I don't know what it is about this place, but I LOVE THIS PLACE.
The first thing I'll admit about this place is that it looks so tacky/corny. The decor is kind of strange... It just feels like there's too much going on with decorative pieces, the robustly orange lighting, and the Bollywood channel that's always on and blasting. BUT, I sort of love the tackiness...and the too much-ness...it's sort of fun.
The waiters and one waitress are kind of funny. They are pretty hands-off, and it almost feel like they're doing their own thing. One time a new waitress was being trained I think and she spilled a cup of water while placing it on our table and it spilled on my friend's pants. I think she was sort of shocked and just started wiping the table while the manager scolded her in front of us. We moved to a different booth and the manager monitored her for the rest of the time we were there, but they pretty much ignored us except for taking orders.
The food: I am not knowledgeable of Indian food, but I love the food here. I don't know how it compares to other Indian places or how authentic it is, but if you stick with the popular items on the menu(i.e. chicken masala), you're pretty safe.
They offer half-off at 5pm and 9pm I think so that's pretty sweet. Of the half-off locations in Oakland this was the farthest from where I lived, but definitely my favorite.