Royal India-Delmar

**What sets Royal India apart from Xin Chào's comfort-bowl sprawl and KIIN's made-to-order rigor:** this is the spot that survived the buffet apocalypse by keeping one foot in each camp — weekday lunch specials for the solo desk escapee, Sunday buffet for the family who can't agree on anything, and a spice scale calibrated like a Thai kitchen's, not the dumbed-down version most Indian spots hand Americans. While KIIN pounds curry paste to order and Xin Chào builds pho drama with cartoonish beef ribs, Royal India runs a tighter ship than the steam tables suggest — the lamb vindaloo lands with actual heat and depth, the paneer saag tastes like spinach that was cooked down properly instead of microwaved into submission, and if you ask for 8/10 spice, they don't panic and give you a 4.

The lamb vindaloo gets called out unprompted as "perhaps the best" by regulars who've clearly worked through the menu, which matters when you're operating in a neighborhood where most people default to tikka masala and call it adventurous. The paneer saag runs creamier than most without crossing into heavy, and the karahi chicken builds flavor through technique, not just dumping garam masala into tomato paste. This isn't innovation — it's execution at a level that stands out when half the Indian spots in San Diego are running the same Sysco playbook.

The portions swing wildly depending on what you order — lunch specials are filling enough to skip dinner, but a la carte mains can feel stingy for the price, especially if you're used to the rice-and-naan mountains other spots pile on. Parking's easy in the Valley Centre strip, and the Sunday buffet's the move if you've got picky kids or want to sample without committing. Just know the spice levels are honest — if you order 8/10, you're getting 8/10, and no amount of raita will save you if you guessed wrong.