Rasoi of Pawtucket

Rasoi in Pawtucket represents the pinnacle of Indian cuisine in Rhode Island. The interior sports primary colors and large photos of India. Beautiful red dividers give intimate spaces while an island bar offers an all-you-can-eat buffet on Sundays. Everything was clean and the pleasant smells of spices filled the entire restaurant.

First we receive papadum served with a tamarind sauce and marinated onions; an Indian version of chips and salsa. The chips are served in a nice wire basket with holders for the two toppings. By themselves, the papadum are tasty made of either lentils or potato (or both?) flavored with what appeared to be caraway seeds. Each bite was crispy and addicting. The tamarind sauce, like a sweet ketchup, complimented the papadum better than the marinated onions. A bitterness kept the onions from being enjoyable.

We had the chicken Varuval as an appetizer. A delicate dish of griddled chicken topped with red onions, cilantro, and a savory yogurt sauce. The chicken bits were wonderfully cooked and coated with a piquant spice blend. The cool sauce complimented the chicken's spice.

For dinner we had the Hyderabadi Chicken Korma and the Aloo Gobhi with jasmine Basmati rice and plain nan. The Korma, served a lovely silver bowl, is a dish of chicken braised in a yogurt-cashew-coconut sauce. Warming and inviting, the nan soaked up the sauce perfectly. Each piece of chicken itself was wonderfully moist and tender. As contrast, the vegetarian Aloo Gobhi represented sweet and tangy. Aloo Gobhi is a dish of potatoes and cauliflower cooked in tomatoes and onions. Both dishes came with small ramekins of lentils that, while tasty, were out of place flavor-wise.

Overall the food is 5-stars. Unfortunately the service hindered an otherwise wonderful experience. Instead of one server, we had a rotating cast who seemed unfamiliar with our requests. We ordered an extra nan bread mid-course and never received the quick-cooking bread. After finishing the meal we had some chicken Korma remaining that would have reheated well the next day. Unfortunately the waiter forgot we asked for it to be wrapped up as we inquired about the missing order of nan.

Rasoi features great Indian food served in great portions for a reasonable price. Service was the only downside in the dinning experience. The staff could use further training or proper management to ensure everything runs smoothly. Had a manager come over to check on the patrons we would have inquired about our missing food. Rasoi's menu and website are available here.

Rating: B+

Minado

Often it is pricey to enter a Japanese restaurant and feel the need to sample every piece of sushi and sashimi available. Many people are new to eating sushi and often have not experienced the different flavors and textures present in the different cuts and rolls presented. Minado offers all-you-can-eat sushi for a pre-set price with over thirty different options PLUS a full assortment of entrees and desserts. To me, Kyojin in Miami is the gold-standard for all other Japanese buffets due to the incredible quality. How does Minado in Natick compare?

The interior feels much more Boston than Japan, which is not a bad thing. Massive plastic models of different sea life adorn the ceilings and walls. Everything was clean, and the massive amount of tables forecasted the quality of the meal.

The Sushi/Sashimi bar looked impressive at first sight. The selections were rather generic (Salmon, Tuna, Snapper, etc.) but the rolls were highly creative. I enjoyed the dynamite roll, topped with Korean chili powder and rolled with tender tuna. The Mackeral nigri were also delicious and a sign of truly fresh fish. Me and my wife were a bit disapointed that they did not offer Sashimi for the Lunch serving, but it was easy to peel the fish from the nigri rolls.

Minado's hot food selection really places this buffet above all others. Many Chinese and Japanese buffets put out bland or over seasoned generic 'Chinese' food for the rubes to eat as an alternative to the sushi. Minado put out an impressive selection of steaks, tempura vegetables and seafood, Delicious noodles, and impressive Gyoza. I was genuinely surprised to see actual steak offered.

The Udon Bar also surprised me. A chef made each bowl of noddles and broth to order complete with a nice array of 'toppings'. The noodles, while a bit gummy, taste wonderful in the rich broth. Salads and cold pasta dishes also went well as an interesting side quest to the Sushi buffet, but they stood up well as individual offerings.

Dessert was decent for the buffet. The Jello was juicy if a tad firm and the pastries were a bit better than standard Chinese buffet mini cake. Fresh melon and pineapple (not canned) seperated Minado from lesser buffets. The soft-serve Vanilla and Green Tea machine produced decent ice cream but it made me miss the home made Green Tea and Red Bean flavors availible at Kyojin in Miami or at Enn in Lincoln, RI.

Minado delivered an impressive Japanese feast for less money than any Japanese restaurant could ever provide. Everything was tasty and cooked well (unless it was meant to be raw). Me and my wife enjoyed Minado and will return whenever we are in the Natick area. It was not the best Japanese Buffet I have been to, but it's definitely the second best.

Minado has a full website with all the information on both the Natick location and every other location, wherever they may be.

Rating: B+