It’s a drizzly Saturday afternoon as we enter Thali of India, tucked away in Henrietta’s nondescript Win-Jeff Plaza. Every table is occupied and several groups wait by the door. “I just know this is going to be fire,” declares Senior Staff Writer Marla Litsky, noting the place’s fragrant smells.
After a short wait, we’re seated and rush to the buffet. The lunch buffet is open seven days a week at the great price of only $14.99 per person. The range of options is impressive too and includes several vegan choices. One worker is cooking and plating up fresh dosa on a griddle. I’d previously only had take-out from Thali of India, often choosing chicken tikka masala with a side of naan, so I’m excited at the prospect of sampling many more of their dishes.
I load up my plate with a base of rice, servings of chicken makhani, seasoned potatoes, chana masala, malai kofta, chicken tikka masala, a baby fish fry, and of course some naan. I also grab a small plate of the dosa with a potato filling and a dash of the bright green sauce.
The dishes are quite flavorful but lack the spice levels Marla and I were expecting. Us and our weak mouths are grateful and surmise that having an extra spicy buffet is probably not in Thali of India’s best interest given their location. However, if you order individual meals, you can choose your own spice level for many dishes.
For dessert we each try gulab jamun, a fried dough ball soaked in syrup and rose water. It’s the perfect amount of sweetness after devouring a huge savory plate. We also sample their selection of four unnamed ice creams which, after tasting, appear to be coconut, pineapple, pistachio and something else, and another coconut one that was bright pink with slivers of coconut on top.
With our stomachs at capacity, we depart, likely to return again the next time we’re craving a hearty meal.
