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Mehfil Indian Restaurant has been serving delicious Indian cuisine in Roseville, CA for many years, and the fine food, along with the warm hospitality has made this fine restaurant a favorite of Roseville locals, who savor authentic Indian cuisine. As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: Mehfil Indian Restaurant is located in a non-descript, 1960's era strip mall on busy Douglas Blvd., just east of I-80, in Roseville, CA. It's about 11:30 Tuesday morning, November 16, 2021, and I've arrived at Mehfil to enjoy fine Indian cuisine. Mehfil Indian Restaurant is a favorite of Roseville locals who love delicious Indian cuisine.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll be greeted with a "Please Wait to be Seated" sign, along with a friendly gentleman who is the greeter, seater and cashier. He greeted me with a cheerful "Welcome to Mehfil. Seat anywhere you wish." The dining room is long and quite narrow, and sparsely decorated. Furniture is tables, and the floor is carpeted. The entrance to the kitchen is in the extreme rear of the restaurant, and the buffet is at the rear of the restaurant, lining the wall for a distance of twenty-five feet or so. I found it interesting there was s single television monitor mounted high in the rear of the dining room tuned to a college football game.
Photo: As I entered the restaurant, there was a single gentleman who was very busy, greeting and seating diners, and answering the phone, as the restaurant was doing a brisk business of phone orders. After he finished taking the phone order, he greeted me, and told me to seat myself anywhere I wanted, grab a plate, and help myself to the buffet. Since lunch at Mehfil is buffet every day the restaurant is open - they are closed on Monday - there is no menu, and you simply grab a clean plate, go the buffet, and choose what appeals to you. You serve yourself in every way, and the only time you actually chat with the cashier is at the end of the meal, when you pay for it. If you're so inclined, there is a tip jar... Mehfil Indian Restaurant does not serve alcohol - at least during the lunch buffet - and I didn't seen any evidence of traditional Indian tea, but there was a cooler of soft drinks near the cashier station. The buffet is served until 3 in the afternoon, and dinner service begins at 5:00. Dinner is sit-down, full-service, and features menu selections.
Photo: I sat at the back of the restaurant, near the buffet, for easy access. It's just after 11:30 in the morning, and the dining room is quite full. I noticed there were lots of customers coming in picking up phone orders, and many diners going through the buffet with single-serving to-go boxes.
Photo: At the beginning of the buffet, there is a sign that states that masks and plastic gloves must be worn while serving yourself, and the restaurant is kind enough to provide them. There is also ice water and glasses. It's all "serve yourself." Plates are stacked, so you grab a clean plate and help yourself to the buffet. You'll dine with plastic utensils.
Photo: I'm behind a couple who are helping themselves to Vegetable Pakora, which proved to be one of my favorites.
Photo: The lunch buffet features about 20 choices, which are mostly authentic Indian dishes, but at the beginning of the line, there is a tossed green salad, along with a small selection of your favorite American style salad dressings. Heat lamps keep the food warm, and highlight the beauty. All choices are always fresh, as I noted the kitchen staff constantly brings out a fresh tray when a tray begins to run low. Each selection is labeled with a small plaque that states the name of the selection and gives a small description. If you're not familiar with Indian cuisine, the plaques will prove very helpful. I'm sure the staff would be happy to answer any questions.
Photo: After the salad, the buffet starts out with plain Basmati rice, Vegetable Biriyani, Vegetable Pakora and samosas. It's all vegetarian and it's all delicious!
Photo: Each selection is tabeled with the name of the selection, along with a brief description.
Photo: Naan bread... It's simply impossible to eat delicious Indian food without lots of this wonderful bread, as it's great for dipping and for sopping up the delicious, thick gravy that's a part of Indian cooking. Naan Bread at Mehfil Indian Restaurant is freshly baked, in-house, and the tray is constantly replenished with freshly baked bread from the kitchen. The bread is toasted, crispy on the outside and tender, chewy white on the inside. Come for the food, but stay for the Naan Bread!
Photo: I grin as I snap a "selfie" as I'm ready to enjoy my first plate of delicious Indian cuisine.
Photo: My first plate of goodness from the lunch buffet really highlighted the whole wonderful buffet, as I chose a little of everything. What goodies are on my plate you ask? Clockwise from the top, Chicken Tandoori, Vegetable Biriyani, Indian potatoes, Chicken Curry, Vegetable Samosas and Vegetable Pakora. On the side is a bowl of Mint Chutney, and a bowl of Raita. The chutney and the raita made for amazing dipping. Chicken Tandoori, Curry Chicken, Butter Chicken and Fish Curry were the only meat dishes offered on the buffet, as the other amazing dishes were all vegetarian. No worries, as when you enjoy fine dining at Mehfil Indian Restaurant, the food is so good that you don't even care about meat! After all, authentic Indian cuisine is largely meatless...
Photo: My first plate included Chicken Tandoori, Vegetable Biriyani Indian potatoes, Chicken Curry, Vegetable Samosas and Vegetable Pakora. If you look closely, you can see a little bit of Dal Mahkni - a lentil dish - which really stole the show. Every selection on my plate was simply amazing, as the food was fresh, tender and boldly spiced, but not hot. I loved the thick, rich broth, which made for perfect dipping with a slice of naan bread. I loved it all, but the Chicken Tandoori, Dal Mahkni and Vegetable Pakora really stood out. The buffet describes their Tandoori Chicken as, "Tender chicken legs and thighs marinated in yogurt, spices and baked on skewers." It doesn't mention anything about being baked in a traditional tandoori oven, but the chicken had that red, crispy-yet-tender crust, along with the chewy white meat inside that is a trademark of a tandoori oven. Delicious! How could I forget the Chicken Curry? It had tender pieces of chicken, floating in a thick, curry-flavored gravy, that simply melted in my mouth. It's described as, "Boneless chicken cooked with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and fragrant spices." Boy, it ever good!The curry wasn't overpowering, and it made the gravy simply amazing, and it was a pleasure to sop up every bit of this goodness with a piece of naan bread. I didn't show the naan bread, but there was a plate of it on the side, for my dipping enjoyment!
Photo: My second plate included plain Basmati rice, another Vegetable Samosa, Dal Mahkni, Saag, Channa Masala, Fish Curry, along with a second helping of Vegetable Pakora. I LOVED the Dal Mahkni so much that I went back to the buffet and filled a small bowl with more of it, to enjoy on the side with a slice of naan bread. Dal Mahkni - a lentil dish - is described by the plaque as, "Traditional black lentils cooked with fresh herbs, spices, sauteed in butter and garnished with fresh coriander." Dal Mahkni is a staple dish in Indian households, and of all the selections that I savored today, if I had to vote for my favorite, it would be Dal Mahkni. It was THAT good! On the other hand, Vegetable Pakora - deep fried vegetables - are also on the "top shelf" as they're amazing. The restaurant describes this fine selection as, "Vegetables deep fried in chick pea butter with a unique blend of spices." Unique is good, and this deep fried masterpiece is simply amazing. Saag is also a very traditional Indian entree of spinach, which is slow cooked with a blend of spices. If you don't care for spinach, give Saag a try and I know you'll change your mind, as it's delicious! I think if Popeye would have ever given Saag a try, he would have thrown his cans of spinnach overboard. Channa Masala - which features garbanzo beans - is described as, "Whole chickpeas sauteed with garlic, ginger and onions, with select spices." This entree is delicious, as the chickpeas were tender and burst with flavor with every bite. I loved the thick, savory gravy. This is vegetarian cuisine at it's best!
Photo: My bowl of Dal Mahkni, showing the black lentils, and the rich, creamy gravy that makes this an amazing side dish. Grab a slice of naan bread and let the dipping begin!
Photo: I shouldn't have gone back for a third plate, as I was full, but there were a couple selections that I hadn't tried, and I wanted a third helping of the Chicken Curry. The plate starts with a slice of Naan Bread, Spring Rools, Vegetable Korma, Butter Chicken, and a the amazing Chicken Curry. On my third trip to the buffet, Spring Rolls appeared with the Vegetable Samosas, so I grabbed a couple of them. They were delicious deep fried to a crunchy golden brown on the outside, and inside had chopped vegetables and lots of ginger. Delicious! I did not care for the Vegetable Korma, which are a mixture of fresh, garden vegetables, as the thick sauce was too sweet for my taste. I also wasn't a fan of the Butter Chicken, which is described as "Boneless dark meat tandoori, cooked in a delightful, bright, tangy cream sauce." I just didn't care for either of these dishes, but I ate every bite, as I NEVER waste food at a buffet. There was nothing at all wrong with these dishes, they just weren't for my taste... How can you beat such an amazing all-you-can-eat Indian buffet lunch treat for $14.99? The food is authentic, it's delicious, and you're guaranteed to leave with a full stomach and a smile on your face. For delicious Indian cuisine in West Placer County, think Mehfil Indian Restaurant, located on Douglas Blvd. in Roseville, CA. Mehfil Indian Restaurant Copyright(c) 2021 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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