| rev:text
| - I never thought anyone could take the title away from Tamba on the Strip, but this is my favourite Indian restaurant, be it buffet or dinner, in Las Vegas.
I'm a vegetarian, so I can only comment on the meat-free dishes, although my husband the carnivore seems to end up using all of the same adjectives I do: subtle, complex, smooth, consistent, rich, plentiful, varied, fresh...
We've been visiting Mt. Everest since it opened over a year ago, but it was only last weekend that I got to try their Navratan Korma. A-ma-zing. Buttery, spicy, and not stingy at all with the paneer.
One thing I should confess is that I do love paneer dishes, save for that one most people love (sag paneer), so when I encounter an Indian buffet with only vegetable dishes, those vegetables better be pretty special to win me over. Mt. Everest is one of the few buffets where the vegetables are so tasty that I don't need a paneer offering to feel satisfied. (That said, Mt. Everest always has some sort of paneer dish, and when it's my nemesis sag paneer, they usually also have a kofta (dumpling) dish. Also, they always serve pakora, so I never lack for a "hearty" item on the plate.) I especially recommend their bombay aloo and any dal dish. One vegetable I've never seen at Mt. Everest is mushrooms, but otherwise the veg section is often a surprise.
Another point in Mt. Everest's favour, per my own tastes, is that they always offer samosas (small, light, pleasant) and vegetable pakora. Again, I like an Indian buffet that doesn't leave the more substantial offerings to the meat eaters. I also appreciate that the pakora is of the "funny shapes" variety, which I prefer to the greasier "pressed patties" you sometimes find elsewhere. (I'm looking at you, Bollywood and Samosa Factory.) The pakora tend to be small enough to not get overly dense, but - unlike my former fave Tamba - Mt. Everest never leaves you with tiny pakora "droppings."
The dessert selection is certainly smaller than on some other buffets - almost always a sweet rice and a type of rice pudding (the names escape me). They're both solid fare, but I seldom seem to save room, so it's a bit of a non-issue for me. (It's saying a lot when I can love a buffet that doesn't offer pappadums or gulab jamun.)
The naan is billowy and brought hot to the table. When we finish, we are always offered more. (Sometimes we are also often offered garlic naan, although after reading others' reviews that may just be a perk for the regulars. No worries - if you come here once, you too will be a regular soon enough.)
Most of my comments above pertain to the buffet. If you like the buffet, dinner at Mt. Everest will not only impress you, it may spoil you for all other Indian places in town. How can something so delicious for lunch be even better at dinner? Perhaps it's being able to get exactly the dish you want spiced just how you like, but somehow they exceed expectations with care that goes into individual dishes. I particularly recommend the shahi paneer. It is now the gold standard by which I measure all "creamy + nutty" sauces.
I realize this review is very gushy, so I'm racking my brain for some sort of flaw lest someone think I'm on the payroll. I could pick on the location - a former Burger King in the Mariana's supermarket parking lot - but you know what? It's so nice inside that you'll never notice. The decor is simple but comfortable and fastidiously clean. It's not an ultralounge. It's not a reimagining. It's just a restaurant with terrific food and the occasional Bollywood video playing on the corner television.
Service is always very friendly. You will never want for ice water, and the staff takes a genuine interest in how you are enjoying your meal. The only way they could make me happier is to offer cooking classes. (Please? Please?!)
Oh, wait, I do have a criticism! Sometimes, I think the mattar paneer is just a teensy bit too full of peas... yeah, that's the best I can do. Sorry. Mt. Everest is simply rather wonderful In fact, it is the sort of restaurant for which Yelp should offer a sixth star. Mmmm...
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