Buffets at Indian Restaurants

Much to my dismay, I know many people who automatically turn up their noses at the mention of Indian food. They have no idea what they are missing. In Cambridge, Indian restaurants are more plentiful than Starbucks. If you are one of the cautious, then please read further.

At lunch time, if you go to an Indian restaurant that offers a buffet, you have nothing to lose. First, the buffet cost is low and runs at about $6-15. Owners actually lose money, but the investment is worth it if a patron becomes a frequent diner. Second, restaurant owners purposely showcase a variety of dishes so they can attract patrons at dinner time. If you do not have a taste for spicy or hot food, then the buffet is the best time for you to explore a variety of dishes without fear of committing to a dish that may not suit your proclivities. Finally, an Indian restaurant is the perfect place for carnivores and vegetarians to meet without compromising taste or offending either's sensibilities.

There may be restaurants that have better food or decor, but my favorite restaurants have consistently made strong and consistent efforts to provide a beautiful atmosphere to complement quality dishes.

1. Diva Indian Bistro, 246 Elm Street, Somerville-Davis Square T
Today, you would be lucky to get a seat there, but I remember when it first opened, two people could easily get a booth and not wait at any station of the buffet. The service is still impeccable. The attentive waiters will offer bread and beverages without being asked. Each week, Diva changes the dishes offered, but there is usually salad, tandoori chicken, a curry dish, chicken masala, and a vegetarian dish which usually contains paneer (i.e. cheese). Diva also has a distinctive buffet station: a crepe station! In addition, Diva has the best decor of any restaurant in Davis Square. From the cobalt blue and tan color scheme to the throw pillows in the booths, the decor is beautiful and thoughtful.

2. Passage to India, 1900 Mass Ave, Cambridge-Porter Square or 157 Washington Street, Salem (the latter location does not offer a weekend lunch buffet)
This little restaurant has been in Porter Square as long as I can remember and was recently renovated. Passage to India does something that most restaurants should aspire to: consistently offer great food and lots of it. The wait staff is there when necessary, but does not hover or become an annoyance. The buffet may not have as broad a selection, but the quality of the ingredients shines through. For example, I hate going to a restaurant where I have had a wonderful dinner, but at lunch, I can tell that the owner waited for the buffet to distribute stale meat. It would be better if the owner never offered a buffet at all and threw away the rotting food. Passage to India treats every meal as if it was opening night and welcomes every kind of customer, from the scruffy student to the family with three kids, as if he or she was a food critic.
Buffet patrons should be treated as well as their regulars.

3. Cafe of India, 52A Brattle Street, Cambridge-Harvard Square
I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. It remains high on my list because of a special buffet station that I have never seen at any other Indian restaurant: the pork roast cutting board station. This pork makes up for the occasionally sullen waiters or the opulent yet stiff chairs (the booths are preferable). Occasionally each of my favorite Indian restaurants offers goat curry as one of its buffet selections, but Cafe of India always seems to offer it on the weekends when I visit. Of course, if you think that Indian food is too adventurous, then goat curry probably sounds like jumping off of a cliff. Still, if you have gone this far in exploring a new cuisine, you should keep going.