I love Indian cuisine. There aren’t a whole lot of choices in our area, but thanks to our friend Owen, we found out about the new Taj Mahal, and it’s near us, at 3138 Erie Blvd. in Dewitt. It’s in a building that used to be Quiznos, in a plaza that has the Guitar Center (it figures that Dave would notice that!).
The decor is pleasant and new. They were doing a brisk business the Wednesday night we were there. The service was polite and attentive, yet the staff seemed to be rookies. If it’s true that the restaurant’s forbear is Samrat up on the SU hill, I wonder if they are actually grad students. They did well enough, and I’m sure they’ll be on a more firm footing soon.
The arrival of food was a tad slow, but just as we were beginning to wonder if they were “in the weeds”, the food arrived. We were very hungry, and they didn’t disappoint! When eating Indian, I often opt for lamb, because I don’t tend to regularly find it in restaurants. I chose the Lamb Seekh Kabob Masala, medium heat level, and it was delicious, with succulent chunks of lamb kabob in a tomato-based savory sauce that was fairly spicy and mouth-watering.
Lonnie had Lamb Shahi Korma, another favorite of mine, and it was also fragrant and delicious. She likes a lower heat level than I do, but some spice, and they dialed it back just enough. The portions were quite large, plenty of rice was provided, and we also got some complimentary naan (bread). Before the meal, our waitress had asked if we wanted some naan, and we had declined, although I believe that refusing bread in an Indian restaurant isn’t very Indian, and may even be déclassé. Perhaps a real order of naan is larger – we weren’t quite sure. But it was very good; Lonnie said it was the best naan she could recall.
Prices were pretty reasonable, in the general neighborhood of $9-$11 per entree. With the tasty food and handy location, we will be going here a lot, I think. This will also give me more motivation to cook Indian, which I have started doing more lately. We like the Sahota Palace in Liverpool a lot, but with their handy location and tasty food, I think the Taj will give them some real competition, especially if their waitstaff gets a bit more experienced. Check them out! Yes, this is April Fool’s Day, but I’m not kidding!
Yowah – That’s in an asphalt wasteland! Regardless, I love me some Indian as well. So since you guys recommend it, I will brave the Pizza Huts and Dennys to check it out.
Yes, that’s very well put! In the sprawl zone, not anything like the walkable areas we like. But at least it’s pretty close to us (he said selfishly). We do go out of our way for Indian – for instance, we’ve been to Karavalli’s, north of Albany, multiple times (also courtesy of culinary-savvy Owen) – that’s our benchmark for good upstate NY Indian food.
I discovered this place by accident the other night. I was very pleasantly surprised. Good food, good sized portions, and a decent price. I highly recommend it.
great food. however the byriani shouldnt be the same color all around tho. the rice should be yellow in color but not as dark as the meat. this way u can distinguish the meat from the rice. the mango lassai was good…..but way too “orange” in color. service was great, food came out fast. friendly and we are going again!
I finally tried Taj and overall I enjoyed it very much. The pakoras were too oily and not crispy enough and the samosas were “okay” but not stellar. The mango lassi was quite nice and the mixed grill tandoori excellent – as were the breads we tried. I think Sahota Palace has an edge on them but the east side location is a blessing and I will return.