mmm-yoso!!!

Road Trip-Las Vegas: (Wynn Buffet)

mmm-yoso is not on vacation.  Cathy is out of town, and apparently eating all she can.  Read and live vicariously.

Hello again. Still in Vegas, and eating from recommendations of friends.  Mr. C, who I know from my job, and I had lunch at Lucky Seafood a couple of weeks ago...yes, it was the first time I was eating pho with only one hand because of the cast still being on up to my shoulder....anyhow, Mr. C works for a company in San Diego that sends him out to Las Vegas for weeks at a time and he *has* tried every buffet out there.  I asked him what was the best and he immediately replied-"The Wynn"..at at lunch, when its cheaper..and it isn't cheap... $22  each, but, you get what you pay for, we wanted great food, and we got *great* food...I only wish I could eat like this all the time.  (The Buffet (that's what its called, original, eh?) is $34 for dinner and $38 on weekends).

The first plate, but I thought the most creatively loaded of all my photographs...First the salads are pre-mixed  and served in those small glasses-so creative..You might notice the silverware and that the serving plates are asymmetrically shaped..all just kind of beautiful. Oh, the food- there is a cheese tray (the blue and goat cheeses were*excellent*, the cheddar was mild) then  a bit of everything.  The albacore tuna was a overdone, and probably not meant to be, and the only non-perfect item out there... the mahi mahi was exquisite.  The prime rib of beef from the carving station was sooo tender and flavorful, as was the rack of lamb.  The carrots were not mushy and cooked just right in a buttery herb-ed sauce ..the zucchini were so flavorful and the green beans with chopped tomatoes and still crispy almond slices were as as fresh tasting as I got from my garden this year.  The asparagus was very, very good, stir fried and still slightly crispy.

Here is  my appetizer plate, with smoked salmon (almost candied..), smoked trout, an excellent potato roll and a different salad.  There selection of 5 different salads was overwhelming  I got one made with white anchovies , roasted yellow pepper strips and another with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and chopped olives.

OK, here are photos of the various stations: smoked trout, anchovies, capers chopped onions...all to go with the nice fresh bagels.

More of the smoked salmon/cream cheese/bagel topping area, which I used more as my appetizer area..

Oh and the sushi area.

The Italian foods area was quite crowded, so no photographs, but I liked the food there best. Kobe beef meatballs...oh my, they were so good!  I suppose the sauce helped, and it was light and complimented/did not overpower the meat flavor...I got this photo of the Asian stir fry area...not exciting to look at, but extremely tasty with use of many spices.  It was very un-Americanized.

Oh yes, the chilled shrimp-perfectly cooked, and served with superb cocktail sauce and tartar sauce too...both made fresh at the restaurant.

Oh, there were desserts..and you know I am *not* at all a sweets eater...

They make the eclairs fresh..with real custard..eggy and still warm custard...

some desserts were served on individual plates..flan, sweet potato pie, chocolate peanut butter something (*dark* chocolate, people...dark chocolate)...and the strawberry cake, lemon bar and something else...oh it doesn't matter..

My *absolute* favorite...

The Floating Island..oh yes, a homemade marshmallow, with a buttery caramel sauce, floating on a vanilla sauce and topped with toasted chopped hazel nuts.

We ate so much more and I guess I was trying to take photographs and waiting for areas to be less crowded but areas were with people and I don't take photos of people...All of the food was excellent and so fresh, Mr. C gave me a great lead on a wonderful buffet.  Thanks Mr. C!

The Buffet at the Wynn Hotel Click here for website

Road Trip-Las Vegas! (Green Valley Ranch Buffet)

Hi, Cathy here, on an iBook, in an obscure hotel in Las Vegas, with plans for something exciting tomorrow night.

I'm blogging what I ate, and then some...I left San Diego in the wind this morning..and stopped in Baker, to view the World's largest Thermometer (and get a cup of coffee at Starbucks).

Dinner was at "Feast", the buffet inside Green Valley Ranch Casinos Resort and Spa. $17..and worth it. The Buffet was suggested by Mr. brother, hereafter referred to as "Mr. Bally"who, along with a few others, have made some suggestions as to where I should try to eat while here. Mostly photos...limited descriptions for now..I have to take a nap!...and no photo of the crab legs, chilled shrimp or Mongolian BBQ... I don't take photos of people...smoked salmon, giant caperberries, fennel chicken salad...there is a lettuce part of the salad bar also...this was *far* more fun. My salad plate(s)..the carving station selections, well some of them anyhow...The Asian food section offered a wide variety of some great tasting food...Then the Italian section...That sauce in the back to the left (not the meatballs) was artichokes, mushrooms and olives...and soooooo goood!
The a sample of desserts:
Ah, so what am I doing here???Well, there is this competition...more tomorrow.
Green Valley Ranch www.greenvalleyranchresort.com

Fairouz Restaurant & Gallery

Okay, I know it...I got some nerve doing a post on a Buffet right after Thanksgiving! Guilty as charged. And admittedly, I'm not quite the expert on Buffets and Brunches as Jim the Brunchmaster, who should probably write a "Brunches and Buffets for Dummies" book. But I've had photos of Fairouz just taking up space on my hard drive, so.......

Fairouz has a regular menu,  but we've mostly stuck to the buffet, which is $8.99 for lunch and $12.99 for dinner. And in the realm of the Hometown Buffets and various Chinese Buffets, I think that Fairouz is a nice change of pace. Though the sign says "Greek Buffet", I'd say that there are almost as many, or more Lebanese and Mediterranean buffet items.

On this visit to Fairouz, I noticed that the interior had been painted, and some additional lighting added, giving Fairouz a brighter cleaner looking interior. It had obviously been a while since my last visit.

If you think the interior slightly resembles an Art Gallery, you wouldn't be too far from the truth. The Owner of Fairouz, Ibrahim Al Nashashibi, is quite an artist, and his acrylics and water colors adorn the walls of Fairouz.

As for the buffet, there is a nice variety of items, with slight changes everyday. One thing I always notice are the description cards for the buffet items are not always placed correctly...for instance, on this day the Moussaka was labeled as Okra. For some reason I always find humor in this.

And though there are several meat items, like the Kofta Meatballs and Roasted Chicken pictured above, I usually end up enjoying the various starches and vegetable dishes more than the protein items. As you head for the buffet warm toasted pita magically appears on your table.

Okay, two types of potato, and saffron rice...do you think I got enough starch? I should practice what I preach, the Gyros meat was the only item that I really didn't care for. I enjoyed the Fava and Garbanzo beans, the Okra, and the Eggplant dishes.

Though my favorite dishes at Fairouz are the cold Garlic Potatoes, a vinegary, salty, and slightly garlicky "salad", and the various pickled cabbages.

I also enjoy the Rice Pudding with Rosewater as a refreshing end to my meal.

What's that red thingy? It had a sweet, fruity flavor, with a touch of rose water flavoring. I had to ask....it's Fruit Punch Jello! The yellow version is licorice flavored jello......

As buffets go, I think Fairouz is pretty good, and Al Nashashibi is a very mellow and nice Guy. So if you have a group of people, with vegetarians in tow, Fairouz may not be a bad option.

Fairouz Restaurant & Gallery
3166 Midway Dr
San Diego, CA 92110

(619) 225-0308

Fall Back the mmm-yoso Way - Brunch at the Red Lion Hanalei Hotel

*** The Hanalei Hotel is now a Crowne Plaza Hotel, and the Sunday Brunch is no more.....

Coming from Hawaii, I've always thought the time changes for Daylight Saving Time to be quite strange. I've read about the Rationales for DST, and well as the criticisms. To most of us, it just means changing our clocks. Over the last 3 years or so, we've found a new rationale for DST, or at least the "Fall Back" portion. After thinking about whole process, we had come to the conclusion that gaining an extra hour during the last Sunday of October meant, not an extra hour of sleep, but an extra hour of digestion......get the drift? Thus, we've made a sort of tradition of having Sunday Brunch on Fall Back Sunday, and putting that extra hour of digestion to good use.

We rarely partake of Sunday Brunch, but have 2 favorite brunches in San Diego, one a bit more on the expensive side, Le Fountainebleu at the Westgate Hotel runs about $40 per person, and the Sunday Brunch at the Red Lion Hanalei Hotel, which runs about $25 per person. I won't go into great detail about these brunches, mainly because I'd just be going over what you can find at Jim, The Sunday Brunchmasters Site. Jim goes over the info and offerings at the Red Lion Hanalei Brunch here.

I'll just post a few photos.

As with most brunches of any price, you mileage will vary. At this brunch, we're not particularly fond of the shrimp and crab legs, nor the "sushi"...but, the shrimp is peeled, and the crab legs are already halved, and if you love "rolls" you might find the sushi to be pretty good. We also are not big fans of the chafing dish items.

But as those photos above show, one of the items we love at this brunch is the smoked salmon.

The Missus will eat about a pound of the stuff. We also enjoy the Kona Coffee, the Champagne(sorry don't remember the brand), and most of all, the service. We've always had good service at  the Red Lion Hanalei. For example on this visit, it was quite packed, and we didn't want to deal with the crowds, and since it was a very pleasant morning we were seated outside. I asked for a ramekin for the "Jus", and not knowing that it's not among the plates, the very nice young man, told me to hold on a second, ran into the kitchen and brought me a ramekin, before I had a chance to tell him not to go out his way. The Missus went so far as to ask the Young Man manning the carving station for the bone from the leg of lamb....for guess who? Let's just say "Da Boyz" loved it, and when our Server found out She brought us a "doggie bag"(literally) for it. And to top things off, when we were presented with our bill, the Young Lady told us that she had a few extra $2 off coupons, so She used them for us! How's that for service!

Here's Frankie's bone.

Today the Lamb was very good, better than on our previous 2 visits.

Of course you can't forget about the desserts.

I don't have a real sweet tooth, but the Missus says the selection is nice. And of course the chocolate tower. The Missus needs to be under supervision whenever She gets close to one of these, I'm always worried that She'll stick some chicken or shrimp under the fountain and make me eat it. She has been known to cause fountain malfunctions by using too much chocolate, and the Brunchmaster was a witness to one of these incidents.

Just ignore the rice in the photo...it's a long story. For dessert I just had some pineapple to help me optimize that extra hour of digestion.

Overall I think we made great use of the extra hour, what do you think? How did you use that extra hour???? Oh and what about losing that hour in March? Well, you just have to eat faster! LOL!

All the info you need to know for this brunch can be found here.

Thanks for putting up with this silliness and indulging me. Tomorrow it's back to stuff like this:

Samba Grill

*** Per the comment below, and the Samba Grill website; Samba Grill has closed.

I'm sure this post will quell all those who are seriously concerned about our red-meat intake. Samba Grill is a new Brazilian Steakhouse, or Churrascaria, the crowning jewel residing on the top floor of Horton Plaza Shopping Center in downtown San Diego.

If I remember correctly, this used to be FAO Schwartz. The Missus and I have fond memories of meals at Greenfields, Fogo De Chao, and Roda Viva in Los Angeles, but were a bit disappointed at the protein provided at Rei Do Gado, though we enjoy the salad bar and hot table items. To us, $35 per person is just too much to pay, for a good salad bar, and rodizio items that vary widely in taste and quality. What we decided to do at Samba Grill, was to grab lunch there, which is priced at a very reasonable $13.99($11 - salad bar only). This would help us determine if dishing out $35 for dinner would be worthwhile.

We arrived fairly early at 11am sharp, and were shown to a table in the very large dining area:

As with most Rodizio style buffets, there is a "red-green" item located on each table. Green means "bring on the meat", red means "no mais".

If you've never experienced a Rodizio style meal, I'd recommend trying it at least once. It's a fun way to eat, and if done right, is a great way to pace yourself while getting your meat "fix".

To me, in addition to the "meat-fest", the buffet items hold an equal importance. At the Churrascarias I've been to, there usually is a very nice salad bar, with great items such as hearts of palm, marinated artichokes, and a variety of cold items. In addition, there are a few soups, and various hot dishes, and starches. This is sample of a few of items offered at Samba Grill:

Most of the items were very mediocre, and not even close to Rei Do Gado in flavor. The selection was rather small as well.

But let's stay positive; I love fresh beets, and could eat them plain, with just a squeeze of citrus. So needless to say, I truly enjoyed the beets flavored with a nice vinaigrette. The "Feijoada", the beans and meat dish(in this case only sausage), though very simple, was the other hot table item that stood out. Other then that, and a well seasoned potato salad, the parade of flavorless mashed potatoes, pesto pasta salad, and other items were very uninspired. And no hearts of palm...bummer!

But of course, the meat-fest was just beginning. So for the uninitiated, think of a Rodzio as a reverse buffet. You sit, and the protein comes to you, courtesy of Servers carrying meat skewers, carving them right at your table.

Remember "green means go"!

The meats at Samba Grill run the gamut. From the fairly good - bacon wrapped turkey, pork ribs, and a very well seasoned, though dry Pork Tenderloin.

To the mediocre, which consisted of either over-salted, under salted, over cooked, or very, very dry. This includes the "coulda been a contenda' garlic rubbed sirloin"(If you could just eat the caramelized outer portion of the sirloin, this would be a winna'), chicken wrapped in cheese, and really tame and dry sausage:

Then there was the plain bad, such as the tough and dry sirloin caps. As you can tell; most all the meats are served well done. This creates quite a challenge for tougher cuts.

And one really heinous, old and metallic flavored dish; the skirt steak. I seldom ever have a piece of meat I can't swallow. But this was one of them.

We came to understand the cuts at Samba Grill, anything Sirloin was dead dry, as were many of the meat items. For example, the best part of the Filet Mignon were the onions.

But I will probably return to Samba Grill for lunch. Why? Well, there was a Young Man who served the Missus and I, who ranks among the "top 10" of any Servers that I have ever had. I'm not kidding. I really must apologize, because I don't think I'm able to spell His name correctly. It's something like Chiago, or Chiango. Anyway, here's a photo:

He had a demeanor, that I'll call "warmly professional, and genuine". Once he found out we were really interested in what we were eating, he described each item in detail. By the end of the meal, we had developed a very nice rapport with Him. Once we had finished, and turned our dial to red; He came up to our table and said "Sorry, but I didn't see the sign. This just came off the grill, and it is good as you'll get. So I'll have to pretend I can't see!" And proceeded to place a piece of perfect, sizzling, bacon wrapped turkey on our plates. And He was right, the best item of the day.

I would suggest that you try Samba Grill, but for lunch first. From what I understand, there are only 2-3 more meat items served for dinner(lamb and chicken hearts among them). If I were to make a comparison between Rei Do Gado, which is right across the street and Samba Grill, it would be even on the meat; but Rei Do Gado has it all over Samba Grill with regards to the Salad Bar and hot table items. But, I've had some very lousy service at Rei Do Gado, while the service at Samba Grill was very warm and friendly.

I will say that the charcoal spit roasting technique that Churrascarias use is probably more healthy than the pan-fried, crowned in butter style. Though having most everything well done is not showing the beef at it's best.

Some notes: Remember you'll get 4 hours of Horton Plaza parking validation when dining at Samba Grill. I also understand that Samba Grill is the San Diego extension of the Samba Grill in Salt Lake City, Utah.

If you've never been to a Rodizio style Churrascaria, I'd encourage a visit.

Samba Grill - located on the top floor of Horton Plaza
510 Fourth Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101

Lunch, $13.99 Salad Bar only $11
Dinner, $35. Salad bar only $20

Madras Cafe - So What Did we Eat? I Don't Know, But it Tastes Really Good!

*** Madras Cafe has closed ***

This is going to be a bit of a different post. It's mainly because most of the time I had no idea what I was eating at Madras Cafe. But that doesn't mean it wasn't good! Madras Cafe resides in Little India Center, along with Ashoka the Great Cuisine of India, and the Ker-Little India Megastore among others. The difference is that Madras features Southern Indian vegetarian cuisine. I managed to take photos on two separate visits. The first with the Missus, the second with Ed from Yuma.

The only thing I really knew about Southern Indian were Dosas:

A thin crepe-like pancake made from rice and lentil flour. The regular menu features Dosas "stuffed" with a variety of items. Since we were eating from the buffet, we were served plain Dosas, nice and warm, and very much crepe-like in texture.

We were also served piping hot Idli with our meal:

Idli is a steamed rice and lentil "cake". It almost reminded me of Chinese steamed rice cakes but with a mildly grainy texture, and I enjoyed these.

On the visit with the Missus we were served this:

It was a "balloon" of crust! I have no idea what is was; and as the restaurant was quite busy, I really have no idea what this was!

Here's a photo of the Onion Chutney:

Very loose, but very tasty, especially with the Idli.

As the Missus and I discussed the food we noticed that the same North-South dichotomy that existed in China, certainly existed in India. The North part of the Country featured many wheat products; while it seemed that South Indian dishes seemed to be rice based.

We also appreciated the metal plates and compartments that separated the individual dishes, so they would not mix together; allowing for us to taste each dish individually.

On the visit with the Missus we enjoyed the Eggplant dish, nice and mildly spicy, with a slightly sweet and somewhat "earthy taste". We also enjoyed the Okra dish(on the right of the Eggplant dish above), which at first tasted very sour, yet very "clean". But as we kept eating, the sour taste kept getting stronger until it started tasting almost bitter. Funny thing  was that I mentioned how much we enjoyed the Eggplant while paying and asked what the name of it was, and was told, "It's Eggplant with sauce". Oohhhkay, I'll have no problem with that one!

My next visit was with Ed, and we enjoyed the buffet as well. What was interesting was that the items served where completely different from my previous visit!

Here are a few:

The two rice dishes were good. I enjoyed the version on the right which was a bit spicy, over the mild basmati rice with beans on the left.

My favorite dish was this version of "peas and carrots" with curry:

The melding of textures, in addition to the curry flavor and spice, made this so delici-yoso!!! Among the best peas and carrots I've ever had, and I hate peas and carrots. This changes any preconceptions of peas and carrots I've ever had.

Ed's favorite of the day was this spicy, tangy "Sambhar"(sambal):

At least that's what the Gentleman serving us called it. Basically a spicy, slightly sweet, and tangy stew. I found that most of the dishes at Madras were alot "looser" then the Indian food I've eaten before; and alot less "rich". While Ed was visiting the "facilities" our Server told me that the tangy flavor was imparted by the use of lemon and tamarind.

Here are a few of the other items served in the buffet.

A nice lentil and vegetable fritter.

I remember that I kept asking Ed "what are we eating?"

And Ed responding, "I don't know, but it's really good isn't it?"

Madras Cafe is worth a try. Even though the dishes are vegetarian, they are all very well flavored, and it seems that the dishes change from day to day. Regular menu items feature various Dosas and Idli, but the small (14-16 items) lunch buffet is priced right($6.95), and worth your attention. I've been told that the food is so hot as to be unbearable, but I didn't think so. But remember, I love spicy food. I'm sure that someone will provide some information as to what we were eating........

So what did we eat? I don't know, but some of it tasted really good!

Madras Cafe 
9484 Black Mountain Road
San Diego, CA 92126

Lunch: Tue-Fri 11:00 am-2:30 pm
Sat-Sun 11:30 am-4 pm
Dinner: Tue-Sun: 5:30-9:30 pm
Closed on Mondays

Thai Cafe

**** Thai Cafe has closed

At this time of the year, with all the hustle and bustle, it seems that there are occasions when we are only allotted time for a quick bite. And yet, our appetites may betray us, and require a more substantial, yet quick meal. In cases like this Thai Cafe is a Godsend.

Most Customers arrive at Thai Cafe with intentions of chowing down on the well priced ($6.50/lunch, $8.99/Dinner), which features about 25-30 items.

The quick drill goes like this. We walk in, and as the Server is walking up to us, we stage whisper, or raise fingers with the amount of people in our party. In this case two, the Server walks us to our table, while we give him our drink order. And instead of sitting down, we set off to the buffet.

If you expect "warming tray hell", you may be slightly surprised, that most(you'll figure out what doesn't rather quickly) dishes do rather well. And during slightly more busy times, the dishes are turned over quite promptly. By this time a whole 3 minutes has elapsed. After a few visits, you develop a Thai Cafe "strategy". You actually do two "plates" before sitting down. The first is a plate of "salads" and fried items. On any given day the Papaya Salad can be a good choice.

Very simple and without dried shrimp or crab, it's still features good "heat" from the chilies, along with the crunchy papaya, it's actually not bad at all. On this visit, the Larb(in this case ground chicken) Salad was just brought out, and thus didn't have the chance to dry out. The taste of lemongrass, and cilantro stand out. On many visits the larb salad has been dry, so we'll usually pass.

There are two noodle dishes that are usually dependable; the Spicy Noodles (Drunken Noodles):

Or the Pad Woon Sen (Bean Thread). As you can tell, these a quite short on the meat, but all carb lovers would probably enjoy them. On any given day, one could be better then the other; but an "educated" eye, can determine which to choose. There is also fried rice(ok), and what I consider to be terrible Pad Thai as well.

There are several curries, usually a spicy fried catfish, or something similar, salt and pepper squid(not bad), orange chicken, Pad Prik King(Green Beans)and a fried chicken with peanut sauce(I get just the chicken, and make my own sauce). During the evenings there is also a mussel, and a shrimp dish as well.

At 8 minutes, I've got my two plates, grabbed my sauces, and have started eating:

Since we eat fairly quickly, we can usually polish off everything in about 20 minutes:

Not bad, a meal under 15 bucks, and your out in under 25 minutes. Unless you really get mesmerized by those Soy Sauce Eggs.

It's not fine dining Thai by any means. But it's fast, and tasty, and much better then some of the cheap Chinese Buffets, and way better then many Chinese Fast Food options. At least everything does not taste the same and use the same "sauce". When we're in a rush, or really hungry and can't wait. We often times will drop by Thai Cafe.

Thai Cafe
4722 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Lunch Buffet - $6.50

Dinner Buffet - $8.99

 

Ashoka the Great Cuisine of India

**** Ashoka has closed.

The Missus's latest obsession is Indian Food. After years of  laying dormant; she now craves it again. So one recent morning she told me she wanted to eat "Indian again", but "I want to try something else", so we set off for the Little India Center on Black Mountain Road in the Miramar area, and settled on Ashoka the Great.

Though Ashoka seemed a little shop-worn on the outside, the interior of the restaurant was quite large, clean, and well lit.

Of course, many Indian Restaurants feature a lunch buffet, and Ashoka is no exception. And being absolutely starved, and not wanting to wait, we went for the lunch buffet($8.95).  There were about 20 items featured, with vegetarian items such as Saag Paneer, the spinach and cream dish featured in almost every Indian buffet I've ever seen. The meat dishes featured Chicken Makhni, Lamb Curry, and Tandoori Chicken.

While we were going through the buffet line, our Naan arrived at our table:

The Naan was much too doughy and bread like, and not charred enough on the outside for us.

Overall, the vegetable dishes at Ashoka really outshone the meat dishes. The Chicken Makhni was really much too mild and somewhat watery, the Tandoori chicken while well caramelized, and very moist, was very bland. The we enjoyed the version we ate at India Princess alot more. The "curry" portion of the Lamb Curry was very tasty and herbaceous, if not a bit too watery, but the chunks of lamb were not gamey and rich enough. You really couldn't tell you were eating lamb.

There were two vegetarian dishes that were very good. The Malai Kofta, which can probably described as a vegetable, potato, and nut fritter in a creamy-curry sauce. The combination of flavorings and texture made this dish stand-out. The Bindhi Masala, sort of a stir fry of okra, onions, and tomato, with the distinct flavor of ginger and garlic, was another very tasty dish.

A nice little bowl of Kheer(rice porridge), was a nice refreshing finish to the meal:

I also had a glass of Mango Lassi($2.95) to help clear my palate between tasting the different dishes. This version had less of an yogurt/milk flavor, but the mango flavor was much more intense.

The food at the buffet at Ashoka was pretty good, with the vegetable dishes outshining the meat dishes. We'd visit again in the future to try some of the other items on the menu. In the meantime, we noticed several other restaurants in the plaza which we'll try in the near future.

Some notes; the service at Ashoka was very nice, relaxed, and laid back. Though the buffet at Ashoka is $8.95, compared to India Princess at $11.95, drinks are not included, so in the end it's a wash.

Ashoka the Great Cuisine of India
9474 Black Mountain Road
San Diego, CA 92126

India Princess Royal Indian Cuisine

*** This location of India Princess has closed.

This past weekend, the Missus's long Indian food hibernation came to an end. We were walking past an Tandoori restaurant and she turned to me and said, "you'll think this is funny, but I want some Indian food". My reply, "so you want some corn and berries" earned me a dirty look. It's kind of a long story but, during my time doing consulting work in San Diego, the Missus became obsessed with Tandoori Chicken from a certain restaurant in San Diego. So I would have to pick up two to three orders when returning from San Diego. After four cycles of this behavior, the Missus had pretty much burned out on Tandoori Chicken and Indian food as a whole. That was five years ago. During that period we've kind of lost touch with Indian food, but it's a good thing that many Indian Restaurants feature lunch buffets; and India Princess is no exception.

This tiny storefront on Fourth Avenue is pretty deceiving. And it's a looong walk to the dining room.

Since it was the weekend, we went for the Champagne Brunch($11.95). While I went to place the validation ticket in the parking kiosk across the street the Missus got things underway. The buffet is set-up in 3 parts. A garnish, salad, chutney, and dessert section.

A middle vegetable and starch section, and a meat section.

While we were checking out the offerings our Garlic Naan arrived. The Missus forever being proactive had ordered this(it comes with the brunch) while I had stepped out. The Naan was just ok, we've had much better at other places. We enjoy ours more "toasted" and with a much more pronounced garlic flavor.

As with all buffets, there are hits and misses, Indian Princess was no exception. We both loved the Keema Mutter, basically ground/minced lamb with curry, peas, and other spices. We ate the Keema Mutter mixed with the Mint Chutney, making it delici-yoso!!! Surprisingly, I enjoyed several of the vegetarian dishes, the Zucchini Aloo was moist, mildly garlicky, with an almost buttery texture. The Channa Masala, had chickpeas(garbanzos) in a spicy tomato sauce, and was very enjoyable. We both enjoyed the Tandoori Chicken, though a bit on the milder side, was very moist, even the white meat portions. We also enjoyed a type of leavened "bread", the name of which I don't remember, but it reminded us a bit of Chinese steamed buns.

And of course there were the items that were less than satisfying. Specifically the Fish Maharani, in a coconut and curry sauce. The fish was grainy, dry, and tasted "off". It was obviously fish that had been frozen for a pretty long time. Both the Chicken Curry and Chicken Tikka Marsala were on the bland side.

Since we didn't desire any champagne, we got Diet Cokes and a Mango Lassi instead. This "sweet" yogurt drink was very refreshing, and palate cleansing. After tasting a specific dish, we'd take a sip of the Lassi to clear our palate.

If you're well versed on Indian food, a buffet may not interest you. For the fairly uninitiated, like us, a buffet allows us to get some culinary "footing". It also helps if the staff is as helpful as the Gentlemen working at India Princess. One of them actually went down the line,  explaining every item to the Missus, and was oh so helpful! It also helps to go a bit early before the restaurant gets too busy.

Some notes: Indian Princess serves a buffet lunch for $8.95 from Mondays through Fridays. The Champagne Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays for $11.95 from 11am to 3pm. The staff is very helpful and efficient. During the evenings and weekends there is validated free parking in the Medical Office Building across the street. The drill is, you park your car, and when you are seated you are given a "ticket"; you then go back out and across the street and place the ticket in the appropriate parking kiosk slot.

We had such a good time, and after eating 4 plates of food were so full that I forgot to take a photo of the storefront. So I went back to get one later on:

India Princess Royal Indian Cuisine 
3925 Fourth Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103

Rei Do Gado

For those carnivores out there.....Rei Do Gado is a virtual meat fest. Located in the Gaslamp, this churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse) serves up a buffet "rodizio" style - think of it as a reverse buffet. That is the server(s) comes up to your table with a particular meat offering on a skewer and asks you if you'd like that particular item, after which he'll slice or remove it from the skewer onto your plate.

When you arrive at your table you first go and grab a plate and start with the first course, a very well appointed salad bar and fill up - but not too much, you don't want to miss the upcoming meat-fest! The salad bar has such items as hearts of palm, stuffed sun dried tomatoes, a kim chee salad (delici-yoso), marinated mushrooms, among many others. There are two types of soup (sorry too busy with the salad), and a buffet of various hot foods and starches including fried yucca, white rice, and mashed potatoes.

On each table is a double sided wooden knob, when you're ready for the meat to start coming you turn the green side up. Servers carrying skewers of meat and little oval cutting boards will then start coming to your table with their offerings; sometimes a cheese coated chicken leg or a bacon wrapped piece of filet mignon, sometimes with a larger cut such as a Tri-tip seasoned with only salt. Turn the knob over to the red side - "No Mas".......

From my seat I could watch all the meat being prepared through a glass window. The cook was constantly moving skewers around or shifting around the charcoal under the meats.

Among the hits; everyone loved the sun dried tomatoes, and I enjoyed the hearts of palm and the kim chee salad. The cheese covered chicken legs, bacon wrapped turkey and filet, and the tri-tip were tasty. The "baby-back"(looked like spareribs) ribs were very flavorful, but hardly had any meat, the pork loin was ok with just a hint of cumin, the home made garlic sausage was a dismal failure, there was heat, but no other taste, and the sausage was dry to the point of crumbling. The food today was much better than on my last two trips here, so things are looking up. Today we were seated in the "new" area of the restaurant, seems that Rei Do Gado is doing so well that they've taken over restaurant space next door! So two salad bars, two "cooking booths", and more space, so business must be doing well.

So how does Rei Do Gado stand up against other Churrascaria's I've been too? The flavoring and variety of cuts are below that of Roda Viva in City of Industry and Greenfields in West Covina. It is however, a great place to visit if you've never experienced a Churrascaria, or for taking visitors. I usually take visiting friends from Hawaii there. Or if you need a serious Atkin's diet boost, this sure is the place to get it!

Rei do Gado - Rei Do Gado
939 Fourth Ave.
San Diego, CA 92101
619) 702-8464

HOURS AND PRICES
LUNCH SPECIAL (11:00 am-2:00pm)  Monday to Friday $13.75 per person
Except on Holidays
LUNCH RODIZIO (11:00 am-4:00 pm)  Monday to Friday $ 22.75 per person
Saturday, Sunday, Holiday $23.75 per person
DINNER RODIZIO (after 4:00pm)  Sunday to Thursday $34.95 per person
Friday, Saturday, & Holiday $39.95 per person
SALAD BAR ONLY (11:00 am-4:00 pm) Monday to Friday $12.95 per person 
( After 4:00 pm)    Monday to Thursday $18.95 per person
Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Holiday $28.95 per person
(NO Salad Bar Buffet on Saturday & Sunday Lunch Time)