Battle of the Buffets [General]
2015 Aug 20
First up : The Urban Tandoor
I found them on Google and it turns out they are where Haveli used to be ... although I did't realize they had shut.
Initial impressions were favorable, lots of choice and it all looked fresh (we got there shortly after 11.30am).
I started with a plate of onion bhaji (as I love them) plus some obligatory salad. The bhaji was crisp and enjoyable for the first few bites, but I soon realized the batter to onion ratio was off and they were a bit bland ... so a plateful of fried batter really.
Lots of choice for mains. Unfortunately they were all bland and watery. The beef vindaloo had a mix of chunks of (tasteless) beef and some meatballs. The folks in front of me were trying to fish out the beef chunks, but ironically the meatballs were the ones that actually managed to soak up what minimal flavor was available in the sauce.
The veg korma appeared to have peas and carrots in it, but the taste and texture was more like baby formula in the mouth.
The naan was good! Even sitting around in a tray on the buffet, they were the highlight.
The poppadum was foul. I don't know if it was stale, or (more likely) the frying oil was rancid, but I was so close to spitting this out.
Service was ... odd. Lots of staff milling around but only one girl actually doing anything. She seemed to wait until the the most inconvenient time to clear old plates (reach across us while eating rather than while we were up at the buffet) and you had to be gasping before water was brought.
I took some photos, so I included them. In retrospect, it still looks nice, but it was bloody awful.
If you can stomach the food, it was good value at $12.50. However the main attraction for us was that it was next to the Scottish & Irish store so we could stock up on crisps & sweeties.
I found them on Google and it turns out they are where Haveli used to be ... although I did't realize they had shut.
Initial impressions were favorable, lots of choice and it all looked fresh (we got there shortly after 11.30am).
I started with a plate of onion bhaji (as I love them) plus some obligatory salad. The bhaji was crisp and enjoyable for the first few bites, but I soon realized the batter to onion ratio was off and they were a bit bland ... so a plateful of fried batter really.
Lots of choice for mains. Unfortunately they were all bland and watery. The beef vindaloo had a mix of chunks of (tasteless) beef and some meatballs. The folks in front of me were trying to fish out the beef chunks, but ironically the meatballs were the ones that actually managed to soak up what minimal flavor was available in the sauce.
The veg korma appeared to have peas and carrots in it, but the taste and texture was more like baby formula in the mouth.
The naan was good! Even sitting around in a tray on the buffet, they were the highlight.
The poppadum was foul. I don't know if it was stale, or (more likely) the frying oil was rancid, but I was so close to spitting this out.
Service was ... odd. Lots of staff milling around but only one girl actually doing anything. She seemed to wait until the the most inconvenient time to clear old plates (reach across us while eating rather than while we were up at the buffet) and you had to be gasping before water was brought.
I took some photos, so I included them. In retrospect, it still looks nice, but it was bloody awful.
If you can stomach the food, it was good value at $12.50. However the main attraction for us was that it was next to the Scottish & Irish store so we could stock up on crisps & sweeties.
2015 Aug 20
Next up : Ishina
You have to know about this place - you won't stumble across it. It's out behind the Shoppers in Bells Corners, next to an auto shop. I think their main business is catering and you can find their stuff in Farm Boy among other places.
From 11.30am to 2pm they have a lunch buffet. It's a pretty basic setup, with not a lot of choice. But what they had was actually pretty good. The photo doesn't really do it justice, but this was tasty food.
I think there were about 4 veg dishes and 2 meat dishes.
Naan is brought to the table (included in the price) but isn't the chewy tandoor type. It's oven baked -pretty much identical to what you get at Farm Boy.
The veg dishes were very good. Not watery or bland, in fact Indian cuisine often surprises me with veggies dishes that I prefer over meat. There was a potato/okra/eggplant dish that was very tasty and had a nice texture. The subzi jalfrezi had a nice mix of cauliflower, courgette & peppers that surprised us all by being our favorite dish.
The Tandoor Chicken was more flavorful than anywhere else, although some pieces were a little dry.
The poppadoms are interesting. They were completely dry, not fried in oil like most places. I think they threw the dry discs into a tandoor and they just puffed up due to the intense heat. This resulted in a nice (IMO) combination of cooked and charred poppadum that I haven't experience elsewhere. I just found it weird that if they had a roaring tandoor going, why the nann wasn't cooked the same way.
Dessert was minimal, there was something I can't describe (and didn't care for) plus some watermelon chunks.
I asked about takeout and apparently they are open to about 5.30 or 6pm, and you can phone ahead & pick up. They were refreshingly honest that 95% of the stuff is frozen. It wasn't clear to me whether that meant if you phoned up at say 5pm they would get the stuff out the freezer and reheat it for you, or if you go in you are picking up cold/frozen meals to cooks at home (like you get at Farm Boy).
I also assume that the weekday buffet is NOT reheated - it certainly didn't taste that way. I'm guessing they cook up a big batch of curries and put some put on the buffet and the rest gets portioned up to sell at retailers.
Anyway, a funny little place, but good. At $12.95 for the buffet I thought it was bit on the pricey side considering the selection, but we all agreed we would return.
You have to know about this place - you won't stumble across it. It's out behind the Shoppers in Bells Corners, next to an auto shop. I think their main business is catering and you can find their stuff in Farm Boy among other places.
From 11.30am to 2pm they have a lunch buffet. It's a pretty basic setup, with not a lot of choice. But what they had was actually pretty good. The photo doesn't really do it justice, but this was tasty food.
I think there were about 4 veg dishes and 2 meat dishes.
Naan is brought to the table (included in the price) but isn't the chewy tandoor type. It's oven baked -pretty much identical to what you get at Farm Boy.
The veg dishes were very good. Not watery or bland, in fact Indian cuisine often surprises me with veggies dishes that I prefer over meat. There was a potato/okra/eggplant dish that was very tasty and had a nice texture. The subzi jalfrezi had a nice mix of cauliflower, courgette & peppers that surprised us all by being our favorite dish.
The Tandoor Chicken was more flavorful than anywhere else, although some pieces were a little dry.
The poppadoms are interesting. They were completely dry, not fried in oil like most places. I think they threw the dry discs into a tandoor and they just puffed up due to the intense heat. This resulted in a nice (IMO) combination of cooked and charred poppadum that I haven't experience elsewhere. I just found it weird that if they had a roaring tandoor going, why the nann wasn't cooked the same way.
Dessert was minimal, there was something I can't describe (and didn't care for) plus some watermelon chunks.
I asked about takeout and apparently they are open to about 5.30 or 6pm, and you can phone ahead & pick up. They were refreshingly honest that 95% of the stuff is frozen. It wasn't clear to me whether that meant if you phoned up at say 5pm they would get the stuff out the freezer and reheat it for you, or if you go in you are picking up cold/frozen meals to cooks at home (like you get at Farm Boy).
I also assume that the weekday buffet is NOT reheated - it certainly didn't taste that way. I'm guessing they cook up a big batch of curries and put some put on the buffet and the rest gets portioned up to sell at retailers.
Anyway, a funny little place, but good. At $12.95 for the buffet I thought it was bit on the pricey side considering the selection, but we all agreed we would return.
2015 Aug 20
Todays mission : East India Company
I'd read the reviews, but I still wasn't quite prepared for the task ahead.
I like to start with salads & pakora/bhaji, so that's what I've photoed as Warby did justice to the mains & dessert.
At the 12 O'Clock position - this was what I would describe as an Indian coleslaw. I enjoyed it thoroughly and it wasn't 'tamed' for the buffet. At least I hope not as I like spicy food and this was pretty hot. At 1 O'Clock a nice chickpea & onion salad. At 3, Behlpuri. From 4 round to 9 O'clock (and hidden by the poppadom) were a range of chutneys. They have a chutney bar! There were at least 10 condiments and I love them all. Never seen this sort of variety before.
The poppadom was ok by the way, but nothing special.
We ordered naan which is extra (thanks for he heads up Warby). We got a plain and a garlic, both very good. Real naan done in the tandoor with that mix of chewiness and charred bits. I'm glad we tried it, although I'm not sure we'll order again when we return (and we will) due to the volume of other things included in the buffet.
Mains - loads of protein dishes, and all quite rich. All were good although I thought the butter chicken was rather bland. But with mussels, 'crab', chicken (x a few), beef, lamb etc. curries there was lots of choice. I'm ashamed to say I couldn't manage them all.
Veggie dishes I had were nice, although seemed outnumbered by the meat/fish.
There were also soups (which I didn't spot until my second round of mains) plus pakora & samosa. Basically there is so much choice you would be hard pushed to try it all.
Desserts were amazing. As Warby mentioned there is a wide array. As well as the halwa & barfi I had a very nice pot of mango mousse, chocolate ice cream and (I think) passion fruit ice cream. I only managed to sample half of the offerings.
Service was friendly and prompt (in fact almost empty plates would be whisked away almost too quickly, pakora still in hand). They checked in regularly if we were enjoying the food (we were) and water was always topped up.
A magnificent experience. Next time we go back I'll prepare by skipping breakfast, pacing myself, wearing baggy pants and clearing my schedule for the afternoon.
At $13.95 for the base buffet (remember naan extra) this is amazing value for the quality & quantity of the food.
I'd read the reviews, but I still wasn't quite prepared for the task ahead.
I like to start with salads & pakora/bhaji, so that's what I've photoed as Warby did justice to the mains & dessert.
At the 12 O'Clock position - this was what I would describe as an Indian coleslaw. I enjoyed it thoroughly and it wasn't 'tamed' for the buffet. At least I hope not as I like spicy food and this was pretty hot. At 1 O'Clock a nice chickpea & onion salad. At 3, Behlpuri. From 4 round to 9 O'clock (and hidden by the poppadom) were a range of chutneys. They have a chutney bar! There were at least 10 condiments and I love them all. Never seen this sort of variety before.
The poppadom was ok by the way, but nothing special.
We ordered naan which is extra (thanks for he heads up Warby). We got a plain and a garlic, both very good. Real naan done in the tandoor with that mix of chewiness and charred bits. I'm glad we tried it, although I'm not sure we'll order again when we return (and we will) due to the volume of other things included in the buffet.
Mains - loads of protein dishes, and all quite rich. All were good although I thought the butter chicken was rather bland. But with mussels, 'crab', chicken (x a few), beef, lamb etc. curries there was lots of choice. I'm ashamed to say I couldn't manage them all.
Veggie dishes I had were nice, although seemed outnumbered by the meat/fish.
There were also soups (which I didn't spot until my second round of mains) plus pakora & samosa. Basically there is so much choice you would be hard pushed to try it all.
Desserts were amazing. As Warby mentioned there is a wide array. As well as the halwa & barfi I had a very nice pot of mango mousse, chocolate ice cream and (I think) passion fruit ice cream. I only managed to sample half of the offerings.
Service was friendly and prompt (in fact almost empty plates would be whisked away almost too quickly, pakora still in hand). They checked in regularly if we were enjoying the food (we were) and water was always topped up.
A magnificent experience. Next time we go back I'll prepare by skipping breakfast, pacing myself, wearing baggy pants and clearing my schedule for the afternoon.
At $13.95 for the base buffet (remember naan extra) this is amazing value for the quality & quantity of the food.
2015 Aug 20
Summary:
The Urban Tandoor is a cheap feed if you can take it. We won't be back.
Ishina is probably a better bet for vegetarians, or those who prefer veg curries. Not as much variety, but what they have is very tasty. Naan & dessert are poor, but best poppadoms in my opinion.
East India : Pretty spectacular, especially when you consider it's only $1 more than Ishina. This was my favourite, but one other member of our party thought Ishina tipped the scale in terms of taste.
So can't really go wrong at East India, but don't dismiss Ishina. We'll by alternating between them.
Cheers
Ratty (who needs some clean living for a few days).
The Urban Tandoor is a cheap feed if you can take it. We won't be back.
Ishina is probably a better bet for vegetarians, or those who prefer veg curries. Not as much variety, but what they have is very tasty. Naan & dessert are poor, but best poppadoms in my opinion.
East India : Pretty spectacular, especially when you consider it's only $1 more than Ishina. This was my favourite, but one other member of our party thought Ishina tipped the scale in terms of taste.
So can't really go wrong at East India, but don't dismiss Ishina. We'll by alternating between them.
Cheers
Ratty (who needs some clean living for a few days).
2015 Aug 20
A truly awesome endeavour! It takes an impressive level of dedication to carry out a comparison like this in the space of one week. Thanks very much for sharing this, Ratty!
2015 Aug 21
Ratty Sounds like a fun research project! I've eaten at the East India Company location downtown although just for take-out and I've never been disappointed. I am really going to have to try their buffet. When you emerge from your curry coma I could recommend Karara - The Indian Take Out. I've been to the Merivale location and found their lunch combo is a good deal. The combo includes a curry, rice, naan, and a veg IIRC. I have my eye on their hakka dishes and would like to try one out sometime. Bon apetit!
Ratty
So after 3 all you can eat indian buffets in the space of 1 week, the following posts detail the results in chronological order...