Name - Location
Summary
Are you are looking for Indian food in Winchester, VA? I visited taste of India in Winchester, VA for their lunch buffet. It was an amazing value for the reasonable price of $20. It included amazing curries as well as, soups, rice, naan, salads, sauces, and desserts. The service was fast and the atmosphere was comfy yet elegant. I would recommend visiting Taste of India.
Food Overall
Service
Atmosphere
Location
Value for Money
Overall
What I Ordered
Mango Lassi
$3.95
A Mango Lassi is a drink made of mango, yogurt, milk, and potentially seasonings. The mango lassi was very light and refreshing, but not that flavorful. It is not very sweet and is like milkshake consistency. The yogurt adds a little bite to the drink. I quite enjoyed mine and it helps cool off your palate after a spicier dish.
Included in the Lunch Buffet:
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Tikka Masala was my favorite dish at the lunch buffet. It is not spicy so most anyone should be able to eat it. It consists of large chunks of marinated chicken in a flavor packed, slightly sweet yogurt-based sauce. It is absolutely delicious and I would recommend it.
Chili Chicken
The chili chicken was delicious. This was my second favorite dish in the buffet. It has a bit of heat to it and is very flavorful. It is not saucy it appears to have a rub, but it is moist. The dish includes chicken and peppers and is a striking red color.
Lamb Curry
The lamb curry was very good. It has a creamy powerfully flavorful sauce. This dish includes large chunks of lamb and curry sauce.
Naan
The naan was decent, but not mind blowing. Naan is an Indian flatbread. A garlic naan would have been better. Nonetheless, it still served as a good offering in the buffet for wiping up the delicious curries.
Vegetable Samosa
The vegetable samosas are deep fried pyramids stuffed with potatoes, peas and seasonings. Compared to the rest of the offerings these did not impress me. They are pretty starchy and doughy because of the bread + potatoes combination. They are nicely seasoned but not that flavorful. There are dipping sauces available at the salad bar that add some acidity or heat. I wouldn’t recommend filling up on these when the other offerings are so good.
Other Offerings
There were several vegetarian curry options available. They included broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beans, and tofu. These veg options were pretty good and flavorful but to me paled in comparison to the meat curries. They would be a terrific option for any vegetarian customers though. The buffet also included a couple soups, rice, and a salad bar. The salad bar had dipping sauces, cucumber salad, fruit salad, and some desserts. The sauces come in handy and there is an incredible spicy one available if you want to add more heat to your food. The salads are refreshing and I would recommend having some between curries. The desserts included a very runny but flavorful rice pudding and Gulab Jamun. Gulab Jamun was new to me and consists of a ball of cheese and flour soaked in syrup. I was not a huge fan of this and felt it was too sweet, but it was fun to try a traditional Indian sweet.
Overall Food
Overall, Taste of India has delicious food in their lunch buffet. The flavor combinations are amazing and each one is a little different. Some are spicy and some are mild. There are meat and vegetarian options as well as soup, salad, sauces, and desserts. Everything tasted amazing and they have something for everyone. I would personally recommend the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Chili Chicken as must try dishes.
Service
The servers are very attentive at refilling a drinks. We never had to go thirsty or ask for refills. The staff are very polite but not all that friendly. It was a buffet so the staff did not bring specific orders. However, we were seated and given drinks very quickly and efficiently.
Atmosphere
Size
There are primarily large booths tables available. There are approximately 25 tables.
Who Goes Here?
A wide variety of customer go to Taste of India. There are couple on dates, all sizes of families. The young and the old. I was impressed by the diverse clientele.
Overall Atmosphere
Taste of India has a comfortable but slightly elevated dining experience. The restaurant is clean and well-spaced out, with plenty of windows. The tables have white table cloths with glass overtop, flower arrangements, and stem glassware for beverages. The décor is very colorful with Indian flare but was not overly gaudy. It is on the line between causal and formal but erring on the side of casual.
Location
Taste of India is not located in a very popular part of Winchester. It is on the outskirts of town near the Costco. It is close to the interstate I-81 onramp. However, it is not walking distance to any hotels or attractive shopping areas. It does have a large spacious parking lot.
Interested in other restaurants in Winchester, VA?
Value for money
The lunch buffet at Taste of India is amazing value for your money. The buffet is reasonably priced at $20 for all you can eat food. The food is extremely high quality and flavorful. There are a wide variety of dishes and something for everyone.
Overall
Taste of India offers a fantastic lunch buffet on Wednesday and Sunday. There is something for everyone and the food is flavorful and delicious. They provide speedy service and a comfortable but elegant atmosphere with Indian flare. I definitely recommend visiting Taste of India.
