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Rangoli India Restaurant
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 12 pm - 3 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
444 reviews for Rangoli India Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Their Chicken Tikka Masala is soooo yummy."
(in 117 reviews)
"the garlic naan was amazing to say the least."
(in 70 reviews)
"Everything is really fresh, even the lunch buffet."
(in 84 reviews)
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444 reviews in English
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Review from Adriana J.
Campbell, CA
1/8/2012
Overall a great restaurant!
The prices are very resonable and because of this I was afraid of the quality in the taste...I am no longer afriad!!!
IT WAS ALL WONDERFUL!!!! :)
Very freindly staff!
I am definitely coming here again! SOON! -
Review from shel n.
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here for dinner..
Had the chicken tikka marsala and noticed that it was a lot different from all the other places that i had it before. its more on the tomato-y side, however, still good.
Their shai paneer was pretty disappointed. I felt like the cubed paneer was off in texture and the gravy didn't WOWed me.
Also ordered the tandoori chicken and thought it was alright.
Wanted to try their samosa but they ran out, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. then again, i came here for dinner..
I would rather come here for their lunch buffet than their dinner. I think that would be more worth it. -
Review from Sarah R.
Santa Cruz, CA
12/5/2011
I want to say that this is my favorite Indian restaurant.
I have my go to restaurants, Diners, Chinese, Mexican, Tacos, etc....
I will travel all the way from Santa Cruz for this.
I have been here twice, and once on my birthday. They gave us their complete attention, I really felt special. You have to try their fresh mango juice, their mango lassi is delicious too but if you are looking for a lighter drink this is quite refreshing.
Their nan bread is perfectly cooked and charred. Yum! Even their roti is sublime. The nizza (nan pizza) would be good for kids, the trumpet mushrooms are divine. Esp for veggies like me, although they are a tiny bit spicy, which I think is perfect.
You must get the potato dumplings, or the temp-eh. My friends who ate meat order the tandoori chicken and now I have successfully converted them to Rangoli. I forewarn the spice factor. Be honest, because if you like it mild, its going to be spicy. If you like it hot, its going to be VERY VERY spicy. I would say go with mild and work your way up if you like spice.
If you come here on your birthday they give you deep fried meal balls in a honey syrup and the best custard with fresh bananas. OMG. One of my favorite things about my birthday was that custard. Its hard to write about it and not salivate right now and I want to kick myself for choosing to write this while I'm at work and broke. Wish I could be there right now.
So go! This place is FANTASTIC! -
Review from Warren M.
San Jose, CA
2/9/2012
This is my favorite Indian restaurant. The food is fresh, tasty and healthier than most Indian restaurants. The ambiance is great and the servers are attentive. Their takeout is really nice sized and comes with a 10% discount. I love their eggplant (bangain bartha) and my wife loves their garbanzo beans.
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Review from Jenny H.
San Jose, CA
2/5/2012
Went there last night for dinner with a friend. I picked it for my birthday dinner since I love the food and atmosphere. We were seated and smelled a very strong odor that was Lysol or some cleaning product. I am all for a clean restaurant, but the smell was too strong and took away from the wonderful smells of the Indian food. The waiter was not friendly at all and did not crack a smile the entire time. We had to wait a long time for our food to come out. The food was delicious and full of flavor as usual but the smell of cleaning product and rude service will make me think twice about coming to eat here too often. I
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Review from Jennifer W.
San Jose, CA
1/26/2012
We came here for dinner on a Tuesday night. We have heard good and bad stories about this place, lunch and dinner...but we were willing to give it a try. From the outside, the restaurant looks small, but the restaurant is quite spacious and quite romantic. It was a quiet evening and service was alright. There were about six of us eating dinner. We had three appetizers and five entree plates to share. Overall, great food, next time, we would have liked to kick up the spice a bit.
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Review from Trinh P.
San Jose, CA
1/28/2012
Clean and food was good for the price.
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Review from Esther B.
Bay Area
12/23/2011
This place is not bad. It reminds me of Italian food but with a Indian Twist =) I would definitely come back again one day. Chicken Marsala Tikka is good with the flatbreads. I didn't like the fish curry dish. Forgot the name. It wasn't bad but I prefer the Chicken Marsala. Dark setting in the restaurant. Nice little date place although I came with a friend haha. After I ate I asked for dessert, uhhh the waiter brought me out these two smallest sized...ummm looked like pancake bread? haha with some sweeeetttt a$$ sauce on top...ummm no thats not dessert. That killed it for me after. hahahha But its good overall =)
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Review from Caitlin H.
Campbell, CA
1/11/2012
Love the food! I love Indian lentils and they have a great variety to choose from. & the Garlic Naan... Amazing!
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Review from Tom N.
East Bay, CA
1/5/2012
Absolutely a fabulous Indian restaurant. Had the spinach (paneer?) and the chicken tika masala. Both dishes were excellent and had great flavors. We also had the garlic naan, which was out of this world. But very, very garlicky, so be prepared.
Although we don't live in the area, we'll definitely be back! -
Review from Linda N.
San Jose, CA
11/13/2011 2 photos
Solid food. Nice decor. Pleasant service.
I highly recommend the Potli Samosa-- it's a pastry with potatoes stuffed inside. The flavor and texture are wonderful.
We ordered the Lobster Korma (mild) and Chicken Vindaloo (extra spicy) with garlic naan. Sooo good! -
Review from Madi M.
Buffalo, NY
1/8/2012
I'm always in the mood for good Indian food but unfortunately did not find it here. Sorry Rangoli :(
We ordered chicken tikka and chicken karahi; the flavor was nice but I could not enjoy the overcooked chicken in both dishes...couldn't even cut it with my fork; come on people, I don't want to have to pull out a knife to cut my chicken in an Indian restaurant when I should be able to eat it with roti/naan.
Your best bet is to order the yellow daal with some white rice.
Oh, and the decor was nice. -
Review from Steve S.
San Jose, CA
10/9/2011
I'm adding this place to my list of favorite Indian restaurants. It definitely glass in the higher class end of the spectrum similar to Amber. (ie. Cloth napkins, nice decor, and attentive service. )
The food was very good. We had the honey cauliflower appetizer, Shai Paneer, and Chicken Korma, with a garlic Naan. -
Review from Matt A.
San Francisco, CA
11/7/2011
This place lacks spice.
That pretty much summarizes the food I ate here. Best part of Indian for me is the spice and I found most of food here quite bland. The "Black dal" was probably the most flavor-full on the lunch buffet, but I bit into a few grains of sand...so the lentils may not of been washed well (or at all?) One plus, the buffet had an interesting spread of salads.
The buffet apparently included champagne, but were never offered it. Service was slow. Kinda expensive at $15/person. -
Review from David F.
San Jose, CA
10/22/2011
Rangoli was a surprising find amidst strip malls along Union Av. I think I found a new go-to Indian place in San Jose! The unremarkable storefront is an upscale Indian joint that serves flavorful northern Indian fare. It reminded me of Amber India at first glance - nice decor, white linens, on the expensive side for Indian food. But the food won me over in the end, and I was back here for take out the following week.
I was looking for something near Good Sam, and stopped in at about 1:30 on a Saturday. There's no lunch buffet on the weekends, so you'll end up ordering off the regular menu. Vegetarian dishes start at $10-$11, chicken at $13, lamb and fish at $16. At $11.99, the lunch buffet is much more reasonable.
The service is efficient and attentive. The staff isn't consistently friendly, but they take care of you. The menu is blessedly short and focused on northern Indian cuisine, but also has some interesting "fusion" dishes. The appetizers include naan with mozzarella cheese and red pepper, and another with rosemary and parmesan. The fusion experiments seem to be limited to the appetizers - most of the main dishes are what you'd expect.
The samosas ($5 for two) are crisp, devoid of grease and taste like house-made. In fact, they come from the owner's bakery in Santa Clara. The chicken tikka masala ($13) was brimming with curry flavors in a dark tomato sauce. Rangoli makes the masala without yogurt or cream, which lets the spices come through a bit more. The Paneer Khrai-wala (paneer cheese with peppers and onions, $13) was excellent - the cream sauce balanced well with the spiciness of the dish. The Murgh Tari-wala (chicken curry, $13) was a standard but solid presentation of the traditional yellow Indian curry. The mango lassi ($4) was good, but overpriced.
I don't get over to the Cambrian area that often, but now I know where to go for Indian good when I am here. -
Review from Randy F.
9/2/2011 3 photos
4.5 Stars
Wow. What a Yelp find. Hidden in an unassuming strip mall, Rangoli India is probably well known to patrons of this area of San Jose. For me, I'd always assumed it was just one among many Indian buffet places sprinkled across the Peninsula and didn't think much of it.
True, they do offer the ubiquitous Indian lunch buffet and I believe the price is $12/person. Given how good dinner was, I have no doubt that lunch is similarly solid and will put it on my to do list.
But back to dinner: We arrived on a weekday and found a nice, but very quiet space. We were one of only several patrons, but liked the lighting and the atmosphere. I can see why people say this place is a good date spot.
The menu at dinner consists of entrees and, beyond the everyday Indian dishes most are familiar with seeing, there are definitely one or two that stand out. We decided to try a sampling.
Garlic Naan - a staple at every Indian restaurant and similarly good here. Nice, plentiful garlic and served hot and freshly made. Perfect for dipping in the sauce.
Chicken Tikka Masala - another common dish. It's been pretty good at almost all the highly rated Indian establishments that I've been to. Granted, I'm no Indian food expert, but I like to think I know good food. One bite of this dish and I knew it was different. The flavors are so much more pronounced and the spices and herbs really come out. I have to admit that many masala dishes are just buttery and creamy, but this one is that and so much more.
I admit I really am familiar with only two dishes at Indian restaurants: butter chicken and tikka masala. My Indian palate is so unrefined that I think of them almost interchangeably. Well, whatever the distinction may be, I think Rangoli India had one of the best chicken tikka masala dishes I've ever had and that includes the popular, much more critically acclaimed, Amber India.
Lobster Korma - this was the crowning dish of the night. When I saw lobster, I was skeptical. I've had a Indian inspired lobster dish once in my life at Morimoto's. It was mediocre and the two just didn't seem to meld once. But I read the stellar reviews of the dish and decided to bite the bullet on the pricey entree ($22).
Amazing! The lobster was cooked absolutely perfectly. Being cooked in sauce, I was totally afraid it would be overcooked. But it was super tender and super fresh. Large chunks without the shell.
As for the sauce, just like the Tikka Masala, it had a more complex flavor than I'm used to and was super tasty. Two thumbs up!
Overall, I'd have to say we had a fantastic meal at Rangoli. Who knew such a great restaurant could be in this area? That and Tu Mero Mole makes 2 for 2. Very impressive Cambrian!
There are some who criticize the slow service (we had excellent service given the minimal crowds) and the pricier cost of entrees (we found the dishes looked small but were plentiful and definitely prepared at a level that deserved the price). I have no doubt the lunch is probably the better bargain, but I wholeheartedly recommend dinner here too. It just might be the perfect late work night/nice dinner spot.
Rangoli India accepts credit cards, including American Express. -
Review from Audrey H.
Redwood City, CA
12/30/2011 2 photos
This place is the best Indian food place that I have ever found! Me and my sis love it because the food is absolutely delicious and very well presented and the atmosphere is great. I moved away but when I'm in the area I will definitely be stopping in here.
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Review from lien h.
San Jose, CA
9/1/2011
Best Indian restaurant in the South Bay!
Seriously as good as it gets! Come here for the buffet so you can try all the dishes without having to suffer the consequences of ordering a whole plate that you might not like. Although I doubt any of the dishes on their menu could be nasty because I literally tried every single dish lined up along at the buffet and I was not disappointed with a single thing. Every dish was fresh, cooked to perfection, and packed with loads of flavor and spices.
The place itself was very clean and nicely decorated. Once they seat you, you can immediately get up and walk to the buffet located in the back. My favorites were the Egg curry, Fish curry, and the steamed vegetables. I would pick this buffet over all the other buffets any day. -
Review from Jaymie K.
San Jose, CA
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
My boyfriend and I were furniture shopping and decided to stop here for lunch. From the outside, it looked almost like an Indian take-out place, but as soon as you walk in, the ambiances changes, and I felt a little under-dressed in my shorts and flip flops. However, the host did not make a fuss about what we were wearing and sat us promptly.
We immediately found out that it was a buffet and got up to take a look at all the choices. Along with the all you can eat Indian food, we were offered drinks, tea, soda and CHAMPAGNE!
The food was excellent and this place is now on my list of Indian restaurants to revisit. -
Review from Vicky L.
8/18/2011
I found this place on Trubates, and with the positive reviews on here, i decided to give it a try.
We ordered the Samosa which came with a cilantro mint pepper sauce or sweet chutney, Chicken tikka masala, Aloo gobhi, rice and garlic naan. They were all really flavorful and rich. I am very excited about my left over lunch tomorrow. My favorite was garlic naan with the sauce from our two main courses. I am also pleasantly surprised with the chicken. It was cooked to the perfect time and temperature. -
Review from Carrie P.
Campbell, CA
9/17/2011
How many times did I drive past this nondescript place, and never realize the amazing food inside!
After a friend highly recommended this place, we finally tried it. I love Indian food, but often feel limited to more fast-food type style. The food we had tonight was the best Indian food I've personally ever tasted. Amazing blend of spices, new flavors, etc. I can now tell the difference between street Indian food, and high quality Indian food. (Both are equally great in their own ways, don't get me wrong!)
We had:
* Honey cauliflower - really yummy. Almost like a softly-fried cauliflower with some sweet'n'sour flavoring, honey, and other spices.
* Cheese naan, and garlic naan. Both very very good, best when dipped into the sauces that come with dinner.
* Lobster korma. Ok, I never would have ordered this had I not seen so many rave reviews on Yelp. Lobster at an Indian place? I tried it, and it was uh-may-zing. The korma sauce, alone, was life-changing. :) The sauce. Oh God, the sauce!
This is the new standard to which I judge Indian food. Well done, Rangoli. -
Review from Pranav W.
Sunnyvale, CA
12/13/2011
Excellent, tasty , delicious Indian food. For people from India craving for that really spicy dishes this is the place to go. There is no shortage of Indian restaurants in bay area and theyare good, but the taste of the food is customized to global taste buds.
Rangoli is for the authentic Indian taste lovers. Highly recommended and a huge fan of its. Wish they were closer to where I live -
Review from Shilpi D.
Fremont, CA
10/23/2011
We visit an Indian buffet about once or twice a year. This time, we wanted a change in scenery and wanted to try something completely different. Kind of an oxymoron, since none of the Indian buffets here are truly authentic or different. Anyways, being sick of Amber or the others, we looked at yelp, and picked this place for a Sunday lunch buffet.
1. Fewer items = a good thing in an Indian buffet - a higher chance of foods being fresh.
2. Folks, orange tandoori = food coloring = NOT authentic. This place had a nice barbecued turmeric color = the way tandoori is supposed to be.
3. Chicken tikka masala - although I didn't have any, had breast pieces - a good thing!
4. Paneer tikka masala - Large,homemade pieces of paneer - just fabulous!
5. Some of the best non-homemade pakoras outside of India
6. Service - just fantastic: Our son cannot eat ANY spice, so they MADE him some pureed spinach with fresh paneer and there was no charge for his plate at all!
Be warned: NONE of your TIPS go to the wait staff. It's all pocketed by the manager (this is the case in most Indian restaurants with Indian wait staff - so folks, be kind next time). So, do the money in the handshake thing, because there are cameras and the waitstaff are reluctant to accept tips.
We tipped because this kind of attention towards kids is so rare anywhere in the Bay Area.
One star less because the ambiance is not the greatest - it's truly lipstick on a pig. Some nice murals and seats on an obviously ghetto strip mall location.
But, if they maintain this standard of food, I will definitely be back!! -
Review from Chad E.
Evanston, IL
8/8/2011
Don't have the lunch buffet if you plan on going back to work afterwards. I ate so much that I went home and fell asleep on the couch. Oops.
Huge selection of items, and all of high quality, very fresh, very flavorful. I did an entire plate just of the salads--everything from spinach salad with mango puree+balsamic to a slightly sweet potato salad with lovely cilantro sauce.
Mostly I stick to veggie fare, and I was not disappointed. I could have eaten a plate just of the sautéed vegetables, but the chana masala and the okra needed some room.
I did cheat. I had to try the chili chicken, which was spicy, sweet, and fan.tas.tic, as well as the fish curry which was a tender and tasty affair.
Also: the veggie rice. Yes. The veggie rice. NOM.
Service was superb. Plates were cleared instantly, water filled before you could realize it was low. At one point the water topped my glass up to the brim, so he then returned (unasked) with a straw. Aw.
Despite the stripmall locale, it is rather nice inside, very clean with simple decór which includes some sparse and groovy wall paintings.
Sure, go eat at Rangoli. But have a designated driver because there will be food comas. -
Review from Swapan M.
East Bay, CA
8/1/2011
Nizza. Piri piri. Chicken korma- saffron. Bhinda.
Romantic setting.Nice food presentation. Great customer service. Food was great.
A few critiques:
Chicken dish with saffron needed more saffron.Give a few more prawns with the piri-piri. 4 pieces for $11 or whatnot is steep. Chutney should have been better.
Overall was a great meal and I'd go back. The bhindi was the best dish overall. -
Review from Ramani A.
San Jose, CA
11/27/2011
Pretty good food for a small unknown restaurant. The vegetable biriyani was really tasty and the raita was not watery like the other restaurants. I only placed Take out order but I feel encouraged to eat in too.
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Review from Lucy D.
5/24/2011
Rangoli is one of those restaurants that you love to pronounce. It has an exotic tone to it. The place has great Indian food with a fantastic backdrop. You can either sit at one of there beautiful tables or eat at the buffet.
Pros
Food: The curry here is delicious, especially with the naan which goes great with the curry. Likewise, the quality of food differs to what you order. Also there is a buffet bar if you do not like anything on the menu. So far, the best naan I've had; crispy and crunchy, ohh so complementary with the the curries.
Atmosphere: This place is beautiful decorated and the ambiance is simply amazing. Especially at night when this place truly shines with the lighting and decorations. Great place to bring a date to if you love Indian food.
Service: Professional, attentive and was friendly.
Cons
Location: It's located in an area where you wouldn't expect an upscale Indian restaurant to be located at.
Price: The price of some of the food can be a little steep compared to most Indian restaurants around the bay, but your paying for the ambiance as well so I think its well worth it.
Overall Rangoli is a great Indian food restaurant that offers quality food and service. The price can be a little steep, but its well worth it for what your paying for. Definitely stop by if you love Indian food. -
Review from Sandy S.
Campbell, CA
5/14/2011
My friend Dina and I came here for the lunch buffet the other day and the food was great! They had a good selection of chicken curries and a few vegetarian ones. They also had a fish curry that Dina really liked. I tried it but it was too bland and too sweet for my taste. I just stuck with the rice and chicken and paneer curry which was delicious, especially with a whole bunch of mint chutney on it!
Fresh naan bread came with the meal and it was hot and soft when it came to the table. I ordered the potato samosas too which were good. Dina thought it was a little too spicy for her so I ate them both. It did take awhile for both the bread and the samosas to come out. We came there one hour before closing time so I don't get why it took so long to get everything. Other than that, the service wasn't bad. I just wish that the waiter would've been a little more attentive.
The interior of the place is nice, simple, and classy. It's in a small strip mall so it can't really be seen that well from the street. I don't recall how much the all you can eat buffet cost, but judging from the bill which came out to $25.00, I think it was probably around $8.99. I think it's safe to say to not come here too hungry if you're ordering from the menu especially when it's busy. -
Review from Vivian J.
5/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have been here for lunch and dinner. From the outside it doesn't look like much but you walk in and wow it's a very nice Indian restaurant. The lunch is a buffet that is huge with tons of different options:
-Chicken Tikka Masala which was one of the best with big chunks of white meat with a yummy buttery, tomato sauce!
-Naan is super does and warm and doughy and tons of it!
-Spinach was really cube with a cheesy sauce
-Tandoori Chicken- really tasty and juicy!
-Spinach Mango Salad- tons of flavor and so fresh tasting!
Price is a little higher for lunch but so many options it's worth it! There is no buffet for dinner but all the same food is offered. I can't wait to go back since it's right by my house! -
Review from shayan a.
Union City, CA
8/26/2011
RANGOLI(in indian accent)
I have many cousins near Los Gatos and union,and we finally came to this restaurant.
When I first walked in,I enjoyed the vibe,the decor and the ambiance.They have some fancy writings on the wall,and the service was very great too.It just took a little while for our food to be prepared,but it wasn't too bad of a wait.Most importantly,the food was delicious.I ate so much i was entering a food induced coma.This place is okay for a date,family,or just to come with friends. -
Review from Melody C.
San Jose, CA
7/20/2011
4.8 stars
I took Disha here for her belated birthday. I dressed her up and I was dressed up in my suit/dress and heels
We arrived with the baby past 5pm today.
We order
Organic trumpet mushrooms - delicately roasted and excellent flavor
Honey cauliflower - excellent ...batter fried with a light honey sauce
Samosas - too much mint so minus .2 stars
Mutter Paneer - excellent, nicely plated, good flavors,
Malai Kofta - took as to go
Lobster Korma - excellent meaty lobster, cream sauce, elegantly prepared
Onion Naan - OH MY GOD THIS WAS SOO GOOD, I could have eaten 4 whole ones for my self, but I just ate one.
Garlic Naan Disha loved it
Mango Lassi , thick, creamy, delcious
Rice - comes with all meals
Service was excellent, attentive and very en pointe
They brought out gulab jamun with a candle to celebrate disha's birthday
We will be back -
Review from josana k.
San Ramon, CA
8/7/2011 3 Check-ins Here
When my husband and I got there on a Tuesday evening about 6:45 the place was empty. But the service was very attentive and the food delicious. I recommend the samosa, lamb vindaloo, and chicken tiki malasala at a medium spice level for prime enjoyment.
Strangest part of dinner was the couple who sat next to us were having a very serious conversation about something awful that had happened but we were never able to hear what it was. Well best of luck to them! -
Review from Archie G.
San Jose, CA
4/6/2011
La Novia and I go out for dinner a few times week. But once a week, we have special "date night" dinner that we hope lowers our stress and allows us to reconnect as a couple through with the help of good conversation with a few laughs, great food, and of course, a little romance. With that said, Rangoli was a wonderful date night selection that helped provide all of that and more.
Rangoli is located in San Jose near the Campbell border in a little strip mall. Upon first glance at the exterior, I was unimpressed. But then I remembered that had La Novia judged me by my appearance, she would just seen me as a nerdy guy with wild hair who indulges in comics, karaoke, and cocktails. Based on this, she might have ended up placing me in the "friend zone." In the end, she looked past my shortcoming and fell for some of my hidden qualities.
Upon entering Rangoli, I am glad I didn't judge it for its appearance. It has some hidden qualities that include cool Indian music playing the background, classy décor, and a dimly lit romantic ambiance. It sets a versatile backdrop for an inexpensive meal with the family, a somewhat dressy dinner with friends, or even a romantic date, whether it's your first or five hundredth.
A successful dinner date comes down to the two people involved. But good service and food can really help. At Rangoli, the service was impeccable. The entire staff is constantly moving and making you feel comfortable. They answer food questions, take orders, light candles, drop off food, refill water, clean up tables, check up on you, deliver bills, and collect payment in a way that your conversation is barely interrupted.
The only time La Novia and I completely stopped talking was whenever some food arrived. But just like the first time you see a girl with long red hair and big green eyes smile at you, I needed a little bit of time to fully digest the beauty I was looking at. Rangoli serves up its dishes with some awesome presentation. Your basic appetizer or main course dish is spruced up with some cool looking bowls, light aesthetic touches, and color accents. Very classy. Very cool.
Usually, when on a date with a girl for the first time, she will do her hair, put on some flattering make up, spray on some expensive perfume, wear a cute LBD and sexy shoes, and rock some expensive accessories. She wants to look like she is always this pretty and may be worth more than she might actually be, as her personality might suck. With that in mind, some restaurants that dress up its food are either trying to make you believe it tastes better or should cost more.
This is not the case at Rangoli. Dressing up the food is secondary to the actual preparation of the food. The $5 samosa appetizer was light, crispy, and delicious. The mint and tamarind chutney were excellent. The presentation made it look it better. But the kitchen made it taste better.
As for the main courses, The $10 chana masala was fresh, hot, and well, hot. It was super spicy (as we requested every dish). The $13 chicken tikka masala dish was tasty, but it was not that spicy. A few alterations to this dish would have made it better.
The consistency of it here was more pasty and cinnamon flavored. Plus, they used large white meat chunks that eventually overcooked and grew dry in the curry. Chicken tikka masala is a whole lot better when it is prepared with dark meat chicken marinated in tandoori spices, grilled, and then thrown into a warm, spicy tomato based curry.
Small complaint aside, the dishes are still good here and helped out by the fresh basmati rice and naan. Overall, our date night was a success with the help of a clean, comfortable restaurant with good service and good food.
Our weekly "Date Night" shall return here. I can't wait. -
Review from Alex K.
Los Gatos, CA
8/17/2011
I've driven by this place a bunch of times and have never thought twice about giving it a shot. But when I saw it popped up on Trubates, I figured now was the time to strike.
Needless to say, it did not disappoint. Although I had read and heard rave reviews going in, it far exceeded the lofty expectations I had for it. In fact, I will go as far as saying that I didn't know Indian food could be this good!
After perusing the impressive menu, I decided to just go for it:
LOBSTER KORMA, GARLIC NAAN, AND A 24 OZ KING FISHER INDIAN LAGER
The lobster chunks were legitimate both in size and quality, and plentiful to boot. The sauce, however, put this dish over the top. It was the perfect blend of deliciousness, subtle spiciness, and a knee-weakening buttery-like creamy taste.
After the first bite, I developed an instant lifelong addiction. Same thing goes for the Naan.
After devouring all this Indian goodness, I regretted going for the 24 oz Lager and had to painfully force that down.
All in all, a true neighborhood Indian gem that I will be frequenting often - with or without the Trubates deal. -
Review from Jang David K.
San Jose, CA
4/26/2011
What is Rangoli??? Rangoli is a folk art of India that provides a sacred welcoming area for the Hindu deities. But for today, all Rangoli did was bring a Christian fatso in love with the Indian Buffets to honor his belly.
and Yes, you guys did a wonderful job. With few disappointments of not seeing goat or lamb curry dishes....this place was impressive.
clean and tasty buffet dishes all around...chicken tikka masala, fish curry, mango salads (there were like 3 different kinds!!!), tandoori chicken, vegie rice, even to the desserts, seriously, I couldn't ask for a better lunch buffet experience.
i must comment on these mango salads...NO indian buffets that I've been to carry this....fresh and huge chunks of mango in their salads...come on now, these are pricey to offer for an unlimited buffet!!
a great ambiance (ancient-modern feel) plus friendly and QUICK service just makes your lunch experience that much better.
though we may have differences with our theologies, we have much similarities with our stomaches. -
Review from Stu S.
San Jose, CA
7/14/2011
A few friends of mine frequent Rangoli and they invited me to join them for dinner here recently. The meal, for the most part, was fabulous but must note that we had to wrangle the waiter back over to the table more than once. To his defense though - I believe he was the only one working the room and it was pretty crowded for a Tuesday night so I'll chalk it up to circumstances. As for the food - everything was great except for the Tiger Prawn curry - which is something my friend had remarked "well that's adventurous" when I'd ordered it. Should have listened to her - as that was definitely not their forte. But to their credit, when we mentioned the dish wasn't up to par with the rest (casually I might add - we weren't upset), the manager took the dish off the bill and apologized. Nice.
I'll definitely return! -
Review from VWOval L.
San Jose, CA
11/14/2011
I'm not a big Indian Food expert but I've been to places like Amber and Taj and would have to say that this is the best place so far. It could use a little more spice(heat) but overall it was great. Great Tiki Masala and love the Fish Curry. I would eat here again! Even on a Monday at lunch it was fairly busy.
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Review from Guy C.
Scotts Valley, CA
5/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
My first 5 stars I believe.
Seriously hit the mother load here.
Being X-Pats and living now in the states for more than 15years, we've combed the land looking for some tasty Indian fare.
There's certainly a lot of pretty damn good stuff out there but the Rangoli surpassed anything we've found thus far.
Chicken Tikka Masala was the best I have eaten anywhere in the US and perhaps period. We will certainly be frequenting this establishment again.
Oh and for an Indian, the ambiance was also pretty good, most of the places we eat at have a solid gastronomic offering but also the ambiance of a school dinner room..
Not this one, the Rangoli could easily be at home in Santana Row yet not pretentious at all so with jeans and a T we felt very much at home..
A very satisfied customer ! -
Review from Tysen C.
Updated - 5/24/2011
We still go to the lunch buffet as often as we can and it's still fabulous.
Since we know which dishes are great, we brought family here for the final dinner of their trip. My Dad was so impressed by everything---decor, service, food, beer. He said "This is the best meal I've had in a very long time"...strong words.
Thank you, Rangoli!!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/15/2010
I'm in a food coma as I type this.
Man oh man what a lunch buffet!
We had been to Rangoli for dinner a… Read more »
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Review from Nathan W.
San Jose, CA
8/15/2011 2 Check-ins Here
My wife and I go here nearly once a month and we love it. We've been able to try just about everything on the menu and have never been disappointed.
Goan fish - ordered several times, fish is always moist and sauce is so creamy.
Lobster korma - so great
Paneer saag - spicy, really good
Lamb vindaloo - so great, really tender
CTM - always good
One warning, it is spicy and served super hot. I like it spicy, my wife is more medium. The medium is spicy enough that she has a hard time telling the difference sometimes between Medium and Spicy. We ordered Mild once for fun and it was still pretty spicy.
Dinner may seem a little pricey at first but the servings are enormous and the quality is good. We usually order 1 item each and take half of it home completely stuffed.
Service and atmosphere is good for date night.
