Ajanta — Restaurant in Berkeley

Have you ever had to apologize to your friend because it was you who chose the restaurant? This was me who was embarrassed for the entire evening owing to lackluster food but more so for dreadful service shown. I have never felt so unwelcome in any restaurant. First the food, it lacked soul, felt bland (cough target audience cough)? Chicken biryani and alu tikki was ok , but navrattan korma was underwhelming . There was no richness in flavor, too watery. The portion was not as large as we are used to but still ok. But the most upsetting part was they did not even get the salt right. It was so awkward that I wish I too wore a mask like our server did to hide my disappointment. It got worse to the point my friend started recommending other food after one or two helpings! If the mood of the night was not already let down with food, it was made by the way the server hurried us that horrified me. The lady who was serving was too eager to hand us the bill. She showed the urgency of solo worker with upset stomach. Forget about vibes, atmosphere and socializing at restaurant, it felt so pushy, so bossy, we just surrendered our food and ended our awful experience. I think I owe my friend something for this dinner here ugh. Support this local business by recommending it to loud neighbors , obnoxious coworkers or your...

The maitre d' was quite helpful in understanding the various dishes. We were there on a Friday night but still got plenty of attention from the maitre d' and the rest of the wait staff. The restaurant was not too noisy, so conversations were easy to understand.

We started with the papadam which came with a mint-cilantro sauce. We also split an appetizer of tandoori scallops. The papadam was very fresh and crispy but a little too salty. The scallops were under cooked (as usual, but we had asked that they be cooked more towards "medium"). The sauce accompanying the scallops was very bland, having almost no taste at all.

We got a glass of the Edelzwicker wine, which is a not-too-sweet blend of riesling, gewurz and pinot gris. That is a good complement to the spicy entrees.

Our main entrees were Chicken Tikka Masala & the Chicken Biriyani. We had asked for a mild version of the biriyani but it was still pretty peppery. The raita helped lower the spice heat though. The chicken tikka masala was milder but the chicken itself was a little bit dry. The plain naan was very fresh and was a good way to get the last bits of the...

Pros: chicken tikka masala (not too creamy & not too chunky) mangalore chicken curry (super tender chicken) gulab jamun (dense doughnuts soaked in syrup) entrees come with a plate of rice, palek paneer, and 1/2 naan extremely attentive staff fancy decor (especially for the reasonable price of the meal) very quick service (3 course meal was over in 45 min, although we stayed longer and they didn't mind) authentic Indian food*

Cons: haha no complaints here

Bottom line: My favorite Indian food in Berkeley/Albany. They bring out the food so quickly and the restaurant feels busy, but when you take a bite, time seems to slow down as each layer of flavors melts in your mouth. I always have a great experience here and I can't wait to share this gem with others.

My Indian friend A.P. was visiting family in New Delhi when he stopped to grab a bite at a modest restaurant where ate the best chicken tikka masala he had ever tasted. No other restaurant had come close until he tried the chicken tikka masala at Ajanta. A.P. loved it so much that he took his parents here just...