Holy cow, does Priya ever serve a lot of food. Most Indian buffets in the country give you one steam table, and it’s 95 percent certain to offer a) palak paneer, b) dried-out tandoori chicken legs, and c) chana masala. Priya’s deluxe lunchtime buffet — an unwhopping $6.99 a person — spreads out to two tables. The buffet starts with veggie pakora and moves through rice, naan, and, yes, tandoori chicken legs to curried goat and a palak paneer in which you can taste actual spices (tip: get the spicy, gingery “Indian fried rice”). Since that’s hardly enough, Priya also offers southern Indian dishes you don’t normally find on buffets, such as rasam, a spicy tamarind soup, and idlis, steamed rice-flour dumplings. Table two contains a salad bar of sorts, fruit, and only six or seven chutneys and pickles. It’s more than enough food to keep you coming back for more.
Readers’ Pick:
Khana Peena
1889 Solano Ave., Berkeley, 510-528-2519
2136 Oxford St., Berkeley, 510-849-0149
