My Karma in Lorton, Virginia
My wife and I decided to try this joint out since I used to work around the corner and never dared step inside. I've had homemade curry before but nothing like this place.
So, when we first entered we found that the place looked pretty cool - not what I was expecting for a strip mall restaurant. There were two other groups of people dining in a room that had about 25 tables. We were greeted by a man who didn't look very Indian... more like he was East Asian. He spoke English pretty well though so that took away from the experience. Anyways, he showed us to our table and asked us if we wanted to do the Buffet. I really wanted to order in Indian, so I asked to see the menu. The man delivered two menus, but he and my wife suggested we try the buffet so we could sample many different items. ($9.52 per person, I believe...)
So, we tried the buffet... and I'm kinda glad we did. The staff of the restaurant moved around the table and removed the lids from each dish, answering any questions as we made our way around the buffet. My goal was to try everything on the buffet, so I grabbed a little of everything.
My first plate was pretty simple. I grabbed a bit of Jasmine Rice which was, I guess, a fried rice since it had carrots and peas in it. It didn't have a strong taste in my opinion. The second thing I grabbed was the Mixed Veg. Kadara, which is kinda like taking the innards of an egg roll, mixing it with some onions, and deep-frying it. The third item is the Aaloo Jeera, which was just cut potatoes with some mild seasoning. The fourth item I grabbed was the Tandorri Chicken, which tasted like a chicken I'd get from a high-school cafeteria. It didn't have any distinct taste that would make it a favorite... but it was good, none-the-less. The last item on this plate was the Butter Chicken - a chicken in some tasty curry sauce.
I always heard Indian food was unbearably hot so I was surprised when the food was so mild. I ran back up to the buffet and grabbed a plate for some spice... and I found a chili powder and some chili sauce. The chili sauce was absolutely delicious and it certainly provided the nose-dripping heat I was expecting. The powder provided heat but didn't add any flavor to the meal. Still, I used as I was directed - pinch and sprinkle! The staff was kind enough to remind me to wash my hands before leaving so I don't spread the powder to my eyes somehow. (The staff also explained that the buffet is all mild foods because they wanted everyone to be comfortable eating it.)
The Naan that was delivered to the table was piping hot and was actually very tasty despite the plain look. The inside was nice and chewy but the outside had a crisp to it.
The other items we tried were a Vegetable Mancurian, Manchurian Noodles, Kadai Chicken, Chole Palak and some Mushroom and Pea Curry. The Veg Manchurian looked like the Mixed Veg. Kadara, but had some chicken mixed in with a slightly less mild, more spicy curry sauce. The Noodles were nothing special - kinda like Lo Mein. (I wonder if it was actually an asian dish since the name isn't really screaming Indian.) The Kadai Chicken was fantastic and I didn't have the Mushroom and Pea Curry (I hate mushrooms)... my wife said, "Too many mushrooms... otherwise, it was aite'. When I mixed it with the hot sauce and rice it tasted good. It had the same curry sauce as the Kadai Chicken." Lastly, the Chole Palak was... different. I think it had garbanzo beans mixed in some creamy greens... not sure if it was spinach or something. It was fine in small bites.
Afterward, we tried the Gulab Jamun and Rice Pudding. The Gulab Jamun was a warm donut-type desert that had tasted like a sweet cornbread covered in honey and syrup. The Rice Pudding was incredibly plain and boring. I tried scooping some of the pudding using a small part of Gulab, but the pudding kinda ruined the Gulab.
TLDR; Our bill, with the $6 tip and tax, was $27.56 - Worth it for the food and the experience! (Much more enjoyable than Ruth's Chris from the night before.) The staff was nice, the atmosphere was comfortable and the ambient music seemed ethnic enough. When we went for lunch (2PM on Saturday) the place was near dead. I didn't get to try to order in Indian because we did the buffet but that was definitely the best choice since we could experience multiple foods... although, I do wish they provided spicier foods with some warning to the diners. My wife said, "If someone asked me to go to an Indian restaurant prior to my experience, I would've always said No." Not anymore!
Thanks Dooj - We're looking forward to the next challenge.
EDIT: Mayo, can you resize these friggin' pictures?
Shrimp in a bed of vegetables and a sweet n spicy curry sauce. I liked it, she didn't ha-ha. See below:
