Cuisine type: Indian
Atmosphere: casual, authentic decor
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.17
Nina
We had the unique opportunity of attending the Cirque du Soleil show called “Michael Jackson - The Immortal” at Oracle Arena, which I particularly enjoyed since I grew up being a huge MJ music fan. On the way back home, we were famished since we went to the show straight from work, so we stopped for dinner at this very modestly named restaurant called Favorite Indian Restaurant.
The place was a small standalone building (which we found to be rare in this land of strip malls), with more of the look of a Japanese steakhouse on the outside than what it really was - maybe it was the slanted flat-top roof reminding me of a pagoda, or just a feeling of deja-vu that gave me this impression. On the inside, the tables were pretty plain, many of them nested in simple booths, but the decor still brought in a feeling of authenticity.
I went for the Thali Dinner Platter, not knowing at the time exactly what it involved - I later found our from a very enthusiastic friend that the name describes a traditional way of serving a multi-part meal on the same platter, thus the name “thali”. The entree on my platter was a shrimp prepared in a creamy spinach sauce - I loved this dish, it was delicate, flavorful, yet not really spicy. The shrimp was well cooked, but not tough, and the portion size was very appropriate. I am not sure that I could identify all the other components on my platter even after asking the server specifically about it, many of the names I was presented with were Indian dish names which didn’t really ring a bell. Overall, there were about a half dozen small metal bowls/cups lining the outside of a metallic platter. Among them, I was able to recognize a lentil soup, a vegetable curry and a raita (spiced yogurt sauce that complements spicier dishes by balancing out the hot flavors with the cooling effect of the dairy). There were a couple of other vegetable and lentil based creamy dishes that went along with the meal, which I enjoyed even now knowing exactly what went into them. Finally, the dessert was a single ball of gulab jamun, the traditional cheese-based donut soaked in syrup that is so prevalent at all Indian restaurants and on all Indian buffets. This bite of sweetness was a little tougher than I like, as often happens when the dessert is chilled - I like it better when it’s warm and it melts in your mouth, but I can’t say that I didn’t like this one either.
Overall, this meal was reasonably priced, generously portioned and rish in both flavor and texture. Not sure I would call it my ultimate “favorite Indian restaurant”, but it’s definitely among my favorites.
Food 8
Drinks 6Atmosphere 7
Service 7
Value 8
Ben
We were on our way back home in San Jose from Oakland, and stopped on the way for dinner in Hayward. I was feeling Indian so we googled and found a closeby place. I had pretty low expectations when I saw the name (was thinking they knew it was the only way their restaurant and "favorite" would be found in the same sentence). We were greeted by a friendly hostess and went in to a half full restaurant with buffet fixtures (they were off.. open for lunchtime every day and dinners on weekends). We looked at the menu and were surprised to see how low the prices were - $9 for an entree and an extra $5 for a Taali meal. We ordered one entree (lamb curry) on its own and another entree (shrimp and spinach) with the Taali meal. The Taali meal came with a light lentil soup, a vegetable curry, a sambar (a pea and lentil sauce), and a yogurt dish. We were also served the classic tamarind sauce and cilantro chutney served with papadam (the thin chip used for dipping). I found my entree to be (as of 1/18/12) to be probably my favorite Indian dishes I've had(and I love Indian food). The lamb was clearly slow cooked, was extremely soft and tender and had an incredible flavor. The sauce had a perfect creaminess and spiciness and a strong kick of flavor, and the naan and all of the Taali sauces were also great. The server was young but very good, friendly in explaining the menu and very quick in service. The restaurant is pretty big and well spread out, and there were a few large parties that were well accommodated. There is a pretty decent selection of wines - including plenty of local. Overall I loved the food and experience, and would definitely go back frequently if it were a little closer to us.
Food 10
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 7
Service 9
Price 10
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