Flavors Indian Restaurant
I ate at Flavors and must say that I was pleased.
My man and I were looking for a new dining adventure, and the man was craving Indian. Previously, the man had only one year’s experience with Indian food, so going to buffets was the best way to initiate him into the earthy-spicy exotic world of Indian food.
So we headed into Addison to give Flavors a try. First mark in their favor: nice, clean and spacious digs. If it wasn’t for the Sunday buffet I can imagine this place can host upscale dining. Second good sign: we were greeted immediately and ushered to our seats. Always a telling sign that the staff gets down to business–and that business is good food.
Third good sign: 2 buffet lines and all-you-can-drink soda fountain. As soon as we hit the buffet, everything was clearly labeled and stocked with fresh food. This was a good sized buffet with diverse vegetarian and meat offerings. Some standouts include their chicken tikka masala, lemon rice, fried fish, a fried potato/veggie dish and an excellent naan. (Which is saying something since I generally avoid the bread everywhere I’ve gone.) Other dishes less memorable were the chicken biryani, goat curry, saag paneer. We were surprised by the inclusion of a bitter melon dish on the buffet–typically more ethnic than most Americans can handle…woo! that’s definitely an acquired taste.
Flavors also delivered a capable fruit custard and a gulab jamun that was more custardy than bready, a decent rice kheer and good carrot halwa (though my partner says it’s not the best gajar ka halwa he’s eaten).
One thing I must fault Flavors’ buffet: not a single thing on the line was spicy-hot (not the pickled carrots or the spiced onions). Throughout lunch, I craved a burn, a kick, anything to get the nose running or throat scratchy…but none of the dishes I found delivered on the heat. In this I suppose Flavors’ buffet is newbie-friendly, but it would not be my first choice if I were looking to shock the tastebuds.
So Flavors’ buffet is great for initiates to Indian food, but too safe a choice if you’re looking for something stronger, more flavorful. However, the price is right (10.99 on Sat-Sun with unlimited soda), especially if it’s your first foray into this type of cuisine. As for me, I’ll come back for the good service and the naan.
My rating: stars
