Address: | 10151 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20903, USA |
Phone: | +1 301-408-2200 |
Site: | jewelofindiamd.com |
Rating: | 4.2 |
Working: | 11:30AM–3PM 11:30AM–3PM 11:30AM–3PM 11:30AM–3PM 11:30AM–3PM 11:30AM–3PM 11:30AM–3PM |
DI
Dion Gnanakkan
I am not going back to a Indian restaurant that treats INDIANS as SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS. The maî·tre dhô·tel JOSH was so pleasantly seating everybody except my party of four - me, my pregnant wife, 3 year old daughter and my sister-in-law. We arrived around 12:35 pm and were told that it would be a 20 minute wait. I was the 4th party on his list when I arrived. He seated all 3 parties before me in the next 15 minutes or so. Then he went to seat a party of two. I thought he was seating this party at a table for two. So I refrained from intervening. But he seated them at a table for 4. I was surprised. I could see a lot of open tables for 4 in the restaurant. I was still waiting but postured myself near the Matireds podium to get his attention. But he had turned the page and was calling two more parties of 3 who had come 10 minutes after me and my pregnant wife. He was seating the 2nd party of 3 again in a table of 4 while we were still waiting. So I went to him as he called the 2nd party of 3 and asked what do I have to do to get a table for lunch? Josh replied back at me RUDELY and said I was coming to you next and to be patient and that he was getting my table setup. I pointed out to him that he seated 3 parties that came after me in tables of 4 while we were waiting and I had a pregnant wife in my party of 4. Josh just ignored what I was saying and said he was doing everything according to order and did not offer an explanation or an apology. All I wanted was an apology or an explanation to let it go. But Joshs INSENSITIVE NATURE and his HEIGHTENED EGO would not apologize. Even though others in the restaurant eventually did when I did make a scene paying my bill. I told JOSH that he was a racist and was seating white people before brown people and he showed me the color of his skin and I am brown and I dont know what you are talking about. As long as ignorant JOSH continues to be the Maitre d at Jewel of India, I will not be patronizing it and neither will any of my South Indian family that amounts to more than 300 people in the DC area. I will recommend every friend to AVOID this restaurant for the shabby treatment of Indians.
JO
Jon Angier
Sad, because this used to be the best Indian food in the area. This time, though, it was just bad. I went for the buffet lunch (usually reliably excellent with a large selection); the onion fritters were completely soggy with oil, the rice was mushy, the Chicken Makhani was bland, the Saag Paneer watery, and the Tandoori Chicken tasted like a block of salt. But what really turned my stomach was when I went for the dessert. The "Creme Brulee" pan was nearly empty - just a little residue around the edges. I asked one of the waiters if they were bringing another tray out, and he went off to check. Meanwhile another waiter asked me what I was doing there - when I told him, he angrily took a cup, filled it with the scraped up residue, and handed it to me. Some of the goop spilled over onto his fingers and dripped back into the pan. When I went back to check several minutes later, the leftover pan with the unsanitary finger-goop was still there, and patrons were trying to scrape the remainders into their cups. Yuck!
CA
Candace Habte
I have been here three times (sit-in) and the food and service are always great. The menu has a wide range of choices, and each time Ive tried something different. The only thing I wouldnt order again was the Masala Calamari (I wanted to try something different, and although it wasnt nasty the presentation wasnt the best and the taste was just okay). The service is attentive, nothing overly friendly- just good. But I do like the food (my friends have tried the Chinese food and liked it). I usually get Lamb Saag (and its a BIG serving unlike some reviewers have said- guess it depends on what you order). My husband got a very spicy lamb dish that he likes, and Ive only had two drinks from there- Melon Ball and Mojito- both were delish (not too much alcohol but not watered down). I finally tried dessert and had the pistachio ice cream (wish I could post a pic) it was a work of art!..and tasty too. No place is perfect, but for the price, service and atmosphere its worth it.
DU
Duke de PallMall
This was recommended to us by everybody who knew it as the best Indian restaurant in the region, so expectations were high. The food was good indeed, with all sauces tasting good to excellent. Minor deductions for slightly dry meat in the Chicken Vindaloo and the Rogan Josh and rather dry and crumbly Naan. The vegetarian Tali featured excellent chick peas, paneer, good black lentils and forgetable potatoes. The Masala tea was OK and the Mango Lassi tasty, the Gulab Jamun lacked flavor. So far, so good, now lets talk about the incompetent service. Always there when you didnt need him, but running off when you did, removing menus before everybody had ordered their drinks - the good man simply lacked a professional waiters sense of timing. He also confused the lamb and chicken dishes, failed to serve dessert without being reminded, managed to pack the wrong leftovers up and was basically more of a nuisance than an enabler of culinary pleasure. The food deserves better.
CO
Courtney Belmonte
My boyfriend and I were excited for the buffet, but had the dinner instead since we missed it. We were not disappointed at all! The staff was incredibly friendly and the atmosphere was perfect. The food was absolutely delicious. I had a shrimp curry and he had a chicken curry with almonds (we could hardly pronounce them while ordering and fail to remember their names now). Of course I made sure we ordered naan (Even though our order came with a big heaping of white rice), and had plain naan and garlic naan that we used to wipe the plates and bowls clean--perfect. Overall, the experience was great! We both have had Indian food before, but this is certainly on another level. This is definitely a place to try if youre willing to spend a bit more than the usual--but its all worth it. Comparable to other "high-end" places, these prices are very reasonable.
MI
Michael Kelley
This is our favorite Indian restaurant in the area, and weve tried many. The ambiance is excellent, despite the somewhat strip-mally nature of the surrounding stores. The service staff is incredibly friendly. It probably helped that we had our 18 month-old son with us, but they were constantly smiling at our table and coming by to say hi. Several of the staff remembered us on our second visit, a few months after the first. Again, Im sure the adorable kid helped here, but looking around at the other tables I saw nothing but solid service and friendliness on display. Every food item we have ordered has been excellent. Im not saying completely changed the way I see Indian food, but the food is cooked well and never disappoints. If I had to recommend one standout, it would be the biryani. It has been delicious on both visits. Even my baby ate it up!
BE
Benjamin Kirkup
After many visits, one of my favorite Indian restaurants, along with some in other cities. The buffet is uniformly excellent and well attended, well priced. The a la carte menu is even better, item for item. The audience for the evening menu is dynamic and includes many families from India. The food is well seasoned and complex, not a single note or compromised. The fish curries are particularly delicious and even my young children enjoy them. The service has always been good; not always perfectly organized. Very friendly. Seeing another review complain about a very young child being charged for a full buffet, Ive never seen that. Yes, for a school aged child. Anyway, the manager is always helpful too. Its good enough, so that the few dishes Im not hugely fond of, perhaps I dont understand. They tend to be the indo-chinese dishes.