Royal - Indo Pak Halal Cafe

Food: 3.5/5 Service and Setting: 2.5/5 Value: 2.5/5 From what I remember, Royal India has been a staple in UTC’s food court since forever, gracing its main entrance. They are always offering samples of rice and one of their chicken curries, so you can definitely grab a taste before you commit. The service here was eh, I came when they just opened and when I asked for prices or how many samosas came with the listed price, the lady helping me gave me major stink eye. Even for mall rent prices, I felt that having a two item plate for $12.99 without bread was astronomical. Even though it looks like they pack in the food, in reality, the styrofoam containers they use are thinner than other restaurants. If you are craving Indian/South Asian food while shopping, this is a good option. Samosas be going brrr though, read about it below! Korma Chicken: 3.5/5 I feel like Korma Chicken is a dish that has fallen out of favor with the American Indian food community. I see a lot of vegetable korma but not so much chicken. The Korma Chicken at Royal India is very sweet, much sweeter than I expected. They may do this to sort of differentiate it from their other chicken curries. It has a respectable amount of savoriness in a ubiquitous style tomato-based curry gravy. The chicken in the dish was not dry at all and the ratio of curry to protein was good. For me, it was a little basic and too sweet, but I’m sure that there is no one who will outright dislike this dish. Aloo Mutter: 3.5/5 I liked the Aloo Mutter slightly more than the Korma Chicken, but not enough to give it a higher score. They do not skimp out of on the potatoes and peas. Since I went during their opening time, the potatoes I received were cooked perfectly and even had a slight bite to them. The sauce is a bit plainer than the korma chicken and tastes simply like tomato. Unlike the korma chicken, there is a more savory flavor rather than sweet. The spices used are very mild and because of that there is a lack of depth overall. Meat Samosa: 4.5/5 It is really rare to see meat samosas being offered at Indian restaurants and when they are, they are usually chicken. I believe this one was beef, making it very rare. Let’s start off with the bad. I found the samosa to be very expensive at $2.99 for one with a less than ample amount of filling. The pastry was very oily as well. The flavor though is very interesting and reminds me more of an African style sambusa. The flavors are very different from anything I’ve ever had and are both memorable and delicious. Give one a try even if you chose not to have your full meal here.