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| - *Review for the lunch buffet only*
My Indian buffet resume for Las Vegas thus far includes Saffron Flavors of India (Summerlin), Taj Palace (Henderson), and the neighborhood rival a few blocks down (Mint). In general, what I look for in Indian buffets is value, variety, and flavor. Thus far, I think Taj Palace wins in flavor, Mint has variety but seems to always underwhelm me in the flavor category, and Saffron is severely lacking in variety (no Tandoori chicken...I literally observed an angry customer lecture the waiter on the lack of tandoori chicken and then proceeded to order some on top of his buffet). Not quite ready to proclaim India Masala as best one in town since I still need to cross off Mt. Everest and Namaste off the list, but for *value (see below) and variety, they deserve some props.
In general, I have been surprised by the high prices for Indian buffets in Vegas compared to some other places I've lived (almost always in the double digit dollar range) and I'm at a point in my life where I no longer have the capability to polish off 3-4 plates + dessert to get my money's worth so just like an aging Greg Maddux who has to add some off-speed pitches to compensate for his slower fastball or Michael Jordan adding a fadeaway to his shot selection during the second half of his career, I too had to change up my game, and this buffet is ideally suited for my plan of attack.
Back in college, when my roommate and I were short on cash, we would routinely compete to see who could pack the most food in the local Indian restaurant "take out buffet" styrofoam tray. Over several trips, we came up with the ideal arrangement which consisted of wet items on the bottom, layer of rice to soak up some flavors but with dry side above, as much tandoori chicken as we could fit, then cushioning everything with naan and other odds and ends. This ended up easily being the equivalent of 3-4 meals while preserving the integrity of of each item. So when I showed up one day from my office with a short lunch break, I went with the buffet-to-go option and was ecstatic when they presented me not only with the usual styrofoam tray, but packed my naan separately in tinfoil and gave me two additional styrofoam bowls....huzzah! My college roommate would be nodding in approval as I packed my tray full bursting at the seams but now had two additional bowls which I could pack with soup, dessert, salad, or additional rice/or any liquid item suitable for dipping my crispy warm naan. All in all I foraged enough food to feed a small Indian village.
In terms of variety, this is a double edged sword since like other reviewers have mentioned, this can be hit or miss both in terms of quality (some dishes soared whereas others fell flat) and the expectation of seeing your favorite dishes being present on any given day is highly variable since they do a good job (perhaps too good) of rotating dishes in and out. I've been here 3 times, and I've seen at least 2-3 distinct dishes not present from before including sauteed okra, fish curry, egg curry, goat curry, and the occasional indo-chinese food item (definitely get this when it is available). The setup of the restaurant inside is very clean, spacious, and welcoming and for someone that appreciates variety, I like the fact that they take chances and have something for everyone, but not everything is for everyone. It's an educational foodie experience to see the a wide spectrum of rice dishes, unique desserts, and breads that you won't know if you will like unless it's put forth in front of you. One glaring omission from the buffet is the samosas since I have yet to see an appearance and while taste of specific items may not be superior to other buffets across town, it definitely edges out Mint head-to-head for the lunch buffet on the east side since they are not afraid to throw in some spice and I'd much rather the items err on being bold than being bland. 3.5 stars with an extra half star bump due to the hidden value in getting their buffet to go.
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