India Palace

There are a couple of places to find yummy Indian food in Alameda – the new Flavors of India on Park Street and the tried-and-true India Palace on Buena Vista Avenue. India Palace has a more old-fashioned, traditional feel. The restaurant is built into a former home, which seems more suitable for conversion into a “palace” than a storefront would be.

Reds and golds are the dominant colors, and fabrics with traditional patterns hang from the walls and beneath the glass tabletops. Plenty of windows fill the unique space with natural light. The service is impersonal but attentive – your water glass will be refilled often.

Indian food is known for its range of spices and deep, rich flavors. Flavors here are milder but still distinct, making them more likely candidates for comfort food favorites as opposed to the fiery, “once in awhile” dishes. (If you have a preference for spicy, meals can be prepared individually as requested, so let your server know ahead of time.)

There’s an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for $9.95, giving you the opportunity to sample a wide range of dishes, from cold, garnished yogurts and salads to numerous chicken, prawn, and meat dishes accompanied with nan or saffron flavored basmatic rice.

India Palace has a great selection, from Tandoori Chicken and Matter Paneer to Lamb do Piaza and Gobi Masala. Appetizers include samosas, pakora, tandoori wings, and lentil soup. Table service comes with complimentary pappadam, or crisp lentil wafers, with some nice dipping sauces. The vegetarian selection is delicious and includes a satisfying creamed lentil dish with aromatic spices. Signature ingredients like spinach, garbanzo beans, potatoes, eggplant, and okra can be found in a variety of specialty curries made from yogurts, herbs, spices, butter sauces, and cheeses.

In keeping with traditional hosting, India Palace offers special combination meals for set prices, for “an India feast in the Indian Manner.” Beverages include imported beers from India, masala tea, and lassi, and desserts graduate beyond rice pudding to homemade mango ice cream and gulab jamun, or deep-fried cream and cheese balls dipped in syrup and rose water.

India Palace is family owned and operated.

HelloOakland tip: India Palace caters and delivers. 
 

- by Renee M. Rutledge, San Francisco Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Renee M. Rutledge

Renee M. Rutledge currently writes articles on local travel and culture for Red Tricycle, Parents' Press, Oakland Magazine, and Alameda Magazine.