i can't believe we were the only customers  for the 1.5 almost 2 hour span of our lunch!
the ambiance is nice, comfortable, and gives a diner the sense that the decor is traditional. we requested the floor seating and were granted our request promptly. its not especially fancy; the space is large and not cramped.
the food was delicious--it was fresh, hot, flavorful and tasted homemade. we had the chicken seekh kebob and the lamb biryani and it was awesome. we loved the mint chutney that came with the samosas. Â (if i were more of a foodie i would be able to go into detail about the spices and why it was so delicious--alas, i am not.)
all this being said, the service and experience was completely different each of the two times we visited. the first time was exceptional. on the second visit, we were greeted with, "yes?" and dirty tables. not sure where the inconsistencies come from, but they certainly exist.
the main reason we were excited about this restaurant is for its halal meat and initially for the service, but we are unsure if we will return due to the previously mentioned inconsistencies and curtness of our last experience.
I wish I could give an incomplete score here, but I had to put a rating, so this is for "they didn't feed me, boo."
I stopped in here on a spur of the moment, heading for India Palace for my usual Sunday Indian buffet postmortem. (some people brunch, I get down with the tikka masala.) There used to be an ice-cream shop I adored in this plaza (moment of silence for Strawberry Hill!) so I zoomed back here for nostalgia for my 80's childhood, when Lafayette Square was still a mall that people shopped at. I noticed the restaurant and saw lots of cars in the lot and (I thought) it was the only business open, and the sign outside advertised a Sunday buffet that seemed reasonably priced, so I got happy and jumped out my car. The door was open, but there wasn't a soul to be seen once I got inside. Two men wandered in from the back, and seemed annoyed that I was there. The promised buffet wasn't opened, but looked to be one steam table of maybe 4 selections. Once I asked about eating, one of the guys finally gestured for me to take a seat and handed me a photocopied menu. I'm not a menu snob, because some of the best food I've eaten has come from the strangest places ever, but it seemed like he skipped over an actual menu. I thumbed through it, looking for some Pakistani food, but it seemed to be standard Indian fare. I settled on veggie samosas, chicken tikka masala and a mango lassi, and after the man finally took my order, told me he didn't have samosas or any lassi. I started to get up and he said, "I can fix the tikka masala!" Understandable, but everyone knows that samosas cure all ailments. I bid them farewell and went back to my car, and noticed that the daycare at the end of the strip mall was open 24/7, and that most of the cars probably belonged to their staff. Hey, the food could've been rocking here, but I guess I'll have to come back to find out.
Not saying you can't ever be out of stock on items, but I'd still like to know what happened to the Pakistani food if apparently not all the Indian menu items were available.
I had the lunch buffet. As far as food variety, food quality, and lunch buffet price/value, they're good, but I'd rate them slightly lower than India Palace and Udupi.
But the big selling point here is the ambience. They really went to great efforts and expense. The decorating appeared top notch to me. Walking in here is like being transported to India or Pakistan. I didn't realize how much an effect that tablelcoths and chairs can have; impressive. The decor is not an afterthought, it seems authentic and it really works.
This place is definitely more upscale than, say, Udupi, and not as Westernized as India Palace.
In addition to the two main dining areas (where they have tables/chairs), they have a floor dining area, the kind where you recline on the floor and eat off of low tables, resting on pillows.
The dining area is large, and is in two sections, essentially two rooms that can be separated with curtains, so you can still have a very large private party or catered event in your own private dining room.
I'll have to come back to sample the evening fare.
This place is worth sampling at least twice, once for lunch, and once for supper. I'd suggest going there soon, because the location is bad for business. This back-lot North of Lafayette Square (and East of the strip that houses Udupi/India Palace) doesn't get much drive-by or drive-through traffic. So I don't expect this place to be open for long. But let's hope that word-of-mouth drives enough business there.
Menu Item Suggestions: Chicken dishes (biryani, etc), paneer.
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