Pintu’s Indian Palace — Restaurant in West Springfield

Lunch buffet:

I’m by no means an expert on Indian food, but I’ve worked in India for several months (Mumbai, Baroda, Cochin, and Vizag), so I’m not completely clueless either. I’m from Houston, which probably has more Indian restaurants per capita than any other US city…some there are ok, others rival the best in India. Pintu’s, in Houston would be middle of the pack, if they were there.

Pintu’s buffet is a bit limited in selection, but authentic to the (Punjab-ish) traditional cuisine and certainly my expectations.

For health reasons, I’m low carb these days, so I didn’t get to enjoy the rice, bread, deep fried items, Chana Masala etc., but their tandoori chicken, Brinjal bhartha, okra fry (bhindi do piaza), butter chicken, and beef keema were all mouth watering and memorable.

Special mention for the tandoori chicken and especially the brinjal bhartha (separation of spices, freshness, texture etc.). Fantastic ghee base with a ginger - garlic - chili base taste, bringing the masala alive, punching thru faithfully and sensationally on each bite with a satisfying aftertaste… I very much enjoyed every moment. Kudos to the talented chef and staff.

The chutneys (mint, chili) were great (I can’t do tamarind these days…sugar/carbs). Also, the salad mix was nice, diverse, and had a wonderful dressing on the side.

The negative… the host guy was questioning why I brought in a bottle of kefir (it’s like yogurt, I put it on my salad) and I had to explain myself than I eat a bit with all meals for health reasons (probiotic).

He still looked very concerned, but gave in when I continued to push back. 4 stars, due to this. The other staff were great about taking my empty plates, refilling water, etc.

In summary, it is a limited spread, but very high quality, true to the tradition, mouth watering yummy Indian lunch time buffet that cost 19.20, tax included. This worked out to 6.20 per plate, terrific value, recommend restaurant, bahut...

I have to tell you, I have eaten in a lot of Indian restaurants--all over the country. (Not in India, lol). You remember I was a food critic in CA and was actually paid for my opinion. :) So when I say that Pintu's Indian Restaurant stands tall among them all, I am not exaggerating.

The food is excellent, all made from scratch, highly refined and complex, and amazingly delicious. Happily, except for the fried chicken, there are no industrial seed oils, no Canola. They use butter for naan, ghee for sauces, and tandoori has no oil at all. Yay!

Once we tried the buffet and especially enjoyed the tandoori and the chicken masala. I love their rice pudding. A very refreshing meal topper.

Our favorites--Nav Ratan Korma, a delicious vegetarian concoction of nine veggies and pureed nuts in a memorable cream sauce, and Lamb Muglai Korma (I'm thinking Korma must mean vegetables), with tender chunks of lamb, simmered with nuts and raisins in a creamy curry sauce---to die for. And, of course, naan--this time a perfect roasted garlic naan, great for sopping up those cream sauces, so not one drop is wasted.

Pintu Chawla, the owner, was gracious and friendly (I read some people said he is rude. I suspect they were the ones initiating rudeness).

Our servers, Hemanth and Brian were helpful and kind.

It takes a lot to make a success of running restaurants these days--more than usual even. Pintu knows what he's doing. His staff is well managed. And, even the Indian music and comfy booths make the stay very pleasant.

If there were tablecloths, china, and crystal, it would rival any five-star restaurant out there. But I give it five anyway for the reasons stated. This will be our new favorite for Indian food--which we absolutely love when...

Having driven into Springfield from Vermont, my wife and I found Pintu’s for dinner at the end of a roundabout off an ornate bridge (to conceptualize how a circle could have an endpoint, you’ll need to visit Pintu’s). The bar section was pretty full for a Tuesday night; the dining section not so much. Once seated in our booth, we perused the eclectic menu. When I shared my Whole Food Plant Based proclivity with the waiter, he immediately beelined it to the kitchen to consult the Chef, who was nice enough to come out to our table and walk me through some viable menu options for me. I started with the mixed veggie platter—a copious assortment of onions, tomato, and cucumber in a generously dappled sprinkling of aromatic spices that made these veggies pop with flavor. Next, Dal soup, another generous portion whose spicy heat catalyzed an impassioned and persevering perspiration that would have me toweling my forehead and scalp with my unsuitable napkin for the rest of the meal (it was my own doing, having boldly ordered the ‘hot’ version of each dish). Finally, the Chana Masala, equally spicy yet, as with the soup, just enough so as to blast the volume of the delicious melange of chickpeas, tomato, and ginger rather than drown it out. Ultimately, this dinner was quite the culinary and sudoriferous adventure, one that, as with all well prepared meals comprised of well prepared, real food, left me feeling sated and content with no intestinal repercussions any time afterward. I definitely recommend Pintu’s; bring your appetite...