Indian lunch buffets can offer some of the best food around, so in honor of Diwali we set out to sample some of the better Indian lunch buffets in Philadelphia to find our favorite. With Tushar at the helm (God save us), we’ve chosen a few promising candidates to investigate.
“What’s Diwali?” Trust me, don’t ask. Answers vary, so be satisfied with learning more about Diwali at Wikipedia.
I’d like start by saying that the only thing that I know about Indian food is that I like to eat it. Thankfully, Tushar’s upbringing gives him a much more discerning palate; we’ll have to rely on it to judge the authenticity and some of the flavor combinations.
Our first stop on the Indian Lunch Buffet Roundup was Karma located on Chestnut Street in Old City. Tucked among some of the more well-known restaurants & attractions like Buffalo Billiards, Triumph Brewing Company and Eulogy, Karma easily blends into the background.
As we entered, we were greeted with the delicious aroma of the many dishes displayed on the lunch buffet. From cold salads to hot entrees and desserts, it beckoned us from the start. Once ushered to our table, we had barely removed our coats before we attacked the buffet.
Karma’s lunch buffet held an impressive variety of both hot and cold items. Without going into great detail, a portion of the “laundry list” of items included: fresh green salads, a variety of chutneys, Murg Banjara (a flavorful rendition of “Gypsy/Nomad’s Chicken”), Aloo Baingan, Sabzi Dil Khush (stir-fried mixed vegetables), Shahi Paneer (Cottage Cheese Curry), Tarka Dal (Spicy Lentil Curry), Pen Pulua, Raita (a delicious condiment), Basmati Rice, Tandoori Chicken, Lentil Sambar (Tushar says he’d give his first-born child; Note: He has no kids), Indian Butter Chicken, Kheer (Rice Pudding), Suji Ka Halwa (Corn Pudding), not to mention freshly made Naan. Tushar was especially curious to taste the dishes from southern India, because it’s rare to find them in Philly, let alone good ones.
After tasting the vast majority of the items, we agreed that Karma’s lunch buffet is very good. Some of the most notable items included:
Tandoori Chicken - Tushar says that a good Tandoori Chicken is the “litmus test” for a good Indian Lunch buffet. The check was well marinated, flavorful and tender.
Lentil Sambar - Tushar forced this on me, but I’m glad he did. It’s similar to a spicy lentil soup served with a fluffy rice pancake immersed into the broth. Delicious with a unique, slightly sour tanginess.
Indian Butter Chicken - An apparent version of Tandoori Chicken, this was rich and flavorful. It offers a zesty flavor that goes really well with the Pea Pilaf that was also available on the buffet. Leave your Jenny Craig calorie counter at home for this one…
Our experience at Karma was very good. The food was very good, the staff friendly and the atmosphere warm and inviting. At $9.95 per person, Karma’s buffet may be a bit more expensive than some, but we think that it is well worth it. Furthermore, we think that this spot will be tough to beat! But we’ll keep you posted.
Karma is located at 114 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia, PA (215) 925-1444 http://www.thekarmarestaurant.com/
[Tags]Philadelphia, Philly, Old City, Indian Food, Karma, Lunch Buffet, Podcast[/Tags]
Tags: Indian, Old City, Philadelphia, Philly, Podcast, Vegetarian
Please post who wins at the end of the roundup. I’ve yet to find an Indian place I’m in love with in Philly, but I’ll trust Tushar’s final verdict.
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[...] comments@phillyfoodguys.com (Bill & Tush) added an interesting post today on Indian Lunch Buffet Roundup: Episode # 1.Here’s a small reading:Indian lunch buffets can offer some of the best food around, so in honor of Diwali we set out to sample some of the better Indian lunch buffets in Philadelphia to find our favorite. With Tushar at the helm (God save us), we’ve chosen a … [...]
[...] As everyone enjoyed their meal, I had the opportunity to taste most of the buffet items while waiting for my Dosa. Unfortunately, I don’t think that Sitar was prepared for my order, since it took over 30 minutes to arrive; generally it should take less than 10. However once I did receive it, it was better than anywhere I’ve found in Center City. Furthermore, the Coconut Chutney and Sambhar were also better than most.  Overall we had a good Indian buffet experience. Sitar has a good selection of food at a very reasonable price. While there were a few items that we didn’t feel were up to par, namely the Aloo Matter and Tandoori Chicken dishes, most short comings seem to be par for the course at Indian Buffets. The lone exception is Karma, our first stop on the Indian Lunch Buffet Roundup (Check out Indian Lunch Buffet Roundup: Episode 1 here). [...]
[...] Karma was the first stop in the Indian Lunch Buffet Round up and proved to be the standard by which the others were measured. There was an excellent variety of food items, all of which were presented in an attractive, appetizing manner. It was clear that the items were of high quality. The atmosphere at Karma is contemporary and comfortable, even if I thought the dining room was a bit dimly light. The service was reasonably attentive and the staff friendly. Finally, at $9.95 Karma had the most expensive buffet, but we thought it was worth it. Karma is located at 114 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia, PA (215) 925-1444 http://www.thekarmarestaurant.com [...]