My first time at Raja’s I had no idea what to expect. My friends and I were in downtown Davis sitting in a coffee shop and some of our group began winging about the dining commons and their hunger. We are saved from our debate on where to eat by an upperclassman who overheard us and interjected.
“You guys gotta go to Raja’s”
Walking up the wooden stairs to this second floor restaurant the first thing I notice is the smell of traditional Indian spices like cardamom, cumin, turmeric, and saffron. To pay you need to walk to the back of the restaurant, passing all the buffet items along the way. As I walked by I scouted out several dishes I knew I needed to est. The price of this …show more content…
Fresh naan will still be warm from the oven, will have a pleasant garlicy aroma, and can be torn apart with ease. The naan at Raja’s was anything but fresh. The pieces I picked up must have been under the heat lamps a little too long because they felt and tasted like cardboard. My remedy to this was to smother them in the chicken tikka masala which softened them up and gave them flavor and a more pleasant texture. If you want to get even more creative with the naan my friend made an Indian taco using Naan as a tortilla with tikka masala and rice as filling. Though this may not be “traditional” per se I’m told it is quite tasty.
Fear not if you are vegan or vegetarian, as the buffet menu typically features roughly twelve vegan options. My favorite that I tried was the vegan coconut curry. Creamy, and veggie-packed, this vegan dish is a great example of Indian comfort food. For a curry it’s fairly mild, and the coconut milk gives a little sweetness. Those fearful of spice should not be afraid of this rich but healthy