Opened in 1994, closed in 2020 due to you-know-what, and then gloriously reopened in March 2023, India Cafe’s lunch buffet is an incredible value and never disappoints.
There is a fine art to curating the perfect plate from the India Cafe lunch buffet, one of the best lunch spots in downtown Iowa City, and it begins by circling the steaming table of options at least once before even picking up your plate.
After 25 years of frequenting this Iowa City institution, I now know to order the mango lassi to drink, every time. It is the perfect complement to the food, with its smooth, refreshing, not-too-sweet yellow mango flavor. It’s not a juice, iced tea or smoothie, but some creamy combination all its own.
Once you’ve assessed the offerings, I caution you — use the rice sparingly. The delicious basmati is always fluffy and fresh but it can get in the way of trying a bit of everything. The first plate is going to have at least one piece of garlic naan, the soft flatbread which can be torn to cradle small dollops of vegetable jalfrezi or sop sag paneer. A vegetable pakora is a must. And so are many pieces of sag pakora (fried spinach). A leg of tandoori chicken can be placed on the side so as to make room for the crown jewel: malai kofta. The cheese dumpling is rich, creamy and swims in burnt orange onion and tomato sauce, which is poured over a pile of rice. Plate one, go set it down and then get small bowls of the tamarind sauce and hot mint sauce to add to any bite — but especially the pakora.
India Cafe Fairfield’s buffet: open Friday-Wednesday; lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2.30 p.m.; dinner, 5-9:30 p.m.
Now take it slowly. Building different bites and taking it all in is part of the India Cafe buffet experience. Pace yourself, because there will be a second plate. Take the time to meet a friend and leave an hour to eat, or go by yourself with the book you just checked out from the Iowa City Public Library. But don’t expect to rush the buffet experience — there are too many good things to try.
Sip the lassi and consider what new dishes have been brought out from the kitchen since you built your first plate. Maybe you will have a bit more rice with chicken vindaloo second time around? Let’s hope some aloo pakoras have been added, along with the tandoori chicken thigh with yogurt dressing. There might be room for one more piece of naan and a ladle of malai koftka. A bit of that hearty chickpea chana masala as well.
I always leave some room for a small metal bowl of rice pudding with a few balls gulub jamun ladled on top. It’s worth going back for a second helping of dessert as well.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s July 2023 issue.
