| rev:text
| - [3 Stars by PHX comparison and 2 overall]
My quest for Indian food in the valley continues. Call me spoiled but I have had some GREAT Indian food (on and off a buffet) and everything after that is relative. I also learned to make a few of my favorite dishes for those times I lived in the boonies and couldn't easily get my Indian fix.
Craving Indian food for Sunday brunch, I recall a restaurant that many of my friends have tried and enjoyed, Royal Taj.
Popped in just after noon, its not busy. The ambiance is warm and cozy. I request a booth and decide on the buffet. It is small but contains the standard fare, basmati rice, saag paneer, a lentil (dal) dish, a chickpea dish, veggie pakora, masala paneer, chicken tikka masala, chicken vindaloo and tandori chicken. A sign above the buffet says that Garlic Naan will be served at the table.
Picking up my large plate and put rice at the center and put a little of just about everything around the outside to try. As I served the saag paneer I noticed I didn't see the chunks of paneer I often do with this dish (maybe they blend it in). Plate full and serving myself up a cup of warm chai (included at the buffet) I sat back at my booth. Shortly there after my naan arrives HOT and fresh. I pull apart a piece, crispy on the outside and soft interior. The garlic not as prominent as I would have liked, but as I would find out soon the naan was the main redeeming quality about Royal Taj. Five stars for the naan!!
The rest of the food was lack luster, not bad just not that good even by Phx standards, the pakora were stale and the masalas thin. My relative favorites from this buffet were the chicken vindaloo, the saag paneer and the chickpea dish. These were seasoned well, although I missed the chunks of paneer in the saag.
They had 2 of my most favorite desserts on the buffet, kheer (sweet rice) and the gulab jamun (pastry balls in a cardamon honey syrup). The kheer appeared strangely thick, but I didn't think much when serving it. When I finally got to the table and had a bite....did they use yogurt or buttermilk? There was a strange cultured milk flavor that was not typical of most kheer, needless to say this was the first time I didn't finish my kheer (when often I go for seconds). The gulab jamun on the other hand were great, homemade, soft and melted in your mouth. 5 stars for the galub jamun.
The buffet was @ $11 with tax, which is about average but high considering the quality was just barely ok.
My search continues...which several other places in the Valley yet to try, I doubt I will be back....
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)