Suraj Restaurant

The best Indian food near the Cisco campus in San Jose, a hidden gem you need to find! The Samosa, Dosa, chicken makahami was so delicious, I mean so so delicious.
The location is not great so look for The Best Western! It is really a hidden gem.
Don’t let the empty restaurant at dinner time scare you off. I think most people order take out. There were at least 5 people that picked up food while we enjoyed our dinner.
I also had Indian wine for the first time and it was pretty good. Flavor, flavor, and more great flavor!

Great food. When you eat at a place like this, you expect a good restaurant to have many people of the same origin of the food, and that definitely happens at suraj.
The food tastes great, but come early because the restaurant packs up at around 12:15ish.

Some of the best Indian food ever!
This place is hidden away — in the parking lot of a Best Western.
The Chicken tikka masala is perfect — perfectly sized pieces of tender chicken and the sauce is just the right creamy consistency. Thick and well seasoned.
Sag Paneer — spinach with cheese. We couldn’t finish this because we were STUFFED … but it was also delicious.
Masala dosa — probably the weakest of all the food we ordered — but still very good. I’m not a huge fan of potato and drier dishes, when there are saucy foods to be eaten.
3 people for dinner. with 1 appetizer, 3 dishes and 2 chai for less than $ 35. If only this weren’t 35 miles from home!

Wanted something spicy and close from work yesterday so decided to check this one out.
It was definitely close from my work but probably lost good 5 – 10 minutes looking for the place. Since we never imagined that this would be inside the best western, we passed the banner hidden behind a tree a few times and went around looking for the restaurant.
Inside is pretty small. It looks to be converted from the small best western dining room and max capacity said 45 people. It was a buffet and you don’t get that many variety. If i remember correctly, around 4 – 5 different meat, two kinds of fried rice, a couple vegetables, and naan. They have soda machine and mango ice cream machine for dessert.
I paid 12 bucks including tip. Compared to other indian places I’ve been to, it’s really not that spectacular. Next time, even if it’s a bit farther, I would probably go to Mezbaan in rivermark.
Oh one more thing. I am not sure if it was because the inside was so small or there is no ventilation, but I smelled like curry for the rest of the day…

The reasonable prices and good food keep making us come back. Water is always filled, tea is always good… food is always fast, but most of all, food is always flavorful.
We are definitely keeping this as our go-​to places for Indian food.

It’s weird when the phrase «why don’t we go for Indian food» turns into a visit to the Bates motel. Eager for the experience? Just visit Suraj. First, you won’t be able to find it. Second, you may drive away when you see what you’re getting yourself into. I thought the people in other reviews were kidding when they said it was inside a Best Western. They’re not. It’s INSIDE an isolated Best Western that isn’t on a main street (clearly the motel owner and the restaurant owner must be relatives).
Once you get past that and walk in, it’s not bad. The room isn’t very big (seats 49), but don’t worry, it didn’t have more than 5 people (and 4 were from my group) when we were there.
The food isn’t bad. We had the Tandoori Sampler, appetizer Vadas, Chicken Tikka Masala, Karahi Chicken, Chicken Biriyani, Naan and Saag Chana. Quite a spread. The tandoori food was hot and tasted pretty good. I feel like the meats were either the right cuts or pretty lean, so it was quite nice. The vadas were a mistake to get; it was like chewing on fried hockey pucks with chutney. The remainder of the dishes were good, hot and the right portion. The naan was by far the best item we had.
So, it ended up that we were the only people in the restaurant, and we got a little loud … but the owner was goofing around on his laptop and snickering at our comments/​jokes … which was kind of funny itself.
Do I regret going? No. Would I go here again? Maybe. Should you go if you’re craving Indian? Yeah, why not.

Went on a Thursday night with a
coupon. Probably because of the location, we were the only table there, although another couple did come in later. Since everything is prepared fresh, it did take a while for our order to be prepared (25 – 30 minutes), so if you are starving, order an app. We ordered onion kulcha, kabuli naan (a naan with fruits and nuts), chicken makhani (butter chicken), sag panneer, dal curry, prawns vindaloo, rice and raita. The first to arrive was the bread: onion kulcha and garlic naan. After sending the garlic naan back, we were informed that the chef didn’t have the ingredients for our original order.
The food was actually pretty good, with the following exceptions. The dal curry had too much chili — not that we couldn’t handle the heat but it was hard to taste anything else in the dal. The prawns were on the tough side and not as spicy as I expected a vindaloo to be.
Portion size was decent. My wife and I were full, left a little food behind, but not enough to take home.
Final damage was $ 50.01, including tip, which was cut in half by a $ 25
coupon. So, four star food, knocked down to three for getting our order wrong and then not having the ingredients to make our order. I’d go back again, but Milan is probably a better choice if you’re looking for Indian in Milpitas.

We dropped in for dinner on a Tuesday night. My boyfriend was looking forward to trying some of the south Indian specialties on the menu, but apparently the guy who cooks those wasn’t there or something else was going on that meant no dosa for him. We ordered tandoori chicken, lamb koorma, papadum, raita, rice and naan instead.
Everything was tasty but for two minor things: tandoori chicken was a bit salty (forgivable), and the food took maybe 30 minutes to show up (less cool when boyfriend is starving, no idea if this was because we ordered chicken, but they could’ve told us if that was going to be so).
After the food finally showed up we were pleased. In the end the whole thing cost about $ 28 — pretty cheap for 2 entrees and a variety of snacky things.
We decided it’s a 3 stars we’d go to again, with potential to raise the rating if we go again and it doesn’t take forever.
The place is definitely tiny and out-​of-​the-​way, so keep an eye out for the Best Western.

There are a lot of inexpensive Indian lunch buffets around, but this one tops my all time favorite. At a very affordable $ 10.07, it includes soda and mango frozen yogurt. I’ve been here many times but have not written a review but they are very consistent with the flavor of their dishes.
Today, I was very impressed with the spicy golbi, chicken tikka, and the tandooi chicken. The golbi was still firm and not soggy and the nicely seasoned with spices. The chicken tikka was good and not too rich. The tandoori chicken was very moist, perfectly cooked and flavorful. They also had other entrée items like pepper chicken, lamb curry, other sides but the items I previously listed stood out the most.
During lunch, there is only one waiter so sometimes if you need something «extra» it my be awhile.
Other than that, this is a great place for lunch. The only reason why I can’t give them the full 5 stars is because the food items are placed near an outdoor patio with the doors opened. I just can imagine what could go wrong, if you know what I mean?

Not the best place for Indian Buffet .
Location is not that great. Service is O.k. Food is O. k
Most of the things in menu taste the same …

suraj is located within the best western motel complex. dining area has 15ish table, has a brownish intimate hue. tables atre clusteredd together.
samplings
–naan (at steam table)
–paratha
–prawn vindaloo –prawns fresh & crunchy, not so spicy
–chana masala
–lamb curry
–chicken markhni
–tandoori chicken
–gulab juman
–kheer
–vegetable pakora
–basmatic rice
–vegetable koorma
–tgif special (1) weinhard’s special reserve beer
–spicy tea
–mango ice cream
–aloo gobi
–eggplant curry
–3 kinds chutney
–cantoloupe, grapes, lettuce, and dressings
music:indian vocals
leftovers
–outside seating
–air conditioning lnsufficient
–flatscreen tuned to cnn
–seafood and meats tender, food tasty, not overly spicy
–all entrees labled, clean serving area
–why were the 2 chinese women sneaking peeks at me ?
–beer included on fridays

I love SURAJ!!!
I’ve been to their lunch buffets a couple times and I’m floored at the yumminess and variety of dishes they have during the buffet.
The last time I went 5.22.09 ~$ 10 buffet which included beer and sodas, 3 desserts (this is very important to me :-D) and entres that were spicy and delicious… they didn’t taste old and stale — as many other lunch buffet places do!
I will always come there!!!

Unless you’re looking for this place, you will never pass by and just drop in. This place is located across the street/​cul-​de-​sac from Gourmet Express, tucked away on the first floor of a Best Western Motel.
I arrived early to meet Dan B., David P., and Kathleen M here for lunch. A large crowd outside, and I was concerned this restaurant was crowded and people were waiting to get in. No worries. There was a leaf-​blower demo, and different clients were waiting for their turn to blow leaves around the parking lot. I was tempted to strap one on myself, but I didn’t need to build up my appetite for lunch. My appetite was ready.
This place didn’t fill up while we were there. As Dan B. and David P. noted, this is a relatively small buffet, but the food was well stocked, and well prepared. Naan was was delivered to the table and plentiful.
A very reasonable lunch for $ 11, which includes drinks from the soda dispenser and hot tea.
A great find, I’ll be coming by again for lunch!

This review is for the lunch buffet only.
Lately, when the Indian buffet bug strikes me unexpectedly, Suraj has becomes the easy, and often last-​minute choice. Why? Unlike most other Indian buffets, I don’t have to worry about visiting Suraj at off-​peak times to avoid lines and crowds. It is rarely crowded here. Plus, being near the intersection of 237 and 880, it’s pretty easy access from my work.
The buffet at Suraj is small compared to other places, but so far, like the children of Lake Wobegon, I’ve found all the dishes here to be above average. I have never had a disappointing lunch here. And like most of the better buffets, Naan is delivered hot and fresh to the table. My only nit is that the buffet offerings tend toward the «usual» dishes, and they rarely take a chance with more eclectic items (are you listening Suraj?).
The price is also right, at only $ 11 a head, including tax. No complaints from me about value. Also, service has been very good on each of my visits.
As noted by others, the location is a bit odd, in the first floor of a motel, well-​hidden from main roads. The space inside is small, but well ventilated, one end being occupied by a corrugated steel, roll-​up door (I have no idea why.) Great for a hot summer day, but a little chilly inside when it’s really cold out. (One day I had to keep my jacket on and zipped up).
On my most recent visit I met fellow Unilocalers David P., Steve L. and Kathleen M. for lunch here. Though I had not written a review yet, this had become a «regular place» for me, and I admit I was a little nervous they would hate it. We had an enjoyable lunch here, however, and everyone seemed well-​satisfied.
Final summary:
PROS: Above average food; Fresh naan sent to each table; Low prices; Good service; chai tea and mango ice cream included
CONS: Smaller buffet with few adventurous choices

Can I give a 6^th star?
One my last visit, I dinged them for not bring fresh naan to the table and not having a spinach dish. Lo and behold, they had both this time around.
While there were less customers this time around, buffet was well stocked throughout the lunch hour.
Thanks to Kathleen M., Dan B. and Steve L. for the company today!

I finally made it over to check out the Milpitas Suraj location for the lunch buffet. The dining room is small when compared with the Redwood city restaurant. For some reason the buffet line is set up in a side room open to the patio, it was the middle of December. I can’t really see what advantage an open air buffet would have. The food was decent, not as many items as you would find in Redwood city. They had fried rice for some reason a new one for me. Sadly food items were not replaced in a timely manner when they ran out. I returned to the line several times to find the chicken tikka masala tray full of sauce with no chicken, the tray was never replenished. I will say that the naan was pretty kick a$$, made by the order and brought to the table in a basket.
This seems like a pretty popular place for lunch. The dining room filled up quickly. The restaurant seemed a little understaffed. A buffet is a pretty hands on dining environment. You have to have people cooking, people clearing used plates, washing dishes, clearing tables for the next party etc. The day I was there I only saw two people working the floor so the turn over you would expect at a buffet was kind of slow.
Overall it was a nice meal but the Redwood city restaurant is still my favorite.

I thought Suraj Restaurant in Milpitas was just A-​OK. I found out about it because Anna D. gave it 5 stars so I was pretty excited to try it since I work nearby. I had to convince my co-​worker that it was good since he’s been before when they didn’t have buffet.
The restaurant is In the Best Western, across from Gourmet Express.
The buffet lunch is $ 10.16 and if you get their «On The Time Magazine» right when you enter & look thru it you’ll find a coupon for a discount (I forgot how much but you need 2 ppl). I didn’t get the coupon until I looked after my meal so my other co-​workers will get a deal.
We got there about 11:10am and they weren’t completed ready to go. They were slowly bringing out freshly-​made Indian food. The waiter told us to have a cup of Chai. I love Chai so got that. That’s good & you can add your own sugar. You can also get Fountain Soda that’s included in the buffet cost. The waiter also brought us Water too.
Some lettuce & raita is available, but the main buffet food is out their main door in a separate room. Turn around & there’s the fountain drinks & the Mango soft-​serve ice cream.
Dishes they had:
carrot halwa — pretty good
gulab jamun –didn’t try, P. liked it
chicken tikka masala — chicken was dry, boring sauce
lemon rice –ok
mirchi ka Salan –ok, whatever it was
veggie koorma –ok, whatever it was
channa masala –ok, whatever it was
saag paneer –ok, not much taste to it.
eggplant curry –spicy
mixed veggie pakoras –didn’t try
chili chicken — ok
tandoori chicken –ok
mango soft-​serve ice cream — not much flavor, boring to eat.
I thought everything was ok, some dishes had more heat than others. There’s peanuts in the dishes so be aware if you have peanut allergies-​they are Not Marked in English if they have peanuts or not!
Our total with Tax but not Tip was $ 22.
Overall, I’d recommend it mildly, but only if you’re in the area & grab the «On The Time» Magazine w/​the Coupon.

As usual, look at Tetsu’s review for the details of the food.
Interesting location for a restaurant. I never would have thought that an Indian buffet would be the hotel restaurant, but then again, maybe a lot of Indians get put up at this hotel when visiting the Silicon Valley?
The buffet room is tiny, and it’s a good thing that we heeded Anna D.‘s advice and arrived early. We were so early in fact, that we were the only ones there when we first arrived. That changed quickly, and large parties started showing up, and boy were we glad that we got there before the herd started grabbing all of the good food in there.
So the naan is brought out to each table, but Tetsu N. didn’t seem to like my «Kore ha na (a)n desu ka?» joke, but Ron L. got a kick out of it. Tetsu N. didn’t even give me a «Na (a)n da yo!» in return… where’s the love?
** For those who don’t understand Japanese… it’s just a stupid play on words…
Although the food was very delicious and tasty, the conversation around the table all seemed to lead to what would happen later, and was compared to the mango soft serve ice cream that was also part of the buffet.
At least for me, I know I had a lot of gas, and had the runs for the rest of the day. Was it worth it though? Yeah… Kind of… Not something I can do very often, but it was definitely a tasty meal.

Based on a fantastic review by Anna D, and a lucky spontaneous invite from Ron L., Michael C., K, and I went for a spur of the moment lunch at Suraj.
Normally, I can’t suddenly take off, but luckily, a customer I was going to have lunch with couldn’t make it. So I grabbed at the chance to run off for a new Discovery.
There are quite a few Indian buffets in the South Bay, with Bombay Garden being my goto favorite for the slightly upscaly buffet and Janat being my goto for a quick bite.
Suraj, which is easy to get to from my office during lunch hours (but not too convenient during rush hour) leans more towards the upscaly side, similar to Bombay.
There’s plenty of seating, maybe 75 or more, and the tables are well designed to easily accommodate large groups of up to twenty. In fact, while we were there, two such large groups came and were easily accommodated, as well as a few other groups. It’s no where near the size off Bombay, but certainly very flexible.
The décor is rather simple and clean, a nice trendy and modern look that helps give that upscaly feeling (not to contrast too much, but Bombay delivers the same upscaly feel by going with heavier décor more full of personality… both are effective).
The buffet area is a separate section that actually leads outside, so one small problem was a small collection of flies around the buffet area. This is not a problem at all, since there were only a couple, really, and the brightness of the area made the flies leave right away once it got crowded. But therein lies the first problem with Suraj: The buffet area is very small. The food selection may be fine, but with such a small area, you can only have a few people there at a time.
As such, it makes sense to go early. Go after 12:00 and you may be waiting in line to get to the food for quite a while.
The food selection was really interesting, and I definitely think it’s worth multiple visits here.
Two particular dishes I enjoyed were:
— Kheema Mutter
Ground lamb mixed with vegetables (grilled onions, peas, etc.). Think shepherd’s pie without the mashed potatoes…
— Eggplant curry.
eggplant and… I dunno… curry and stuff (hehehe)
Normally I’m a chicken and lamb curry fan, but the Kheema Mutter and Eggplant Curry are must tries, really. They are exceptionally good. I had to go back up for seconds just for these two. Just exceptional.
The small buffet area made me down the rating a bit. But one other reason is… No Butter Chicken Curry… What??? Que? Naniiiii? Quiiii? This is shocking! Shocking I say!
But who cares, with food like Kheema Mutter, which I have never seen anywhere else and tasted just great, there really was no need for Butter Chicken Curry, and they had a chicken curry that tasted somewhat similar. I also really liked the vegetables they had. I’m a big tomato fan, and they had tons laid out in a very clean manner, clearly fresh cut. Some other buffets have mushy looking vegetables.
One other minus, and this is something Ron L. picked up on immediately was their slow service. The water came out right away, but they didn’t clear the plates when we went up for seconds (and thirds… but who’s counting), and they brought the naan out after we were halfway through our first plates. We ending up stacking plates until they came around.
The mango pudding, practically a requirement at Indian buffets (okay, maybe not, but I always see them there), was certainly not bad. I don’t really know enough about it to tell whether it’s particularly good or not, but it tasted okay to me.
Oh yeah… this place’ll run you about $ 11 or $ 12 including tip, and drinks are including (soda fountain in the back)
All in all, this place was A-​OK.
I’ll certainly be back and would recommend as a «must try at least once» to anyone who asked.

Don’t tell my boss, but during mid morning today I happened to cruise by Unilocal and read Anna D’s five star review on Suraj. Nothing scheduled for lunch; why don’t I hit up the newly crowned elite Tetsu N and Michael C to see what Anna is talking about.
She did warn us to get there early, and I’m glad we did. The restaurant is a bit tight, tight enough to have to hold the buffet steam tables outside on the patio. We were one of the first ones there, but not for long, as two groups quickly filled up the place.
Indian is one of the cuisines that isn’t bad for buffets, unlike the Crazy/​Super/​Mongo buffets that proliferate the area. The buffet line had its usual suspects, like tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, dal curry, nan, etc, but there were two dishes that really stood out that I’ve never seen before.
Kheema mutter is ground lamb with peas; much like a crumbled hamburger with spices. Very good and worth coming back for. The Baingan Bertha is eggplant in a curry sauce, which really took me by surprise. Also another one worthy of coming back for. And the biriyani… spicy but edible, you can’t stop at one serving.
The damper was the service. You shouldn’t allow the diners to stack dirty dishes, especially since we were one of the few ones there at the time. A quickly bussed table would have earned them an extra star. And the mango ice cream that they were pushing? Well, I think it was more color than flavor.
I’d come here again; it’s a good value for $ 11.