9120 N. I-35
835-4447
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men’s room rating: 1.5. (Typical fast food joint men’s room: which is what this used to be.)
Dwight’s comments:
After two trips, I’m willing to say this is every bit as good as Bombay Grill: we have a tie for “Best Indian Food In Austin.”
The tandoori dishes, in particular, seem well prepared, and the na’an has been excellent. (I especially recommend the house special na’an.)
If Mr. India Palace has a problem, it would be service: I can’t tell if they’re understaffed (although they were nearly deserted when we were there), or if it’s just the common failing of many non-Western dining establishments.
(For that matter, I’ve had service problems at Bombay Grill: and Taj Palace’s service has gone way downhill in the past two years.)
A friend also noted that his na’an seemed dry and hard: none of us had this problem, and we didn’t try his, so I’m puzzled by his complaint.
Mr. India Palace does have a $5.95 lunch buffet as well: if you’re close enough to take advantage, please consider giving it a try.
(Update 3/31/97: The chicken vindaloo, on the other hand, has a lot more tomato (in big chunks) than I like in mine. Be warned, if you’re like me, and stick to the tandoori meats, or perhaps the curries.)
Lawrence’s comments:
The first time I ate Indian food (at the now defunct Passage to India) I threw up. Since then, I’ve slowly come to realize that it was only that articular meal I hated rather than Indian food in general, and Mr. India Palace was a pleasant data point along that learning curve. The appetizers were tasty, and the various sampler grills (I got the tandoori curry sampler, while Dwight had the tandoori mixed grill) were quite good and had very generous portions. And at least one of my orders of na’an came steaming from the oven (and was large enough to encase a medium sized fish). The only drawbacks were somewhat indifferent service, despite the place being almost deserted. I got the impression our waitress/owner was also doing some (if not all) of the cooking in the kitchen. This is obviously a family-run restaurant, and I’d really like to see them make a go of it.