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Hurry for curry >> Eighteen people attack downtown Indian buffet. No one injured
by SPANKY HOROWITZ I used to think Montreal was a one-Indian-buffet town, but a television commercial has informed me otherwise. La Maison India is advertising lower prices than another prominent Indian buffet, an action which just might spark a price war and could mean more food for your rupee. I tried to recall the last few occasions when I had eaten at buffets, and realized that each time was to celebrate a birthday or some similar event. Everyone paid the same amount and ate whatever they desired. No time was wasted ordering (or bickering), and it was much simpler dividing the bill. As my birthday was long past and eating alone seemed rather bleak, I decided to call a few friends. Before I knew it, I had a list of 23 people in front of me! I figured, what the hell--I'd make a party out of it. Only 18 people showed up, but this was still the largest dinner I had ever attended with no actual purpose. While my friends were chatting it up, I realized that I had the eating power of 18 people under my command! If I wanted to, I could do some serious damage. We could finish the butter chicken in a flash, and see how fast the staff could replenish the supply. La Maison India's buffet boasts a hundred selections, but I only counted 69. The selections were divided into four groups: salads, appetizers, main dishes and desserts. And even if it wasn't a full hundred choices, it was still pretty impressive. The salad section had the regular salad stuff, plus a few goodies. There were sliced beets (one of my favourites!), green and black olives, two separate bean salads and some sort of Indian nacho-type thing, the name of which I can't remember. Everything looked crisp and fresh, and tasted pretty good. The appetizer section featured two soups (mulligatawny and dahl), samosas, breaded fried onion balls and breaded fried vegetable balls--which were excellent. The main dishes were all there, except maybe some vindaloos and a vegetable curry. There was a lack of spicy dishes in general, but I expect this in a buffet situation. There was a sauce labelled "hot" that could be poured onto any dish, but it just isn't the same. A great spinach dish sparked an argument which continued throughout our meal, as to whether the yellow pieces in it were tofu or cheese. Either way, it was fabulous. Our host broke in and told us it was indeed cheese, and a homemade one at that! After six plates of food, I needed a break, so a few of us went outside to get some air. Once on the terrace, I realized two great things about this restaurant: one, we could have eaten outside, and two, we can switch seats constantly and keep eating, so everyone can eventually have a chance to sit next to everyone else! After having several servings of ice cream and fresh fruit (they also have khir, an Indian dessert made with homemade cheese), I was ready to bust, so I had some chocolate pudding topped with a few slices of pear, and then some more ice cream. Now I was full, and so were my friends. La Maison India is a great place to sample (and learn about) Indian cuisine, and a great place to gather a dozen or more friends to catch up on old times... you should try it sometime. Comments: foodspanky@hotmail.com
La Maison India Address: 1065 Beaver Hall Hill Phone: 861-2002 Hours: Lunch 11:30am-5pm (no lunch on Saturdays), dinner 5-10pm Best features: All you can eat! And valet parking after 6pm Alcohol: Yes (imported beers as well) Vegetarian friendly: Yes Wheelchair access: Yes
Price: Lunch $7.95, dinner $9.95 Rating: *** out of **** |