Mother India

I had only been to Mother India one other time, and it was when the first opened in Morgantown. I wasn't overly impressed, but I wanted to give this place a more subjective look since spicy food isn't my forte. A friend suggested we check it out during their Sunday buffet. Sounds splendid - that way I get a sampling of a few different things.

Mother India is located at the very bottom of High Street in that plaza - one of the few places downtown where parking is provided. It's a fairly small restaurant, with all the tables in one room, and a small buffet area is at the back corner of the restaurant.

On Sundays, the buffet runs from noon to 8 p.m. Regularly, they have dine-in and takeout options. When we walked in, we were immediately greeted and taken to a table. We waited a few minutes before we ordered our drinks - I knew from previous experience that I wanted water and a coke in case the food is too spicy. After that, we went up to fill our plates. The buffet had maybe a dozen items.

Vegetable Samosas - I think of these as little potpies. They are a turnover with peas and potatoes. This is a tasty, filling little treat.

Vegetable Pankoras - There are simply veggies deep-fried in butter. Tasty? Yes. This is Indian-American in a nutshell.

Nan - This is a light "unleavened" bread, which means it hasn't risen, and it's fantastic. Lots of Indian dishes are in a base sauce, so the Nan bread is fantastic for sopping up the extra goodness.

Chicken Tikka Masala - This was by far my favorite dish. It is boneless white meat cooked in a tangy cream sauce. That's about as much as I can give you. It's not overly spicy, and it is filling on top of a pile of rice. It has the spicy flair to it, but creamy and toned down - it's really delicious.

Korma - They have shrimp, lamb and chicken korma, but I believe the chicken is what was on the buffet. It is chicken cooked with spices, herb,s nuts and raisons in a cream sauce. This was also quite tasty. The Indian food is all about the various spices put into these dishes, which cause them to have extremely different outcomes. Mother India is doing it right.

There were a few other choices on the buffet - not many - but I moved onto the smaller dessert area.

Kheer - This is essentially a rice pudding. It is sweet, and thick and delicious.

Gulab Jamun - I had no idea what this was until I read the description. It kind of looks like a soaked apricot or peach. And when you bite in, you get this honey-syrupy sweetness, like a thick pancake. What is it? It's deep-fried cheese and milk balls soaked in syrup. Yeah, just try it though. It's a little ball of heaven.

My only complaint is that I paid for a coke, but it was one small glass, with no refills. If I had known that was the case, I would've stuck with water. But the food was outstanding and delicious. I highly recommend the buffet for those, like me, who aren't as familiar with the cuisine. It's a great way to get acquainted with the various types of food offered. Otherwise, the menu is expansive, and it has descriptions for all the dishes.

Grade: A