Madhuban - Sunnyvale and San Jose

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I'm no great fan of lunch buffets. But I was near the San Jose aiport around lunchtime on Wednesday, and have heard good things about Madhuban's lunch buffet - including some fish pakoras that are a Wednesday lunch buffet-only option. I checked it out and the fish pakoras were indeed very tasty, and the rest of the buffet was of high quality.

So tonight I went to the Sunnyvale branch to check out the a la carte dinner menu. Madhuban is part of a great local trend toward Indian restaurants with more adventurous menus, better decor, better service, and better food quality. Since I was dining solo I just had a few things. The complimentary papadum came with a much better than usual tamarind chutney. The ragda patties were potato patties served with a chick pea salad. The patties on their own were a little bland, but combined with the chick peas (or either of the chutneys) they were fine. The chick peas were the best part of the dish, with some very intriguing flavors.

I am a big fan of achari dishes and goat dishes, so I had to order the achari goat. This way a great decision. The goat flavor was just wonderful; perhaps the best I've had in a year of fine goat dishes. Achari dishes seem to come in (at least) two schools: using pickling spices in the sauce, or using the pickles themselves. Hyderabad House is the apotheosis of the former; Madhuban is the best I've had so far of the latter. I had this with a very nice jeera pulao - basmati rice with cumin, onion, and other flavorings.

There's a nice beer and wine selection. I couldn't partake tonight so I tried the Madhuban lassi. This was a lassi with mango and rose syrup. It looked lovely in the glass and was fun to try, with different flavors than I've had in a lassi before.

Overall this is a great addition to the Silicon Valley Indian restaurant scene. I just wish I had tried it earlier. Further menu exploration is definitely in order at dinnertime!

Michael

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Adding a link to the San Jose branch of Madhuban...