in the Valencia mall areas.
We tried this place because we bought the $29 groupon for an appetizer, 2 entrees, bread, and rice deal. We were pleasantly surprised with the whole experience. It was a Saturday night around 6pm and the place was half full. We got the meat samosa, coconut curry shrimp, lamb vindaloo, garlic naan, and saffron rice. It all came out in a timely manner. Though the table next to us was complaining about slow service. All the food was very delicious and it didn't seem like you could go wrong with anything on the menu. The lamb was cooked perfectly but the mild wasn't spicy enough for us, it'll be medium or hot the next time around. Naan was great too.
We'll definitely be back for more with or without a deal.
I came here for the weekday (Monday) buffet at around 1:45. Â The service was pretty bad. Â They seated me and then just walked away. Â Didn't ask if I was having the buffet or ask about a drink. Â They weren't really moving around the dining area refilling water, but did stop by to talk to some people who I assume to be regulars.
The food was ok. Â I've had better. Â The organization wasn't the best since they had the plates by the desert instead of the entrees. Â The food seemed very salty. Â The rice did not seem fully cooked. Â The other items were not stocked and seemed like they made batches that were so big that they sat out for a while. Â The paneer did have a good texture in that it had some crunch. Â I'm not sure whether this is a regional thing because all of the paneer I have had is smoother. Â The goat and the chicken seemed overcooked, but this could be because of how long it was sitting out.
Overall, it was ok. Â I won't be going back.
Nice decor with fresh and flavorful food. Tried the lunch buffet for $10 and it was a great deal...... about 14 different dishes and fresh naan brought to your table. Not many Indian Restaurants in the SCV and Karma is a real find. I did find it amusing that when they bring you the bill, it comes in a "We proudly accept the American Express Card" leather binder, yer when you try to pay with American Express, they tell you they do not accept it.
Review Source:I came for dinner with a friend at 6pm on a Saturday night and there were only about 4 tables of diners. We were greeted promptly and sat at a table for 2 against the back wall. Â The waitress came over to ask what we would like to drink. We both wanted water and she asked if we wanted bottled or regular. We both wanted just plain water which did not taste nasty as another reviewer pointed out. Â I was pleased to see that the waitress did not exhibit any attitude like some do when you don't order soft drinks or liquor.
Their menu has many selections and it took us a little while to decide what we wanted. The waitress brought over a complimentary appetizer (a very thin tortilla-like chip with 2 dipping sauces, a sweet red dip and a green spicy dip). Â It was really addictive eating the chip dipped in the sauces. We ordered a samosa appetizer which was delicious, it was hot and filled with the right amount of potatoe and spices. Â
I ordered the tiger prawns and bay scallops tikka masala ($17.95) and my friend ordered the shimp vindaloo ($15.95) and a chapati which is a wheat naan ($1.95). Â I also ordered a side of plain basmati rice ($5.95) and a plain naan ($2.95). Â The waitress asked what spice level we prefered (mild, medium or hot). Â The food was brought out in a reasonable amount of time and I liked how the main dishes came in little metal pots placed on top of a open-flame holder which kept the food warm. The spice level was just right (I had ordered mild and my friend ordered medium). Â The naan breads were freshly cooked and delicious. Â Both my tikka masala and my friend's shimp vindaloo were very tasty and the sauce was super yummy mixed with the basmati rice or dipped with the naan bread. Â Since I am a big seafood fan, the only slightest critique I have regarding the main dishes was that the shrimp in the vindaloo was a bit overcooked but delicious nevertheless. Â We were stuffed by the end of the meal so it was no biggie that when the waitress brought us our check, she did not ask if we wanted dessert or not.
We had both a male waiter and female waitress serve us but neither one bothered to see that my friend needed more water so we had to flag one down. Â Not a big deal. The service was pleasant overall. Â After we had paid the bill at our table, we were still sitting and chatting when a female hostess came up to us and politely asked if we could move to a different table since there was a party of 13 who were waiting to sit in our section. Â She asked in such a sweet and apologetic way that we didn't mind at all. Â It was time to waddle out anyway.
All in all, I would recommend Karma for dinner. Â I was skeptical before coming here since I had read the not-so-great Yelp reviews but I must admit that it exceeded my expectations. Â I knocked one star off for the high prices ($5.95 for a small pot of rice, really?) Â and for not refilling our water glasses. Â But I'm willing to come back and try more of their delicious-sounding dishes.
I have actually been a long time customer at Karma and never wrote a review before. I've been going there pretty regularly for about 2-3 years now. As far as the food, honestly, its delicious and reliable quality. Their lunch buffet is a GREAT value, as are their weeknight specials (half off your bill certain weeknights - I'd call to make sure they still offer this, because I hear it will be for a limited time).
My complaint is about the service, and some other details. We used to come here and first of all, they would serve us water which was the BEST water! It tasted fresh. Now, they serve you water that tastes like tap - because clearly it is unfiltered tap, full of chloramines and crap that tastes awful. The water shouldn't be on the table, it should be used for washing dishes. Whatever they used to do, Â filter it or whatever, they should start doing it again! The water is a pet peeve. Nearly everyone at our table (we had a party of 8) made a comment about how awful the water tasted.
Next, on a Friday night, the staff seemed clueless. First of all, anyone who came to our table (except for one man who I assume was the manager-on-duty tonight)... everyone who came to our table just came and stood there until someone started talking to THEM. There were no friendly interactions, no "Can I take your drink orders" or  even "are you ready to order?" NOTHING. Who does that? I had to ask them to refill my friends' drinks, I had to ask them to bring us what we needed because they NEVER asked us if everything was okay or if we needed anything. They did bring us extra carafes of the nasty sink-water for all of our water glasses - but never once refilled my friends iced tea without being prompted by someone... I just think for a place that is trying to be fine-dining, they should invest more time in motivating their employees to actually care about their customers. We asked for two boxes - then someone tried to get the staff attention and no one paid any attention - someone got up and went to the kitchen to take their OWN to-go box... really? This is the best they can do?
This brings me to my last point...
I understand this is not a great place to work. I know from more than one former employee that the staff do not earn tips. Not only is this leading to subpar customer service, but it's not even legal to withhold tips from your staff. The gratuity goes straight to the owner of the restaurant and  I think that's seriously sheisty - but HEY, for you budget minded Santa-Claritans, one more reason this place can be a good budget-choice, don't feel bad about NOT tipping because all you're doing is sparing the owner more money he is withholding from his staff!
I have already recommended this restaurant based on their food quality and Monday / Tuesday specials.
I am here to re-recommend this restaurant based on their weekend champagne brunch.
I went on Sunday. Â The brunch buffet allows you to build a solid spread of Indian food. Â Chicken tandoori, shrimp masala, chicken vindaloo, two types of rice, and much more. Â They also provide a desert, salad, and fruit. Â They also bring your table a basket of naan, Indian flatbread. Â I usually put the saag paneer on the flatbread (spinach / cheese spread). Â I had two full plates of food and left a happy, content man.
The buffet offers a pretty good way to try new dishes without having to order the full dish off the menu.
For me, the winner here are the chicken dishes. Â Really well cooked, juicy and tender.
Now, I endorse this deal because it is only $12.95 a person! Â What a deal! Â All you can eat buffet and all you can drink champagne for 12.95!! Â Doesn't get any better than that. Â Oh yeah, the champagne is served in wine glasses, which are filled to the top!
Honestly, I read someone else writer this very same thing: Â I often leave the restaurant feeling guilty. Â I always get a ton of food for cheap. Â And the food is GOOD. Â
As long as the specials remain, I advise everyone to eat at this restaurant, you won't regret it.
4.5 stars.
I was NOT expecting such a great meal from here! Â We happened to be paint balling nearby and wanted Indian food after and this seemed like it was reviewed most often for the area so we picked Karma. I'm so glad we did! Â Everything was delicious! EVERYTHING even down to the pappadums and chutneys they served us in the beginning. Â
We had delicious:
fish curry
chicken tikka masala
mixed veg
chicken biryani
aloo parathas
naan
masala chai
Oh how I wish I lived way closer or I would come here more often.
Excellent dinner and service here tonight. First, they provided papadums (sp?) for free in the beginning like most restaurants give you a bread basket. It was only two, but prior to this visit, you had to buy the papadums for $2.95 and I always thought they should be automatic like a breadbasket. So... tonite, they were! And, the hostess refilled them when I decimated the supply. I was a very happy camper right there. Add to that, we just happened into a special they we're having: half off everything,except the combo dishes and the bar drinks. Looks like this happens Mon and Tues, 5-10p. Yee-haw! Or whatever the equivalent is in Indian!
This time, I ordered the Chicken Korma, Lamb Biryani and Garlic Naan. My husband had the Veggie Korma, Rogan Josh, Shrimp Tikka Masala and Saffron Rice. Not one dish disappointed. Each one delighted, and our yen for Indian was sated. Of course there was so much food, we left with ample leftovers for tomorrow. Can't wait!
The wait staff was gracious, polite and attentive. Granted, there were only two other couples there, but we've never had any problem with the staff here. And I'm going to edit my previous comments on the decor: It's very nice. Seems they've co-ordinated the window treatments with the rest of the restaurant now. It's clean, warm, not kitschy (sp?). A very pleasant place to dine.
Another lovely dinner at Karma. The only thing? We didn't care for the tap water, but you have lots of other choices for beverage, so this hardly made a dent in our evening.
Dinner June 14th
I had a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a> coupon for $25.00 and this was not enough to cover much of anything since it didn't apply to the buffet AND you had to spend a minimum of $35.00. I realize this was not Karma's problem.
Dinner was very good! The food and service were very nice, however...EVERYTHING is a la Carte. We started out with a salad that cost about $8.00. Most dishes are in the $15.00 range, NOT including $8.00 rice. Bread, $8.00, will cost you separate too! Like I said ...the food is good! Just be prepared to spend a lot of money if you don't do the buffet or go on a Monday/Tuesday.
5 Stars all the way around.
The first time you go, try going when they have the buffet. I believe it's everyday for lunch and maybe Sundays. This way you can try a little of everything.
Five Stars:
The Food is Amazing
The Staff is kind, friendly and welcoming
The Ambience and Decor is nice, clean and well lit.
The prices are reasonable, especially the buffet.
They do sell alcoholic beverages, beer and wine.
We dine out often from Orange County to Valencia and I highly recommend KARMA.
Top Rated.
* * * * *
So, I had had Indian food before (elsewhere) and didn't have a great experience. I thought I just didn't like Indian food. How wrong I was!
My boyfriend convinced me to try Indian food again, now at Karma. I've had several dishes now and I seriously can't get enough! I haven't had a dish that I didn't love. The food is delicious, especially the shahi paneer and the gulab jamun, and the owner/servers are totally nice and friendly.
Unfortunately, Valencia is a drive for me so I can't go as often as I'd like, but we always go as a special treat for birthdays and other special occasions.
Random note: I found out that I liked Indian food so much that when we threw away the to-go packages, I still thought they smelled delicious, and wanted more. And this coming from a girl who thought she hated Indian food! Leave it to Karma to change all that. :)
It's pretty good for Valencia. The portions are a bit small, but we got lucky. The bill was 1/2 off that day! Mondays and Tuesdays from 5-9pm I believe. GOGOGOGOGO! Chicken tikki masala was pretty good, and the chicken in the garlic chicken was super soft and moist. Saffron rice was alright. But I really liked the indian tostada they give at the beginning...very interesting and flavorful. So thankful that our bill was half of what we were supposed to pay--like 50 bucks.
Definitely wanna come back for the buffet!
If you ever had good Indian food...I bet you will never like this place. They use the same gravy for several of their dishes...that too is not interesting at all!
Some how buffet menu is a bit better than lunch...so it deserves one star at least.
There are several good Indian restaurants in the valley...so would recommend to drive few more miles and enjoy good food!
Sorry people, i ate here a couple of years ago pre-yelp and the food made me ill. Â That's not a figure of speech. Â It made me sick.
maybe it was a fluke but obviously i'm surprised at all the positive reviews and i will not be trying this place again. Â
or maybe it was just "karma." Â while i'm on the subject, it is probably not the best idea to name your restaurant after the concept of divine retribution, punishment, and/or, for the saints among us, reward.
i'm just saying.
Karma is like Valencia's little gem. A delicious, delicious gem.
Lunch -
Get the buffet. It literally comes with everything you could ever want. There is a variety of meats and sauces. The service during lunch is excellent, Â you can easily get in and out with in a lunch break.
Dinner -
This place has a really cool ambiance in the evening. The servers are very attentive to your needs; my glass was always full. The boy and I ordered olive naan, the lamb plate and tikka chicken masala. There was so much food! The lamb was tender. The masala was everything I want when I eat Indian food. Even better, the tikka chicken STILL was tasty - if not more tasty - the next day when I ate it for lunch! Gah - that is the true test of inner deliciousness.
Tip: Check out Groupon Now! for a great deal.
This place stole my Indian food eating virginity. Â I had resisted for so many years in eating Indian food. Â My initial, ignorant thought towards it was that it was going to be all vegeterian food. I mean, Indians don't eat meat, right? Â Wrong. Â They just don't eat beef (cow). I realized the error of my thoughts years ago. But because I was narrow-minded and only stuck to the food that I enjoyed eating, over-and-over again, I denied myself the experience of eating Indian food.
Late last year, I went to Karma with some friends for their lunch buffet. Â If I'm not in Vegas, and hardly so even when I am there, I don't usually dine buffet-style. Â There is the occasional Asian Garden Buffet close to where I live, but usually I'm not the one to suggest it. Â Anyway, I was assured that this was not typical buffet-style food. Â It was quality.
Well, I wouldn't know quality from lackluster, as far as Indian food is cocerned. Â I had not eaten chicken in about a year before coming here, but looking at the Tandoori chicken sitting on the plates of everyone else I was dining with, my stomach started turning into knots. Â It wasn't the kind that suggested that "hey, you need to use bathroom and help me out here, Mr.!", but moreso the kind that was reminding me how much I love meat. Â (Being vegetarian wasn't due to a lack of affection for the taste of meat, of course.) Â
So, I gave in.
And I've started eating chicken ever since. Â What does that tell you about a place? Â If it's good enough to turn a vegetarian (actually, a pescetarian, to be honest) into eating chicken again, then it must be damn good.
Another thing that is damn good is its price: $8.95. I wouldn't know any better, but I'd imagine you can't beat that at too many other places.
Their buffet features a lof of quality dishes. They're not always the same. Â As a matter of fact, I'm writing a review for this place now, because I was there again earlier today. Â There was a dish or two that I hadn't seen in any of my other trips before.
Today's buffet featured the following that I tried:
-Tandoori Chicken (Chicken cooked in a clay oven)
-Lamb Curry (Boneless lamb in light brown curry sauce. Might as well try the lamb!)
-Vegetable Korma (Mixed vegetables in a light creamy sauce)
-Chicken Makhni (Boneless pieces of chicken in a special sauce with fresh cream and tomatoes)
-Aromatic Basmati Rice
There were other entrees being served in the buffet, but this was cleary good enough for me. I had a hearty first serving, and struggled to come back for a second serving. Â I was full, but it was too good not to have another sampling of the Lamb Curry. (For the record, I only eat lamb at Persian and Indian restaurants)
On other occasions, their buffet featured Chicken Coconut Curry and Goat Curry.  I love curry (Thai food fan over here), so it was an easy decision for me  to try those when I ate it up buffet-style. I recommend all of the dishes above if you're dining at the buffet, but even if you decided to order independent dishes, any of the above dishes turned me into an Indian food believer.
One thing I have to mention is that Naan is the best tasting bread of any culture. Â I was blessed with my father's appreciation for bread. Â I've ate many, and I've rocked them all. Â It took me so long to get to the Naan, that I don't know where it's been all of my life. Â Part of the reason why I became so full, is because every other bite I decided to eat with the Naan.
They give you complimentary Naan, just like they'll give you bread, chips & salsa, or edamame, at other restaurants. Â We had one basket of Garlic Naan and Plain Naan. Â I personally prefer the regular Naan, but the garlic ones are good too. Â
The buffet also has dessert, salad (try the Tamarind Chutney dressing), and chai milk tea.
It's great to be dining at a restaurant where the waiters come back often to check and see if your drinks need refilling, or if you need more bread. (Yes, please.) Â They never look grumpy, and must've gone through Smiling Training Camp, because they feature them so well.
Upstairs -- where I've never been -- they have a lounge. Â I don't know much about it, but I suppose that's where a lot of the magic happens. The pics of the bar/lounge on their website look gorgeous, by the way. I can see myself having a private party there.
The place is open 'til midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and for Santa Clarita, that is a great option for those who want an extended dining experience. No other restaurant, not named Denny's, IHOP, or Saugus Cafe, does that up here. Â
I'll update this review with details on the lounge. Â As for now, here's some other details:
Thier buffet is open Monday - Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 pm., Saturday and Sunday Champagne Brunch (buffet) is open from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., as well, but is $11.95. (Still worth it.)
They say with Karma, what goes around comes around. Â Well, I will most certainly be coming around again.
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