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India Cook House
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Buffets Indian, Buffets [Edit]
14130 Culver DrIrvine, CA 92604
(949) 857-4858
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
225 reviews for India Cook House
Review Highlights
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"Their chicken tikka masala is wonderful." In 31 reviews -
"Try the garlic naan, it is divine." In 30 reviews -
"Kheer: Indian rice pudding with cinnamon." In 13 reviews
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225 reviews in English
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Review from Kaung K.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
5/21/2012
I go to this Indian Cook House often.
Environment: It is close to the college and only a few miles away from university, so commute to here is not that bad. It is also located in the compound with other restaurants, ATMs, stores, and shopping markets so there are so many to do before or after you have lunch or dinner here.
Service: There is no wait time to be seated at all 99% of the time! Well, I might be making up percentages, so let's make it 98.9999% of the time to be realistic. The same goes for both lunch buffet and dinner. The greeters and servers may look as if they are staring at you, without smiling but let me tell you, very friendly and nice people there! They attend at all your needs from water refills to anything you want promptly.
Food (Full Menu and Price Here: http://www.indiacookho...):
BUFFET. $8.95 Buffet is at a very good price and in my opinion; it's worth it for what you pay for. Must be a personal bias but I'd say if you want to make it really really really REALLLLLY beyond worth it, just go for the food you like, instead of tasting varieties and having yourself full. I always have rice and Chicken Tikka Masala and I get full only after 3-4 mounted plates!!!! Good deal for me! They have varieties of curry and desserts for you to try. There is food for vegetarians too just in case you are curious. Mainly the place is for everyone. No need to worry about being spicy or not too because they're not! You should try all their desserts too! I forgot the names but they're all easy find at the left corner. Rice pudding dessert is good and so are other sweets available there.
DINNER: Dinner is not buffet but still at a good range $9-$16 per plate. Don't worry of not getting enough in the plate they serve with! I ordered curry for dinner and got as much as I can eat during the buffet!! Well, not as much but very comparable because I always get full and need to make it to-go!
DRINKS: Drinks are not included in the buffet price but you can order for a nominal price.
SIDES: Their NAN is pretty good too! You can have many sides from the buffet counter or order separately as well, especially for dinners. Either way, the prices are really good.
TABLES: They have tables for from couples to groups; all tables are easy to combine to give you a huge group table too. So, no big deal and no need to worry if you are going with large groups. However, I am not sure if you'll need reservation or not for that many people though. Tables are always clean and have layers of covers to ensure they stay clean in case one group of customers needs to be seated as soon as the previous group left. You can ask for any seats too if they are available to suit you.
NOISE: Except for chats, which you can hear as whispers anyways, there is no noise at all; except for the music playing in the background. And no no. Their music is not loud at all, in fact, it's a very soothing music that put you in a peaceful mood while you eat (and socialize with your family or friends).
TIP: Well, personally, I make sure I don't drink as much water while there during Buffet hours!! Simply because I want to stuff more food than water! Haha.
- Ko (Tweeper @KaungKo on Twitter) -
Review from Natalie P.
Westminster, CA
5/15/2012
Good for a cheap lunch buffet which was $8.95 but overall it was just average to me. The garlic naan the server brought out didn't have much garlic flavor and was a bit limp/soggy looking and . I also was disappointed to see that their spinach curry dish didn't have the usual cheese cubes and wasn't creamy. It looked as tho they blended spinach and water in blender.
Other than that, the variety was decent. They had mushroom marsala, chk marsala, lamb shank, chk curry, tandoori chk, and some fried food. My favorite item there was their mango pudding dessert. -
Review from Chris K.
Irvine, CA
5/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here for dinner, and it was pretty good.
We first ordered some garlic nan. Really yummy. If I could, I would just sit there and eat nan all day!
For our entrees we ordered Chicken Tikka Masala. I think everyone recommends this dish (and I can see why). Although I wish they gave a little more chicken in the dish.
We also ordered this tofu plate, but I don't remember what it's called. I tried looking on the menu on their website, but could not find it. (If I ever find out, I will re-edit this post.)
For dessert we ordered three different ones and just split them all.
1. Gulab Jaman (indian cheese ball). Don't let the american translation fool you. I don't think there was cheese in it...(i could be wrong though). It was more like a soggy doughnut. Soggy because they drench it in this sweet syrup like liquid. It was a cinnamon taste.
2. Kulfi (pistachio ice cream)- Interesting texture for ice cream. But I think this was my favorite dessert of the night.
3. Kheer (rice pudding)- They put way too much rose in this dish. Overpowering! But if you like the taste of rose, you might like it.
Prices are decent and they give you a good amount of food. -
Review from Eric G.
Newport Beach, CA
5/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Had lunch here great deal and really good food. Will return for sure
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Review from Sara Y.
Irvine, CA
3/25/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Not the best Indian food out there, but it is certainly great for those new to Indian cuisine, such as me! I first tried Indian food because my friend said this place was where she first tried Indian food as well. This place is always busy for lunch and such a great price for the lunch buffet! We always come in, get 2 waters, and then start loading our plates with curry! The chicken curry, spinach lentil, and the spicy tofu curry are my favorites. I love love love the garlic naan, I could easily go on a carb overload!
I also love those goat cheese donuts in honey for dessert as well as the mango pudding with fruit cocktail. I went to other Indian buffets but their mango pudding tasted fake and gross. I prefer the food here compared to other places and this place is the most affordable.
I have since then tried other Indian places in Newport Beach which were outstanding but were very pricey! At least here you get a quick fix for cheap! The service is always spotty here but all Asian places have shitty service anyway. You go there for the food, not the service. $8.95 is an awesome deal and other yelpers are right... You also get an immediate bowel movement afterwards for some reason. Anyway, it's a plus I guess, and I feel less guilty about stuffing my face! -
Review from Elaine N.
3/15/2012
I seriously can't remember the last time I went out for Indian food. When my friend mentioned this restaurant for his birthday, I was totally down!! I'm always a little skeptical when it comes to trying new Indian food places because I know the flavors are very vibrant and sometimes I'm not entirely sure if my stomach can handle it... Nonetheless, my friend insisted that this place would be great, and I'm always up for trying new things.
Anyway.. I ordered the Lamb Tikka Masala - lamb marinated in spices and yogurt and blended in curry sauce with a side of Naan and Rice. Wow, this dish was awesome!! I loved the lamb and the flavor of curry sauce, I wish I would have gone medium spicy though... mild was just not cutting it. All of my friends ordered something different, so we got to try lots of dishes. My favorite was probably the Chicken Korma, diced chicken flavored with kashmiri herbs and cooked with yogurt and cream. -
Review from Kevin M.
Irvine, CA
4/17/2012
This restaurant is great! Love this place for a good lunch place. Their buffet is a definitely reasonable price and their selection is really good. Love.this.place.
This is a really approachable place for those who have never had Indian food before. NOMNOMNOMMM -
Review from Nick H.
2/10/2012
Bargain and Old School!
India Cook House is a Staple! Back in the very ealry 2000's, Irvine was still relatively new at the "corporate" setting. There were not too many places around for Indian food, yet alone a buffet. Yup, this place sports many countless memories of the "extended lunch" for me.
Old School to say the least. This place still manages to put out a decent buffet. Not the best and not the worst..but pretty good for the area. I am not sure about the Indian population in the area, but this place is a toned down restaurant compared to others in such areas as Artesia and Cerritos.
Lunch Buffet is your best bet for a pretty good bang (pop) for your buck,
Put your spicy dial on low and enjoy a pretty decent meal. Me, I like my curries and I like them strong. 3 Stars and AOK! -
Review from Dave P.
Laguna Niguel, CA
2/22/2012
I love Indian food, and finally forced this on the family a few nights ago. That was a mistake because dinner gets a little bit expensive for the quality of food you get here. I'm thinking the lunch buffet at $8.95 is the smart way to go. For less than ten bucks you can scratch your mediocre Indian food itch, and get a bonus "cleanse" afterward--about 34 minutes afterward so drive quickly.
I've had much better Indian in the OC so doubt I will be back. Of the four dishes I ordered, nothing really blew me away, and all of it was of the quality of something I could've scooped out of a steam table tray myself.
And the parking lot sucked! How am I supposed to park my big SUV up in here people?! Small spaces and Irvine people who can't even park a Honda into a stall correctly. -
Review from Kathleen H.
Newport Beach, CA
Updated - 2/8/2012
Really unsure if I would want to come back here again for lunch or for dinner. My husband and I came for dinner recently and thought it was quite nice (we got a set menu...) So, I invited a girlfriend from London who loves Indian food to experience India Cook House lunch buffet. BOY was that a mistake.
I later learned, London probably has the best Indian food in the world. But, I digress. Point I was trying to make...it was a mistake inviting here there because:
- the waiters are so rude! They took away her plate even before she finished eating
- instead of asking whether she wanted garlic or regular naan, they just brought a basket and tossed it on the table...
- no one came back to refill her diet coke and once we got the bill and sat there talking, no one even came back to offer us water.
- The Tandoori chicken at the buffet was totally dried out
...and the list goes on...
What a disappointment.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/15/2009
I went for the lunch buffet with my friend this time.
It was $8.95 which was a decent price, similar… Read more »
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Review from John N.
Irvine, CA
4/3/2012
This is my favorite Indian restaurant! I eat at the lunch buffet often. They have a larger selection of food then most Indian buffets, everything is delicious and only $9. Sometimes I invite friends here for dinner.
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Review from Bhavna M.
Laguna Niguel, CA
5/14/2012
A great place for Indian food! They have a buffet with a huge selection to choose from - both veg and nonveg. Great in taste with reasonable pricing. Highly recommended!
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Review from Ashley H.
San Clemente, CA
1/26/2012
Being maybe only a bit more ethnically diverse than your average Orange County gringos, my friends and I used to know virtually nothing about the best Indian eateries in the area, that is, until we befriended two Indian kids who would regularly come here with their families. And holy balls am I thankful for that.
Since we're not in India, it's not going to be straight-from-New-Delhi-eat-with-your-hands authentic Indian food (pretty much all food from Indian restaurants in the states is Americanized, unless you're in Anaheim or maybe Berkeley). Regardless, this place always hits the spot whenever we come for dinner. The chicken tikka masala and mutter paneer are the two must-tries, as they're both always hot, fresh, and delicious. My friends and I consistently have an issue when we visit India Cook House: we eat everything too much and too fast and we all get super cranky afterwards, resulting in a subsequent food coma. But man is it worth it. Every time. Also the garlic naan is mandatory, and basmati rice is served with every entree. And the samosas are also bomb, as are the pappadums served free as an appetizer.
I dock a star off only because some foods in their lunch buffet, though tasty, isn't always the freshest, although it's only around $9 per person. -
Review from cherry l.
Santa Ana, CA
5/10/2012
This is my all time favorate indian place! The korma is heaven sent creamy deliciousness. The palak paneer has the right blend of spices. Their chicken tikki bbq is soft and tender full of flavor. The service is friendly and the buffet price very reasonable. I've been to just about every indian resto in orange county and this is the best. I only gave a 4 and not 5 stars since the decor needs an update but that doesn't even matter since the quality of food exceeds everything else.
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Review from Lauren B.
10/17/2011
Nothing fancy, dector is a little out dated but the food here is excellent.
Chicken tikki masala is super tender and so is the chicken tandori.
I have discovered raita here which I LOVE it is a yogurt dipping sauce you use with naan.
good stuff, hits the spot. :) -
Review from Paul L.
10/26/2011
This sad but charming little restaurant tucked away in the corner of Heritage Plaza probably deserves more attention than it gets. On the two separate nights that we ate here, the trickling sounds from the peculiar indoor water fountain were livelier than many of our fellow diners, of which there were not many. But the Chicken Tikka Masala was excellent. Tender and creamy, it's probably one of the better curries that I've had in a while. The Tandoori Chicken was also a standout. The Lamb Palak was less successful, however, for the meat was dry and a little tough to chew. The Palak Paneer could have used more seasoning, but the rest of the vegetable dishes were on point. We especially enjoyed the Raita, which added just the right amount of tartness to balance out our meal.
3.5 stars -
Review from Vanessa B.
Irvine, CA
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Meh...
This was like the worst Chicken Tikka Masala I had ever had. the sauce was quite watery and non creamy.
Food was a little on the pricey side....
The naan was pretty good... It was fresh and our service was great but I just really wasn't impressed with the quality of the food. -
Review from Michael F.
Orange, CA
3/28/2012
Five stars because its the Indian buffet I judge others by, and its the best. I haven't been here for dinner, and I think a bit of common sense should apply to eating dinner at places with large lunch buffets, these are hard times for restaurants you ARE going to get some food made for lunch, so just skip going for dinner.
Its a BUSY buffet, make your needs known when seated, type of naan and drink. Unattended plates are going to be removed, but its a BUFFET, go get more of whatever you feel deprived of.
Lunch clientele during the week are working people, and many places are setup to cater to them and limited lunch times.
Someone posted about London having the best Indian food, well it must be pretty well hidden. They have some lovely old buildings, but all of the good Indian food I've had in the UK has been well outside of the London area. The style of Indian food is also different from any of newer Indian places I've tried in the US.
Carrot pudding is amazing, chicken masala, a good savory lunch. -
Review from Alre H.
9/27/2011 2 photos
Eat It or Beat It?
**EAT IT!!**
So years back, I was very skeptical about Indian food, profoundly due to the strong curry taste and smell. However, after trying Samosa House in Culver City, my taste buds have completely 180'd. So when I was referred to India Cook House by a family member, I didn't hesitate to try the place out!
ICH has a lunch buffet 7 days a week for $8.95 and boy is it worth it! They have many dishes ranging from chicken curry, lamb curry, and their amazing tandoori chicken to unique kinds of dessert! The inside of the restaurant is very nice and has very friendly service!
CONCLUSION:
EVERY buffet item is very delicious and not too strong tasting or smelling and the crowd is a great mix from white, brown, yellow, and all the way to their own people! So I say, EAT IT!!! -
Review from Kt M.
Huntington Beach, CA
10/4/2011
I was a little afraid to try this place, because I have never really eaten Indian cuisine. However, after my first trip here, I have since been hooked!
IDelicious garlic naan, chicken curry, tandoori chicken, lamb curry... I purposely fill my plate up with extra sauce to dip the naan in. I wish this place was closer, because I would order the garlic naan and chicken curry sauce alone as a snack- it is that good! The buffet is not that expensive, either, at $8.95. The waiters are always coming around to fill up your water without asking, and bringing baskets of naan.
Only downside to this place is that the parking lot is always full, and the parking spaces are a bit tiny. -
Review from Eric M.
Irvine, CA
2/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
A little spicier than I expected but pretty good first time (except for the child in the next booth screaming in Chinese). I've never seen curry cabbage but it was yummy, as was the fresh watermelon, salad (I know, how can you screw that up but I have seen it happen), and those milk-cheese balls floating in liquid sugar. And fresh naan bread! Mmmm
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Review from Philip S.
Irvine, CA
8/21/2011
I was shocked. I went for dinner and it was really good! I had the chicken masala and lamb as well. The quality of the curries is much different from the buffet and worth it if you prefer quality over quantity.
Let me put it this way. Tuesday night at 9pm, the place was half full and all the clientele were Indian. This place must be doing something right. -
Review from Qui C.
6/14/2011
To be honest, we were looking for Annapoorna. (Where the heck is that place!?)
This is really good. $8.99 for lunch buffet with lots to offer. The chicken curry and lamb shank stew were my favorite. The dessert are delicious. The naan is very yummy here, soft and warm. -
Review from Seth E.
Seal Beach, CA
7/29/2011
So, having a British hubby, I happen to have a weak spot for Indian food. This definitely tickles that spot, oh, so good! First off, the price of the buffet at $8.95 is a super good value. Their lamb shanks were tender, the butter chicken in coconut milk and chicken curry were all particularly wonderful.
A special item not to miss is the "Milk Cheese Balls" for dessert. Seriously delicious. They look like big floating burgundy spheres, but the interior is moist, delicious goodness. I could tell you what is in it, but the owners might get mad at me. Mr. Singh did welcome us as we arrived and service was quick, efficient and courteous. -
Review from freshta m.
Garden Grove, CA
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
I only had the chicken tikka masala so i can;t judge too much but it was ok not too great and not too bad.... They give you a lot to go and the price is not bad. The service was great.
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Review from Resh A.
Irvine, CA
2/5/2012
The food here is so good! I love the chicken tikka, lamb keema samosaS, and lamb or chicken kabobs, oh and the garlic naan- mm!! The service is okay and not very friendly so I normally like to do take-out.
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Review from Faye C.
Irvine, CA
9/14/2011
My friends and I came here to celebrate the end of finals and were looking for some good Indian food. Needless to say, I may come again to try the lunch buffet, but I will not come again for dinner if I can help it.
The service was horrible, our waiter was blatantly annoyed with us and rude. You could at least not scowl when you're taking our orders! The service was the main thing that scarred me from India Cook House.
The food itself was pretty alright, but definitely not the best I've ever had. I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala (my default dish, I love it) and it was served in a small curry container, and we ordered a plate of communal rice to share. As for the quality of food, it was not the best and it was definitely more expensive than I was used to paying for good Indian food.
In all, the food was passable but not extraordinary. I always see plenty of Indian families come to this restaurant, however, so maybe I just didn't order the right dish or I was just offsetting to our waiter. Whatever.
The atmosphere is very dim, so I guess for intimate, romantic outings, with an Indian cuisine mindset -- this place wouldn't be a bad option.
In any case, I won't be bringing my boyfriend here. As an Indian himself with an extensive background of good tasting curry, etc. I'm sure he'd be a bit disappointed. -
Review from Sid A.
Corona del Mar, CA
5/10/2011
Now I must preface...being Indian, I want to say that I'm especially hard on this place because it is rare that an Indian restaurant comes close to serving high quality food.
That said, if I was to recommend an Indian restaurant to a friend, this is one of the few places that would pass the test. The place is clean, the service is good, and their lunch buffets are very well priced. It comes with good naan (garlic or plain) and plenty of choices for entree. The quality of the appetizers (samosas and pakoras) are generally very good, and the desserts are excellent (gulab jamuns in particular).
The weaknesses come in the form of poor quality of main entrees. They are mediocre at best. Some who have had little experience in Indian food will find the large selection amazing and well worth it, but I am still looking for the restaurant with a buffet at a great price that serves quality throughout the meal. The food is edible and clean as one would hope, but it is not up to the flavors of what proper Indian cuisine is like.
This place is good, and it makes it in my top 5 Indian restaurants of the general OC area. But it barely makes the cut... 3 stars are given just based on value alone. Just goes to show how hard it is to find a quality Indian restaurant...this is not a bad place to start though.Listed in: Best Indian Restaurants in and…
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Review from Mr R.
Irvine, CA
2/8/2012
Wow before you eat here you need to google the OC Restaruant Inspections by the health department. I will never eat here
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Review from Rajat J.
Irvine, CA
1/19/2012
I was pretty disappointed by this place. I was hungering for some indian food and I remembered seeing this place so I went by to get takeout. It was kind of pricey (20 bucks for an entree and naan) but then I got home and realized there was quite a bit of food (I had two meals out of it). Unfortunately what they had in portion they messed up in taste. The chicken tikka was incredibly watery, and while it was edible it was not anything special. Probably not going back again.
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Review from Glen L.
7/16/2011
Got some chicken tikka masala and lamb vindaloo for takeout. The rice was very good and the entrees looked and smelled good too. But somehow they managed to make spicy Indian food bland.
The chicken tikka masala was barely passable. The sauce was a little underseasoned but the chicken itself was tasteless. It should be a crime to serve tastless lamb vindaloo. Come to think of it, how is it possible to make bland Indian food? -
Review from David v.
3/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
India Cook House is all about the lunch buffet. They do the buffet everyday (including the weekends) for lunch and it only costs $9. Yes, you heard right... $9 for a buffet. And yes... The selection is decent, the food is pretty good, and the service is great.
I love this place for the Tikka Masala. Just drop some rice on your place and then drop a heap of the stuff on top of your rice. Then spoon my of the sauce on stop.... Oh the insanity! Some of there other stuff is pretty good like the Palak Paneer and on this past visit, they has some interesting fish croquette or something that was awesome as well. The plates get picked up when you go back for more and your water gets refilled frequently.
For the price, you can't beat India Cook House. I don't understand why someone would pay $7 for fast food when you can just drop another 2 and get food that isn't microwaved or severely processed. India Cook House gets a 4... out of 5! -
Review from Alina M.
4/5/2011
I go here for one thing only and so I'm gonna write about that one thing only: my kryptonite--chicken malai--the chicken in coconut sauce.
Mind you, this is not like those Thai coconut curries where they're nice and refreshing, no, not at all. This is a ridiculously fatty dish with full Indian flavor, so be warned. But you will also get addicted to the incredibly rich coconut taste. I savor this dish. I almost think of this as chicken coconut frosting that I'm slurping up with my naan. Slurp, slurp, slurp, as it goes to my thighs, my butt, all of my chins. Do I care? Not while I'm in my coconut zone. Truth be told, you can't do more than about five full bites of this before you go into a pleasure coma. And when you take the leftovers out of the fridge, they're congealed solid. Don't overthink it. Just pop it in the microwave, and get it to a liquid state.
By the way, they also make lamb malai which is also very, very good--same sauce. But, although I am a lover of all things lamb and all things coconut, I go with the chicken malai on this one. It's divine!!!!!! -
Review from Vijay R.
2/5/2011
India Cook House is my favorite Indian Restaurant ever! I am very picky when it comes to good Indian cuisine because I have such high standards with my mom's cooking. I honestly think she should open up a restaurant. India Cook House was a great find when I was back at UCI. I think they had some sort of coupon in the University newspaper.
I have gone for buffets and dinner time, and the quality of food is the same, excellent! They have amazing garlic naan, palak paneer, chana masala, and much more. One thing is if you think you can handle the spice, be cautious. I normally order medium spiced at most Indian or Thai places, but one night I decided to go for the hot spice. My mouth was on fire the entire evening!
One last tip is that it may be a little difficult to find the place. If you are going on Culver coming from UC Irvine side, you want to make a right on the last light before the 5 freeway. The restaurant is hidden on the very end corner of the huge shopping plaza. -
Review from Caitlin R.
Irvine, CA
3/27/2011
Really glad to have found this place. My husband & I used to go to our favourite Indian restaurant at least once a week back home, but since moving to Irvine, it's something we've really missed. We've tried a couple other places but haven't been very impressed.
I ordered chicken tikka masala, and my husband ordered lamb tikka masala - I know, we should have mixed it up a bit! Next time. They were both delicious, and the garlic naan was really, really good.
We went on a Friday night and the place was about half full. While the service was quick, our server wasn't very friendly. He seemed a bit annoyed when my husband asked him for a beer recommendation. It didn't bother us much, because we came for the food, not the service, but a friendly server would have made the experience even better.
All in all, delicious. We will definitely be back. -
Review from Yong Oh C.
Brea, CA
1/1/2012
I had the lamb vindaloo and my friend got the aloo gobi. The vindaloo was watery, bland, and not spicy at all. Same story with the aloo gobi: bland and flavorless. The lighting here is too dim in my opinion. I like the vibrant colors of indian food (especially masala), but the dim lighting doesnt help bring out the color, failing to make the food visually appetizing. It would have been one star but the service was very attentive.
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Review from Wakas W.
La Jolla, CA
6/26/2011
I came to this place looking at the good ratings and not paying any heed to those who have complained about lack of taste.
Its a well-decorated buffet place and a lot of Asians were there. The service was lazy. Staff was hanging around like flies without being attentive and alert, and running into the people.
Food is blant, no taste whatsoever. Everything look like curry but no flavor. Only rice were cooked fine. I observed that this food is not made for natives but for others who probably cant tell about the taste.
Desserts and salad bar was what filled me a bit. -
Review from Young J.
Chula Vista, CA
2/19/2012
This place is bomb!! One night in December, I wanted to try something out of the "ordinary" and I asked my friend to join me for Indian cuisine. Parking on Sunday night was a bit crowded, but its nowhere near Diamond Jamboree so I won't complain on that part. I was a bit surprised at the fancy schmancy decor and worried that the food price was going to match the pricy decor but the kind waiter already seated us before I could make a decision. I believe I ordered the chicken tikka masala and my friend ordered a lamb dish (any meat dish other than chicken isn't worth remembering in my memory.. sorry friend if you're reading this) and our waiter asked us what kind of na(a)n we would like to order. We thought the na(a)n came with the meal, so we picked the most expensive na(a)n on the menu--I picked the garlic one and my friend ordered something something na(a)n. (Again, my memory is limited when it comes to remembering other people's food).
The food came out and.......Oh my god! It was probably the best thing I've ever stuffed in my mouth. The chicken was tender and creamy and the sauce had the right amount of spice for my liking.. I couldn't get enough. I loved the fluffy na(a)n as well- it was so big that I only ate half of it. The prices were a little expensive compared to the amount that they served us.. BUT the reason why I'm giving it four stars instead of five is because THEY CHARGED US FOR THE NA(A)N!! The waiter made us think that the naan (screw the parentheses) was included in the meal but it wasn't.. ): ):
I forgave them because the food was just so darn good. I still had some leftovers so my morning the day after was slightly better than average, but I think they could still feed us more with the money they took from our wallets.
I would definitely go here again.. but keep in mind that the naan here isnt free!! -
Review from ReBecki P.
Cerritos, CA
5/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
To review an Indian place, you must have tried the following: the buffet, the vegetarian items, and the naan! LOL at least that's what I look for!
My boyfriend's family invited me here for my birthday and what a treat it was! Plenty of room for a big family and the servers give you recommendations (probably because of our white and Chinese faces).
Tasty to the last swipe curry on your dish: chicken palak (spinach), vege jalfrezi (mixed), and chicken tikka masala. Just had their buffet lunch last Sunday and it wasn't too crowded, plenty of dishes to choose from, rice pudding with a gulab jaman (sweet ball in syrup) to top it off. Mango lassi is sweet and they never stop serving you water. Prices are decent for the portions. I live near Little India in Artesia, but India Cook House is definitely my go-to for Indian in Irvine. -
Review from Won P.
Cerritos, CA
11/12/2010
This is my 4th time here and I noticed that I never wrote a review for this place.
I come here on the rare occasions that I have time to drive down to irvine to have lunch with a few friends and get the 8.95 all u can eat buffet lunch. Man wat a deal! and for $9 bucks, the buffet is pretty darn good. The main thing I like about this place is that its not too spicy.
When u come in, they take your drink order and give u a fresh basket of nan (which is their indian bread). In terms of the actual buffet, the chicken dishes ( i apologize. i totally dont know their names but their the 2 chicken dishes there) are really good. its like a chicken curry or something. My favorite dish there all the time is their samosas. I love the filling on the inside along with the casing on the outside.
be aware, because this place is so good, a lot of people come here at bout noon so get there at 11 30ish and ull be good :)
o and a quick note though, the place is a bit hard to find though cuz its like in the corner of the plaza there but once u find u, ull be so happy u went.
