Taste of India — Restaurant in Bloomington

Tried the lunch buffet. Good variety of food on offer, including curries, pakoras, rice, naan, salad, and dessert. There were some meat options but more than half of the buffet items were vegetarian. Overall I thought the food was pretty good. Everything tasted pretty fresh, but I did visit not long after opening. It wasn't the most "authentic" Indian food I've tried, but it was in the ballpark of basically tasting like Indian food, which is all I ask for in Bloomington. Not overly oily/buttery like a lot of restaurant-style Indian, which was nice. The spice level of everything was pretty mild but not completely devoid of spice. I thought the veg pakora and mint chutney, mattar mushroom, and aloo bean masala were the best items at the buffet (I think the aloo bean masala was the spiciest, not that it was super hot). The saag paneer tasted like creamed spinach (like the American dish) which wasn't bad but not what I expected. The savoury food stood out more than the desserts. Of the three desserts on offer - kheer/rice pudding, seviyan/sweet vermicelli, and mango fruit custard - seviyan was fine, the kheer was a little runny but passable, but the mango fruit custard tasted like canned fruit cocktail in mango milk. Not unpleasant but I don't know if I'd get it again. The $14 cash/$15 card price is pretty good - it's cheaper to get the buffet than to buy a curry + rice/bread from the a la carte menu. I haven't eaten from the a la carte menu here yet so I don't have a basis for comparison, but I didn't feel like I was getting sub-optimal buffet food (but again, I visited early). Service is pretty hands-off for the buffet. A host took me to my seat and then I was mostly left alone while I ate, and I went to the register to pay, but the staff were very polite in my limited interactions with them, and they made rounds often to refill water and take away plates. The restaurant, including the bathroom, was clean and modern. They had one low table with couches in the corner for a large group that looked cool, otherwise it's standard...

LARVAE IN FOOD – UNACCEPTABLE HYGIENE AND SERVICE

I rarely leave one-star reviews, but after over eight years of being loyal customers, my wife and I feel compelled to share our experience. While the food here has usually been good, recent incidents have completely shattered our trust in this restaurant.

A few weeks ago, I found a piece of glass in my food. I bit down on it, which caused significant pain and led to a dentist visit. My tooth still hurts weeks later. Despite this, my wife and I decided to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt, and not say anything assuming it was a one-off mistake.

Unfortunately, today’s experience was even worse. We discovered a live worm (larvae) in my food. When I called the restaurant, they casually offered to remake the dish, but who would feel comfortable eating there again after something like that? We went in person to request a refund, bringing the worm in a sealed bag as evidence. The staff inspected it under a phone light but didn’t say a word. There was no apology, no acknowledgment of the severity of the situation, and no effort to rectify it.

After this, my wife and I looked up their reviews and were shocked by how the owner responds to criticism—often implying customers of lying. This complete lack of accountability, paired with poor hygiene standards and dismissive customer service, is absolutely unacceptable.

It’s truly disappointing because their curries used to be excellent, which is why we remained loyal customers for years. However, these incidents, coupled with the rude staff and dirty environment, make it impossible for us to ever return. This restaurant has shown no willingness to improve, and we strongly advise others...

Oh man this place used to be so good... what happened?! Went to dinner yesterday, and immediately was greeted by flies. Now if I'm sitting outside this is expected but being inside I don't want flies buzzing around my face or my food. Someone get a dang fly swatter and attack! There were literally 4 guy just standing around! Now let's talk about the food... it smells so good walking in! The samosas were tasty, the naan was ok, but the main dish- rice w tandoori mixed was not good... and I love this dish in the past! The rice was very dry and tasted old. And the tandoori was brought out in a sizzling hot plate (like a fajita type plate) that was so hot it literally burned the food sitting on it in front of our eyes lol. The chicken was so dry bc it kept cooking on the table. I don't remember being served Tandoori like that at this place. It was hard to even get the chicken off the skillet thingy everything was getting stuck and burnt to the plate. We paid for our appetizer, drink and naan and left. So disappointing to see great restaurants not try their best at all times. Customers like me don't come back after one bad experience. Also if someone has a problem w the food I'd recommend not going to a table looking angry at the customer for telling you what they want. Four men including the waiter and cook approached our table so we could explain the problem which felt somewhat intimidating. This is just a strange place... I would also one last thing - suggest that if the host pulls a ladies hair while passing out the menu he apologize lol and not look at her like it's her fault she has long hair. Just you know courtesy. (Honestly I don't complain this much about places... just telling my...