Aab India Restaurant — Restaurant in Columbus

★★★★★ Food quality ★★★★★ Service ★★★★★ Ambiance ★★★★★ Value ★★★★★ Menu selection ★★★★☆ Location/Accessibility ★★★★★ Overall experience Date visited: 11/11/2023 During a weekend excursion to the vibrant city of Columbus, I seized the opportunity to indulge my palate in the diverse and rich flavors of Indian cuisine at Aab India Restaurant. Accompanied by my dining companion, KK, our culinary escapade unfolded with the promise of an extraordinary dining experience. Arriving just before noon, we found the exterior of Aab India unassuming, a subtle facade that betrayed little of the culinary marvels concealed within. The challenge of parking, however, proved a minor detour on our quest for gastronomic bliss. Having secured a spot in the Big Lot parking lot down the street, we waited outside, eagerly anticipating the moment when the doors would swing open to reveal the warmth and aromatic allure that awaited us. As the clock struck 12, the portal to this culinary haven opened, and we eagerly sought refuge from the brisk autumn air. A gracious staff member ushered us to a neatly arranged table, allowing my companion to peruse the menu while I immersed myself in the restaurant's ambiance. The interior unfolded with systematic organization—tables optimized for space, a bar counter adorned with a curated collection hinting at a storied history, and at the far end, a buffet counter laden with an enticing array of Indian culinary treasures. The decor, an elegant fusion of warmth and antiquity, transported diners to a bygone era. With its antique-inspired ceiling, floor, and furnishings, Aab India exuded an authenticity that promised an immersive dining experience. The warm color palette and tantalizing aroma further heightened the anticipation, especially as I imagined the ambiance taking on a magical allure as daylight gave way to night. Choosing the all-you-can-eat buffet, we joined a queue that mirrored our eagerness to explore the Indian culinary landscape. Labels adorned each tray, providing glimpses into the myriad dishes that awaited us. My plate became a canvas for a symphony of flavors—a scoop of herbal basmati rice, curry that was a departure from the familiar Chicken Tikka Masala, naan bread, fresh vegetables, and a dessert whose uniqueness intrigued my senses. Returning to our table, the first bites were revelations. The curry, a choreography of spices, danced on my palate, and the naan bread, while exemplary on its own, ascended to sublime heights when dipped in the curry. KK, fully immersed in the experience, relished basmati rice, Chicken Tikka, and an assortment of vegetables with evident delight. In the midst of our culinary reverie, an attentive waitress graced our table, ensuring our glasses remained filled. A managerial or culinary presence, keen on enhancing our experience, paid a gracious visit, adding a personal touch to our culinary journey. Our senses satiated and the ambiance savored, we lingered a while before bidding adieu to the burgeoning crowd. Overwhelmed by the newfound popularity, we settled the bill, generously tipping for the delightful fare and attentive service—a mere $16 per person, a paltry sum for the culinary symphony we had indulged in. Overall, Aab India Restaurant emerges as an unparalleled gem in the culinary scene of Columbus. A haven for those seeking not just a meal but a gastronomic journey, it stands as a testament to the alluring wonders of Indian cuisine. As I departed, the promise echoed—an assurance that whenever Columbus beckons, Aab India will be my chosen sanctuary for an encore of extraordinary flavors and warm...

This is based on the lunch buffet offered. For the price, this buffet was not just worth it, it is a deal that SOULD NOT BE MISSED OUT ON. The food is wonderful, flavorful, and balanced. They are careful to keep the level of spice to a minimal for every dish. My rating, however, will be a solid 4/5 and I’ll break down why.

The pakoras were delicious. The batter in which they are coated is appropriately reasoned to create the taste profile true to an Indian pakora. There was also a chicken pakora, which was on the side of Hakka Chinese flavors, but was very well prepared and tender. No complaints.

Moving on to the vegetarian dishes offered in the main course. The Palak Paneer (Spinach with Indian cheese cubes) was delicious. It was well balanced and had all the flavors of the ingredients come through, without being drowned out by the cream used in the dish. This was a uniquely good experience for me compared to other Indian restaurants in the area. The Cauliflower dish was similarly prepared with attention to flavor. The Chana Aloo (Chickpea - potato) dish offered was very bland. Unfortunately it feel short compared to all other dishes offered at the buffet. It lacked salt, and the other spices that should be used to create the flavor true to this dish, were lacking entirely.

Next was the non-vegetarian section. The Chicken Ajwain was a wonderful wish. Truly unique among Indian dishes in flavor, and was particularly well executed. The Chicken tikka masala was not as well executed. It is not that, it was not amazing in its taste, but the balance of flavors was lacking and so it ended up tasting like a delicious butter chicken and less like a chicken tikka masala (yes, there is a big difference). The spicy chicken was a delicious dish as well. The tandoori chicken was VERY well flavored and the taste was very satisfactory. It was a little on the dry side, as good tandoori chicken tends to remain juicy, owning to its traditional cooking process. Still, for the buffet, it was very good. The Prawns curry was DELICIOUS. Light, aromatic and HUGE Prawns. Large enough to charge 18 dollars alone just for this dish alone, so I was pleasantly surprised and appreciative that this dish was offered at the buffet. They absorbed the flavors well. My only critique of the dish would be that the prawns were overcooked. I know that perhaps I am being a little too critical, but I hope to report my experience as best as I can.

The salad was FRESH! Which I feel should not be under appreciated. Buffets tend to neglect this aspect, but they not only made sure to provide what felt like a fresh salad, the raita and tamarind chutney were all well prepared and balanced as flavors.

For dessert there was a rice kheer which was delicious, authentic in its flavors, and preparation. Wonderfully executed. The “mango pudding” they offered and was watery and did not resemble any thing like pudding. So I did not try it, and I would rate that dish the lowest on the menu offered on the buffet that day.

The staff was courteous and checked on my meal the appropriate number of times. Used plates were cleared up promptly. The washroom did not match the quality of the dining room or the food. I would happily recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting to try good...

####Reply to the lies mentioned by AAB INDIA###

TEAM, It seems you are mixing up with few other customers whom you might be misbehaving with on a regular basis. Coming to the payment, you need to ask your staff who told us not to pay as we had just checked in and were only there for max 10 minutes. We did not even initiate payment topic, its your staff who offered it. Kindly get your CCTV checked and tested as it is clearly not working as per your comments below. Secondly, neither we were discourteous to your staff nor were they. We had a very healthy normal discussion while we were giving feedback and they continued greeting us while we were leaving the restaurant (have a good day mam/sir) WHY WOULD SOMEONE FOLLOW US 30 MINUTES AFTER WE LEFT THE RESTAURANT. WHY WERE WE NOT STOPPED RIGHT AT THE DOOR WHEN WE WERE LEAVING. WE DID NOT RUN AWAY. WE WERE RIGHT THERE AT THE PARKING FOR A LONG TIME. SO OUR INTENSIONS ARE 100% PURE. WE WILL SHOW THE REAL CCTV FOOTAGE OF NEIGHBOURING BANK'S PARKING AREA HOW THAT MAN CAME TO OUR CAR. WE WERE WITH OUR INFANT INSIDE AND THAT MAN KNOCKED ON OUR CAR'S WINDOW.

PLEASE HAVE SOME DECENCY TO ACCEPT IF YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG RATHER THAN MAKING FALSE ALLEGATIONS. DO NOT MAKE BASELESS STORIES TO COVER UP YOUR FAULT. 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE/HEADCHEF AND THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE SUCH GREAT REVIEWS BY EVERY INDIAN CUSTOMERS. BEFORE WRITING SUCH THINGS SO CONFIDENTLY ITS HIGH TIME FOR YOU TO TAKE A MOMENT AND READ YOUR CUSTOMER'S REVIEWS.

And yes, if you have the guts do share the cctv clip right here so that everyone can see how transparent and authentic you guys are.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: 1st of all this restaurant is not run by an Indian so they should stop using INDIA's name. Now about our experince in this restaurant, food was of very poor quality, undercooked and bland. We went for lunch buffet where they had only 5-6 food items including both veg nd non veg. We had spent only 9 or 10 mins and gave feedback to the staff. Staff asked us to not to pay if we are not getting anything as per our expectation. So we left the restaurant within those 10 minutes. We were at the parking lot for about 20 minutes searching for nearest restaurant and suddenly an aged man claiming to be the owner of the restaurant came to our car fighting that why we did not pay. He was very arrogant and shouting at us in a very dangerous way. He took the picture of our car number plate to intimidate us.

INDIANS PLEASE AVOID GOING TO THIS RESTAURANT. PLEASE READ OTHER REVIEWS...