The Wake

“Ethnic” buffets are a strange animal; on one hand they are a nice sampling of a restaurant’s signature dishes, but conversely, they don’t allow for tongue-raping spiciness. Buffets have to please as many people as possible, so they tend to be middle of the road when it comes to flavor.

With that in mind, Little Taj Mahal is a quality Indian restaurant, based on its buffet.

Walking into the Dinkydome, despite the bevy of other eateries, the aroma of spices coming from “Taj” makes tender, passionate love to your nostrils. Entering the tiny corner shop adorned with Indian décor, it’s hard to imagine that it can deliver authentic cuisine – its size and location make it seem like a common food court stand.

To your immediate left you’ll notice five metallic buffet trays shining like the eyes of Vishnu. Inside the containers are primarily vegetarian dishes (one with spinach, one okra, and a delicious Vegetable Korma, which consists of veggies in a creamy sauce). There is also a Chicken Masala, which has an aromatic, thick orange curry sauce that dances on the palate. Of course, all of these dishes are served over Basmati Rice (the fifth buffet tray).

What’s unique about the dishes offered is the tandoori oven-cooked section featuring traditional chicken and nan, an Indian flat bread. For one reason or another, Indian restaurants tend to avoid including their tandoori in an all-you-can-eat setting, which is unfortunate, so Taj Mahal gains major points.

There aren’t too many buffets on campus, and there aren’t too many Indian restaurants either. So with no real competition, for $6, Little Taj Mahal is your best bet for satisfying your curry fix, even though in the overall scheme of things it’s just an average “ethnic” joint.

Overall: 6.5/10