Mayuri, Pradeep Gourneni's Northern and Southern Indian in Hunters Woods Plaza in Reston

[Anonymouze]

We went to Mayuri today for lunch. They had a nice variety of Northern and Southern Indian cuisine.

I am sorry if anyone feels I am posting too often but I am trying to relay my experiences as a "noob" to the Reston area and I did not see any postings about this restaurant yet!

This is located by the RCC so it would be great before/after a swim or exercise.

Here is their link:

http://www.mayurimahal.com/home.htm

They had several types of breads. Three types of rice (one had lamb or goat in it!) and then the typical indian fare more or less. IMHO it's worth checking out if you like indian food and have gone to nearby Minerva. I think I'll keep both of these on top of my list of indian food places to visit often.

[xdcx]

We went to Mayuri today for lunch. They had a nice variety of Northern and Southern Indian cuisine.

I am sorry if anyone feels I am posting too often but I am trying to relay my experiences as a "noob" to the Reston area and I did not see any postings about this restaurant yet!

This is located by the RCC so it would be great before/after a swim or exercise.

Here is their link:

http://www.mayurimahal.com/home.htm

They had several types of breads. Three types of rice (one had lamb or goat in it!) and then the typical indian fare more or less. IMHO it's worth checking out if you like indian food and have gone to nearby Minerva. I think I'll keep both of these on top of my list of indian food places to visit often.

the menu isn't just similar it's identical to minerva. is it the same people?

[Joe H]

We went to Mayuri today for lunch. They had a nice variety of Northern and Southern Indian cuisine.

I am sorry if anyone feels I am posting too often but I am trying to relay my experiences as a "noob" to the Reston area and I did not see any postings about this restaurant yet!

This is located by the RCC so it would be great before/after a swim or exercise.

Here is their link:

http://www.mayurimahal.com/home.htm

They had several types of breads. Three types of rice (one had lamb or goat in it!) and then the typical indian fare more or less. IMHO it's worth checking out if you like indian food and have gone to nearby Minerva. I think I'll keep both of these on top of my list of indian food places to visit often.

Stacey, there's absolutely no need to feel apologetic for the frequency of your posts. I'm averaging two per day; many are averaging more, perhaps double mine. Also, please do not let my or anyone else's opinions cause you to hesitate in posting. (my wife often disagrees with me without hesitation!) I also live in Reston and welcome opinions about any restaurant here or elsewhere. Welcome to the Board.

[Anonymouze]

the menu isn't just similar it's identical to minerva. is it the same people?

I think it's like the "typical" chinese restaurant they all mimic or copy each other almost in an eerie fashion to the "T". Though you could be right, if anyone knows maybe they'll let us both know.

Also thank you everyone for your kind pm's and thoughts, I appreciate the warm welcome to Reston.

You can always PM me if anyone ever wants to say hi or "do lunch" if I'm not working. As you can see both hubby and I do enjoy indian food (preferably weekend buffets or something considered far more tasty but inexpensive) if you know any places please PLEASE tell us!

[RaisaB]

The absolute best, ever! I promise! Passage To India!

[DonRocks]

I started my dinner with a Kingfisher ($6.95 for a 650 ml / 22 ounce bottle), and perused Mayuri's fairly lengthy menu for something I was unfamiliar with. Mayuri means "(female) peacock" - the national bird of India - in Hindi, and sure enough, the front page of the menu is decorated with a big blue one (I suppose I'll always remember this now). While I sipped my beer, my server brought out a complimentary basket of standard-issue Pappadam with a bit of tamarind and coriander chutney. Kingfisher is headquartered in Bangalore, is India's largest selling beer, and has been brewing since 1857 (note to Tom S - "since before the days of the Raj," by precisely one year)

I've become fluent enough with many ethnic menus, including Indian, to order items simply because I have no idea what the words mean, and tonight was no exception.

Hara Dania Kabab ($5.99) was a plate of about 8-9 battered nuggets, looking almost identical to battered, fried dates. "Hara" = Green, "Dania" = Coriander, and these were beignet-like morsels translated on the menu as "cottage cheese rolls with spinach and green coriander leaves." Almost surely purchased pre-made, these were uniform in size, and came out perfectly hot throughout within minutes, without any visible signs of either frying or microwaving - perhaps placed into a super-hot tandoor? Regardless, they just weren't very good, with the herbs too bitter, and the filling too salty, the shards of paneer not enough to compensate. As I ordered my next item, I asked for an order of Raita ($1.99) to tone it down, and my server brought the watery version over and said it was with his compliments - a nice gesture, much appreciated.

I'd never before heard of Pesarattu ($6.99), a southern dish of "green gram [Mung bean] crepes stuffed with onion," but it didn't matter because they were out of them. So instead, I ordered a second small plate, Fish Amritsari ($8.95), a traditional Indian fried fish dish with Punjabi spices. I knew amrit was the nectar drunk by Guru Nanak (the father of Sikhism), but did not know that Amritsar was the town in India where this dish originated (what I know, I really know; what I don't know, I don't know at all).

These were also double-bite sized morsels, about 8-9 of them, made with sturdy, boneless, flaky whitefish (perhaps haddock), and they also came out remarkably fast, in less than five minutes; yet, showed no signs of improper heating, or glistening oil, or anything else suspect about the cooking process. They were also perhaps purchased pre-made and finished in a hot tandoor, but were delicious, a good value, and I recommend them highly. These worked well with both chutneys and the raita, and I thought enough of them to buy a second order to go. Do try them if you come here.

As I waited for my carryout order, I finished the meal with a Gajar ka Halwa ($2.99), "Gajar" = Carrot, "Halwa" = Scrambled, the dessert being a carrot and milk pudding (with not much milk used), but with [get this] "the touch of green cardamom." Pleasant, moderately sweet, and a nice way to end the meal - you'll sometimes see this dessert on Indian lunch buffets.

Thus ends my nightly quest to expand my Hindi vocabulary while also expanding my culinary horizons, gonzo style.

[Divine One]

I was surprised to see this place had a thread on here. It is a default buffet choice on weekends, where I think they do a very nice job, better than some of the Minerva locations in my opinion. I especially appreciate the variety of what they offer - it is not always just bitter chicken and masala of some form. I've had their dosas and many of the menu items, and although everything is not perfect, it is a great place to have in the local area. They are gracious hosts and I enjoy that much of their clientele is Indian - it really is hidden in the corner of what is a hidden stripmall in south Reston nowhere near the parts of Reston most people know. It adds to the charm I think. I wish them well.

[Divine One]

I meant to say "butter", not "bitter" chicken. Now that would have been variety!