Food Shines — Restaurant in Lowell

I recently ordered from Food Shines Lowell, expecting a delightful meal that would satiate my cravings. Unfortunately, my experience was far from satisfactory. I ordered goat curry, strawberry banana lassi, and shrimp coconut curry via Grubhub. Regrettably, the food not only failed to meet my expectations but left me feeling angry and disappointed.

Starting with the goat curry, I was appalled by the quality of the meat. It was mostly bones, with very little actual meat to be found. The dish lacked the rich, tender chunks of goat that one would anticipate in a well-prepared curry. I could hardly enjoy my meal as I had to navigate around the numerous bones, which should never be the case for such a dish.

The shrimp coconut curry was similarly disappointing. The flavors were muted, and the overall taste was underwhelming. I expected a rich, creamy, and aromatic coconut curry, but it seemed as though the chef had skimped on crucial ingredients, leaving the dish lacking in depth and complexity.

The strawberry banana lassi, which should have been a refreshing and fruity drink, was far from it. The consistency was off, and the flavor balance was skewed. The lassi was too sweet, with an overpowering artificial strawberry taste, masking the natural sweetness of the bananas.

The only positive aspect of my experience was the delivery through Grubhub, which was prompt and reliable. However, the food itself left me feeling extremely unsatisfied, and I doubt I will be ordering from Food Shines Lowell again. I hope the restaurant takes this feedback to heart and improves its quality and preparation in the future, but for now, I cannot recommend this establishment to anyone seeking a delicious and...

I find it difficult to understand the many positive reviews for this location, particularly those comparing it positively to sit-down Indian restaurants. Perhaps the quality has deteriorated drastically over the years; otherwise, I question the understanding the authors of these reviews have of what food, Indian or otherwise, should taste like.

If not for Food Shine's rigorous advertising, the dismal food quality, suspicious industrial atmosphere, and distinct lack of activity might suggest that the true purpose of this restaurant was more so to facilitate creative financial transfers than to serve food. Blocklike sections of dry, unseared chicken breast, oddly reminiscent of the sort that comes in cans, floated in a sea of glutinous and saccharine sauce which tasted more like tomato soup than curry. The 'pork' momos tasted entirely, and overpoweringly, of garlic. A constant high-pitched hiss filled the restaurant, at a volume above polite conversation. This does not deserve to be compared to real Indian food.

I would expect to find more craftsmanship and ambience at...

Food Shines has better Indian food than most of the Indian restaurants I've been to. They're very humble about their ingredients, taking care to list everything in every option, which is great for folks unfamiliar with the cultural cuisine. Also great for folks unfamiliar with the choices: Every choice I've tried so far is great! The flavors are bold without being overwhelming, interesting without being too challenging or off-putting.

Another nice feature: It travels REALLY well. They keep the rice and sauce separate so that you can add as much sauce as you feel comfortable with- try it with a little, and add more to taste as you get a feel for it. If you're really into the milder side of life, you can get an extra meal or three out of the sauces by making some more rice of your own and adding the leftover sauce to that!

Highly underrated, this place deserves more attention than it's getting. This is candlelit sit-down dinner quality at takeout prices. It...