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This place is good.
Not as good as VIK.
But, definitely better than Khana Khazana.
Why is true Indian food so hard to come by?
It's like fast food.. greasy and meaninglessly complicated but, tastes the same.
Oh well.
My search continues.
Until then, Breads of India satisfied my need for naan smothered in garlic. It's like that autumn desire for that first bite of pumpkin pie.
Unfortunately, it was like store bought not homemade.
I ate here once with my family about 2-3 years ago, so when we were in the mood for something different than our usual faire this popped into my head. It was around 9 and I was super hungry. They have a menu that changes every day. Everything has at least a paragraph describing what you get and some even have whole pages dedicated to their descriptions! Yeah, thats cool that they give you the history and background of each dish and I may possibly be into it on another day but in all honesty when I'm ready to shank someone for a plate of food the last thing I want to do is read essays about the dishes!
The food is okay, but I defnitely think the highlight is their naan and other flat bread. I got a basic curry veggie dish but I really enjoyed the coconut naan much better! Service was also fast and friendly, it seemed they were overstaffed at 9pm and we were one of only 2 or 3 tables dining at that time. Ok in my book .. about a 3 1/2 stars.
Cool venue, hot and cold running wait staff, good presentation, food...meh...OK.
It is always empty in there and it is so lovely, I never understood it. Last night I got some attitude towards my ambiguously gendered dinner companions from a woman on staff. Our waiter was good in terms of attitude but less than helpful in the cutlery department. So...visually good, vibe impaired.
great food in a spacious, high-ceiling restaurant. Friendly service and amazing lamb chop. The curries had some good kick. chai could be better. for the quality & price, it's an awesome place. And it's not a hole in the wall at all. had the lamb chop, garlic naan, and home-y veggie dish.
I have never been to Breads of India before, but have always seen it, while dining across the street. My mother and grandmother were feeling adventurous one night and wanted to try Indian food. So this was the one they could think of.
I didn't really know what to expect since the only type of Indian food that I have had is ordering off of a huge menu and having it brought to your table...or buffet style. Breads of India is an actual sit-down-and-order-from-a-real-menu place, with a daily menu change. I ordered the rice with spices and chicken (I have no idea what it's called, but it similar to fried rice), it had really good flavors. My mom had the chicken tandoori and was pleasantly suprised that the meat turned out to be tender. A vegetarian meatball dish was ordered by my grandmother, not too sure if she liked it or not, although she finished the whole thing.
Next time I think I'll order the Chicken Tikka Masala and some Garlic Naan...at least I know that it's something I like. It's hard to order off a menu that isn't familiar. The place is nice and big and accomodating to larger parties. The night we came in, it was empty but soon filled up with the dinner crowd.
1 star for decent environment + 2 star for the food
All in all, it's just not my type of Indian food... but I'm not an Indian so you may ignore my non-professional judgment. OKay, objectively-
we had Samosa -- a dish of 4 deep fried Indian puff stuffed with taro with some spice; Mango Lassi -- refreshing and sweet... and impressive
My friend ordered lamb chop -- served on iron plate, she said the lamb was just perfectly cooked, taste surprisingly good with the plum sauce left from samosa
I had the eggplant curry, which I believed I could cook the way much better than they do with that poor little eggplant.
Ugh... can't think of anything else to put up here, sorry folks, I've tried my best.
We have tried to eat here before, but our timing was funky. This restaurant closes between 2:30 and 5:30 to prepare themselves for dinner and on the weekends, we sometimes don't have breakfast until around 3.
Having forgotten that they close and then reopen, we arrived today at 2:33pm and we were so sad and just about to turn away when the host met us at the door and told us it was fine if we came in.
That was very cool and I'm so pleased that he did.
We had a splendid breakfast/brunch/lunch whatever meal.
We got samosas to share: Beautifully golden tents filled with a really nicely flavored blend of peas and potato and spices. The accompanying sauce was pretty sweet (tamarind?) and the samosas were perfect without it, but I liked it with every other bite for an extra flavor level.
My partner got Chicken Tika Masala: This dish was fantastic. Velvety sauce and nice chunks of chicken. It was all I could do to not steal this from him.
I can't remember the name of my dish, but it consisted of vegetarian dumplings: Cauliflower and potatoes blended up and formed into balls sitting in a nice hearty bath. Very satisfying.
He got garlic naan and I got the recommended bread for my dish which was a dark grain with shredded zucchini.
The garlic naan was excellent. Pleasantly blistered and studded with plenty of garlic.
The other bread was super tasty. Rich and filling and a very nice pairing for both dishes.
This place is a little bit pricier than I'm used to, but we both felt very satisfied and all the flavors were clean and delicious and the service was attentive without being cloying.
The food we had for lunch was really good. The price we paid for lunch was really high. A midweek, regular lunch for four should not cost $73 in my opinion. Also, I'm not a fan of how the naan costs an extra $3 on top of your meal. I don't think there's a different menu for dinner, so I'd suggest keeping Breads of India for a dinner option.
Getting back to the food (which is all I really like to talk about anyway!!)... they change their menu every day, I believe, so that is kind of cool. The Kozhi Khatoon chicken I had was very flavorful, just enough heat and spice and had excellent sides (rice, chickpea puree, and spring mix salad with green chutney as dressing). The suggested naan was sprinkled with dill and ginger and was a very interesting combo and worked well. One of my companions had the Paneer Vindaloo and it was spicy, even for her (girl LOVES her spice). Another popular dish was the Tandoori Salmon. My co-worker proclaimed that this was the BEST salmon he had ever had. Quite a ringing endorsement!
From reading the other reviews on Yelp, I now realize that certain aspects of the restaurant left other customers with disappointed expectations, but not me.
I was looking for some healthy food in their neighborhood and walked in without knowing that their menu changes daily, that the dishes are already prepared, and I had no idea what I wanted when I walked in.
First thing that caught my eye was the beautiful chairs (which were also comfortable) and in general, I thought the decor was very nice.
My sweetie really wanted the whole wheat naan, so we got one order of that ($3 extra) along with our two chicken entrees. Also, I really wanted a mango lasse, which, by the way, was just OK. (I've had better mango lasse's almost everywhere else.)
When our food was brought out a few minutes later, I wasn't bummed that it was prepared ahead of time... I was thrilled. My tandori chicken was hot, juicy-textured, and yummy. My sweetie finished off her dish so quickly, that it was only afterward that she said, "I should have saved you a bite. Mine was fantastic."
We spent $30 (before tip) and we were full, and had shared an excellent naan, and I got a special drink. I thought that was a pretty good deal.
Overpriced. Every time I've passed by, it's always empty so honestly I'm not sure how they stay in business. The food is definitely not bad, but definitely NOT worth the prices they charge.
So if you have an Indian food craving, I would not suggest coming here. Unless the company is paying. Which is why I even tried this place out to begin with.
I have recently discovered that I like Indian food and by Indian food I mean Chicken Tiki Marsala. After three decades of not enjoying anything from this part of Asia, I take this to be a huge step for this Midwesterner. So when the group of people I was dining with suggested we go for an Indian, I could actually say "Yes".
We arrived on a Thursday night and the restaurant lit up like a lantern in the night. It was beautiful!! We were seated right away. No, the place is not that big but it has charm. It was comfortable and surprisingly not loud.
The menu rotates. On this night they had my staple Indian dish and the other three members of my party had the "make your own curry" dishes.
Our food arrived and was hot and very good. I was surprised to see my Marsala arriving in a small bowl with the rice on the side. I guess I'm use to much bigger portions from my neighborhood joint. But the dish was very flavorful and I left full, not stuffed. The portions were the perfect amount to eat while you are there without taking anything home.
If I'm in the neighborhood again and have a taste for Indian, I'll be back.
Underwhelming both times I've tried it. It all looks like it should be great, and the space itself is really cool.
Overall, however, the spices are just...bland.
Points for good naan though.
Consistently Good. I love this place!
Fresh, Clean and awesome service. Great menu! we had chicken curry and salmon tandoori. both dishes came with side of lentils, salad and basmati rice. Will definitely be back!
I'd say they're a tad overpriced but totally decent Indian. What I like about this place is that the Chicken TIkka Masala isn't just a bowl of flavored cream. So many places make their TIkka Masala with a lot of dairy, but here it's a nice, spicy gravy. The Garlic Naan is very good too.
Talk about a fall from grace. There Berkeley location is pretty good, (it was at least a year and half ago). I've been looking to try this place for while now. Finally, a friend was crossing through Oakland, we decide to hit this place up.
Bad call kids. I was a vegetarian that day (long story) she wasn't. I disliked my food so much (the eggplant). She (had the chicken) and kind of liked it and took home the left overs and two days later, she heated it up and said it tasted better then when it was made fresh (go figure).
The "naan" ( the actual "bread" from bread's of India) was the worst naan I ever had. I know because I've been eating naan all my life. How can you fail, in what you are named after.
Now I love a attentive wait staff. My friend and I were there little less then 2 hours ( what can I say, like to talk : ) In a almost empty restaurant and the staff would not stop stareing at us. I like to think I can stop traffic on a good hair day but this was ridiculous. It almost seemed like they were making "cracks" about us like the two old guys from the " Muppet show" (from back in the day). And when we actual needed water, they were nowhere to be found. Go figure.
I might try this place again, to see how there lamb is (big Fan of all things Lamb). But I got say, for the price, I really don't want to take the chance. I tip 20% to almost every place I go to. But Bread's of Indian made me realise, tipping 20% for crappy food and service is send the wrong message to the restaurant in California. I wonder if there is a tipping guide out there?
Exposed beam ceilings, faux columns, Indian tapestry, and not your typical restaurant chairs - the ones here have comfy cushions and are of gold and red hues. I was definitely impressed with their attempt to make the restaurant look good.
Their menu changes everyday. On Saturday nights we had the lamb plate, Samosas, Naan with dill, and Roti. The lamb dish was tasty and not too gamy. I liked the crispy edges of the Samosas and the sauces tamarind sauces that it came with. The Naan with dill was nice and fluffy and warm. But, oh, the roti, they went so wrong with the roti. I was disappointment. The roti tasted like butter fried cardboard. Roti with curry is one of my favorite dishes and you never know what you're going to get when you order it. This place does not serve the flaky, crispy, crepe-like roti you'd find at other restaurants.
The service was a bit slow at a 1/3 filled restaurant. I was surprised that two tables nearby us got their food before we did even though we arrived and ordered before them. My water was not refilled until the very last remaining drops.
The breads here, as you would expect, are good, although the consistency can vary from visit to visit - sometimes outstanding, sometimes mediocre. I thought the quality and presentation of the food was unremarkable, but the BIG problem I had on both visits was the quantity. Chicken Tika Masala came with four very small pieces of chicken, which amounted to four bites - not much for $14. An entree of "Colossal" prawns, which were not of extraordinary size, arrived with five prawns - again, five bites for about $16.
Indian food that's a better bargain, and tastier, can easily be had elsewhere.
So the good news is the breads are flavorful and fresh and the atmosphere isn't bad. What is bad is the rest of the food.
Since when is Indian food bland? Saag paneer is one of my favorite dishes and so I when I saw the BoI version was made with mustard greens instead of spinach I was excited to taste the variety and strong mustard flavor. Flavor was MIA in this dish. Seriously I could have gotten a better saag paneer in a 'Tasty Bite' package from the grocery store. How sad is that?
My husband ordered the lamb vindaloo and was equally disappointed.
The food was bland beyond compare. I had to ask for mint chutney just to add some flavor somewhere.
If you have to go here stick to the drinks, some bread and maybe a samosa.
Naan galore. I thought there was just plain & garlic. Oh no. There's a whole schmorgazboard of breads to choose from, depending on the day & what the menu recommends.
And much of the menu changes...daily! There are your basics: Chicken Tikka Masala & salmon but the others, including several veggie ones, change depending on what's in season.
I had a veggie dish with that oh-so-delicious thick gravy you dip naan into endlessly.
If you find yourself in Old Oakland (or in one of their other two locales), mosey over there. The setting is lovely-spacious, high ceilings & regally decorated. You & your stomach will be happy!
Came in and was sat at the crap table... that little table in the back (of any restaurant) that you know is doomed. But hey, it was the only two seater left in the joint, so I didn't think much of it. At least it's right by a giant window where you could watch them make fresh naan.
Sat around for 10 minutes, when someone finally noticed us sitting there, hungry and ignored.
Placed order: drinks, appetizer, entrees.
Sat around for 20 minutes, gnawed on fingers and drank my own spit. The appetizers finally arrived. About 1/2 way through my samosa; was finally able to flag down the waitress to bring us some water since our drinks still hadn't arrived. Intersetingly I did notice another waiter running around with a pitcher making sure everyone else's glasses were filled. Just not ours... the curse of the crap table.
The samosa appetizer was quite lovely. It was the size of golf ball, and fried to perfection. The tamarind chutney tickled my tongue all the way to the back with sweet and spicy. Things are looking up.
20 minutes pass by with empty plates on the table and still no drinks. Some naan appears. After another 5-7 minutes, food and drinks finally arrived.
The entrees were bland and lacked in spice. My lamb dish tasted like my mom's beef stew. My companion chicken had a sauce that tasted like... well, chicken broth.
Spilled something on myself, sat in it for another 20 minutes; couldn't get the attention of anyone to request more napkins. Watched the naan baker, who's fly was down
Lost track of time, was able to grab the waitress to get napkins, a box (at least the naan was worth taking home), and the check.
Left and came straight to Yelp.
There are, as far as I can tell, a few items that are constant on the menu including chicken tikka masala. But the rest come and go each day.
I have been here 3 times for dinner, once with my Mom, once with my Dad, and last night, with my Mom, Dad and my Stephen. Service has been wonderful and gentle every visit. And so has the chai been, that the cooks make to order. And so have the different dishes I've had; though I can't remember the names, the meat has always been very tender and succulent, because they slow-cook and spicy-milk-poach (sorry I'm not a cook) over a long period of time. And I love the various sauces that come with each entree. It's always plenty of food, and plenty of flavors!
I love the atmosphere. They have done a very nice job with the interiors. Right on the corner of Clay and 10th, the ceiling is two stories tall; both walls on Clay and 10th are mostly windows, and the top story has various color-tinted windows, a lightly whimsical effect. Always remembering not to take yourself too seriously. I like places and people that remind me.
Also know that Breads of India is not open on Sundays ;*)
dissapointed.
smelled like armpits once i walked in
my lamb curry was luke-cold!!!
i only got about 3 cubes of lamb in it.
they suck!!!!
I had never had good Indian food before eating here. Oh, sure. I *thought* I'd had good Indian food, but I was so, so wrong.
The food was sublime. I mean incredible. Each spice stood out in its own glorious way, yet in perfect harmony with its companion flavors. It was like food in high-definition. No, blu-ray.
Everything's local, lots is organic, the wine list is short but good and the dessert was divine. A perfect ten.
Great food and service. I love all the different "breads" they have available with your meal.If you are in Oakland and wants some really good Indian food,you have to eat at Breads of India!!!!
Of course, I'm not an expert on authentic Indian but it was very good to me.
I am a Chinkana woman who is allergic to capsaisin, which means: if I eat ethnic food with heat in it, my eyes will swell shut and I will get hives. It's not an attractive trait, nor am I particularly proud of it... but I just thought it might make it easier to bum some Bendaryll off of fellow (and hopefully sympathetic) Yelpers... if ever I accidentally ingest some chili or what have you, at an event.
So: my second embarrassing-but-true confession of the day goes something like this - I can only eat bland Indian food, like palak paneer - which is just what I was craving last Wednesday evening, along with some crispy-light papadum and a bit of tang from some mango chutney.
Kim D. and friend were seated immediately, and greeted very warmly by the staff. I thought that the warmly-lit restaurant with high ceilings was a nice change from the mostly grey week, and that was a plus. My eyes were already climbing all over fellow the plates of fellow patrons, coveting the fragrant dishes that they were clearly enjoying...
We scrutinized the menu and found that it was rather small, as in... we didn't see a lot of the standards expected in a downtown-ish Indian joint - which was okay... But where was my palak paneer?
The server explained that each day, the restaurant "features delicacies from some the various states of India" - and the menu was actually pretty focused on meat... which I'm normally all about... but I actually just wanted some spinach and cheese cubes... plus (third embarrassing confession of this review) I was eating with... a vegetarian.
While it would be against my religion to eat (or be seen in public) with a known vegetarian... alas, I'm not into organized religion, either... so I can't really say it's against anything but my own common sense.
I asked if they had Palak Paneer, and the answer was a very dismaying "No." I asked if Veggie-friend could order his curry "without meat" and we were informed that the dishes were already made. Hmmmmmm. "Do you have mango chutney for my papadums?" Strike Threeee!
So... The food that we did end up ordering was entirely edible... served promptly (as it was already prepared and simmering in the kitchen) and we did manage to find a vegetarian dish for my friend... it's just not what he would have ordered as his first choice.
The restaurant is gracious in proportion, very clean, and the service was attentive; in addition, the BREADS were made to order, and incredibly fresh and different than those that I've previously sampled... But I was still disenchanted because I did not get my palak paneer OR my mango chutney... and vegetarians weren't well accommodated, nor was my request to have the coconut curry with the lamb - they couldn't exchange or substitute... because the dishes were already made. Boo-hoo.
The reason I'm giving this restaurant only 2 stars is because I felt like we had to conform to the experience that they were offering - we didn't have a lot of freedom to actually order the food that we wanted... plus the conspicuous absence of some standard-issue condiments, like mango chutney.
I like to be accommodated... I don't prefer "pre-made entrees" waiting in the kitchen... and I definitely like to get my mango chutney groove on. The format is not flexible, but the food is good and clean, if you're willing to make some concessions and eat what they want you to eat.
This is going to be a short review because I'm really sleepy.
Great decor, a little sparse on customers, but it was late and I assume they were getting ready to close their doors as they were turning away customers at 9:00PM.
Felt a little claustrophobic as there were too many waiters for not too many customers. But as mentioned before, they were sparse on customers so maybe during lunch and dinner rushes, they pick up. As such though, waters were refilled in a timely manner.
Great food. The side of yogurt with slivers of cucumbers was light and refreshing, and the accompanying wheat naan with pieces of peas added just the right amount of saltiness. The coorgi roast, which turned out to be 2 thick pork chops, was tender and smoky, if a little dry towards the outer portion. The lamb in the masala sauce was spicy enough, and didn't taste gamy. And the chicken was not dry, with an even smattering of spices throughout.
P.S. - The naan breads are as big as the moon. And remember to get the mango lassi. I forgot to order it this time, but it's always a winner.
Had lunch here on Saturday. The place is pretty massive (and impressive) and I half expected it to turn into a night club afterhours ... or at least have acrobatic dancers in tights and bright colors up in the rafters.
Had the chicken tikka masala per the recommendation of the staff. He smartly asked "do you like sauce?". It was very tasty. Skip the samosa's ... they were massive but average. Lunch special was cool as it comes with your dish, rice, small salad and lentils. The naan is huge so when he holds out his hand and says it's about the width of a sheet of paper, he fails to mention it's the length of a small child.
I've been to Breads of India twice now - once at the Berkeley location, and most recently here in downtown Oakland.
The Berkeley location, in particular, seems to be extremely popular, notable for its long wait for a table. But I really don't understand why. Granted, Breads of India does make excellent naan, and they do make a point of using fresh, high grade, organically grown meat and poultry.
But the problem lies with the dishes themselves. Breads of India's curries are exceedingly bland and underwhelming. Not only that, but they don't even attempt to mask the blandness with a spicy kick. It's just really blah. It's like Naan & Curry, but with better grade meat and less grease. Ho-hum.
You can find profoundly better and tastier Indian food at Ajanta in Berkeley (on Solano), which is still the best Northern style Indian restaurant I've been to in the Bay Area. Ajanta puts so much more love into their dishes, not to mention the flavors are pretty consistently sophisticated and sublime. As long as Ajanta exists, there's simply no need to settle for the blah mediocrity churned out at Breads. (For my money, Cafe Raj, also on Solano, is a much better bet than Breads as well).
I just went to Breads of India for the first time... well, kind of.
Tonight we decided to make a packet of of Suhki's Curry - vindaloo. This by the way, is really good. Just add the packet to water, meat/veggies, boil for a bit and you're good to go.
Anyways, when ever we do this, we always like to go to a local indian place to pick up some nan - what is Indian food without Nan.
I called breads of India - in part because they were the closest, but also I had looked into them before and seen decent reviews on Yelp.
I called to order just two orders of Nan. I was expecting a bit of an attitude as in, "All you're ordering is Nan!?!" However I was pleasantly surprised by the gentleman on the phone - he knew my situation and simply said, "Ok, Thank you, We'll see you in 5 minutes".
When I got to Bread of India, I was impressed again. The restaurant is in somewhat of a spotty neighborhood - the streets are dirty to say the least. However when i walked into breads, I was surprised to see that everyone was wearing a clean, pressed, white button up shirt with black pants - everyone matched and looked very clean. The restaurant also looked very clean - inspected the bathroom and it was in good shape too.
Everyone was very friendly and kind, even though I was just buy $5 worth of Nan.
That is service I expect - I guess it is sad that I usually prepare my self not to find it.
I will definitely go in to eat the next time I'm hankering for Indian food - wait for an update to see if my opinions have changed...
The Nan was decent, not amazing but I'm a stickler for service.
AB
This new Breads of India location in downtown Oakland, like its older Berkeley sister, packs a flavorful bite. The neighborhood is in a state of constant renovation, with new restaurants, apartments and re-beautification projects aimed at pumping some life back into the old school charm of this historic Oakland hood.
So last night, when Le Cheval couldn't seat our party of six for another half hour at a quarter to nine, we were all happy to take our hunger across the street to Breads of India where there was no wait. As we reviewed the epic menu, we were happy to notice that the prices were a little lower than their Berkeley counter part. Very nice. And they have a full bar with some fancy cocktail offerings. Also very nice. We ordered quickly. Drinks came out shortly there after. We were enjoying deep conversation.
And then the food came. Warm piles of breads and individual plates (Breads of India isn't really the family style kind of Indian dining) were being set down. We were salivating.
As the server sets down the third plate, he announces that they have run out of lamb and that the two other people at the table who have ordered lamb can choose something else. What? You tell us this now as you are setting plates of warm food down in front of half of our party, and all of these plates have this no longer available lamb on them. That is just not acceptable. And it got worse before it got better.
There wasn't a gracious, I'll get you anything you want attitude. The server just tried bringing out some random combination of chicken tika masala and eggplant. My boyfriend wasn't having any of it. And I felt him. He said no he wasn't going to eat that and redirected them to another option he was happier with. Sometimes you have to get assertive. Finally all was well and we chowed down. And those of us that did get the lamb, shared the lamb love with those at the table who did not make the cut.
As the name of the restaurant indicates, the breads are amazing. The whole wheat bread with amaranth completely rocked my carb-a-licious world; I ate the whole thing without sharing a piece. A must try in my book. The lamb was amazing and tender as its popularity would suggest. The eggplant was a little odd and had the stems still attached, though we had no knives at our place settings to cut them off. And the butter chicken with 18 spices was melt in your mouth good. Sarah M.'s boyfriend ordered the lychee cocktail and I am so getting that tasty rum blended goodness on my next visit.
The bottom line for this new restaurant is that the food is tasty but the customer service and the professionalism of management need some attention to make this a truly enjoyable dining experience. I had a fantastic time because I was in great company, but at the end of the night we were practically pushed out of the restaurant when the staff propped opened both their entrance doors to let the chilly night air in, which they proceeded to close after we left. And from the street we noticed that they shut off the main set of lights in the dining room while there were still customers in the restaurant. Also, my water glass was never refilled after its initial delivery. And the place was not crowded. A crash course in hospitality is needed!
When a restaurant is named "Breads" of India, I expect an emphasis on the starch. Fair enough. But when does an assortment of naan cease to become interesting and start to become dizzying? This is not a rhetorical question.
Yesterday "Breads" of India claimed to have *ten* daily naans. When our lunch party feigned disbelief, the waiter purported to be able to concoct an eleventh. Creasy. [sic.]
I have to say, the three we sampled were delicious: the naan was fluffy, the garlic naan was nice, and the palak paratha (spinach filled whole wheat paratha) was crispy and not too greasy.
Also, order the iced chai tea--it was excellent and puts Starbucks to shame.
The food was good, and I am not opposed to the concept that there are only 6 or 7 changing daily dishes, each of which is comprised of a small tray of curry (4-5 cubes of chicken each) plated with bland dhal, basmati rice pilaf (who can't use more starch, after all?), and a refreshing minty cucumber and carrot salad. Standouts were the chicken tikka masala and lamb kofta (meatballs): tasty and well-spiced. Less so the Aachari Muragh, a listless, unattractive southern indian curry.
But here's the real problem with the menu, particularly for a lunch crowd: You need at least a month to read it. The descriptions of each dish read like the fine print of a life insurance policy. Small font, endless verbage, and unnecessary details. It's a lunch menu, people, not a mortgage clause. I just need highlights, I don't need step-by-step lesson in how the dish was prepared, or the ethnography of India's provinces. (When was the last time you thought, God I have to *got* to try a curry from Hyderabad?)
To be positive, our server was extremely nice and knowledgeable about the menu. The service writ large could be a bit more efficient, particularly for a lunch crowd, and especially given that the food comes out fairly quickly. This is the type of restaurant top heavy with service staff who appear to be looking your way but whose gaze is fixed about 2 feet above your eyes. There was also--and I know this shoudn't matter--- a kind of creepy maitre-d fellow at the helm, who would have put us at ease if he had smiled occasionally, or, perhaps, simply blinked.
I will return, however, and my hope is that this place, with the right menu re-writes and maybe another daily dish (another veg option, say something with spinach or eggplant), will merit another star.
While the restaurant is nicely appointed, honestly, it's not the best Indian food I've had.
I wouldn't say that there's anything wrong with it. Certainly their naan is very good: despite being a touch crusty, it was light and nicely flavored-- not overbearing. The simosas were fargin' huuuge. The chicken was melt-in-yo-mouth tender. But the overall flavors were... mild. Approaching bland.
If someone never had Indian food before and was a little unsure about trying it, I'd take them here. For someone who loves Indian, there are better places.
Awful Indian food! We ordered the 'breads' of India, seeing how they advertise that right in their name. We ordered the naan - if they claim to be Indian bread experts, they should know how to make naan inside out AND they should have a clay oven in the back. Their naan was disappointing at the least. First, the naan still smelled like yeast. Secondly, it didn't have the tasty inviting aroma of a clay oven. Now if it were an ordinary restaurant that didn't claim to be a bread expert, I would excuse them. However, this restaurant is supposed to be the bread guru, there is no excuse that they don't even make their naan in a clay oven!
I don't remember what we had as a side dish; we started to have a long chat with the waiter. Even he agreed with us that the food at this restaurant is not worth bothering. There, even the side dish (some sort of a curry with gravy) was very disappointing. I don't know how this place is managing to get by or get decent reviews, because the food there is not that great at all. Very sad!
Trust me, I am from Bangladesh :)
I'd give this place a solid 3. It didn't really float my boat. I really enjoy Indian food, and it's a rarity I get to go sit down in a semi-relaxed atmosphere, sans college students, crack whores or an incredibly hangry FiDi crowd to eat it.
We went here for a co-workers good bye party. The menu is a bit limited, but points for the full bar they offer.
I agree with the name, "Breads of India" leading one to believe you will walk into a yeasty or unleavened paradise full of carbs to bloat your every desire. This place, does not. They have special breads of the day if you so choose, and the standard wrath of naans you see elsewhere. I can at least say the garlic naan was very tasty, and didn't leave me feeling like I roasted an entire head of garlic in my own mouth that evening.
We sampled the house special, chicken and veggie platters. It's not a really family style/share your plate joint. Each plate comes with a splash of rice and some veggies, so if you order 3 plates for 4 people like we did, your literally licking your fingers and fighting over the last tasty morsels.
Overall, I think it's a tab bit overrated, but not bad. I just wouldn't see myself going over there again in the near future, that's all.
When you sit down, you notice that there are only about 10 entree items ont he menu. I suppose that this allows the restaurant to focus on producing mass quantities of select items and get them to the convention customers who come here from the downtown conference center.
I'm pretty picky about Indian food and the entrees are decent. The chicken tikka masala has a little kick of spice to it, which was unexpected. The naan bread is soft and full of flavor but not excessively oily. The lunch entrees come with a side salad and basmati rice. The mgmt keeps everyhthing straight forward and simple and the result is that they turn tables efficiently so the wait at lunchtime is minimal.
***I've only eaten here for lunch so with that caveat, I have no idea as to whether the menu changes for dinner.***
This is a solid 3 star restaurant.
First of all, let me say that the staff here is as friendly and attentive as you could ever want. I love these guys. If you're a take-out fan like me, there's no take-out menu here because the menu changes daily. There are usually 4-5 special dishes each night, with a few staples like chicken tikka masala available all the time. But not to worry, if you call in you can ask what is on the menu and they will describe each dish for you, meat, veggie, and sauce!
The food is fresh and healthy-tasting, the price is fantastic, and the portions are good. The garlic naan is to die for, and the mango lassi could be a meal in itself. Also, you can ask for your dishes as spicy or as mild as you like - but if you like spicy, tell them so, because if you sound caucasion everything will come out as mild as it gets.
We ate here last night after going to the mayor's state of the city speech across the street at the Marriott. I think this place is pretty good. We ordered Samosas, which were huge and a little spicy, which is how I like them. We got some samples of beer which was good. Our main course we all ordered the chicken tekhi. It was very good, much like any other good indian chicken I've had. Accompanying it was some delicious salad, some rice which was a bit undercooked, and also the naan we ordered which was delicious.
We all walked out of here so full we were near sleep. I'd reccomend this place fer sure!
I went to Breads of India with a friend's parents for the first time on Friday. I had heard much about this restaurant but never experienced it for myself. It's a really small place with only a few tables. They used to be cash only, but I think that they now take cards as well.
At Breads you will find a constantly rotating menu each day with a few items that are always present (chicken tiki masala and the like). Their main attraction (as the name implies) is their revolving menu of naan to accompany your meal. One thing that I particularly appreciated was the knowledge and helpfulness of our server. He had a lot of recommendations on the food and was also quite knowledgeable about their drink list and being able to pair the right beer or wine to the food.
The food itself was quite delicious and didn't give me an upset stomach like many Indiana places can. The naan was, of course, fresh baked and delicious. I recommend the garlic one.
Atmosphere was really nice. Big windows and high ceilings but felt really homey and comfortable. I went alone figuring I'd have time to read while I waited for my food but, I was seated right away and my food came out in like 7 minutes, tops. I got a whole 5 pages read. I'm a Chicken Tikka Masala addict so of course, that's what I ordered. It was really good, except it had a pretty good kick to it. I wasn't expecting to to be as spicy as it was. I prefer a more, I guess , Americanized version, when it's really creamy. But, it was still really good. Especially since the chicken melted in your mouth. I also like the little side salad of chopped up cucumbers and carrots with a minty type dressing. It was the perfect compliment to the spicy food.
The AMAZING thing about this restaurant is the bread. If I could give just the bread a five star I would. Seriously. The naan is hands down the best naan I've ever had. You will probably see me coming in just to order some of that warm, chewy goodness all by itself. I'm not kidding. The naan was ridiculous good.
The only setback was that it was kinda pricey. The chicken tikka masala was $12. It was delicious and w/ a side of naan was enough for three people, but for myself that was a little steep. Especially when you factor in a drink and naan.
I would recommend this place for a couple or for friends.
Yay, no more driving all the way to Berkeley to then wait for a table! This location is so much more spacious than the Berkeley location. The food is just as great, basically the same menu set up.
However, they did lose a star for service. They sat us down quickly, took our order promptly, etc., but when we were done, it took about 30 minutes for us to get our check and get out of there. It was like once we received our food we were invisible. Nobody puts baby in the corner.
Dine & Dance
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Category: Indian
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