Came with the family over the weekend. Great food and even better service. Loved the big chairs…read morethat looked like thrones. Kids had a great time. Peshwari naan was great along with the butter chicken, palak paneer, lamb and aloo ghobi. Plenty of food to take back. They had a good dessert that's yellow and creamy with cardamom and saffron. so yummy. We'll be back!

I found a new favorite Indian restaurant in Gaithersburg! I had driven past Royal Tandoor several…read moretimes, but I'm very picky about Indian food and usually drive about 45 minutes to my usual spots. I'm so glad I finally decided to try it today. The décor is beautiful, lots of gold accents and very clean. I honestly didn't expect the inside to be so elegant. Even the silverware is gold, and the plates have gold trim. It feels upscale but still warm and welcoming. We tried the lunch buffet and it was absolutely delicious. The food wasn't overly spiced, salty, or sweet, everything tasted balanced and made with care, like something your grandma would cook. I went around 1:45 PM expecting the buffet to look picked over or dry (like many places that late in service), but everything was fresh and fully stocked. Great variety, very flavorful, and the meats were well marinated. The staff was friendly and attentive, my water glass was never empty. Lunch buffet is $24.99 per person and absolutely worth it. They close at 2:30 PM and reopen for dinner at 4:30 PM. There's ample free parking and even a party room for larger gatherings. So happy to have found this place. I'll definitely be back!

When I heard about SpiceLife, I looked up their menu online and saw the standard Indian dishes, but…read morewhat they don't tell you is that you can get a Buffet Bowl with all the rice and different toppings you'd like (lemon rice, Basmati rice, butter chicken, grilled chicken, channa masala, saag paneer, onion pakoda, all kinds of veggies and sauces). This is your opportunity to load up on Indian grub that tastes fantastic! And if the Buffet Bowl isn't enough for you, I recommend the Dosa, a HUGE roll of thin, lentil-based dough with a loaf of spiced potatoes inside. SpiceLife is a neat little find in Gaithersburg and one of the best Indian restaurants I've been to in a long time. I'm definitely going back to try some of the other items on the menu.

Saturday 1/24/26…read more Made a re-visit today to use a $5 coupon I received, which I appreciate, but also I wanted to update my rating as I may have been a bit too quick to crown it in one of my previous reviews. Also, in roughly 9 months, prices have gone up nearly $2 for specific items that I had gotten previously, which isn't a good look. All in all, I still do believe that it's still up there for some of the best Indian food I've had in Maryland, but it's not worthy of the 5-star, as the 4-star fits it better. -- #issa.cheatday

This is a great restaurant to try some authentic South Indian food in the DMV area! It has a nice…read moreupscale feel to it. Some of our favorites were gun powder Idli (must try!!) Ghee roast dosa and fish curry. There are so many items on the menu we can't wait to come back and try some more. Service was friendly and efficient. There is some parking on the street but also a parking garage nearby

As someone who grew up eating Indian food, it's hard to find places in Maryland that really capture…read morethe bold, punchy flavors it's known for. A lot of restaurants tone things down to fit American tastes. Chennai Hoppers is one of the few spots in MoCo that doesn't. I've been here a few times now, trying something different each visit. It's unapologetically authentic South Indian cuisine. The space is cozy with a rustic feel. On our most recent visit, we were seated promptly and service was excellent. We ordered a couple of apps and entrees to share. The Kaalan Manchurian was a great start. It's similar to Chicken 65 but with mushrooms. Spicy, savory, and tangy all at once. We also tried the Aadu Nei Chukka. As someone who loves lamb, this one stood out. It's a dry dish with an intense masala that's deeply spiced and full of flavor. For mains, we got the Goan Fish Curry and the Madurai Goat Pepper. The Goan Fish Curry was milder than the goat, but still had plenty of heat since we ordered it spicy. The coconut milk base gave it a smoother, more balanced profile that worked well with the fish. The Madurai Goat Pepper was the opposite. Bold, pepper forward, and dry. Easily one of the better goat dishes I've had. Chennai Hoppers does a great job showing how spices should be used. Nothing is watered down, but everything still feels balanced.

This was my first time trying dosas. The restaurant is located near kentlands, in Gaithersburg…read more We were seated prompted and the staff took our order really quickly. We ordered the chicken lollipop and two dosas along with a mango lassi. I really liked the dosas, crispy, light and the dipping sauces were really good. It was light and not heavy or spicy. The restaurant is really nice and the vibes are really chill! Definitely want to try some of the other items on the menu!

I am been to this restaurant for yearssssss Chef Trilock You are Amazing!!!! And the way you cook…read moreall the dishes at DosaChaat You are Phenomenal and an Amazing chef!!! Raj takes my order all the time and is so kind and helpful. The food is Superb I ordered Chicken 65 and Hakka Veg noodles it was phenomenal!! I have had soooo many of there dishes and everything is Always sooo tasty, consistent in taste, flavorful and fresh The Ambiance is sooooooo beautiful inside, it feels like I'm eating in a restaurant in India A hidden Gem Thank you so much for evening Chef Trilock and Raj. Amazing customer service skills and phenomenal food

Recieved great Food and service at this location…read more Gave some recommendations for our tastes and spicy levels. Loved the ambiance

(4.15) ~ Very good overall food & service. Note: This is Nepalese Cuisine, similar to Indian, but…read moreunique as well:) DRINKS: ** Mango Lassi = (4.75) Great! ** Water (tap) = (4) very good, must be filtered;) FOOD: ** Aloo Ko Achar (potato salad) = (4.25) Very tasty w. a kick ** Momo (Buff) w. Napali Achar = (4.25) Very tasty, & the "Buff" means buffalo meat (like beef). The Napali Achar is a slightly spicy dipping sauce. ** Nepali Goat Curry = (4.25) Very tasty. Note: Goat meat has bones. ** Rice = (4.15) Very tasty ** Ko-do Ko Roti = (4.15) Very healthy b/c it's millet ** Alo Paratha = (4.1) Very good filled w. potatoes ** Lachha Paratha = (4) very plain ** Ras Bari (dessert) = (4) very good & shareable b/c you get two balls:)

Minerva in Gaithersburg is not lavishly decorated but we were greeted and seated immediately upon…read morearriving. The staff were attentive, patient, and pleasant. Unfortunately, the dinner Combo noted at the top of the menu as an add-on was not available so we didn't get to taste the wider variety of foods we had hoped. Not sure why that was not available. It doesn't appear to be a lunch only option by the text on the menu. We ordered the Minerva Lamb Special, and the Chattinad Salmon Curry initially. A bit later we added the Paneer Masala Dosa. The food did not disappoint! The lamb was tender and the sauce flavors were not overwhelming but the perfect complement. I normally don't consider salmon to be a good curry protein but this dish was delish! The salmon was not overcooked and it didn't disappear in the sauce. Three cheers for daughter's choice! The dosa was huge with a scoop of paneer curry in the middle. We enjoyed breaking off crisp pieces to dip in the accompanying chutnryb& sandu. We obviously had leftovers and were provided with the perfect containers, including condiment cups for the chutneys and dips, to transport our dinner home for son to enjoy. This place was a bit of a drive for us but I would consider a revisit if in the area again.

I've been here several times for the lunch buffet, and, more recently, have had dinner here (with a…read moreGroupon each time). I have to say that I enjoy the dinners more than the lunch buffet. And I would say that even if I was not using coupon. We started with soups: mulligatawny and Sambar. Both were delicious. Then we shared an appetizer of Ginger Shrimp. The shrimp were lightly fried and coated with a delicious coating. Not "overly" gingered for me. The appetizer came with two sauces (one spicy and one sweeter) that were good, but I didn't think were needed because the shrimp were good on their own. For entrees, we got the Palak Paneer (mild) and Chicken Tikka Masala (medium spice). Again, both were delicious. The rice accompanying the entrees was well prepared. We ordered a Garlic Naan that was deliciously garlicky. The soups and appetizer mostly filled us up, so we took the entrees home and had them for lunch the next day. Everything microwaved well (including the rice) and the leftovers were outstanding. Service is overall good. So now I can recommend both for lunch buffet and for dinner.

Enjoyed the lunch buffet today at this well-lit, comfortable restaurant. Service (plate removal…read moreand filling water glasses) was very good. There's a nice selection of items in the buffet, including some vegetarian items, chicken and goat. The garden salad actually was excellent - very fresh, with tomatoes, red peppers and carrots. The tandoori chicken was very moist and flavorful. There were a few fried items - although I try to stay away from fried foods, they were very good. The lentil dish was nicely spiced. The naan delivered to the table was "ok," not great. There's even coffee available on the buffet - and it was decent coffee. The price for this buffet was under $20. There are a couple other buffets in Gaithersburg at a higher price point and might have an additional item or two, but this buffet is solid and we'll be back.

I tried out the Indian buffet and it was fabulous. A highlight was the mango lassi which is…read moreincluded in the buffet price. They had a good selection of dishes and their butter chicken was delicious and rich. The naan was alright, nothing impressive but good for dipping in the sauces. I'd come back again.

A friend recommended this spot years ago, and I'm honestly kicking myself for waiting so long to…read moretry it. We got there around noon on a weekend, and by 12:30 it was packed--always a good sign! The dosas brought real heat (so good), and I've never seen my kids devour chickpeas like they did with the Channa Bhatura. Everything was flavorful, filling, and just hit the spot. Already planning my next visit!

Just stopped by for a birthday yesterday! Great selection of Indian cuisine and the ambience is…read morewonderful! Great service also, although it took a bit long for the food to come out. I enjoyed the beer provided I believe the name was rupee. The desserts were so good!

Just had dinner here with the family ! Had an amazing time. Dolma and Ramsey were amazing with…read moreservice. Came and checked up on us frequently and we gave our order at the counter and the food was quicker than expected. Got some goat biryani and chicken biryani. Some garlic naan and goat curry. Was a great experience ! Plenty of parking space outside as well. Ambience is soothing and plenty seating.

Did a takeout and ordered the malai kebabs, chicken, rumali roti. The food was really good. The…read moreonly regret maybe I won't order kebabs for takeout, they get hard and chewy if not eaten immediately. Will try it again sometime

I decided to try this place, despite the mixed reviews, because the food price point was great, and…read morebecause the reviews uniformly said that the samosas were worth going. I wouldn't recommend dining in because the place isn't very nice, as others have said, but when picking up the staff was very nice, even though they were close to closing time. Is it the best Indian food I've ever had? No. But these are the best samosas I've ever had, and I'm glad I got 10 of them!

Samoas are good for parties. They are large and 90 cents each. You can order a large quantity and…read moreyou can order day of. Plan some extra time for pick up. I have never seen anyone eat in the restaurant ever. It's sketchy. Order food to go.