Sometimes when I have dinner plans, I take it easy on the snacking during the day.
It was a good thing I did this yesterday because my dinner venue was changed at the last minute...to an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet!
Self-serve buffets aren't for everyone. I admit, I'm not one of those people.
Last night an old friend and I met at Kama, an Indian place in Toronto's Theatre District. She and I have been many times and the place never fails to satisfy.
We met there just before 6pm, and the place was empty. (More naan bread for us, yay!) But by the time we had sat down to our (ahem) second plate, most of the tables were occupied...our guess was the theatre crowd grabbing a bite before the shows started at 7:30 or 8pm.
What do I say? It was an extravaganza of all you can eat Chicken (and Fish) Tikka, Butter Chicken, Channa Masala, Saag Paneer (my personal favourite), plus salads, rice, desserts, naan bread and many other delicacies that are Indian-based and catered to our North American palate. (We all know this to be the truth)
The food is good. I know that it's hard to make a dish perfectly when you are making mass quantities of it. And yes, plate presentation doesn't even exist when you are scooping food onto your own plate and in a queue full of people. The wait staff, while busy, were pleasant and always had water available when your glass was running low. The place is clean, big and from what I observed, very popular with locals, tourists and theatre-goers alike.
My only comment would be that they didn't have Gulab Jammun for dessert. I was really looking forward to some of that. Also, they served Naan bread when you asked, as opposed to their lunch buffet, when you can take much more than you probably needed. (Well, maybe that's a good thing)
I like this place. I've been going for years and I'm always happy when I leave. I can say from experience that it's a great place for lunch, it's family-friendly and you will enjoy yourself.