A few weeks ago, a friend tipped us off about the daily lunch buffet at A Taste of India. Finding ourselves on campus recently for a very long and boring seminar, we decided to nurse our headaches with tandoori chicken and garlic naan.
Restaurant info: 1001 East University Avenue (in the Kinko's plaza). (575) 532-1700.
Dinero: Plastic, Cash, Check
Atmosphere: The tables and tile floors looked expensive. However, we all agreed that it was a bit "dark" and they could have benefited from some more lighting at the tables. There was no music in the dining area, but instead some music coming from the kitchen. It was 1/3 to 1/2 full as usual. I've been here a few times before and it is almost always nearly empty, so I'm not sure how they continue to do business. It would be a shame if this restaurant closed down, so give it a try!
Bathroom check: The bathroom was new and well designed. The doors were not your cheap partitions you see everywhere. Instead they were made with a pretty dark wood. The sink was small and Esmer said she saw a couple of paper towels on the floor. Since, they aren't that busy, we have to take a point off for not checking the bathroom and keeping it clean.
Customer Service: There was one waiter manning the show. He stayed behind the counter and nodded us toward chairs when we came in. He was very prompt to come and ask our drinks, bring us pipping hot naan (yummy Indian bread) and refill our drinks. It took a little longer than usual to pay and get our receipts, but still he did a pretty excellent job for being on his own.
Comida: The buffet line included everything from basmati rice, salad, several meat dishes, several veggie dishes, a tray of samosas (Indian version of an empanada), different sauces (mint, tamarind and yogurt were our favorites), sweet pancake balls, rice pudding, and mango pudding for desert.
This is Esmer's plate. The tandoori chicken (the bright pink in the picture) was very juicy and flavorful. The brown dab on the right was their chicken curry, which tasted good and was not too spicy. Next to the brown dab are bits of zucchini. This dish was to die for! The zucchini and potatoes were so tender. Carrie is right, the zucchini was good but the spinach dish was even better! I know what you're thinking, "Who likes spinach?" Well, I do. Maybe it's all the Popeye cartoons I watched growing up and maybe I even believed that eating spinach made me stronger, but I'm telling you...even Popeye would be impressed with their spinach dish. Es muy bueno!
On my plate you can see the rice pudding and yogurt sauce. The rice pudding was good, but nothing compared to the mango pudding. Sadly, we did not get a picture of the mango pudding. But, take our word for it, it was scrumptious! Esmer took one taste and said "It makes me want to go back to baby food!" If you've had a mango lassi before (Indian drink) it has a very similar taste, the texture is slightly thicker though as it is in pudding form.
With our student IDs we got a 10% discount and our totals came out to about seven dollars and some change. We each left a dollar on the table for the waiter. For all you can eat veggies, meat, bread, and dessert its a pretty good deal. Plus, if you are a vegan/vegetarian, there is plenty of variety. We asked a staff member if the menu changes every day and he confirmed that it does. All that is lacking is more customers. Once the word gets out, this place will probably get very busy!
Caution:
1. Try the sauces in small portions, they can be very hot.
2. Come prepared with gum, tums and hand sanitizer. Our desk-mates at the seminar certainly appreciated it.
3. After one visit, you'll be "pimpin the Indian food" (as Esmer said) too!
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