Zaika Indian Cuisine Niagara Falls — Restaurant in City of Niagara Falls

I have been waiting to write a review on my experience dining in this restaurant. I took some time to catch on the owner’s view on other reviews and his side of explanation towards it . I was waiting to see if the business really had any greater notion towards the imposed rules on the dining experience they offer but slowly I was able to grab a fact that they are only trying to justify their rules and they have zero empathy towards their customer’s concerns and that is when I decided to write a candid review on my experience. Food was decent ,ambience was good,but the rules they impose for the dining experience in there is intolerable . I would like to know one thing if they are clear enough with their notion why don’t they mention these rules in their website? These days people review menu and other details through website and other forums to choose a restaurant and if you have very good motive behind all these rules please post it in your website! Transparency is the only way to prove the good motive behind all these rules ! We get to know all these rules only after stepping into the restaurant and not even when we were waiting outside after enrolling for a table !

Food wastage will be charged based on the weight - mentioned in the entrance 2.10% of gratuity on min people of 2 -mentioned in the entrance .(forced tip)-gratuity should be earned should not be forced to 10% that too for a minimum of 2 people.

3.should finish your food within 40 mins - which is explained only after entering into the restaurant . This rule is totally nonsensical . I am not sure whether they have any concern on customers health when making this rule . Many doctors insist you have to chew your food properly ,enjoy your food and then swallow it . Urging customers to finish food with 40 mins is like directly forcing them to swallow their food faster - due to which they might have not enough time to enjoy their food and eat, they may not able to feel proper taste of the food, children might find it difficult to eat faster as we adults do and what about elderly people - are they not supposed to come to your restaurant or they are supposed to suffer after a meal at your restaurant? 40 mins for a buffet is too impractical- what you expect out of this rule - to save the amount of consumption by the customers and gain more customers just on the basis of money . Where is the good motive behind this rule ? Min of one hour is required to minimally enjoy a buffet meal . How would you feel when you are being monitored with a timer on your plate? That’s the experience we got in here. Have some empathy towards people who comes into your restaurant only for a peaceful dining experience.

We put too much effort to reach this restaurant and then they lay out all these rules . Are we expected to return back after reaching the restaurant. Instead why don’t you explain about these rules in your website better so we don’t have to decide after reaching the restaurant.

Food wastage will be charged - I can see a point in here that these people are trying to avoid food wastage which is appreciable- but I read in one of the reviews that the wasted food is collectively put in a box and is returned back to the customer - is this fair ?

The rule that bothered me the most - 40 mins to finish your buffet. Food service is a part of hospitality business and this is certainly not...

My recent dining experience at Zaika Indian Cuisine left me feeling utterly disillusioned and taken advantage of. Not only did they impose an outrageous premium for food wastage, but they also had the audacity to enforce a mandatory tip for the wait staff. Allow me to elaborate on why this combination of exploitative practices made my visit to Zaika Indian Cuisine an absolute nightmare.

First and foremost, the concept of charging a premium for food wastage is nothing short of a money-grabbing scheme. As a paying customer, I expect to be charged for the food I consume, not for any leftovers that remain on my plate. It's a devious way to extract extra money from unsuspecting diners and adds unnecessary stress and pressure to the dining experience.

To add insult to injury, Zaika Indian Cuisine also imposes a mandatory tip for the wait staff. While tipping is customary in many restaurants, making it obligatory is completely unjustified. Tips are meant to be a reflection of exceptional service, not a compulsory fee forced upon patrons. This policy removes the choice from customers and forces them to pay for service that may not have met their expectations.

Moreover, the staff at the restaurant displayed a lack of empathy and understanding when questioned about these charges. Instead of addressing my concerns, they brushed them off and provided no justification for their exploitative practices. It was disheartening to witness their indifference and disregard for customer satisfaction. A restaurant should value its patrons and strive to provide a positive dining experience, not squeeze every last penny out of them.

Additionally, the overall quality of the food and service was far from impressive. The dishes lacked flavor, creativity, and finesse, making it difficult to justify the exorbitant prices charged. The wait staff seemed disinterested and inattentive, which only exacerbated the disappointment I felt. It is unfathomable that a restaurant charging such high fees for food wastage and mandatory tipping could fail so miserably in delivering a memorable dining experience.

In conclusion, my visit to Zaika Indian Cuisine was marred by exploitative practices and lackluster service. The imposition of a premium for food waste and a mandatory tip was both unjust and disrespectful to customers. The mediocre food and indifferent staff only added to the overall dissatisfaction. I strongly advise against dining at here if you value fair pricing, transparency, and a pleasant dining atmosphere. Look elsewhere for a restaurant that respects its customers and offers a truly enjoyable dining experience.

Update to the Owners reply:

Sure. Please do post the so called "video" that you have. I'd love to see that. LOL.

You have the wrong person. We were not a party of 12. We didn't have a 15 year old in our party. Thanks to your insolent and petulant tone, I'm more confident than ever about my review now. After reading your reply to this review, I agree - there is a bully here; it's just not...

Food It was difficult to capture a photo to show what makes the food appealing. The lunch tray aesthetic and dull colors give the impression that the food tastes bland, when in fact it is extremely flavorful thanks to the traditional range of Indian spices. Due to the buffet-style, I would advise first-time visitors to start off with a tray that samples a bit of everything. A typical scoop that does not aim to get more of the sauce or its contents will get the best balance of flavor and substance. Be advised that some of the sauces (reddish-color) are hot. If going with another person, then consider sharing the large spherical items from the salad section. We only weren't fond of the 2 variants of round spheres (one a potato, one in a white sauce), so grab at most one of each if you are a picky eater. Ultimately, it should be easy to be full here, and the food is on the level of home cooking. Not exceptional, but greatly appreciated if you are hungry.

Service The service is truly outstanding. By nature of being a buffet, there is virtually no wait time. Water and naan are complimentary to the meal, and there are no surcharges if you aren't deliberately wasteful. I think the person who help us was Viviana, and she was the best. My mom asked for warm instead of room temperature water, and had her preference accommodated. I, on the other hand, made the grave buffet mistake of grabbing more food than I could eat. It is currently breakfast time the day after our dinnertime meal at Zaika, and I feel full. For a more enjoyable experience and not stressing out the waiters with signs of impending stomachache, please hold back on filling your plate! (in total, we left 4 pieces of paneer and half of the sphere in white sauce -- entirely preventable!) Thankfully, Viviana was kind enough to have mercy on my goofiness, and we did not get charged extra despite the store's policy.

Atmosphere It's a comfy setting. The only disturbance in the force that day was me trying to take on the final bites on my plate. The table we agreed to sit at was in a higher-traffic spot of the restaurant, but this became less noticeable of a detail as we started eating. The buffet lines feel clean because of the plastic shield preventing adults from breathing on the food. There were food prep gloves next to the clean plates and trays, which made the food-taking process feel sanitary. Nice bustling, without significant waiting. Good place to be ~8 PM.

Summary: start of with really small samples & do not get too much of what tastes best on your...