Raj Darbar Indian Restaurant

I'd seen Raj Darbar many times as I passed through the neighborhood, but this was my first visit. It was a mixed bag. The room is pleasant: will-lit, comfortable, appropriate music. The menu includes a decent selection of Indian standards. The service, though, was rather stiff, and there was an error on the bill -- nothing implausible, but unpleasant enough that I'm not inclined to return.

We enjoyed the food. The papadum & sauces were good. Lamb biryani was tasty, and the meat was tender. Dum ki gobhi was also pleasant. The "heat" of both dishes was just as we ordered. We also liked onion kulcha; it was fresh, with good flavor. There is a compact selection of wines and beers likely to match well with most of the dishes.

The stiffness and reserve of the maitre'd/waiter may be cultural, and I can understand that. However, it felt aloof & dismissive to me -- not the cordial, warm service I've come to expect from good Chicago restaurants. Then at the end of the meal, I examined the check and noticed that a bottle of wine was overcharged by $10, and was a different variety than I had ordered. I brought it to the waiter's attention and he dismissed it, stating that the price for both varieties was the same. I then asked for the wine list and pointed out the overcharge; without apology, he directed one of the staff to remedy the charge.

I ordered for delivery. Food arrived on time and was hot. The food seemed healthier than some other Indian places in the sense that it wasn't overly greasy. So that's good and bad, because the naan could have used a bit of butter for flavor and the chicken tikka masala sauce was thinner than most and would have benefitted from a tad more cream. I appreciate that they used less salt than most Indian places, which spared the food from being too cloyingly salty. The mater paneer was slight on peas, heavy on sauce. Thumbs up for the included rice, as so many places do not include it for free. I did not like the alu tikki app -- strange texture and odd aftertaste. Portion sizes are decent, so my order will extend to some more meals. Overall, just OK.

Unfortunately our first meal at Raj will be the last. Portions were small, meat was tough and it was just....meh.