Mehak Lunch Buffet (Berkeley)
A few Saturdays ago, I stopped at Mehak for a late lunch. I had wanted to order from the menu, but my server apologized and said that the cook had the afternoon off to attend a family party and invited me to try the buffet ($6.99) instead. Not usually a buffet person, I thought I remembered that as in the top 3 in Katyas rankings and thought it might be worthwhile.
The selection is not a big and diverse as Priyas, her top choice. However, I felt the quality was quite good even though the steam table dishes had cooled down a bit. The kitchen managed to send out a freshly made naan, that was decent, and a good mango lassi.
The tandoori chicken was on the dry side by this time, but well-seasoned and tasty. Oddly the saag paneer, usually the best bet on the buffet table, had an annoying bitter note. The aloo gobi was top notch with soft, but not too soft texture, and complex seasonings. A keema curry with ground lamb and veggies was delicious. The best dish was the chicken makhani (butter chicken). Chunks of moist dark meat seared in the tandoor were bathed in a tomato-y yogurt-based sauce with other herbs and spices. Loved the sauce - it had lovely acid balance and wasnt overly cloying with the sweetness of cream and butterfat.
The raita was nice and fresh, although none of the dishes was spicy hot enough to need its cooling qualities. Rice was carefully made, great with the makhani sauce. For dessert, the rice pudding was a decent finish.
I noticed that neither the keema nor the butter chicken were offered on the regular menu. Glad I had a chance to try them from the buffet.
Any experience with the dinner menu?
Mehak Indian Cuisine
2449 Sacramento St.
(at Dwight Way)
Berkeley
510-841-6118
www.shopinberkeley.com/mehak
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By Melanie Wong
on May 9, 2004 11:20 PM
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It's interesting that two of the dishes that weren't so good in your visit - saag paneer and tandoori chicken - I've never actually tried at Mehak. I love the chicken makhani and the naan (hot and naan-y) there and the service is so gracious you want this place to do well. I can't remember what other dishes I like there offhand (I haven't gone there in several months though I've made about 5 visits overall), but my boyfriend believes that this is the best Indian buffet in Berkeley - that's right, over Priya. Believe it or not we're still together. ;)
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So, do you two toss a coin over whether it's Mehak or Priya? Sounds like you've been calling 'em right these last few months and getting your way. (g)
Yes, the naan was good, better than my two experiences at Priya (lunch buffet and cooked to order dinner). It was nearly 2pm when I ate at Mehak, so I imagine the tandoori chicken had been drying out for over an hour on the warming tray. Bet it's good made fresh. And, you're absolutely right, the people couldn't be nicer.
Do you think most of Mehak's business comes from Breads of India overflow? Speaking of BoI, I noticed a banner in downtown Oakland that they'll be opening in November. Anyone know if this is a move or a second location?
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I believe it's a second location. I noticed the sign for it when I was at the Farmers' Market Friday. The new location will be on that little strip of Clay St. near Le Cheval and the newer Asiana Cafe and Anita's Mexican. They seem to be promoting that whole area as a "gourmet ghetto" and trying to attract restaurants.
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Actually, I haven't been to Priya since the Chowdown! The boyfriend's not too into Indian buffets lately, so we've been filling our Indian cravings by going to Dream Cuisine, Vik's, Naan 'n Curry, and Breads of India (thankfully that last one was shortlived because I was inevitably disappointed every visit even though the bread and dish descriptions always sounded amazing). Now that I think about how often I've had Indian food lately I realize that I'm going to have to eat some soon!
For future reference, I don't recommend eating at Indian lunch buffets after 1:30. That's the latest I still order the buffet. They're often not restocked much after 1:15 or so.
I've wondered before if Mehak benefits from people waiting outside to eat at Breads of India... My guess is yes.
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Hello, I wanted to give a review of Breads of India and Mehak, both on Sacramento near Dwight Way in Berkeley. Breads was just a disappointment, as many have noted. Naan was uncooked in the middle. Pork dish was unusual and pretty tasty.
As far as Mehak goes, we had dinner delivered, a nice feature. All staff were very pleasant and I wanted to like the food. The naan was excellent and the rice, a pleasant yellow. I found the sauces in malai kofta and chicken tikka masala very similar. Both were well spiced but salty and very heavy. Granted, the malai kofta sauce is described as "creamy." The "vegi balls" were greasy inside. Perhaps I have lost my taste for Indian food? That would be sad. I guess I am better off at a buffet trying small portions of different things, including salads, raita, etc.
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I've liked the tandoori dishes best at Mehak.
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