Critic's Review
Moksha started a lunch service; not a buffet, but it would give me a chance to try a few things and to see how they measure up.
The parking here is one of those deals where it's free on one side and paid on the other; at 2:30 there were free spots; $2 saved already.
Inside was an empty, sterile restaurant, with 2 people sitting in the back. There's no hostess here; just a manager, who refused to seat me at a decent table. "No, that's a table for 4". Really dude, there's like 2 people in the restaurant.
I got an uncomfortable small table in the middle of the room.
It started out badly, as Moksha is one of the 2 restaurants in the universe that doesn't have iced tea. At all. So I opted for the tap water service. $3 saved.
One good thing about a bad table by the window is good light; I wouldn't need to use the flash. Also a lovely view of the parking lot.
The prix fixe lunch has limited choices, with either a piece of cheese, weird pastries or chicken as an appetizer, and 2 completely unwanted desserts. Nothing on the planet is worse than Indian desserts.
The Rogan Josh doesn't commit to a meat; they claim to have Goan Lamb Vindaloo, so I thought I'd try that.
No TVs in the restaurant; a double torture is the bad music: "Bom Diggy Diggy", Calvin Harris and Drake Feat fill the air. Nothing like sitting in an empty restaurant with bad music and no TV. The Wi-Fi was so slow I had to "Forget This Network" and go with LTE.
The appetizer came out first. Two pieces of chicken.
The iceberg garnish was a nice touch. There's no such thing as "Tikkey"; I assumed it was Tikka. Supposedly marinated chicken cooked in a hot oven or under a broiler. I think these were just brushed with stuff rather than marinated for any length of time as none of the taste made it into the chicken. Not very tasty; I could have used some salt but there's no salt in an Indian restaurant.
A runner brings over a cylinder which contained my lunch. At first I thought this was only the sides as there didn't appear to be a main course. I didn't recognize the Lamb Vindaloo because it should be red and it should have a lot more meat that this.
I couldn't believe this was the portion. Was I on candid camera? How could these few morsels in gravy be my $15 lunch? It was even worse than it looked, because the biggest "chunk" was a potato.
They didn't even bother to break up the lumps in the rice. The "vegetable of the day" was peas and corn in a bad sauce. So innovative.
The "dessert" was just a sad ball of something I'd never consider eating. I actually did taste one at a buffet once and I pledged to never again.
Even the naan was unimpressive; smallish and cut into triangles; it didn't really seem like they were trying.
At least I had a plate, so I didn't have to eat out of the little tins.
Four little pieces of lamb and a creamer potato; does this look like the "crispy potatoes" touted on the menu? The meat wasn't tender enough; tasteless bits of meat in a pedestrian gravy.
Meanwhile, while I was eating a manager was standing in the bar looking out the window; or watching me. Either way managers should know that people don't like to feel like the employees are watching them eat.
I asked for my check; paid the $18 with no beverage, and scurried out in search of some food.
Conclusion
Regular readers know my views on Indian Food; The food I got today seemed like something you might get in the army; or in prison. Bad spices and poorly executed stews is food of the poor; $1 worth of food for $15 is the game.
Moksha is about pushing the false narrative that their preparations are superior in some way; nothing I got today was better or different that the stuff you get at an $11 buffet. So you pay more for a LOT less food. What a concept.
You shouldn't leave a restaurant thinking that you might pick up a sandwich on the way home; particularly after a "3 course" meal. This was the most insulting portion I can remember since the M Bar. It's a good thing I didn't have to pay for parking.
