Ambiance : 3.5/5, Casual
Food : 2/5, Dissapointed
Service : 3/5, Friendly
Experience : 2/5, Average
Price : $$
Reservation : Accepted
Must haves:
gol-gappa a.k.a. paani-puri a.k.a. puchka
A friend and I explored another Indian restaurant at the "Indian Street", Journal Square in Jersey City. Rasoi, which means kitchen in Hindi, is a family restaurant chain which serves North and South Indian cuisine.
The restaurant is very well lit with beautiful interior. It was around noon when we went for lunch, and the temperature was soaring high. Thankfully, the temperature inside the restaurant was coordinated according to the weather outside. The waiter was quick enough to seat us at a table. We were looking forward to the buffet.
The first thing I noticed was the Gol Gappas stall. Yes, you read it correct. There was a live gol-gappa a.k.a. paani-puri a.k.a. puchka counter. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Without giving a second thought, I went straight towards the gol-gappa counter. They were peppery. Perfect amount of chilli and masala. My friend dragged me to the buffet area, I wouldn't have moved otherwise. I started off with salad, roasted papad, tandoori chicken, and chicken 65. The salad was definitely not fresh; full of bitter chunks of cucumber. Tandoori chicken was cooked nicely, but not hot. Who likes a cold piece of tandoori chicken? Chicken 65, as we all know it, is hot and crispy served with lemon and diced onion. Well, the chef sauteed it with vegetables, making it soft and chewy. A big disappointment.
I gave up on the appetizers and moved onto the main course. Dal Makhani, Navratan korma, Chicken tikka masala, and raita with butter naan. It was odd that Rasoi did not serve fresh naan. Unlike other buffet places where the naan is cooked fresh to order, at Rasoi the naan was pre-cooked and put on the buffet table. Dal Makhani didn't taste anything like it is suppose to. Navratan korma was too oily, and tasted pathetic, and I was struggling to find chicken pieces in Chicken Tikka Masala. I bet my little brother could cook better food than them.
The buffet also included Pav Bhaaji, Vada-Saambhar, and Chicken Biryani. Not worth writing about. The desert section included GulabJaamun, Carrot Halwa (Gajar ka halwa). The GulabJamun tasted good, but were hot (to my surprise).
Rasoi has failed to deliver food which one would expect of an Indian restaurant. The whole idea behind restaurants is to serve hot, and fresh food to the customers. That goes without saying. I wouldn't recommend Rasoi restaurant to anyone, unless off course you're a Gol Gappa fan. The only thing I loved at Rasoi was Gol Gappa and I would definitely go here just for our beloved Paani-Puri.
Dhanyavaad.