Royal India Bistro Lexington

Royal India Bistro in Lexington has been a longtime favorite of mine. So many Indian restaurants are staffed by grumpy old men, but not here. Here it's always service with a smile, and nothing is ever a problem. I mentioned to the manager that my other favorite Indian restaurant is Rang Indian Bistro, and he just smiled and said: All part of the same family 😍. Unfortunately, Lexington currently has an indoor mask requirement.

They are located next to the Village Green on a side street. They need to clean their sign! There is still free parking to be found nearby. The big communal lot is currently free of charge, as are the meters further up this street.

I try to get here at 11:45 since they fill up very quickly. Today wasn't really busy. Takeout was flying out the door. Avoid the window table when it's cold outside. It's a bit drafty!

You quickly get a couple of papads with chutney. Salt and pepper shakers are back on the tables. They still use metal water glasses.

Lunch Goa Shrimp Curry ($8.50). "The famous shrimp curry of Goa, prepared with freshly ground coconut and an array of masterfully blended spices." The rest of the world, including Madhur Jaffrey, calls it Goan Shrimp Curry. The curry was excellent, with just a hint of heat and lots and lots of flavor. Be aware that their medium borders on my hot. There was enough shrimp in there to keep me happy. You get a large bowl of their excellent fragrant basmati rice. I had forgotten how good their food is, and I'm pleased to put them back in my dine-in lunch rotation again. 08/23/21

Lunch Chicken Saag ($7.50). "Chicken cooked with spinach." Love this dish, and it's always a must-try dish. You get lots of white meat chicken in a well seasoned and excellent saag. This might look like a small portion, but it isn't. You also get plenty of rice. Water is refilled promptly. 09/20/21

Lunch Fish Curry ($8.50 $9.50). They have finally raised their prices. "Boneless, skinless pieces of haddock cooked in a light sauce." I have given up on haddock, fried or broiled, since it really doesn't taste of much. I was giving the Fish Curry a go since the hero here is the curry. This was an excellent dish ordered medium spicy. The fish was cooked perfectly, still moist and flaky. Their medium today was actually medium 😞. 11/01/21

Lunch Keema Curry ($7.95 $9.95). "Ground lamb cooked with green peas, tomato, and onion." This is an excellent dish, really well seasoned. On a previous visit, my food was unseasoned, so I ordered it medium+ today. Perfect for me! 11/22/21

Masala Dosa ($11.95). "Thin crepes stuffed with potatoes and onions. Served with Coconut Chutney and Sambhar." I thought Sambar was a soup, but it's actually condiment. The coconut chutney was really mild and not very coconutty. The dosa itself was crispy and really thin. There were plenty of potatoes inside, but I failed to find any traces of onions there. 12/13/21

Their Thali ($10.95 $12.95) looks like something served in roadside dhabas in Punjab. Select three out of four choices from the special menu. I picked Vegetable Curry, Saag Paneer (hold the paneer), and Chicken Tikka Masala. The veg curry was dry and didn't contain many veggies that I liked, not their fault. The saag was excellent, albeit mild. I never order Chicken Tikka Masala anymore since everything I have had since Punjab in Arlington pale in comparison. This was a satisfactory version, well seasoned and tasty even if they use white meat. Did you know that this classic dish was invented in Glasgow? There are claims that a Pakistani chef, Ali Ahmed Aslam, proprietor of the Shish Mahal restaurant in Park Road in Glasgow, UK, was the inventor of this dish. The half Naan was light and tasty. The rice is always good. There was a lot of food. 12/27/21

Address: 7 Meriam St, Lexington, MA 02420 Phone: (781) 861-7350

Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime's work, but it's worth the effort.

-- Fred Rogers