Saffron Indian Bistro

My first attempt at eating Indian food was at Saffron Indian Bistro located at Town Center in  Virginia Beach. When I walked in I was expecting some traditional Indian decor but was actually welcomed with a more contemporary design with the Indian influence. Simply, it was beautiful and elegant. Too bad the service didn't match the elegance of the room. On this day was a lunch date with a buffet to look forward to trying. The rainy weather outside didn't hinder my anticipation of this meal. Upon walking in, I didn't know who the host was supposed to be. One server was going to sit us at a table that hadn't been turned over  and reset yet. After being left standing there, another server came up to us and sat us down at an obviously vacant table. Apparently water was the drink of choice since we weren't given any other drink options but that's ok, water is good. Bad part was that this glass was the only glass to drink. I never saw our server again. There was no checking on how we were doing and no additional glasses of water to be offered.

The buffet was oddly placed in the next room and not with a large selection of dishes to choose from. I was a bit perplexed by this. I just thought that being an establishment placed in an upscale location would step up the service as well as the food presentation and selection. I later found out after the fact from several people that the various indian restaurants they have been to also have small, limited selection buffets. Not to say that this is how it is with Indian restaurants but now I don't see it as unusual as I did prior.

The eating experience was a totally different adventure. The onion pakoda was an exotic twist to what we have as an onion ring. It was like an onion haystack. Easy to eat with the fingers, just enough onion flavor to taste along with some Indian spices but not overwhelming like most fried onion foods. The veg kurma is a blend of various vegetables like green peas, green beans, carrots, and potatoes, mixed in a smooth cream sauce with flavors of coconut, tumeric, masala powder, tamarind, just to name a few. The chicken makhani (or butter chicken as most people commonly know it) had tender pieces of chicken in a buttery tomato gravy with flavors consisting of cumin, cloves, cinammon, coriander, and pepper.  Of course I had tandoori chicken. I knew I couldn't have Indian food without eating tandoori chicken, a savory dish of chicken, yogurt, and spices. The one dish that had an overall enjoyment and pretty much warmed my heart was the dal makhani, a treasured staple food from Punjab in North India and Pakistan. This lentil based cream soup was full of flavors that spoke for themselves yet at the same time, worked together to create an amazing comfort for your palate. I couldn't stop eating this. It reminded me of a mongo bean soup that I enjoy in my Filipino culture but I like the dal makhani more because the flavors were not dominating over one another. Instead they were harmonious.

I have to remember I came to this restaurant to experience the food. And I did. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes I was dismayed by the fact the service wasn't at all at the level I expected it to be, especially since I have heard the service was excellent. But I manage to overlook it this once. I would consider going back and trying something off the menu and not a lunch buffet. At that point, I would decide if this restaurant would be a recurring stop for me when I'm in the mood for some Indian flair.

Saffron Indian Bistro, 4532 Columbus Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23462