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Posted

Is there really no thread on Royal Taj restaurant here yet? I know HowChow has written about it in his blog, but I couldn't find a thread here.

I was just introduced to Royal Taj recently when I headed there with a few friends for a weeknight dinner. The design itself is surprisingly upscale for an Indian restaurant, but the real draws are the excellent food and the incredible service.

We started with complimentary chutneys served with something crispy to eat them on (papadum I think?). They were your typical chutneys - an onion & tomato one that had a nice bit of heat, the cilantro sauce, and the tamarind sauce - all delicious. After that, we shared the alu gobi, chicken tikka masala, and chicken korma, as well as their traditional naan and a naan that I can't recall the name for with coconut and an anise flavor (the only thing I didn't care for in our meal, but I am not partial to anise).

I thought the food was exceptional, some of the best Indian food I have had across the board. But the kicker was really the service, incredibly attentive and they actually brought us a few items complimentary - the traditional naan and then, after we had passed on dessert, someone overheard me mention to the friend who had joined us who was new to Indian cuisine that she really should try gulab jamun and moments later, 4 dishes, each with 1 gulab jamun ball appeared at our table.

I am definitely eager to go back and am even hoping to slip away for a long lunch some day when I am working from home to try their lunch buffet. Would love to hear what others' experiences have been here.

Posted

This is a great Indian restaurant -- in a field of strong Indian restaurants in Howard County.  The lunch buffet is worth slipping away for a long lunch.  When I have gone, they have a guy making dosa fresh.

One note:  Royal Taj will move.  The owners are taking over the former Applebee's in the "Restaurant Park" near Rte 108 and Rte 175.  I believe that Royal Taj will move to that space once they renovate.

Posted

I sadly hadn't been back since my last post, but headed there today for the lunch buffet. This is honestly the best indian food I've had in this area, by a lot. A nice selection of options, including a chicken dish I had never encountered before that I loved (name is failing me of course). Someone making fresh dosa. In addition to the typical rice pudding, a delicious warm carrot halwa dessert. Sweet chai tea included with the buffet and in keeping with the excellent service while you can help yourself to it, they keep bringing fresh cups to your table at your request. There was a line when we got there around noon and an even longer one by the time we left, for good reason. Unfortunately, as much as I enjoy Curry Leaf's buffet, I think this ruined it for me. 

Posted

Well at the risk of being the only person who posts in this thread, I thought I'd report on a recent dinner visit. Outstanding food as always. The chicken tikka masala never fails to be delicious and the baigan bharta, which I hadn't had here before actually tasted of eggplant. I hadn't had the complimentary chutneys since my first visit since I have been taking advantage of the lunch buffet, but I could eat them with a spoon. The food alone would draw me back repeatedly, but the service...nothing beats being greeted as if you were their favorite customer, then treated to a complimentary glass of house wine and one delicate delicious ball of gulab jamun to finish off your meal.

When/if they move to their new location, I will be sad for the additional drive although hopefully they will have more space, which will limit the waits (on our last visit, we were there before they opened for dinner on a Thursday evening and by the time the doors were opened we were 2 of about 10 people already waiting!)

Posted

It's probably the best Indian food I've ever had. To echo your comments, the service is also outstanding. The gentleman who works the door always makes you feel as if you're his favorite customer. As to the new location, he shared some photos of the new place and it looks like they've pulled out all the stops.

Posted

Their Paneer Tikka is fantastic. Tandoori-charred cubes of paneer are brought out with peppers and onions on a sizzling hot plate. Smoky and crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, with an excellent spice rub, the taste is how I'd imagine the perfect kebab coming straight off the barbecue, if I knew where to get fresh paneer. A spicy tomato sauce on the side helps balance out the eventual dryness. The complimentary chai latte and gulab jamun were nice touches as well.

(For all of their excellent service on the floor, though, they don't give you any utensils with your take-out order unless you ask :P)

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Posted

Their Paneer Tikka is fantastic. Tandoori-charred cubes of paneer are brought out with peppers and onions on a sizzling hot plate. Smoky and crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, with an excellent spice rub, the taste is how I'd imagine the perfect kebab coming straight off the barbecue, if I knew where to get fresh paneer. A spicy tomato sauce on the side helps balance out the eventual dryness. The complimentary chai latte and gulab jamun were nice touches as well.

(For all of their excellent service on the floor, though, they don't give you any utensils with your take-out order unless you ask :P)

Are you sure this *isn't* fresh paneer, and that you *aren't* having the perfect kebab coming off the barbecue? Although I suspect these are being done in a tandoor, it's quite possibly (essentially) the same as your perfect kebab. If it's dry rubbed properly (is it pinkish?) and cooked at the right temperature, it shouldn't be dry, or tough, or chewy, and I'm a little disturbed that it even needs that sauce. I want to get out there and try this dish: Serving Paneer Tikka *in* a tomato-based sauce is common (not unlike a butter chicken), but I always get the dry-rubbed versions when I see them, since the tomato sauce doesn't mask the wonderful flavor of the paneer.

One thing I've noticed about really good paneer done in a tandoor (often served with green pepper and onion that has clearly been arranged on a skewer, like a kebab): Not only is it rare; it's expensive! You're paying close to "meat" prices for house-made cheese which should be a *lot* less expensive in terms of food cost. Yes, it's more labor-intensive, but it isn't expensive for the restaurant to make. Could you ask Chef Singh to come on here and fill us in?

Posted

Are you sure this *isn't* fresh paneer, and that you *aren't* having the perfect kebab coming off the barbecue? Although I suspect these are being done in a tandoor, it's quite possibly (essentially) the same as your perfect kebab. If it's dry rubbed properly (is it pinkish?) and cooked at the right temperature, it shouldn't be dry, or tough, or chewy, and I'm a little disturbed that it even needs that sauce. I want to get out there and try this dish: Serving Paneer Tikka *in* a tomato-based sauce is common (not unlike a butter chicken), but I always get the dry-rubbed versions when I see them, since the tomato sauce doesn't mask the wonderful flavor of the paneer.

One thing I've noticed about really good paneer done in a tandoor (often served with green pepper and onion that has clearly been arranged on a skewer, like a kebab): Not only is it rare; it's expensive! You're paying close to "meat" prices for house-made cheese which should be a *lot* less expensive in terms of food cost. Yes, it's more labor-intensive, but it isn't expensive for the restaurant to make. Could you ask Chef Singh to come on here and fill us in?

I'm sure that's exactly how it's done. This was my first time having this dish, so I guess I was just relating it to something familiar and wishing I knew where to find fresh paneer to try this at home (I've tried making it but it ends up too crumbly to skewer). The paneer itself is yellow with a brownish rub, and very well cooked. I only mention the dryness because it's a pretty large serving size for one person, and coupled with rice I think it would have been difficult to finish towards the end without some sauce to balance out all of the dry ingredients. The first bite of the paneer, sans sauce, was fantastic.

Posted

I didn't post at the time, but I have been to the new spot. If you thought the old place was fancy, opulent is the only word to describe the new restaurant. It's not my taste, but it works for them and the food and service remain superb. Our wait time for the lunch buffet was shorter, but I don't know if that will last.

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