Rating: 8.5/10

Good Indian restaurants have been hard to come by in College Station — with classic restaurants like Layne’s and Dixie Chicken, Indian restaurants haven’t been a priority and have lacked expansion in the area. 

When I heard that a new Indian restaurant called Tikka House had just opened, I knew it was a must-try for an Indian foodie like myself.

A branch restaurant with locations in Austin, Round Rock and Waco, Tikka House has been open for about two months. Conveniently, it’s located just a couple of minutes from the east side of campus along Texas Avenue. 

As you walk in, you’re hit with an aroma of Indian spices — a great sensation to experience. Tasteful paintings and Bollywood music really add to the ambiance, and the helpful staff welcomes you and brings you to your seat. 

The lunch buffet was in full swing when I arrived, which is a great option when going to a restaurant for the first time; it allows you to explore the menu and to taste things you wouldn’t regularly taste. One dish I’ve never had before was papdi chaat, a famous street food in South Asia consisting of fried potatoes, chickpeas, fried dough wafers and yogurt. I didn’t expect much from it, but it was bursting with flavor. There was a lightness and refreshing feeling to the dish, and it was a great start to the meal. 

Another dish bursting with flavor was the chicken mambari, an appetizer that is a must-try. It had the right amount of spice, but not too much to overpower the dish. The chicken was also incredibly soft and tender, and the dish was clearly a favorite as it was constantly being replenished by staff.  

But if there was only one must-try dish, it would have to be the seafood curry. Honestly, this might’ve been my favorite. A curry is supposed to be spicy and tantalize your tongue: It did exactly that. It was the right yellow color that a seafood curry should be, and the shrimp and fish were seasoned very well, enhancing the flavors of turmeric and tamarind. Needless to say, I went back for seconds and thirds.  

While there was consistency throughout many of the dishes, some did not live up to the standard that I was expecting. The naan felt stale and was hard to bite down on; it lacked freshness and flavor. The same can be said about the aloo chilli, which was not crispy and was drenched in sauce — it needs to be crispy to enhance the natural taste of the potato and chili. 

However, a very crispy dish was the chicken lollipop. Coming from the tandoor oven, the outer shell of the chicken drumette was audibly crispy when bit into, but at the same time juicy and soft on the inside. These textures complemented each other, like a juicy piece of fried chicken should. 

Dessert is a staple at a buffet; as you can have a good entree selection, dessert is the culmination of a good meal, just like the last two minutes of the fourth quarter as a team pushes for the win. 

In Asian and Indian food, when someone compliments your dessert as “not too sweet,” you’ve accomplished a well-made sweet dish. I know, it’s counterintuitive: Why would you have a dessert that’s not sweet? But that’s the tradition of food from this region, and Tikka House has accomplished it well. 

The sheera, a traditional Indian pudding made with semolina, sugar and ghee, was just the right amount of lightness and sweetness — not too sweet, but enough to elevate the dish. The strawberry mousse, although not a dish originating from South Asia, was refreshing and smooth. 

The meal was then concluded with a classic Indian drink to wash everything down: a refreshing mango lassi. Famous for its rich and creamy taste, the quality of the ingredients shined in this drink. Countering spicy food with a cooling sensation from the drink was very refreshing.  

Now, does this restaurant justify the $18.99 price tag? I don’t think so. 

With the lunch buffet being $16.99 on weekdays and $18.99 on weekends, I’ve had others that were around the same price. However, they had a bigger selection and a greater variety of dishes. I would accept maybe $14.99 for a buffet like this, but the original price was a bit on the high end for me. 

Nonetheless, I enjoyed my experience. 

A good representation of South Indian foods for both experienced Indian cuisine eaters and newcomers is what an Indian restaurant must be willing to account for. There were many memorable dishes, and it would be a shame if you don’t make the trip to try one of College Station’s best new restaurants. 

Joshua Abraham is a kinesiology junior and opinion writer for The Battalion.