Sherman's Food Adventures: Saffron

Saffron

Despite many opportunities to do so, I've never gotten around to trying Saffron. Part of the reason is that my son would probably balk at eating Indian food. Another reason is that we end up going somewhere else because Saffron was never our plan "A". One more reason is an odd one. The first time I ever heard of Saffron was when Costanza and I picked up some pizza from essentially the same restaurant; divided only by a 3/4 wall. Surely a restaurant that doubles as a pizza joint can't have good Indian food right??? Today, I had my chance and I dragged Rich Guy with me to sample the lunch buffet.

Normally, I'm not really that a big fan of all-you-can-eat Indian food because it sits around too long and the Naan gets really gross if not eaten right away. To my surprise, the Naan here is not available at the buffet; rather, they bring it to you fresh and hot. That alone, already improved the chances that I would like the buffet. Available items in the buffet included: Vegetable Pakora, Chicken Kabobs, Tandoori Chicken, Vegetable Biryani, Eggplant & Peas, Yogurt Curry, Paneer Makhani, Kadhai Chicken, Mushroom Makhani, Butter Chicken, Curry Beef, Gulab Jamun and Kheer. Everything appeared fresh since there was a steady stream of diners in the restaurant. Turnover of the food was quick.

I particularly liked the Mushroom Makhani, it was so rich and smooth from the coconut milk. The Tandoori Chicken was perfectly cooked. It was mildly flavoured and was extremely tender. The Butter Chicken was a bit runny; yet it was flavourful without being too salty. There was a good balance between tomato and creaminess. Although the Beef Curry was rich in flavour and thickness, I was not that impressed with the ground meatballs. It didn't help that the meatballs were very loose, resulting in a strange looking mess that resembled an Indian version of Bolognese. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the buffet was decent. It's still not the way I would like to eat Indian food; but I really didn't mind the one at Saffron. Add into that the service was friendly and the restaurant was super clean, Saffron was better than I thought. However, I still prefer the Indian food in Surrey/North Delta, particularly at Mirch Masala.

The Good:
- Place is super clean and welcoming
- Service was friendly and attentive
- Inexpensive buffet

The Bad:
- Regular menu is a bit pricey

Saffron Indian Cuisine on Urbanspoon

7 comments:

Diana said...

Hi there Sherman!! I love reading your blog! Been reading for awhile. Some of the places I would've never thought of going to, I tried! And I like! All because of your reviews!! haha. People are like I wonder if this place is good..and I say yes! and they go how do you know? I go, my blogger sites. LOL! But yah.. keep them coming!! By the way, do you know late night places that open until atleast 2 am?? Anywhere in vancouver! Thanks alot!

Sherman Chan said...

Thanks for reading Diana! And honestly feel free to disagree, after all, food is a very personal thing. Open until 2AM? Do you have any type of cuisine in mind? Most of the places that open until 2AM are Chinese. Also, did you click on the Late Nite tag on the blog? Hamburger Mary's is open until after 2AM. There's Trocadero, Wings, Congee Noodle House, Martini's, Alleluia. There's a few more on Main Street and also Commercial Street that are open until 2AM. Also in Downtown. I need to actually visit those still! I'll think about it and list some more here soon!

egirlwonder said...

Thanks for this post - so timely, we were just recommended this restaurant! How much was the buffet at lunchtime? I also understand they offer an evening buffet too between Mon-Thurs...

Sherman Chan said...

Hi egirlwonder! The price for the lunch buffet was $11.95 I believe. Yup, they also have a dinner buffet as you mentioned. I didn't remember how much that was though.

holly said...

I used to go to Saffron a lot until they increased the prices. The food is still consistently good, but I don't think I can eat $15 (with tax and chai) worth of food, or shouldn't anyways.

It's just too tempting when the food is calling your name. And I love their desserts, the rice pudding and honey ball are yummy.

I would recommend that everyone try the lunch buffet at least once, as it definitely satisfies any cravings for indian.

Anonymous said...

Hey Sherman! I just found your blog by accident and man I feel like I found a pot of gold lol.
You've reviewed some of the restaurants that I'm familiar with and your reviews are bang on. One of my favourite Indian restaurants is Ravi Bar & Grill. I'd love to hear a review about that place!

keep reviewin!

Sherman Chan said...

Thanks for reading and much thanks to the kind comments. Please feel free to disagree when you want to, after all, it's only my opinion. Yes, I am planning to try Ravi Bar & Grill. It's on my list!

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