Diya Restaurant (Vienna, VA)

THE MEAL
Buffet: Saag Paneer, Murgh Makhani, Yellow Daal, Raita, Naan, Halwa

THOUGHTS
I fancy myself somewhat of a connoisseur of Indian buffets (at least in the greater Northern Virginia area). Located in the Toilet Bowl Building, Diya is the newest contribution to the Indian buffet discussion. And, other than Saravana Palace, I'm not sure I've seen as diversified a buffet spread.

The Saag Paneer was an eye-opener for me. The Saag Paneer had such great depth of flavor, with subtle hints of heat, that I now have a new standard against which future Saag Paneer will be judged.

For as special as the Saag Paneer was, the Murgh Makhani (aka Butter Chicken) was nothing more than average (which is perfectly reasonable, as average Butter Chicken is still really good). While the sauce had nice flavor and consistency, the chicken itself was a little on the dry side. Of course, this didn't stop me from getting a second serving of Butter Chicken.

Like the Murgh Makhani, the yellow daal was fine...but nothing special. The raita, much like the Saag Paneer, was outstanding. The presence of finely diced vegetables married to the sourness of the yogurt was outstanding, adding a freshness to the raita that I have not encountered elsewhere. As a fan of sauces, the exquisite raita was one of the reasons I needed to get a second serving of Butter Chicken.

At the conclusion of the meal, I experienced Halwa for the first time. A corn-meal textured sweet with almond slivers, the Halwa was sweetened with what I believe was rose water (a classic Indian sweetener). Slightly warm, I could have easily eaten four or five servings of the dessert. While I do not know how Diya's Halwa compares to other versions of the dish, I am determined to try more Halwa in future trips to Indian restaurants.

I have two general critiques of Diya. First, at $15 for the lunch buffet, Diya charges more than its competitors. While the wide range of dishes is certainly appealing, Diya's price point is approximately 50% more than the standard prices in the Northern Virginia area for Indian buffets. Second, the decor is slightly sterile, and certainly less than the inviting warmth I usually associate with Indian restaurants. Notwithstanding the price and the decor, I imagine I will return and will load-up on a few of the special dishes I sampled on my first trip to Diya.

CONCLUSIONS
Food 7.5/10
Service 2.5/5
Errata 1/5
Total 11/20
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