India Palace

Rating: Excellent
Meal: Lunch for 3
Price: 292 AED
Payment: Credit cards accepted
Dishes: Salty and saffron lassi, paneer tikka, lamb curry, chicken curry, lamb biryani, bread basket
English Menu: Yes
Smoking: No

We decided to head off on our own via taxi to the Mangrove Hotel which sits next to a large mangrove national park to do some research into tour options.  Afterwards we headed to a nearby mall called Mushrif to do some shopping for various items.  We walked the mall and scoped out all the restaurants, and when lunch arrived decided to try the grand looking India Palace, a local chain with around 13 branches.

It was beautiful inside, with lots of wood paneling and very high quality dishes.  The menu was quite extensive and the bread section alone had us swooning.  We were told the meal would take 15 to 20 minutes to prepare, and it was a while before everything arrived (all at once).  My son and I ordered different lassis, for me a salty lassi, and for him a saffron sweet.  We couldn't possibly decide on which bread, so we ordered a basket which came with naan, roti, and chapati.  All of them were made of whole wheat and were absolutely delicious.  Even my son conceded their superiority.  I got a plate of paneer tikka (white cheese roasted in the tandoor) for all of us, and of course I got a lamb curry dish.  My wife got a chicken curry in a creamy sauce, while my son went for the lamb biryani.  My dish was a bit salty, but still so flavorful, and the chicken dish was probably the best, heavy on the cardamom.  My son's biryani was also excellent, with that super complex spice mix that wafts up from the rice.

All of us were in heaven and agreed it was the best Indian we'd had in a very long time.

Bread basket

Paneer tikka

Chicken curry

Lamb curry

Lamb biryani (with a bread seal)