Namaste: a great option for students on a budget

Namaste is an Indian food buffet, but I urge those of you who are “hot dog/hamburger/pizza, maybe sushi” type of people to expand your horizons just a little bit.

I first heard of the Indian buffet, at the corner of Northeast 82nd Avenue and Sandy Boulevard, through word of mouth, but I also did my research. Namaste got 4 stars on Yelp, 83 percent on urbanspoon, was well reviewed by the Portland Mercury newspaper, and the list goes on. I took Advocate co-writer Adam Elwell there for lunch to check out the buffet, eat, and give as much of a helpful review as possible.

When you drive up to Namaste, it is nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding apartments, slightly worn down on the outside like most weather-burdened restaurants in Portland. You walk in, get a table, and then, for the most part, are mostly left to your own devices. There is no menu, and the names of the various dishes are written in Indian so there is a good chance you won’t know what you’re eating, even with the little description on the bottom of the title.

My advice: Dive in. Visually the buffet is a multicolored/multi-textured collection of authentic Indian dishes, some of which may be visually unappealing to the typical western sense of how food should be portrayed. However, trust your taste buds; I guarantee that you will have a favorite dish by the time you finish.

Adam’s favorite dishes were the mixed vegetable pakoras, the masala chicken, and the mango ice cream. He described the pakoras as “a delicious free-form french fry.” My favorite dishes were the tandoori chicken, the malai kofta (which is a spiced spinach/cheese mix), and the mango ice cream. People must experience the mango ice cream!

My overall take is that this place is a bit of a drive from Mt. Hood, it’s hidden and atypical compared to the average restaurant. This place seems to cater to its community and area, which is great, but may throw some of you off. The servers are really nice and for the amount of food it is relatively cheap. I personally enjoy the food, as it is authentic, flavorful, and bold. If you do not like that, then you will not like Namaste.

I can tell that the influx of outside visitors has affected the menu a little bit, which I personally do not like. The food isn’t that spicy or too out there, and that seems to be because it might turn off customers with particular tastes.

Nonetheless, Namaste is a great option for college students who are trying to switch it up on a budget. I would give this restaurant a 5/5.