Indian Oven — Restaurant in Amherst

GO! Even if you have to drive a bit. I promise you, it will be worth it. The food is fantastic, authentic Indian food, and the folks are so helpful and friendly. Also, you should know that I haven't done Google reviews; most of my reviews have been on Yelp and TripAdvisor, but these sites have become so unreliable that I figured Google might reach more people. So you'll just see that I've only done this one. I'm not a relative or a friend. I was a customer and will be again because delicious. :)

Planning on picking up a to-go order from this brand new restaurant, and not realizing they close after lunch and reopen for dinner, we showed up a little late for lunch (or a lot early for dinner). These wonderful folks noticed us standing outside their door, squinting at the "hours" sign and invited us in to place our order. So friendly and helpful. They even made sure we understood the difference between lamb korma and lamb...well, whatever it was we were thinking about getting. We brought home a chicken curry with coconut dish, lamb korma, a wonderful garlic naan and perfect rice. Everything was packaged securely and the containers were labeled. And no styrofoam, so that's another PLUS. For the level of spice, we settled on "medium" which was perfect for me, as I do like a bit of heat but not so much as to overwhelm the flavors of the dish. If you hate spice, don't get the medium. If you like to set your face on fire, opt for something stronger.

I've enjoyed terrific Indian food in NYC, London, San Francisco and other cities with authentic Indian cuisine, and this was every bit as good as the best I've had in these big foodie cities. Unfortunately I came up from Florida, so I won't be back any time soon, but I do visit a friend near Lovingston a couple of times a year and will insist on Indian Oven next time....

Awesome Indian Food Alert: Highway 29's New Little Secret

You've got to check this out! There's this amazing new Indian place that just popped up on Highway 29 South last year. I know, I know - it's attached to an old gas station, but trust me, these hidden spots are where the real magic happens.

So, the mastermind behind the wonderful food is Biswajig - he's both the chef and manager, and let me tell you, he knows his stuff. I always test out a new Indian place with my usual order: Tikka Masala and Garlic Naan. Spoiler alert: it was fantastic!

The Tikka Masala? Oh man, the chicken was so super tender and seared perfectly. I asked for it spicy, and they nailed it. It had that perfect kick that lets you know it's there but doesn't blow your head off, you know? All the other spices still got to shine too.

Now, let's talk about that Garlic Naan. Freshly made in-house and cooked in a legit Tandoor oven - you can taste the difference! It's awesome to see they're not cutting corners and are keeping things traditional.

I'm telling you, this place is a total gem. It's officially on my must-stop list whenever I'm cruising down Highway 29. Can't wait to go back and try more stuff on their menu.

If you're into amazing indian food and discovering cool new places, do yourself a favor and check this one out. It's exactly the kind of spot that reminds you there's so much great food and culture out there just waiting...

We ordered 1 lunch special and split it. The lunch special was 1 curry, 1 Nan or Roti bread, salad, dessert, and tea for 1 price. We had the Kadahi Murg (medium spice) with rice, garlic Nan, green salad, Vegetable Pakora, an unknown dessert, and hot masala tea. Everything was excellent except the dessert. The Kadahi Murg was perfectly spiced, lots of sauce; the rice was perfectly cooked; the Nan was good and hot; the Vegetable Pakora was fair (the grease tasted a little old); the salad was a small, small amount diced cucumber, tomato, and onions (very good); the masala tea was strong and hot. The dessert was weird, not like any Indian dessert I've ever had. My husband thought it was just sour cream with something in it. It came on a large tray as seen in the picture. The portion size was generous because we were both full after sharing. The service was good and friendly. The bathroom was clean. This was just a hole in the wall next to a gas station, but so good. We'd definitely go back if we lived in the area. We highly...