02/25/09

No thanks...not for us

by Bugsy55

We quite fancied an Indian meal last night..the starters were fine but all the main dishes were very very salty...it spoiled the meal completely and ,12 hours and an uncomfortable night later,we can still taste the salt.Even after bringing out another portion,freshly cooked,it was still salty.Not for me, thanks

• Pros: Good parking,friendly staff
• Cons: Very salty food

02/04/09

this place IS like the old Bombay Palace!!!!

by checkerhead

thanks to another reviewer below, I was able to find my long lost love.......Bombay Palace!! the lunch buffet is practically identical to what use to be offered at Bombay Palace.....I am so glad to have found this place. go to their website and print off a coupon for 10% off lunch, 15% off dinner....service is excellent, waitstaff very attentive........nice quaint atmosphere.....it is far out on the west side of town, but well worth the drive!

• Pros: excellent service, great food
• Cons: out on west side of town, area is somewhat run down

01/21/09

Great Indian Dishes

by TheBestCritic

I've been to Gourmet India several times and have enjoyed the lunch buffett and the dinner menu. The food is excellent and service is good. I just wanted to tell eatit2008 that you don't have to drive to far out Westheimer to get the EXACT SAME FOOD AND MENU, just go to India's on Richmond a couple of hundred yards west of Chimney Rock. IT'S IDENTICAL, must be the same owners (I never asked) as Gourmet India. So save yourself several miles and dozens of traffic lights and go to India's you never know the difference. All the dishes are excellent and they use plenty of cream and butter as well, very rich sauces. But just like Gourmet India, their wine list is terrible and it's overpriced.

• Pros: Chicken Tiki Marsala, Sag Paneer, Quiet, Lunch Buffett
• Cons: Parking

01/16/09

all-around great experience

by kells83

I went for the lunch buffet: the basic indian favorites, without all that unusual stuff. Even had appetizers and desert! I was very pleased with the entire experience. The food was very hot (temperature) and fresh. The waitstaff is extremely attentive and polite. Don't let the outside appearance scare you off! I will most definitely return! (and secretly hope they will open a 2nd restaurant in a more convenient location!)

• Pros: awesome food and service
• Cons: slightly expensive, not so great location

02/09/08

This is the old Bombay Palace resurrected--LOVE IT!

by eatit2008

I was a Bombay Palace fan for 20 years. I was horribly disappointed with Kiran's takeover, and quit going. I longed for the old Bombay Palace, and despite trying all the other big name Indian places in Houston, never found a place that was like Bombay Palace in quality of food and the delicious creamy curries. Well, I recently decided to look further afield for a good North Indian place. Gourmet India is far out west for me, but it was highly rated here, so my wife and I decided to try it.

Imagine my surprise when the man who greeted us at the door was an old Bombay Palace employee! We were seated, looked around, and recognized several other of the waitstaff as being old Bombay Palace staff. Then we saw the owner, and he was formerly district manager for Bombay Palace. We chatted with him afterwards and learned that he had started this place to keep the old staff together.

We went to the buffet and saw all our old Bombay Palace favorites, especially the Saag Panier and the Navratala (sp?) Curry. Fresh naan was brought promptly to the table. Everything tasted exactly like the Bombay Palace. We learned from the owner that they have the same chef, so no wonder! Needless to say, we were absolutely thrilled to find our old friends again and to taste those wonderful, smooth (yes, they do use plenty of cream and butter!) curries. We will be back many times.

The bad news for downtown people is that it is out on the west side of town. The good news is that the West Park Toll Road zips you right there pretty quickly. And, for your efforts, you are rewarded with significantly lower prices than the old Bombay Palace had inflated to. They are obviously in a lower rent building than the Galleria location of the old Bombay Palace; apparently, they pass those savings along to their customers. We had a lunch buffet for $11.95 on a Sunday, and you can download a 15% off coupon from their website. Fabulous! Enjoy!

• Pros: Food quality, friendly service, nice linens on tables
• Cons: west-side location (but toll road gets you there quickly)

11/21/07

Actual indian food with real indian taste

by ashutoshkak

For a change the Indian food was not bland and at the same time was not too spicy either. The difference in tastes of different dishes is distinct here. For a change all the dishes don?t taste the same.

10/24/07

Best Indian Restaurant Hands Down - a MUST TRY!

by sbastrop

I am an Indian food lover and at the same time the harshest Indian food critic. Believe me when I say no restaruant has ever left me so speechless and in awe of its greatness as Gourmet India. The food is exceptional. I have traveled the world and have found no other food like the great delectable cuisine that comes from this place. For Galleria and downtown dwellers, this place is DEFINITELY worth your drive. I also am a harsh critic of service, but the service here is exquisite and topnotch. You can get food brought out to your table customized to your very liking, and fresh naan is always available and circulating the restaurant. The people are phenomenal here, and the food is dynamite while still being affordable. Like I said above, this is a must try. You will have no regrets, and you too, will become a frequent visitor after one bite of this delicious offering. What a great hidden Houston secret!

• Pros: Authentic food, excellent waitstaff, great price

09/17/07

Flavorful food & fantastic service!

by tilmaya

This place has been a family favorite for us for YEARS! We even had food from Gourmet India for our Christmas Dinner last year-that should say enough! The chicken tikka masala is absolutely divine. It's not too creamy or heavy like at some places. The chicken is cooked perfectly. My boyfriend was daydreaming about it the day after! The saag paneer is always delicious and not too heavy either. The goan fish curry is amazing-think mustard seeds and curry leaves! Their eggplant dish (can't remember the name) is delicious as well. The staff is friendly and attentive. Plus, it's one of the few Indian restaurants that is open on Mondays! I highly recommend this restaurant!

• Pros: Fantastic food and service!

Two brothers simmer up serene environs and agreeable fare at this way-out Westheimer Indian eatery.

by Contributor

The Scene
Neighboring workers swarm for plates of exotic food at Gourmet India's affordable lunch buffet. A bonus: pleasantly polite servers work the room with refills of just-baked pillowy naan and sizzling tandoori chicken platters. Unlike many other Indian restaurants, this clean, unpretentious hideaway classes it up with table linens, decent wine and a well-tended buffet that beckons your return.

The Food
Jewel-toned chutneys are worth a dollop: Try the sinus-clearing green or the beet-red blend of bananas, apples and tamarind. Silky saag paneer is a dream; warm golden chicken curry is fall-off-the-bone tender, and pink-tinged tandoori specialties with grilled onions and peppers are generally moist and smoky-flavored. Lamb tastes unusual, but aromatic basmati rice flecked with dried fruits, nuts and cinnamon shines. The best surprise? Fresh okra, so delicately braised with browned onions, spices, and tomatoes, it will make a Southerner beam.

11/20/06

Best of Everything!

by mbeeson

Lovely food - the ambience isn't that great, but the food is so delicious you over look that part! The general manager is personable and friendly and checks on service at each table. Food was hot, and plentiful. Could use some nice Indian music to create that ambience. Worth the trip!