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Mayura Indian Bar & Grill
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian [Edit]
1323 NW 23rd AvePortland, OR 97210
Neighborhoods: Alphabet District, Northwest
(503) 208-2259
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- 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, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
42 reviews for Mayura Indian Bar & Grill
Review Highlights
"plenty of yummy choices, complimentary mango lassi and chai."
(in 4 reviews)
"Got the lamb vindaloo, mild."
(in 3 reviews)
"We usually order plain and garlic naan, lamb josh rogan..."
(in 4 reviews)
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42 reviews in English
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Review from Brogan L.
Portland, OR
9/7/2011
Mayura is a wonderful place, great for groups as well as romantic dates (my fiance and I never feel uncomfortable taking a booth to ourselves)
I give Mayura 5 stars because they are my favourite indian food restaurant in town, I'm going there tonight with my fiance for my birthday dinner. I have been excited for this night for weeks!
We usually order plain and garlic naan, lamb josh rogan, paneer saagwala and something else (not sure but I know Ill recognize it on the menu) their food is never too spicy for me and always SO delicious, it breaks my heart and makes me so nervous that they are always so empty at dinnertime- I don't want to lose them!
Service has never been a problem, they are very polite and genuine, but slightly standoffish, which I find to be a nice change of pace
Their food is the BEST INDIAN though, we have been to Vindalho and Swagat, niether of which compared to the delicious Mayura cuisine! -
Review from Pui S.
It was an OK experience for me!
The waitress was stiffy, didn't even say anything to me as I walked into the door, she was just starring at me! WTF!!!
- Chicken Tika Masala was good but too watery.
- I had to scrape a paratha (bread) from the bottom of the container (not sure how to call it).
- Some of the Tandoori Chicken pieces weren't thoroughly cooked!!! So watch out for that!!!
- I like the Naan but was hoping they would have Garlic Naan and papadam too. I asked the waitress and she just said "NO." and walked away.
For $9, I thought it would be a little better but it was just OK. -
Review from Basia M.
Dillsburg, PA
1/23/2012
We had lunch here in August. I wish this place was in my area. Although I am not very familiar with Indian cuisine, I enjoyed everything I ate and drank in this pleasant atmosphere. Our son, who lives in this neighborhood, took us here: GOOD CHOICE!
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Review from Liz W.
Portland, OR
12/4/2011
Went here with my family and got the (mild)chicken tikka masala and (mild)lamb vindaloo. The chicken was dry and the lamb was spicy and tough. The naan was thin, flavorless and not thoroughly cooked. The rice was standard white rice, not basmati. Had high hopes for this place but am completely dissatisfied and won't be returning.
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Review from Alien T.
Portland, OR
11/19/2011
I have a high standards for Indian Cuisine and I am very critical about it, obviously. I am always suspicious about the Indian restaurants in Portland. I went here long time back when they opened newly. I did not liked it. For some reason, I decided not to go back. But in the last few months I have been few times there with one friend and I really liked it very much. Looks like they have found a consistency in quality and food items. It was really good. The samosas and veg pakodas were delicious and totally met my expectation. I think I would recommend this place for someone who is looking for a good indian restaurant in the West Portland. Try their buffet.
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Review from Curtis C.
Portland, OR
11/23/2011
lunch buffet was great. we got in shortly before they closed, but they were cool and patiently let us stuff our faces. Food was great, and the free mango drinks are tasty!
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Review from Robert P.
Fulton, GA
7/18/2011
Excellent restaurant in Portland's northwest district. We stopped in a hour before closing. The server was very nice and attentive. When our flat bread came out and we tried the sauce - we knew the meal was going to be excellent.
We ordered a few different dishes and everything was fantastic. The samosa was top notch and the bread basket was delicious.
Stop by and check it out, it is worth a visit. -
Review from Chris S.
3/20/2011
Great buffet, seems to be a quiet secret as they weren't terribly busy on a Saturday afternoon. Polite, attentive servers and delicious buffet options and complimentary chai. Although the staff is attentive, I was never asked if I cared for anything to drink, other than water, or if I wanted to see a regular menu. Slightly odd.
YA (pro): Great buffet!
NAAN (con): Staff, while attentive, isn't interactive -
Review from Robin H.
Portland, OR
10/9/2011
I've been here twice for dinner and enjoyed everything I've ordered both times. The waiter and waitress were friendly and professional both evenings.
The first time I had more of a North Indian spread, with meat dishes, rice and garlic naan - all versions of which were the best I've had in Portland.
The second night I had a southern dish, Mysore masala dosa. This was absolutely fantastic, as good or better than any dosa I'd had the entire year I lived in India. The three chutneys were as outstanding as the dosa - all very flavorful, clearly good attention to details here.
Thanks to this restaurant for keeping up the quality. -
Review from Kevin M.
3/15/2011
I've only been for the buffet. It's one of the better buffet's I've tried.
My Indian Buffet ranking:
1) Chennai Masala
2) Swagat (Beaverton)
3) Mayura
4) New Delhi
5) Swagat (Portland)
6) India Grill
Note, I like New Delhi a lot more than the above ranking would indicate, but that's dinner.
Mayura, is spacious and modern with white tablecloths and a large well-stocked bar in the back. It doesn't have the slightly stale smell that many Indian restaurants have.
The very professional staff made sure I tried all of their favorites and purd complimentary mango lassi. -
Review from Cola J.
McMinnville, OR
9/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
The samosas were pretty disappointing, but everything else was good.
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Review from Tomato Q.
Portland, OR
11/5/2010
Whoa.
This place is so full of highs and lows! I'm going to guess that the cook really specializes in southern Indian cuisine, because the (roast paper) dosa we had was outstanding. So crisp, delicious and savory, and the dal was hearty and wonderful. And there were so many kinds of dosa to choose from.
However, the matar paneer we ordered was, well: disgusting. It was in an overly tangy, sweet, tomato-tinted sauce that tasted very distinctly of ketchup. It is by far the worst matar paneer I've ever tried.
We politely picked and ate the cubes of cheese out, but really couldn't bring our selves to bring the rest home with us, and raved over the dosa but said we weren't so fond of it to our waiter, who kindly (and unexpectedly) took it off our bill.
Really, I'd stick to southern dishes, and if I'm craving a dosa? I'll be back. However, I don't have confidence in the other entree dishes.
Clearly their lunchtime buffet is keeping their doors open, and I'm not sure how they can afford to even open at night. My pal and I went for dinner, clearly not their busy time. We were the only diners there except for a rude and not entirely sane woman who claimed she was a stealth reviewer or secret shopper (unsure which) and harassed the lone waiter pretty rudely. -
Review from Lisa H.
Wilsonville, OR
10/13/2010
What is it about these guys and the two Mayur/i restaurants in Beavertown and PDX? I was hoping when I saw the new place on 23rd it might be different, but when I continuously saw an empty restaurant, well, I should have known, but still the same! The service is the worst I have seen anywhere in town!!! I don't care how good the food is...service is just as important to me! I am half Indian...and this place gives us all a bad name!
Get with the picture, folks, and learn about hospitality and service! You won't be around long at this rate!! -
Review from Andreas H.
Portland, OR
9/19/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place has decent Indian food & its consistent. I haven't had a bad meal there in a dozen visits.
I'd suggest Mayura as a lunch spot more than dinner, mainly because the food is pretty much the same - only it's significantly cheaper at lunch time. It's a good deal. Also, it's never a problem getting a table. In fact it's often very empty, which is a bit mystifying. Parking can be a challenge (any where in this neighborhood) but Mayura can cater to pretty large groups which is a bonus.
A number of people have Yelped/ commented on the service. Specifically, how they have issues with it. Here's a tip: don't expect "I'm so peppy Applebees USA service" at an Indian restaurant with Indian staff. The service at maruya is just fine. They're just not kissing your ass, so pull your pants up & enjoy the food. -
Review from Rachel S.
Portland, OR
1/15/2011
I love this place! We go here often, the waitress is always super helpful with recommendations and we haven't been disappointed yet!
Wanted to give a great review because they are always empty which can seem like a deterrent but the word just hasn't gotten out yet, they're awesome! -
Review from Tani S.
7/19/2010
My review is closer to 3.5 stars but ever the optimist I'm rounding up.
This wasn't the best Indian buffet that I've been to but it wasn't bad. The price tag did make me pause at the start ($9) when after living in Boston most buffets are $7 per person. But they did have complementary mango lasso with the buffet and given that we had spent $15 per person on Besaw's the day before for less costly ingredients it wasn't that bad.
The naans were good as was the tandoori chicken. One of the chicken curries was delicious too albeit a bit oily. I missed the normal paneers and aloo dishes that most buffets offer but they had lots of meat dishes. There was a really good refreshing chick pea salad. There were also three desserts!
With the good location and its proximity to home we'll be heading back often, just wish it was a wee but better. At least they're very friendly. -
Review from JW D.
Portland, OR
10/13/2009
I made the hike to the NW Library branch, vowing I would try somewhere new, dadgummit! A number of places new to me were passed but for some reason this spot won the JW's Stomach Lottery. I think it was the big sign about the lunch buffet.
It's a good space, warm and not overdone. I was greeted pretty quickly and told the dude I was going to try the buffet. He got out of my way so I could do that very thing.
Fortunately I took a good look at the buffet before I touched anything. I don't know anywhere near enough about Indian food to fly solo. I needed some menu descriptions so I did that instead.
Got the lamb vindaloo, mild. It came with a bowl of rice and some kind of fried flatbread (is that naan, or is naan the crispy stuff, because I got those also). It was pretty good. The lamb was fall-apart tender, the sauce was right on target for mild spicyness and had a bit of a tang to it.
Other reviewers have mentioned service and I think I can see why. Upon entry I thought it was empty, but there was a lingering two top in the back of the place. And the guy waiting on me was in no kind of hurry. I waited for the check then finally flagged him down. Not something I'm used to doing when I'm the only active customer. Plus the whole thing (including the naan, which I didn't realize would be an upsell) came to $16, a little much for a mostly starch meal. -
Review from Tiffany C.
Portland, OR
7/24/2009
The food was actually ok, not nearly as good as Swagat. It was the service that killed us! It took 20 minutes for someone to take our drink order, then my appetizer came out a full 15 minutes before my husband's. Then, my dinner arrived while I was still eating my appetizer and they forgot my husband's entree.
The beer list was insanely pricey for the bland stuff they had on it. All in all, for 45 dollars, I could have had a much better meal 4 blocks over. I'd only try again for the buffet, so I didn't have to deal with the service! I'd also avoid the 'patio' seating as it's just two sad little tables sitting on the sidewalk. -
Review from Stephen G.
Portland, OR
7/6/2011
I've been to most of the Portland buffets (Abhurichi, Swagat, India Grill, Namaste) and this is the best. In addition to the usuals (good Tandoori chicken, butter chicken, plain naan, both plain and biryani rice, vegetable masala, saag) there were some unexpected items, such as a fried baby corn side, 4-5 different types of chutneys and raitas, vegetable samosas, a fried bread, and even mango lassi and chai tea included in the price.
We didnt discover the mango lassi or the chai tea until the owner pointed them out.
The place is clean and attractive. -
Review from Joe v.
Portland, OR
7/8/2009
I work really close to this place and their lunch box special is really inexpensive. I'm not sure what the first reviewer was eating but I think their prices are pretty reasonable for how good this place is. Yeah I did notice the bagged veggies but it was hard to concentrate on that stuff when the flavor of the curries and the tender meat was in the way.
The lunch box special is only $5 and you get two curries a rice and a slice of naan. Not the cheapest in town but the only place I know that's cheaper is a cart.
I would like to try the lunch buffet which is $9 and looks bomb. It's got desserts too which is a nice addition. Can't wait to eat it again. -
Review from John Q.
Portland, OR
4/25/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Best buffet in town tandoori is very fresh and delicious.
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Review from chile o.
Portland, OR
9/26/2009
I have been remodeling a house in NW for about a year now, and I have tried just about every restaurant on 23rd. I have noticed this place several times while walking to some other spot to eat. I finally mentioned to a co-worker that we should try the all-you-can-eat $9 lunch. He is allergic to almost every nut and quite a few beans, so we had to get some info when we walked in to make sure he could even get something to eat. After some discussion, it was decided that there were many options on the line for him.
We walked in around 11:35 to an empty restaurant. Only about half the buffet was set up, but what was there was very well presented. The decor looked nice and the place was clean, so we went ahead and sat down. It took about 5 minutes to get some water. After ordering some Cokes, it took another 10 for those to arrive. As much as I hate to wait during my lunch, I was pretty relaxed, because I wanted to see what else the buffet might have to offer.
When the buffet was full we grabbed our plates and got started. I was very impressed with the quality and freshness of the food. The strange cheese that I mistook for tofu was excellent. The fried spinach was also very good. Three different variations on rice(besides white), Tandoori chicken, a bunch of sauces. Some of your standard Indian fare, as well as items I was not familiar with; the cubed cheese in sauce for example. I did not perceive any notion of prepackaged vegetables as someone else expressed. I think that they are very detail oriented, and actually cube their veggies with precision. Again, I can not say enough about the presentation.
Several people came in while we ate, and got the $5 take out box. That seemed like a good value. Your choice of three items off the buffet with Naan.
The service was definitely a negative. As we were grubby construction workers, the waiter was very dismissive. He was helpful with what was on the buffet, almost to a fault. He was hovering over us whenever we were there. I wish he would have hovered over our table a little more often. Our waters were perpetually empty, and he was not very responsive to refilling our $2 10oz. Coke. He seemed to spend most of his time staring down people at the buffet, rather than keeping up with table service. I figure you can save on tips, since you do all the work yourself.
Overall, my co-worker and myself have come to the conclusion that this is probably the best value for the quality of the food in the north 23rd area. It will also leave you feeling a lot better, even after gorging yourself, than some greasy burger or other such heavy lunch items. Just don't show up until about 11:45 and maybe sneak in your own bottle of water. Look for the grubby guys every Friday.
NOTE: After a few more times going to the lunch buffet, I have come to my senses. They charge you $2 for a refill of soda! They also charged my card twice in one day for lunch. Also, the food is a tad inconsistent. And the wait staff are still a bunch of arrogant pricks. You don't get very many chances in my world. Won't be going back. -
Review from Jenelle I.
Portland, OR
3/7/2011
We love Indian food, the hubby is vegetarian and I love the handful of meat options, we both have plenty to choose from and leave happy. The food is fresh, spicy and creative. The Buffett is an excellent value and it blows the "other" Indian buffett in this area away! Delicious chai and mango lassies included. Clean & comfortable interior. Welcoming to our two toddlers.
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Review from h p.
Lake Oswego, OR
11/23/2010
who knew this place existed? i sure didn't until this past weekend: $9 indian lunch buffet! you can't go wrong!
plenty of yummy choices, complimentary mango lassi and chai... pretty excited to go back... ! -
Review from Michael D.
Portland, OR
9/28/2009
Finally, Portland has decent Indian food! I have been in Portland now for 8 years and have always regretted the city's lack of good Indian food, despite an otherwise excellent food scene. I've pretty much tried everything else, usually leaving my Indian food fix for trips to San Francisco or elsewhere.
Mayrua seems to have changed all that for me (based on two visitis so far). The food, the curries, are outstanding. As good as Indian food I've had in London and other areas with large Indian populations (East Africa, Southeast Asia).
The only downside are all the beer adverts strewn about, and the horrendous music. And really, the music is pretty awful. Bad '70s soft rock and the like.
I also like Indish and Plainfied's, but neither of them really satisfy the craving for the type of Indian food that typical Indian restaurants serve in the U.S. The former being too homestyle and unspicy, the latter too expensive and haut colonial. -
Review from Kylie S.
Portland, OR
11/4/2010
THEY NO LONGER SERVE NAAN!!! Mayura was my absolute favorite Indian reataurant in the area until this happened. I had even given up on my former go-to place, Swagat, because I enjoyed Mayura's buffet so much. They have an amazing selection of food, but they now serve flat tortillas instead of naan. For this reason, and this reason alone, I will not go back. $9 for lunch is a decent price, but it has to include the best part of the meal, which in my opinion, is the naan.
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Review from Kim D.
Portland, OR
1/8/2011
We recently moved into the neighborhood and I wanted to check this place out for dinner. I was pretty hesitant considering some of the review below, but we found it pretty darn good. Disclaimer: I am not by any means an Indian food connoisseur, but I found our meal hot and tasty and definitely enjoyed it.
As others have noted, the service isn't as attentive as you might be used to. But to me that meant not being asked how things were every five mins, not being ignored. There was also only one guy working (probably because this place doesn't get a ton of business) but he was incredibly nice, so that's good enough for me. To be fair, this isn't a place to go to if you're starving and want food ASAP, but rather to go and relax and talk. Going along with the recommendations here we got the lamb Dosa and lamb vindaloo. I also got $5 house wine that was HUGE. Bonus!
Dosa, I found out, is a super long crepe that Indians eat for breakfast. It was yummy... very big and slightly crispy with yummy filling, and spices in the crepe batter itself. The vindaloo was also great-- I asked for mild and it was just the right amount of kick (usually it's "blazing") with some rice. It was all hot and yummy and generally satisfying. All in all I think it was a very laid back experience and based on what we got, at least, the food is pretty enjoyable (and reasonably priced). -
Review from Evan L.
Portland, OR
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Review from Sarah B.
Portland, OR
5/28/2011
I can't believe this place gets such mixed reviews! Thinking maybe our first visit was a fluke, we returned for dinner (last time we had lunch but not the buffet) and had another outstanding meal. I've eaten at plenty of Indian restaurants in various regions of the U.S., and this one measures up in every way -- not to mention that the prices cannot be beat. Indian food is usually soooooo expensive, but our dinner for 2 was under $30, including the tip! True, the waitstaff don't hover over you or refill your water glass 30 times, but I personally prefer that to overattentive waiters who are just looking for a big tip when the bill comes. And the people who work at Mayura are exceptionally nice. Definitely a new favorite of ours and we'll be bringing our friends and family here when they visit us in Portland.
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Review from matt l.
12/20/2009
I need to take another trip to Mayura sometime soon - Swagat is the default Indian buffet choice in that neighborhood, so for better or worse, all other restaurants with similar cuisine are judged against it. In that area, Mayura did well - a little more expensive, but maybe a little better in general, although conspicuously lacking some good chicken makhani. Still, the food selection was great, and everything I tried was tasty. I'd go there again, for the sake of just going somewhere different, if nothing else.
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Review from Edward J.
Portland, OR
12/16/2009
The cursed location! Too bad this Indian restaurant isn't good either. First of all, the place is empty in a large space. That's already a warning sign. Second, the waiter is rude and unfriendly. We got there 8:30pm, ate and talked until 10:30pm. At about 10pm he shut the heater and stopped paying attention to us. It was very rude. We started to freeze (it was 20 degrees outside) and realized he wanted us out. We were not the last costumer. There were two other groups of people. We mostly left because we felt unwelcome. Thirdly, the food is bad! I got the vegetarian korma, $12, it was not worth it. The sauce is very blend, therefore the fruit and nuts overcome the sauce with sweetness instead of savoriness. My boyfriend and friends all thought their food was alright not amazing. And their nan was hot and good but... totally not worth it for the high price. It is not even included in the meal. I don't understand why he would charge so much for regular Americanized Indian food when I can get that at swagat for $10 or less. I recommend Indish on NW flander over this place.
Anyways, the overall experience was awful. I did not like the food. The waiter is impatient and wanted us out after we've paid for the meal.
BTW, did I mention that the mango lassi $3.50 was small and mediocre? -
Review from Kathleen S.
Portland, OR
9/3/2010
The lunch buffet is good. There is a large selection and I've liked everything I've tasted. I particularly enjoy the chai tea that comes with lunch. I've also had the $5 lunch box several times. For $5 they give you a lot of food, and it's the same food from the buffet. They will let you choose a curry and a meat dish. I got take out once for dinner but didn't do it again because I though it was a bit too expensive. Service here is pleasant and courteous, the restaurant is clean.
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Review from terry r.
Portland, OR
Updated - 8/1/2009
Second trip to Mayura. Food was still fantastic but service was pretty darn bad. The waitress had the "bored teenager look" throughout, brought things at the wrong times, never brought things ordered at other times. It made the experience not altogether enjoyable, felt we were imposing on her to even wait on us. Only a few tables on a Friday night, and I wanted to give them business, as aI think their food really is good. But they have to get their service down if they want to make it in these hard times.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/25/2009
Wondering whether I was in the same place as the rest of the .reviewers were. I love good Indian… Read more »
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Review from Zachary N.
Portland, OR
10/25/2009
I was sucked in by the $9.00 buffet sign, and boy did I (and my bowels) regret it. I love Indian food but this I did not love. The taste was average as far as Indian goes, but it seemed like the food sat out all day. Within an hour of leaving both my wife and I were running for the bathroom.
The restaurant itself was nice, clean, and in a good neighborhood. Maybe dinner is better, but I don't recommend the buffet.
Swagat is much better, and only a few blocks away. -
Review from Katie P.
Clackamas, OR
7/22/2009
J.M. must have quite an appetite. The portions at Mayura are plenty large for a dinner and a lunch for the average person.
The service was appropriately helpful and attentive. The owner/manager made us glad we stopped by.
I do not think $10 is too much to pay for a dinner entree, but it is a tough economy for some. Everyone who works there was so joyful, and worked so hard to make everything perfect.
Mayura is a sweet, simple space to gather for delicious Indian food. My friends and I will definitely be back! -
Review from chris m.
Portland, OR
3/22/2010
i like indian buffets and my standards are not particularly exacting, but this was still only ok. considering the competition they have in swagat ~4 blocks away, it's a hard sell to settle for less.
what i assume was the owner greeted me in the empty restaurant, which failed to attract more than 2 other customers during the 40 minutes i was in there at lunch on a friday, no less. the service was great right up til the point that his credit card machine and his backup credit card machine failed on him--not really his fault, but a huge pain in my ass since i had just finished gathering exact change for an event that evening and had to go back to the bank to replenish. lucky for him i had any cash at all.
oh yeah, we're supposed to be reviewing the food. the food was decent, some of it even pretty good--there was a vindaloo-esque chicken curry obviously made from the leftover tandoori chicken (btw totally not slamming that--my favorite dish, makhani chicken, is made the same way and it is expected and tasty!) which i quite liked the flavor versus spice level on. (and i'm normally a spice fiend, but this was just balanced, not designed-for-me. still impressive!)
the naan was fresh--they only brought out a bit at a time which made sense considering there were only a few customers, but way better than that 30-minute-old dried naan that has succumed to the heat lamp. so points there, too.
but they straddled what i consider an unfortunate line in the design of the food--it was neither the american, thick-sauced deliciously creamy stuff nor the actual indian style of lighter fare in sparing sauce, more about the cooking style than the steeping (for a better implementation of that, see Indish, down the street). not that i didn't enjoy the samosas and the naan, but many of the dishes were just ok, and that tipped the overall balance down to a 3-star experience for me. i'll may give it another chance someday, but i'm not aching to return, whereas i'm going to swagat for lunch today.
oh, abhiruchi, how i miss working close to you! that is all i miss about working out in the 'tron, tho. -
Review from Heather C.
Portland, OR
5/8/2011
I wasn't sure when I read the reviews but decided to give them a shot. I ordered take out - all vegetarian - and it was really good. I ordered the Malai Kofta Curry and though the vegetable balls were just ok the sauce was like crack. Will definitely be visiting them again.
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Review from Staci W.
Portland, OR
5/8/2011
This is the best, most authentic Indian buffet. The price is amazing ($9) and the service is great. The food tastes wonderful!
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Review from Sarah F.
Portland, OR
11/16/2010 1 photo
ZOMG!!!!!!! THE BEST INDIAN FOOD IN THE CITY!!! Like, bar none. The lunch buffet is $9 and there are loads of tasty meat and not meat options, so vegetarians and carnivores alike will be happy, and they have complimentary chai tea and mango lassi to boot! So so so so so so good! Plus, the $5 take-out boxes are easily enough for two meals, and the leftovers are as good cold (eaten straight out of the carton in front of the fridge, of course) as they are hot, and their rotating offerings of different Indian breads, desserts, and some entrées make it a different experience every time. And it's all made fresh in small batches, so no stale food like at some other buffets. The chef/manager is so friendly and the atmosphere is really soothing. It's a great family place too, and they offer both high chairs and booster seats for the kids. As an added bonus, it's only a few blocks from the streetcar on 23rd. This place is amazing! You gotta try it out!
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Review from Will C.
Portland, OR
4/5/2010
Mayura is WAAAAY better then Swagat. Hands down; no question in my mind.
I want to start with that because I've long felt the neighborhood indian food gold standard is and has always lacked in my mind. Now, there's a new gold standard: Mayura.
I went to dinner there with my wife and a friend and we were all very satisfied with the meal. We started with vegetable samosas, and then shared a vegetable entree and the Chicken Tikka Masala. The flavors were spectacular. I could tell by the first bite of the samosa that we were in for a treat. I had just a small bite of the crispy dough wrapper to start with and could task the seasoning of the filling from this small nibble. Incredible.
The entrees were also amazing. After our meal, I was full, but almost wanted to order another portion of naan (we got the garlic naan... YUM!) to sop up all of the sauce left in the serving dish. It kind of broke my heart to give the plate back.
The portions were reasonable and unlike Swagat, not heavy and didn't crowd the plate with too much food and competing flavors. Everything tasted really fresh. This has not been my experience of Swagat, where it does taste more like a buffet, even when you order from the menu.
I think one of the criticisms in other reviews is warranted: the owner is not the best server, but we didn't wait long for service and we always had plenty of water. He's just not much of a people person. His skills are much better employed in the kitchen. I can only hope he will hire wait-staff when business picks up.
Don't delay; Mayura offers an exceptional meal at a great price.
