jewel of india

my go-to destination for delicious indian curry!. there are a lot of competing indian restaurants in the u-district. this particular one is a hidden gem in my opinion. it's one of the cheaper options and isn't loud and crowded like cedars -- plus they give you unlimited refills on rice! the decor is nice but not overly pretentious. it's a reasonable spot to take a date, especially if you're a student at uw. the lady who works there is very nice. she doesn't speak much english but she always makes sure you're taken care of. if you're lucky you might get a free order of pappadam or gulab jamun.

some of my favorite dishes include the chicken tikka masala, lamb kofta, and palak paneer. the garlic naan and samosas are great as well. thelunchbuffet is solid. some indian restaurants serve what seem like watered down versions of their dinner entree curries, but not at jewel of india.

hidden jewel in the u. when i first happened upon this place, theirlunchbuffet was up, and it was good, although typical for common indian buffet fare (the pakoras are amazing, though). however, upon visiting in the evening, i was blown away by their kashmiri chicken. out of this world, especially with garlic nan. after that, i was hooked, and after trying each curry their menu provides, i still come back for more. if you dig the spice, and ask for a '5", they may be wary, so go ahead and go for a "6" or "7" and surprise 'em.

service is superb; our water is always filled, food comes to us very quickly (and always hot), and the owners have no problem explaining certain dishes to us.

here's a tip, though, try their chai... they get it spot on each and every time, i could just take a shower in all of it...

and for desert, this place makes the best kheer around, an awesome balance of spices and texture. also, the little fried balls are good, forget what they're called, though...

greatlunchbuffet!!!. i've come here more times that i'd like to admit but everytime i go i plan to come back. the food is really excellent and other than a bit of a scary front window area the food is really delicious. in fact it's so good i come all the way over from redmond just to eat here.

um, yum!. um, yum.

i'd been here once over the summer for thelunchbuffet, which was pretty a-ok. i'm not a big buffet person, and indian buffets are always, you know, tasty, but not that super amazing compared to what the food could be. i remember the naan being really good though, and i enjoyed the desserts. i walked away saying, "we should really try this place for dinner sometime."

so we ordered some stuff for delivery, and it was very tasty. very soft chewy garlic naan. the paneer tikka kabob (which wasn't actually skewered...???) was tasty, and came with some obviously homemade (and very flavorful) chutneys. the malai kofta was delicious. they even gave us a free dessert (kheer! my favorite!). (it was a little soupier than i'm used to, but still very yummy.) since that first time, i have repeated this experience multiple times. almost weekly. it's fantastic.

though it's not the best indian food i've ever had, it's really great for seattle (i've just had some truly life-changing indian food in other parts of the country/world). i feel like i'm cheating on cedars (the one on brooklyn; it's my standby favorite local restaurant), but jewel of india is my restaurant of choice for ordering in.

this is hands down the best indian food in seattle. i have been eating here for 7 years and never eat indian food elsewhere anymore. thelunchbuffet is always satisfying and dinner is even better. the buffet always has rice, samosa, pikora, butter chicken, tandoori chicken, and rice pudding. there are 3 or 4 other rotating vegetarian and carnivorious dishes also. plain or garlic naan is also provided. nothing fails to satisfy and is very reasonably priced. the thali dinner plates are fantastic. i no longer order of the menu, i just ask them to bring me whatever they like. this never costs more and is always great. it is a huge amount of food and i often eat the leftovers for a snack later. the owners both work here and are very kind people. they make you feel welcome and it makes you want to return. don't pass up the opportunity to eat here.

goodlunchbuffet. i had theirlunchbuffet for the first time recently and was satisfied with their vegetarian and meat options. the saag paneer was one of the better ones i've had, and i love that samosas were included with the buffet. the place was quite empty on the day we were there, but we were early so the food was still hot and fresh. overall, good food for a great price. not too much sets it apart from the numerous other indian buffets on the ave, but i'll be back if only because of the samosas.

great curries, maybe the best saag paneer in the north end. the owner of "jewel" ran the line at "taste" on roosevelt for a while before buying out neelam a few years back. he's got the best saag in the north end. the buffet is mild but always fresh wigh good veg and meat options every time. my only wish is he'd bring back the unsweetened bottomless chai. great spot forlunchor dinner.