For my birthday lunch, we decided to check out the newest addition to Murray Ave, Coriander India Grill. Earlier in the year, many businesses had closed, and it was kind of stressing us out – how could we move to Squirrel Hill and suddenly have everything close?
Lucky for us, Kazansky’s Deli, which had been on the corner of Murray and Douglas for decades, was replaced with something we love more than most types of cuisine in the world: an Indian restaurant!
We went in for the lunch buffet, so we could sample a variety of things. The buffet was a perfect price at only $6.99 (even better because Michael’s mum was treating us, and we were able to keep it affordable for her ;), and there were meat and veggie options, as well as a salad bar and dessert.
Everything had a very familiar taste, but it wasn’t until I saw a certain item on the salad bar that it clicked. There is a specific cold chick pea salad that I love (it’s basically like pico de gallo of chick peas), and I have only had it at one other place: India Garden. Then it dawned on me that the signs on each of the buffet items were the same kind they had at India Garden, and the flavors were really very similar. At that moment, who should approach our table, but our very favorite waiter/manager from India Garden! Apparently, he now owns Coriander Grill, and he recognized us, which made me feel like a celebrity (albeit a very fat celebrity who eats too much Indian food).
So needless to say, we will be back. India Garden always had samosas on the Saturday buffet (sad, I know, that I remember this), and I am curious to see if Coriander will as well!
Here we are at the restaurant, which is quite cheery. They play Bollywood videos on the TVs.
And here is my first plate. I wish I remembered the names of everything I got! I tried a little bit of the different chickens (I usually stick to vegetarian food at Indian restaurants), and a big helping of channa masala (chick peas in sauce) and mushroom mattar (like mattar paneer with mushrooms instead of cheese) and palak paneer (which is spinach and cheese and looks horribly gross but tastes yummy) and heavenly naan.
Clearly, if I lived in India, I would not be as thin as all the girls in the Bollywood videos. Clearly those girls are not eating this wonderful cuisine!!