Turmeric Cafe and Bistro (New Management) — Restaurant in Louisville

Since the lunch buffet is/was back up and running, my partner and I started coming in for their weekday buffet. One Thursday afternoon we were in the area and made the drive over to Dakshin, but they informed us upon entry that they no longer have the lunch buffet during the week, reserving it for lunch Friday-Sunday.

So, my partner and I came in for lunch a few weekends ago and noticed it was unusually empty. I told my partner "this is not a good sign," but we decided to give it a shot anyway. As I picked through my plate, I attempted to feast on the dry chicken tikka from the buffet as I sweat through my clothes in an uncomfortably hot restaurant--and at that moment it was evident that I was eating yesterday's food. This place is no longer what it used to be.

The chana had a rough texture as if it had not been cooked long enough and the "mango ice cream" that I typically love to get from the buffet was not at all cold and was slightly warm. I now question if what I was eating was ice cream at all.

The fruit on the buffet was drying out to the point that apples had crusted brown edges, but the label on the buffet said "Fresh Fruit." If the fruit was truly fresh, it would be evident and you absolutely would not need to put the word "fresh" in front of it. They are telling on themselves with that one.

Even before the pandemic, the buffet naan was consistently burned and it is no better now. It might even be worse considering how thin the naan was the last few times we went. The rice had clearly been sitting there all day without changing out the pan, as there were lots of hard grains. The paneer was not cooked properly before it was placed into the vat of grease that some people would call "gravy," but I'll be honest, it was more like wallpaper paste. It was devoid of nutrition, super salty, not spicy enough, and bland--I could go on but I'll just leave it at that.

When we went to pay, we realized we were charged more than $40 with tax (before tip) for mediocre food. There is no worse feeling than over paying for garbage food. We are just two people, and due to the poor quality of the food, we had maybe a plate each. I was so disappointed I could have cried. I'm not sure why we were charged so much more than other people seem to say they have been charged for the lunch buffet, but it's definitely not worth the cost anymore.

As much as I used to love Dakshin, the new management seems to only care about pinching pennies which will inevitably ruin their business. I came here for the convenience more than anything, as I can cook my own Indian food from home. Hell, I can go to Patel Brothers and buy an entire week's worth of Indian groceries for $40. There is no reason to come to this restaurant anymore. Good riddance Dakshin. Enter at...

I don't know what has happened to Dakshin, but it is definitely not the restaraunt it used to be. Showed up for lunch with three co-workers and it took nearly 10 minutes just to get someone to take our orders. There were only two other tables occupied in the restaraunt and one was paying their tab. Ordered food with a couple appetizers and naan and it was almost 30 minutes before the two apps showed up. A few minutes later one main course arrived followed shortly by another. Fifteen minutes later neither of the other courses were at the table and none of the naan ordered had arrived with the other meals that were already served. After waiting another 10 minutes we realized we had to get back to work and asked them to pack up whatever was available to go. After another 10 minutes of waiting we were presented with the check and the two orders to go.

When I got back to the office I started eating my lunch which consisted of an order of Malai Kofta. The koftas were as hard as a rock and could not be cut at all with a fork. Using a knife I managed to split one and take a bite, it was tough and overcooked and tasted slightly freezer burnt. The sauce was too sweet and had a pale yellow color which is unusual for the dish. Another co-worker who took his food to go had the standard chicken tikka masala and commented that it was dry as a bone and overcooked.

I have no idea what has happened to this once lovely restaraunt, but whoever took it over is in for a world of trouble if they continue to serve food of this quality and with such poor service.

We...

The outside of this place is pretty humble and the inside is spartan as well. Once you've had the food it's quite apparent where all the energies went.

We started with a couple bottles of Taj Mahal. It was a clean lager we were unafmiliar with even if the flavor profile was similar to a more uspcale Stroh's. We were soon presented with the cracker bread I'm accustomed to but can't seem to name at the moment along with three sauces. That was followed with two impressive samosas that were good if a bit underseasoned. My Rasam soup was mind-blowing. So many spices and flavors mingling had me comparing it to a Tom Yum but even better than that, one of my favorite soups.

The entrees arrived. My vegetable biryani was good but I've had better. My friend raved about his Chana Masala and I had to agree it was pretty amazing. The Garlic Naan and Raita were just what we'd expected.

Looks aren't everything especially when you consider the quality of the food ad the fact this was the cheapest meal we'd had all week. Also, the menu was huge and covered North, South and East Indian regional dishes....