light of india

perhaps a bad night. last saturday evening two friends, my wife and i arranged to have dinner at this indian restaurant. when we arrived there were only six people in the restaurant and a fairly large number of waiters. it took 15 minutes before our order was taken and another 45 minutes before the food appeared. during this time the restaurant became quite busy with take out orders.
now the food was good and hot but not as spicy as i have had before. between us we had three dishes with rice and there was no room on the table for anything else. very cramped. that evening we were attending a concert and had to leave quickly but despite asking several times for the bill, the waiters seem to be asleep. when the bill arrived the waiter didn't seem to understand how to use the machine and became very confused.
i think if you are not in a hurry then this restaurant is pretty good.

delicious food & amazingly spicey (i had chicken madras) but world's slowwwwwest service. i was pretty sad about having only one water refill while eating something really hot. i think they were short-staffed -- just two people for a busy sunday night crowd.

i am currently eating the worst saag paneer i've ever had. ever. it is so bad that, in the middle of my consumption of it, i've decided to create an account just to warn others to never order saag paneer here. ever. ever.

went there last night for dinner, reservation for 7pm, did not get our food until 830. tables around us who arrived well after us were served before our table. although their food was good, it was not worth the wait.

another mediocre indo-bangladeshi restaurant in ottawa.
this one has better-than-average decor and less-than-average buffet. the owner is a cool guy with a bit of an attitude! not really impressed.

i ordered online two biriyani with a nan and paid $56.29, the taste of biriyani is too bad, it does not even has taste of salt. they did not provide me even spoons and napkin papers. while i sent message them through online app, it’s strange that they did not even response me. what a fake and useless service. please never waste your time and money for such a poor food and services.

i have been to this eatery many times over the years, always for dinner. recently, i went for their buffet lunch and have to say it was a sorry offering. light of india, please pull up your socks.

if you like indian food, you'll want to give this place a pass. i've visited it various times over the years hoping against hope. instead, they offer thick, bland sauces, spice levels (presumably reduced for sensitive western palates) that are vanishingly low, and all around a reduction of great north indian cuisine to an uninspiring, undifferentiated set of offerings that will disappoint anyone who likes actual indian food.

this has to be one of the worst indian restaurants in a city full of mediocre indian restaurants. i ordered from light of india for delivery and was sorely disappointed. i ordered relatively simple indian dishes and they were both awful. matar paneer, a stew of peas and cheese in a tomato sauce lacked any and all spice that one would associate with this dish. in fact, it tasted rather sweet and even lacked salt. the cheese, which is supposed to be fresh, was rubbery. very disappointing as this is one of my favourite indian dishes and one that even the worst indian restaurant usually pulls off. even more disappointing was the tarka daal, a typical indian lentil stew. the most fly-infested roadside stand in india pulls off this dish with more competence than this kitchen could muster. in fact, the dish didn't even resemble tarka daal as i know it. it was less a stew and more of a soup and tasted nothing like the smokey and buttery tarka daal i was craving. even more incomprehensible, was the naan, which was undercooked. again, it seemed like the kitchen was going through the motions instead of actually trying to make good food. i don't think i'll ever order from this place again and i wouldn't recommend it to anyone searching for good indian food.

03/16 @ 1230pm

me: can i order some food for pickup please.

loi: yes but it won't be ready till 2:30-2:45pm

me: wait what? that's in two hours! i'm hungry now... all i want is a rice and butter chicken.

loi: you can come to our restaurant and eat in.

me: do i have to wait two hours if i come in?

loi: no no we'll serve you right away.

me: are you serious? food right away for eat in but two hours for take out??

loi: yes, we are very busy.

me: *click*

best indian buffet in ottawa hands down. the food is well spiced and fresh. the staff obviously take a lot of pride in their food. i went again today and was reminded of how nice it is to like every dish in a buffet, even the vegetarian dishes, which is a big deal for me ;)

we order take out, food is consistently good. the restaurant is quite full many nights so people enjoy it. i love the lamb sag gosht and the vegetable bhaji. only thing i dislike is they put quarter chunks of fresh tomato as a space filler in the carry out so you don't get as much product. kind of feel cheated.

i would recommend this place to anyone!! delicious and authentic indian food in a warm and cozy environment. the service was incredibly kind and helpful with the menu and you certainly get what you pay for in terms of food, as we all had lots to take home. i will be back!!

the best indian cuisine in ottawa by far.. stumbled upon this cozy family run little restaurant on bank near glebe avenue
last night. ventured in and ordered lamb biryani with plain yogurt as a side dish.
i was served a basket full of papadums which is common practice as you seat yourself.
the oil lantern added a nice warm glow over the table which helped considering how
cold the weather has been. within fifteen minutes, my order was brought to me. it also
consisted of a side dish of curried vegetables (free of charge.) every dish was top notch.
it actually is the best indian food in ottawa by far. few grapes and pineapple pieces
crowned the meal and the hot, individually wrapped moist towel would beat any
paper napkin. a dark chocolate stick was brought with my receipt. sweet! they certainly
know how to cook and will make you feel at home upon arrival. highly recommend this place.
i rate it a ten plus. 10+ :)


-----23 oct, 2011-----

great buffet. really small but pretty tasty food. cozy little family run restaurant. the service is always quite nice too. worth every penny. will definitely return. :)

best indian food in ottawa. after eating here regularly for nearly six years, their quality and consistency is second to none. each time i take someone new, they are always impressed. my favourite dishes (i am a vegetarian): begun bhaji, sag aloo bhaji, aloo gobi, tarka dhal, regular and garlic naan, chai. my kids love their butter chicken. the buffet is the economical choice.