India House
1521 W. Schaumburg Rd.
Schaumburg, IL
Another Indian buffet in the NW burbs? Yeah, there are tons, but we found a good one. India House is a huge banquet hall specializing in buffets and opulent weddings, located in a nondescript Suburban strip mall. India House has been around for many years, and is famous for their prolific $9.99 lunch buffet. It had gotten some good reviews, so I brought along my youngest sibling, who I was introducing to Indian food. We arrived at 11:30 on a weekday and were the first people there -so we arrived to an absolutely fresh buffet. The room itself was nice, if stereotypically banquet-y, with booths along one side and crystal chandeliers. We made a beeline for the buffet and sampled the following dishes, though there were many more:
- Mattar Paneer – Soft cheese cubes prepared with green peas.
- Potato Pakora – Spicy little potato fritters
- Surti Dal – Yellow lentils cooked in herbs and spices.
- Lamb and Chicken curry – Two yellow curry dishes of medium heat.
- Spicy South Indian soup – A super spicy soup with peppers, eggplants and potatoes.
- Chicken Makhani – AKA butter chicken, white-meat chicken in a mild tomato sauce, great for tikka masala lovers.
- Gulab Jamun– Fried milk pastry in sweet saffron syrup.
- Kheer -Rice Pudding
Interestingly, a sizzling plate of tandoori chicken was also brought directly to our booth on cast iron slab, as was a basket of fluffy naan. Everything from the buffet was fresh and tasty, and there were a variety of spice levels and a mix of familiar and new dishes. We were totally surprised by the free plate of tandoori chicken that came with the buffet, which was excellent. We also ordered a Mango Lassi which was rich and creamy, but at $4.50, a little overpriced. As we ate, the huge room began to fill up with lunching businesspeople and locals, assuring us of the buffet’s popularly. India House also has a branch on Devon, home to most of Chicago’s best Indian restaurants, so that may be worth trying out as well, if you are not in the burbs. My sibling enjoyed the experience, and is now an Indian food convert. Overall, India House is a great suburban stop if you have a craving for Indian food, and has something for newbies and stalwarts alike.
Eating The World 