Jewel of India
Hours
Profile
Neighborhood
- West Bank U of M Campus
Smoke-free?
- Yes
Reservations?
- Accepted
Wheelchair Accessible?
- Yes
$$ - average
Indian
Fine Indian Cuisine at the UofM
This Indian restaurant has a great buffet (with many veg options) during the week, and a variety of vegetarian and vegan entrees. Even their dishes with animal flesh can be made vegan upon request. Very nice and romantic atmosphere.
- Buffet
- Quiet
- Romantic
Added by GBS on Sep 5 04 (updated Sep 5 04)
Reviews
This is one place where your best result is from asking the staff what is especially good that day, rather than following the menu or asking for something "special". If you say you prefer vegan, find what is available, and then order from among those selections, all will be well. The first time I went, the wait person was horrified at the combination I was ordering, suggested a substitute, and I was pleased, he was happy, and all was well. Since then, I ask, I try to stay "in season", and I have had very good food in vast quantities at low prices.
although the location is convenient when you're in the U of MN area, every time i've been here the food has been dull and the service terrible. you might want to sneak in a bottle of water in your purse/backpack, because the chances of you getting your glass refilled are about the same as the likelihood that Oprah Winfrey and the Ayatollah Khamenei are having lunch together at the table next to you. moreover, the service is not only slow, but crusty, as well -- "service with a scowl" being the apparent motto.
i haven't been there in a while (see above), but in my mind Jewel of India is one of those places that gets positive reviews simply because it is the only restaurant of its kind in the area, not because it is actually good.
I have not been here in a while (over a year), but I think that the Jewel of India has some excellent cuisine. I can't remember what proportion of vegetarian (or vegan??) entrees fill the menu, but I felt that there were plenty of choices. Portions tend to be generous.
Their vegetable biryani/briyani is superb and more tasty than that from the respected Udupi Cafe, for example. The sampler platter is always a good choice if you can't decide on what to get.
The atmosphere is pleasant and casual. The Seven Corners location makes it a great spot to eat before attending a performance at the Southern Theater, for example.
I went to the Jewel of India last night with a group of friends and was dissatisfied overall. After we sat down it took a very long time to have our order taken, and many who arrived after us were served before we were. Once our order was taken our food arrived in a decent amount of time, but the wrong dish was delivered to one of my friends and another's dish arrived late. We had ordered 3 baskets of naan, but the second didn't arrive until halfway through the meal and the third didn't arrive until we had all finished eating. The food tasted good, but the slow and faulty service was a serious drawback.