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Best Indian Buffet on Peninsula


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2018 Sep 8, 10:01am   3,670 views  32 comments

by BayArea   ➕follow (1)   💰tip   ignore  

When I lived in the East Bay, I had a wide assortment of Indian buffets to choose from.

I understand there are less Indian people on the Peninsula relative to East Bay/South Bay, but I would expect to have some good options available.

Haven’t found a single one I like. Anyone have a recommendation?

My benchmark is the Chicken Tikka Masala

Let’s stay south of SFO and north of Mointain View ?

Thanks

Comments 1 - 32 of 32        Search these comments

1   Patrick   2018 Sep 8, 11:10am  

My favorite food is Indian. Amber India in SF has a really excellent buffet. Maybe they have a branch down on the peninsula.
2   BayArea   2018 Sep 8, 11:11am  

Patrick, you and I seem to have a lot in common sir.
3   FortWayne   2018 Sep 8, 11:14am  

Canoga Park has really great Indian food out here. 10$ all you can eat, and it’s good quality.
4   Patrick   2018 Sep 8, 11:35am  

I grew up in the Midwest with food so bland that I thought I didn't like food. Indian food was a gift from God.

I had similar experiences when discovering:

* pesto!
* good coffee, and then good espresso
* German beer in Germany, not at all the same as what they ship here
* good wine
* weed

And many more. Each one was somewhat like discovering the virtues of girls when I was 13 or so. Great revelations, and great improvements to life.
5   clambo   2018 Sep 8, 2:32pm  

I don't trust Indian food, or rather, the purveyors thereof.
6   RC2006   2018 Sep 8, 2:54pm  

My new years resolution was learning how to cook and cooking two new meals every month. After making it a few times I've gotten to the point that I like the Chicken Tikka Masala that I make from scratch better than the indian resteraunts I like, downside is my house smelling like a Indian restaurant for a few days.
7   mell   2018 Sep 8, 4:28pm  

Indian is among my favorite cuisines as well. I don't remember all the great places I have eaten in the peninsula, but Lahore Karahi in SF is outstanding, so is the original Pakwan as well as Shalimar.
8   Strategist   2018 Sep 8, 4:45pm  

Patrick says
I grew up in the Midwest with food so bland that I thought I didn't like food. Indian food was a gift from God.


The spice trade was one reason Columbus set out to find a new route to India, and stumbled upon America.
9   RC2006   2018 Sep 8, 5:31pm  

Hey maybe you guys can help me with this. Back in the 90s I ate at an Indian resteraunt in the bay area that I liked but could never find again. All I remember about it was that it had tiger pelts on the walls and the bathroom doors had indian looking man and woman symbols.
10   Blue   2018 Sep 8, 6:22pm  

mell says
Shalimar

Heard it is a chepo place, I'd avoid.
Turmeric Restaurant, Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale - tried few times the quality was consistent and not bad.
Sankranti - Wolfe Rd, reasonable good.
I'd look at reviews, pictures before I go.
Try to avoid chepos unless you know the place.
11   mell   2018 Sep 8, 6:48pm  

Blue says
mell says
Shalimar

Heard it is a chepo place, I'd avoid.
Turmeric Restaurant, Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale - tried few times the quality was consistent and not bad.
Sankranti - Wolfe Rd, reasonable good.
I'd look at reviews, pictures before I go.
Try to avoid chepos unless you know the place.


Yeah it's cheap - so is Pakwan, but it is delicious. With Indian food mostly cooked I don't see much risk. I'll try the ones in the south bay. I think Sankranti I have been to and it was pretty good.
12   BayArea   2018 Sep 8, 6:54pm  

Good cheap place that always hit the spot when I frequented SF every chance I got in my 20s...

Naan N Curry
13   RC2006   2018 Sep 8, 7:28pm  

BayArea says
Good cheap place that always hit the spot when I frequented SF every chance I got in my 20s...

Naan N Curry


Is that the one that serves the food on the metal cafeteria plates?
14   curious2   2018 Sep 8, 7:40pm  

Palo Alto has good places including Amber Dhara.

At almost any Indian buffet, drink plenty of water, even before starting to eat, because the buffet foods tend to contain a lot of salt. If you let a hot food get cold, you can really taste the salt content.

@HydroCabron commented about going to a hospital emergency department due probably to dehydration after dining on sushi and beer (sushi restaurants tend to put a lot of sugar in the rice and salt in the food, e.g. soy sauce), though he (mis)attributed the symptoms to a rare ear condition. The issue with dehydration is, once it starts, you can't just gulp a lot of water to clear it. You have to drink water beforehand to prevent it. If you forget to drink water first, and you feel symptoms of dehydration (dizziness, nausea), then you can sip water as tolerated, but it will take a day to resolve the dehydration.
15   Blue   2018 Sep 8, 8:12pm  

curious2 says
buffet foods tend to contain a lot of salt.

I suspect, they do it to make the customer eat less and/or add more salt to cover up for the leftover food from the previous day. This is one reason why the restaurant food is not good in the long run.
16   BayArea   2018 Sep 9, 7:26am  

Stuffed myself with indian curry last night. Regretting it this morning.

Will go shit in the street now.
17   Y   2018 Sep 9, 7:34am  

This.
3rd world dining is never a good thing.
Ask Anthony.
clambo says
I don't trust Indian food, or rather, the purveyors thereof.
18   BayArea   2018 Sep 9, 7:40am  

BlueSardine says
This.
3rd world dining is never a good thing.
Ask Anthony.
clambo says
I don't trust Indian food, or rather, the purveyors thereof.


That’s how I feel about some of the Chinese restaurants around here with the $5.99 lunch specials. Some call it General Tsao’s Chicken. Others call it Yesterday’s Chicken or Floor Chicken.
19   Blue   2018 Sep 9, 7:59am  

One "Indian restaurant" owner told me once in a social meet, the Indian cooking staff is not reliable (quit with no notice) and expensive compare to Mexicans/Latinos who ends up hiring mostly Latinos if not all.
I suspect this is true for other ethnic foods in US or at least in Bay area.
20   BayArea   2018 Nov 9, 5:11pm  

I think I just discovered the holy grail of Indian buffets

I have not had Indian food this flavorful in years. Almost shit my pants 2hrs later

Himalayan Kitchen - Mountain View
21   BayArea   2018 Nov 9, 5:33pm  

Patrick, there was a line out the door at lunch and I may have been the only non indian there.

Give it s whirl
22   MisterLefty   2018 Nov 10, 2:36am  

Blue says
I suspect this is true for other ethnic foods in US or at least in Bay area
I've noticed the a lot of Italian restaurants have Latino waiters, which is kind of coming full circle.
23   BayArea   2018 Nov 10, 7:57am  

MisterLefty says
Blue says
I suspect this is true for other ethnic foods in US or at least in Bay area
I've noticed the a lot of Italian restaurants have Latino waiters, which is kind of coming full circle.


LOL
The majority of restaurants in the Bay Area have Latino staff
24   Patrick   2018 Nov 10, 10:51am  

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that more than half of all restaurant workers in California are illegal.

Remember, about 10% of the workforce in California is illegal. Restaurant owners win by paying lower wages and getting employees who can't complain, customers win by getting cheaper service. Illegals win by getting much higher wages than in Mexico.

But poor US citizens get fucked by having to compete with millions of illegals for illegally low wages.
25   BayArea   2018 Nov 10, 12:03pm  

Yes spot on Patrick.

Liberals want that caravan in though, completely unable to peel back the first layer of the onion to see the implications
26   HeadSet   2018 Nov 10, 5:25pm  

Liberals want that caravan in though, completely unable to peel back the first layer of the onion to see the implications

Votes. Whether it be future Dem voters or provisional Dem voters now, any consequences of the illegal influence are considered a low enough price for the power gained.
27   BayArea   2019 Jan 3, 12:11pm  

Just got back from Himalayan Kitchen - Mountian View.

It’s soooo good, but admittedly I am not the same for 48hrs after eating it. It’s a sacrifice.
28   Libforlife   2019 Jan 3, 12:22pm  

Ulavacharu is the best in the bay... south indian
29   Libforlife   2019 Jan 3, 12:23pm  

Ulavacharu is the best south indian in the bay
30   Eman   2019 Jan 3, 2:17pm  

BayArea says
Just got back from Himalayan Kitchen - Mountian View.

It’s soooo good, but admittedly I am not the same for 48hrs after eating it. It’s a sacrifice.


@BayArea, Too spicy or due to the spices in the food?
31   Blue   2019 Jan 3, 11:58pm  

Libforlife says
Ulavacharu is the best south indian in the bay


I went once and saw Mexican folks were cooking. The food was ok not that great, the real concern is food hygiene, like BayArea said "It’s a sacrifice".
32   BayArea   2019 Jan 4, 7:31am  

E-man says
BayArea says
Just got back from Himalayan Kitchen - Mountian View.

It’s soooo good, but admittedly I am not the same for 48hrs after eating it. It’s a sacrifice.


@BayArea, Too spicy or due to the spices in the food?


@E-man

The heaviness, butteriness, strong scent. I don’t feel quite myself until this stuff is out of my system which takes 48hrs or so.

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