Suraj in Redwood City, CA
In our quest to find incredible Indian food, MH and I eat out a lot, trying various Indian restaurants around the bay area. We stumbled upon Suraj quite by accident. Friends of ours who live in Redwood City told us about the restaurant. We'd never heard of it, preferring to frequent Amber India in Mountain View, or for a quick bite, Darbar in Palo Alto. After trying Suraj, however, we were hooked.
Suraj is set in an unassuming building right off El Camino Real, just South of Woodside Road. You'd think it would be loud inside, given all the traffic, but it is quite subdued. Most of the time when we're there, there is some kind of banquet in the large back room (typically used for parties). Indian families abound. Bizarre diner-like booths and large mirrors give the place a patchwork feel, but to be tucked into a booth, even in the front room, is actually desirable.
One of the best things about Suraj (aside from the food), is that in all the times we've been there, there has never been any wait to be seated. At places like Amber, which are quite small, the line forms quickly. We've had to wait upwards of an hour at Amber (even with a reservation!), which is really annoying. Honestly, the food at Suraj is just as good - it's just less well known and less centrally located.
Suraj serves both North and South Indian cuisine. Dinner is strictly off-the-menu, but at lunch, there is an enormous buffet for $10. Having been there many times for both lunch and dinner, I must say I prefer lunch, but only because you get such a great selection, and they do everything well. Highlights include the wide array of cold vegetables, and the stellar desserts. At lunch, you get unlimited access to the food, as well as to the soda dispenser, which for me is a big deal.
Dinner is a more formal affair; your food is brought to you, and you are served properly. At dinner, you can order entrees a la carte (including rice and naan), or you can order them as part of a complete meal, which not only includes rice and naan, but soup, assorted lentil dishes, raita, and mango ice cream. MH and I order a la carte because you get more of the entree when you don't order the complete meal. We feel like it's a better deal because we're not in love with all the lentil dishes served (although the raita is excellent).
The dishes you should try: mushroom muttar, chana masala, chicken vindaloo, chicken tikka masala, and aloo ghobi. Anything on a skewer is excellent, especially the lamb. Some of the dishes are more well-spiced than others, but all are well-flavored. In other words, you're not going to get anything bland.
Highly recommended.
Suraj
7.0/10
Suraj is set in an unassuming building right off El Camino Real, just South of Woodside Road. You'd think it would be loud inside, given all the traffic, but it is quite subdued. Most of the time when we're there, there is some kind of banquet in the large back room (typically used for parties). Indian families abound. Bizarre diner-like booths and large mirrors give the place a patchwork feel, but to be tucked into a booth, even in the front room, is actually desirable.
One of the best things about Suraj (aside from the food), is that in all the times we've been there, there has never been any wait to be seated. At places like Amber, which are quite small, the line forms quickly. We've had to wait upwards of an hour at Amber (even with a reservation!), which is really annoying. Honestly, the food at Suraj is just as good - it's just less well known and less centrally located.
Suraj serves both North and South Indian cuisine. Dinner is strictly off-the-menu, but at lunch, there is an enormous buffet for $10. Having been there many times for both lunch and dinner, I must say I prefer lunch, but only because you get such a great selection, and they do everything well. Highlights include the wide array of cold vegetables, and the stellar desserts. At lunch, you get unlimited access to the food, as well as to the soda dispenser, which for me is a big deal.
Dinner is a more formal affair; your food is brought to you, and you are served properly. At dinner, you can order entrees a la carte (including rice and naan), or you can order them as part of a complete meal, which not only includes rice and naan, but soup, assorted lentil dishes, raita, and mango ice cream. MH and I order a la carte because you get more of the entree when you don't order the complete meal. We feel like it's a better deal because we're not in love with all the lentil dishes served (although the raita is excellent).
The dishes you should try: mushroom muttar, chana masala, chicken vindaloo, chicken tikka masala, and aloo ghobi. Anything on a skewer is excellent, especially the lamb. Some of the dishes are more well-spiced than others, but all are well-flavored. In other words, you're not going to get anything bland.
Highly recommended.
Suraj
7.0/10
posted by epicure | 3:12 PM
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