Enjoyable flavor, large variety, quality varies
One of the more popular destinations for lunchtime customers of Indian food, Himalyan is set up to handle large numbers of customers in various rooms.

Its buffet display has many selections which can be accessed from at least four sides, resulting in an absence of people lined up waiting to get their food.

Selections at the lunch buffet range from a decent salad bar which also can contain bhel puri, samosas, various chutneys, raita, several vegetarian dishes and chicken and meat dishes. There are over six desserts to choose from including fresh fruit along with the usual Indian sweets. There is also soup and free masala tea.

The spice mixture used is somewhat mild but very enjoyable. The cooking style reminded me of more north Indian than anything else.

Some dishes are better than others. I have had saag there that had way too much cream and the result was a slop of cream and pureed spinach. Another item in need of repair are the samosa which can be on the oily side. I have yet to have soup here that is good. It is typically very thin, and reminds me of canned variety. And last, the kheer is very plain and tasted like nothing but boiled rice in milk and sugar. Even the custard was too thin.

Some years ago at the lunch buffet I had a dish that looked like mashed scrambled eggs or paneer with a curry spice mixture. It was very good, but I have not seen it since, nor do I recall its Indian name.

That's it for the negatives. There are enough dishes to make one's visit enjoyable. The atmosphere is very pleasant and servers are friendly and helpful.

The walls of the restaurant reminded me of the inside of a Chinese restaurant due to their color. For the price, selection, and ambience, this is a decent place to have lunch, as many people attest to. It is easy to feel comfortable in the restaurant due to its ambience and space for patrons.

One nice touch the restaurant offers is a large container of water for each table. You don't have to wait to get the server's attention, therefore, to refill your glass. It would be nice if other such restaurants offered this arrangement.

Note that I have never eaten here for dinner, so I will reserve my comments, other than to say that the menu offers a large variety of dishes and the interior of the restaurant will offer a nice environment to dine in.

For quality of food, I believe that there are other restaurants in the area serving similar food that do a better job. At a lunchtime buffet cost of $8 or so, the value is in the variety and selection, moreso than the quality, which is acceptable in general, but nothing special.    [22 Jun 2006 03:01:05]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Alo Cholle

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