People usually fit into one of three categories: Those that have tried Indian food and love it, Those who have tried Indian food and have been so put off by the new textures and tastes that they hate it, and Those who are so afraid of the foreign-ness of it that they haven’t tried it at all. No matter which one of those groups you are in, I think it’s about time you had the cuisine again…or for the first time.

Guru Palace is located in Mesa, and like many Indian food restaurants, makes it easy for novices by offering a lunch buffet so you don’t have to know the name of something you want to order. If you’re new to the cuisine, just go ahead and get over any misgivings you feel when you see that everything resembles a pudding, a casserole, or a soup. Yes, there is a lot of mushy stuff.

Guru Palace’s buffet offers a good balance of meat and vegetable dishes. I’m a vegetarian and I was able to eat four different varieties offered plus the salad and the desserts. Go ahead and load up your plate because all of the flavors are so varied that you are sure to like at least a couple of them. If you don’t care for one taste, the next dish is sure to be completely different. The important part is that you give it a good go before you make your mind up about if you like Indian food or not.

I loved the buffet at Guru Palace. I thought everything was kept at a good temperature, was presented well, and represented a full range of flavors and ingredients. I’m always a fan of the creamed spinach dish, and Guru Palace’s lived up to my expectations. What I was pleasantly surprised about was the naan offering. Naan is an Indian type of flat bread served with all dishes. Guru Palace offered a regular and garlic flavored variety that I had never tasted before. It was a really tasty twist on the staple bread, and the baskets were refilled frequently when they dipped below the half way mark.

The service was very attentive, our table was waited on by 3 servers…all of which were a little hard to understand, but were pleasant nonetheless. Overall, my experience was great. I would definitely go back to Guru Palace for lunch again.

First Impressions

Guru Palace opened about three months ago at the former site of Khan, a moderately upscale Chinese restaurant, in a strip mall boasting Mesa’s only Trader Joe’s at Baseline and Gilbert.

The interior decor features the large, slightly softly done murals of Indian landmarks typical of the restaurant type, as well as some regional kitsch.  A small “bar-like” area features squat seating in a corner, but the overall impression is slightly knocked down by an unfinished celing revealing ventilation pipes and several strange fabric panels, perhaps dangled to silence echoes.  Strangely, the buffet table, the centrepiece of the lunch operation, is nestled in a corner at the back of the facility.

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A good friend of mine introduced me to Indian food about six months ago.  I was pleasantly surprised that I actually liked the food.  It was sweet, tender and fresh.  Today I had that opportunity once again to enjoy Indian food with people I spend 40 hours a week with.

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This was first experience at the Guru Palace, unfortunately it will be the last.  However, the only reason I say that is because I wasn’t a fan of the Indian food.  The restaurant was nice and the service was great.  I was just a little weirded out by the looks of the grub, thats all.  I never seen anything that would resemble what I ate there.  It didn’t taste bad.  It just didn’t taste good.  Ok it was foul.  For example, there was this breaded looking ball that I thought was going to be chicken.  Well it turned out to be a watered down donut of some sort.  No Bueno!  Sorry I don’t know any Indian.  Also, I didn’t see any sign of the Love Guru.  I thought this was his palace.  My mistake.  Maybe next time huh?  Oh yeah……I  forgot ……. I’m never going there again.

This picture says it all!

The Guru Palace is unlike any other restaurant I have ever been to. For starters it is Indian cuisine, something I’ve never ventured into before, and an Indian food buffet at that. (more…)