Namaste Indian Cuisine - Weidler St — Restaurant in Portland

Tl:Dr: Tasty food, unpretentious atmosphere and, my personal favorite: ALL DAY BUFFET!

I am not a "foodie." I eat a lot of chicken, including fast food and stuff like that. That said, a good Indian buffet is one of my favorite meals.

Last time I was in Portland, in June, I had hoped to get some Chicken Tikka Masala from another restaurant downtown, but missed their lunch time. I was disappointed, but already had dinner plans and figured I'd just get Indian next time...

Since then, I have been to Seattle, Vancouver, New York, Chicago... Heck, even Fort Wayne, Indiana, and every time I have sought my chicken curry, I was thwarted, sometimes because my traveling companion was craving something else (Not complaining I also love the Xiaolongbao, or the Street Tacos, and there are only like 5 Nando's chicken places in North America).

Let me tell you, these last few months have been a journey.

I have gotten my boss fired, hired a staff, set up and taken down several different tents, negotiated contracts, drafted policies, written many lists (some longer than this one). I dug ditches, drank with jugglers, and cleaned windows. I have performed on stage, conversed with a raven, grieved over terrible loss and celebrated great triumph. I drove across the country and flew back the other way with a box-cutter in my carryon. I slept in nice hotels, rest stops in the Rockies, in a tent on the ground, under a bridge, in my own bed, and even dozed off a little in a South Dakota jail.

So, after all that, and after successfully completing the ambitious, stressful, arduous, but ultimately extremely rewarding professional obligation that had me running all over the continent like that, I found myself alone, with 24 hours in Portland before my flight home to New York.

I looked on this app for an Indian buffet, knowing that my Uber in from the suburbs would drop me off too late for most. I found this one and saw the all-day buffet.

I picked my lodging based on the location of this restaurant. I don't usually stay in an Airbnb, especially in a beautiful residential neighborhood like Irvington because I have seen what has happened in places like New Orleans, but... I tried to find one with a local owner at least... It is lovely, I am there now writing this.

Anyhow, my ride dropped me off, I collapsed on the couch of this beautiful apartment that's mine for a day, luggage still strapped to my shoulders, and stared for about forty-five minutes until the ibuprofen kicked in. Then I make my way to a nearby dispensary to avail myself of another indulgence I have also been without, albeit this one only for a few days. On the way out of the dispensary I was engaged in a surprising conversation about the nature of being and language and the universe with a colorful local, who I dearly hope is able to get the help he clearly needs.

I took a long walk around the neighborhood until I found myself at my destination, feeling like Campbell's hero, returning from the underworld; like Ulysses standing at the gate of his home, having left it behind so long ago, and, though it was unfamiliar, opened the door and stepped inside.

Incidentally, I was pretty stoned at this point. A fact which certainly, and somewhat embarrassingly for me, was not lost on the staff.

The place was pretty modestly appointed, with the buffet and counter running diagonally, some booths and a few four-tops and a light-up menu board offering a pretty basic a la carte menu and, finally, The all-day buffet for $20.

There were a couple of patrons there, and one or two others came in for the buffet as I was eating, but even though it was kinda between lunch and dinner, like 4PM, the food all seemed fresh and it was all very good. Maybe the Samosas and Naan bread could have been fresher, I guess. ...but I tried pretty much all of the chicken dishes, had a small salad (which was also fresh, if simple), and after three delicious plates and a flask of water, I grabbed a small cone of mango ice cream and headed out.

Great meal. Really hit...

Lunch buffet on a Sunday. The place was almost empty. Let me preface by saying why I did not complain, send food back or ask for my money back. I was with a friend who was sharing some important news, we were on a relatively tight timeline and the food, while honestly some of the worst I have had in recent memory, was simply not the priority. We ate at 1:00 PM. The food in the buffet was severely dried out from sitting under heat lamps far too long. The chicken was stringy and dry. In fact some of it was impossible to cut with a fork and was so leathery that a knife did not cut much better. The lack of moisture in the food required me to chew on ice before I took a bite as I could not make enough saliva to break it down into small enough to swallow. The sauces had congealed to mud, had a slick rancid smelling oil resting on top of them that had cooked off, and the vegetables in them had boiled down to mush, the rice was crunchy to the tooth and the various meats and vegetables in it were badly dessicated most loosing all structure and most of their color. There were a number of clearly marked vegetarian options. They looked especially worn out with the sauces cracked across the surface and solidified to the point where they were pulling away from the sides like a cake that is ready to come out of the oven. The nan was more like a matzah cracker. No softness, no pillowy areas. Just, dry, flat, crumbly, flavorless . The food tasted so old that you could only taste a mild hint of curry, tandoori, etc. Everything had the same dull brown look. The staff was very friendly and attentive. The restaurant was very clean. Free on street (2 hour limit) parallel street parking was limited but not impossible to find. This would be an okay place to take kids however the price and food quality would make this a questionable choice It was expensive at $14 per plate (before $4.00 tip) for a buffet considering that the food should have been disposed of hours earlier. I would find it annoying but just sigh and not comment if this was $8.00 at a food court. At a restaurant, and at this price, this was totally unacceptable. Next time I want Indian food for lunch I guess I will need to find...

This is my second review... I didn't realize I had written a not-so-favorable review, I believe at least 6-months to 1-year ago... However, this is my second review. I just ate their on Thursday Sept 26. I came for the lunch-time buffet. I was surprised to see that they increased the price from $16 to $20 for the entire day. I hesitated, yet decided to eat there anyway. Sad to say the food was worse than the last time I was here. Bear in mind that I have been eating Indian Cuisine for more than 40-years. Here the cook seems to have a fascination for water - everything was 'soupy' - not a single so-called curry dish has the creaminess of a real curry. All the dishes were soups; and they lacked flavor. They need a real Indian Cuisine chef/cook. Furthermore, no one offered me water the entire time I was their. I got a second plate to try totally different items, that equally disappointing, however, no one came to get the first plate from my table... Nevertheless, at the register they have the nerve to have an option requesting a tip despite the big drop in quality and service. I chuckled as i declined a tip.... I will not make the mistake to eat here again. Totally disappointing! Don't I wish this business would learn from it criticisms, though I doubt it.

The food is eatable, however it (the buffet) is not worth the prices that are charged - $16 Lunch, $20 Dinner. Specifically, the meat curries are okay, occasionally really good. However, the Chana Marsala and dal is always watery and too bland, the vegetable dishes are most often bland. The breads okay. I ate at the one on Broadway in PDX, I've eaten here numerous times, and the food seems to be taking a dive rather than improving. Lastly, the seem to neglect that fact that people, at least I and my guest, would like to eat in comfort - i.e., in a heated place, rather than an ice-box (no heat). This go round, I've decided it would be my last to this location. The one on 82nd I stopped eating at at...