Good food, annoying service
Great food but annoying service. Who told them that they must serve a spoonful of every dish onto the plate of every customer in the group? Cut it out please!

On the plus side, I believe they're still doing a lunchtime buffet, where you're usually left to get on with the main item of business.    [09 Nov 2006 09:44:29]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 

     ­Jon Wright, Saigon   

Go for the taste
This place makes the best Mutton Biryani and Chicken Chaamp (goes well with Biryani) to be had in Saigon. However, pls note that this needs to be ordered in advance. Given the very amateurish service and unprepossesing surroundings, it is best to order in.    [26 Nov 2006 08:57:03]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Mutton Biryani - Chicken Chaamp

     ­Ayan Ghosh, Saigon   

excellent meal
There are two key markers that help initial judgments about authenticity of Indian eateries in places like Saigon: if the place is populated by custom from the subcontinent; and if there is cricket on the TV monitors.

As I entered, I noted immediately that half the house was made up of subcontinental diners, and a World Twenty20 championship match between Pakistan and New Zealand was showing. So far so good. [The latter indicator also lessens the likelihood that such a place will just be a Vietnamese takeover or imitation - as they would never be interested in such things on television.]

Nice small place with good ambience.

Heinekens a tad expensive at 22,000, Fosters and Tigers at 20,000.

I chose a mutton marsala which was excellent, accompanied by jeera pulao and a naan. The bread was top class and the cumin rice the best I have eaten in many years. As I finished, I searched the rice plate for grease, as the dish had been superbly non-greasey. At an angle under the gentle lighting, I could just pick up the slightest flicker on the empty plate, about as good as you could get in terms of cooking this sort of rice without it being greasey. I love jeera pulao - especially when cooked magnificently like this - and will go back just to eat that, apart from other dishes.

With 2 beers and a 10% VAT, my feed cost me VND 158,000. Not bad.

To the delight of half the restaurant, Pakistan won the cricket.    [22 Sep 2007 22:54:21]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: jeera pulao; mutton marsala; naan

     ­ian