Welcome To Royal Taj -- Columbia's Newest Indian Restaurant (For The Second Time)

Welcome to Columbia's newest Indian restaurant Royal Taj -- which was also Columbia's newest Indian restaurant last summer when it opened as "India Delight."

The restaurant had a great buffet and got some good reviews from commenters. But it also had a name that was apparently too close to another Indian restaurant nearby. (I had wondered about a May comment that mentioned a Catonsville restaurant called "Indian Delight.")

I recommended India Delight's buffet, and I hear that nothing has changed except the name -- and that has only changed on the menus so far.

Thanks to HowICook for the tip and photo. Click here for my post about Indian restaurants in Howard County, which I'll have to update to fix the name.

Royal Taj

(formerly India Delight)
8874 McGaw Rd
Columbia, MD 21045
410-381-1111

NEAR: McGaw Road is the light where Apple Ford sits on Snowden River. From Rte 175, turn right on McGaw. From Broken Land Parkway, turn left on McGaw. The shopping center with India Delight -- along with Cha Ya Thai, The Greene Turtle and Cheeburger, Cheeburger -- is on the right before the intersection with Dobbin Road.

India Delight (now Royal Taj) in Columbia

There is a ceiling to how great a lunchtime buffet can be, and the new India Delight in Columbia strains to reach that height.

(Update: The restaurant changed its name to Royal Taj in fall 2009.)

This is a broad buffet. You sit at white-table-clothed tables, but you walk to two long tables to pick your own food. On a busy Saturday, the first table started with rice and then held curries from spinach paneer, green beans and vegetable korma to dals, lamb and chicken tikka masala. My plate was full before I even reached the second table where a chef made potato dosas, and warming trays held pakoras and tandoori chicken.

That is a huge diversity, and every dish looked fresh and tasted good. India Delight's skill turns up in the simplest part -- the bread. Naan on a buffet can be soft and tasteless. India Delight's was crisp, warm and really just as good as the best places around. Of course, buffets have to spice at the mildest level. That keeps an India Delight lunch from matching the full magic of Indian cooking unleashed at House of India or Mango Grove, particularly in the vegetable dishes to my taste.

But don't get me wrong. I filled an entire second plate, and I loved the potato dosas, which I had never seen on a buffet before. The chef turns out the thin pancakes, and they're that wonderful mix of crispy skin with warm, soft potatoes inside. India Delight's talent with

this type of food that is traditionally mild gives me optimism that the full dinner menu will include spicier, more complex fare.

India Delight has a few other unusual touches on its buffet. Check out the fried discs of mashed potato on the pakora dish. Addictive and the kind of dish that would coat your home kitchen in oil. Also look for the thermos of tea on the dessert table. This is milky chai, maybe a taste of licorice in the spice mix. It's good, and the tea and dosas are both signs that India Delight wants to give you a deluxe experience. My friend and I chatted over tea. I thought about a third plate, but let reason (and my full stomach) win out over my greed.

India Delight replaced California Tortilla in the shopping center on McGaw Road behind Apple Ford. This row has a bad-news run losing the Atlanta Bread Co., Z Pizza, Orinoco Coffee, and the fast Mexican. But there is still The Greene Turtle, Cheeburger, Cheeburger and Cha Ya Thai Sushi, which has gotten some positive comments.

Check out my prior post about Indian restaurants in Howard County. Or click here for the starting page of the "What I Learned" guide.

India Delight

now called Royal Taj
8874 McGaw Rd
Columbia, MD 21045
410-381-1111

NEAR: McGaw Road is the light where Apple Ford sits on Snowden River. From Rte 175, turn right on McGaw. From Broken Land Parkway, turn left on McGaw. The shopping center with India Delight -- along with Cha Ya Thai, The Greene Turtle and Cheeburger, Cheeburger -- is on the right before the intersection with Dobbin Road.

India Delight in Columbia Appears To Have Opened Quietly

Columbia's newest Indian restaurant appears to have opened quietly -- even while trying to fool the local food blogs with ads about a July 12 grand opening.

Several people left comments about India Delight's ads in the Sun and Post about a July 12 opening, but Amy G. says that she ate there last night and enjoyed herself. Shahi paneer was the best she has ever had. The naan was soft without being greasy. India Delight is on McGaw Road near The Green Turtle and Smoothie King. It replaces the California Tortilla that closed earlier in the year. (Update: Eric posted below Amy G. about the Saturday lunch buffet.)

Click here for my post about Indian restaurants in Howard County.

India Delight To Replace California Tortilla in Columbia

Buildings permits never lie.  It looks like a new restaurant India Delight will replace the California Tortilla in Columbia.

(Update:  It opened in June 2009.  I love comments.  Please post comments about the restaurant on the June post.)

I posted last month about a construction permit that described alterations to an existing restaurant space at 8874 McGaw Road.  This is the shopping center where Orinoco Coffee, California Tortilla and the Atlanta Bread Company have all closed.  The smoothie place and Cha Ya Thai have held on valiantly.

There is now a sign on the California Tortilla that says India Delight Restaurant will be joining them soon.  I couldn't see inside, but the Howard County Web site says that the work passed one inspection on April 17.  The revised permit says they won't make any electrical changes, so maybe that means a quick renovation.  Good luck to them!

Does anyone know details?  (Update: A comment below asks if this might be a restaurant moving from Catonsville  That is "Indian" Delight.  The sign says "India" Delight, but who knows.)

India Delight -- Columbia's New Indian Restaurant?

A new restaurant called India Delight may be coming to the shopping center on McGaw Road that has The Green Turtle, Smoothie King and Z Pizza.

On March 4, 2009, the Kaywell Construction Corp. of Fulton (go Fulton! go Fulton!) applied for a building permit at 8874 McGaw Road, according to the county Web site. This is near Apple Ford and the planned Wegmans just south of Rte 175. The permit says it is for "India Delight" and describes alterting existing restaurant space for a new restaurant.

India Delight could replace Orinoco Coffee Shop, California Tortilla or the Atlanta Bread Company. I'm happy to publicize any local restaurants -- especially people trying to bring us new options.

(Update:  It opened in June 2009.  I love comments.  Please post comments about the restaurant on the June post.)

Thanks again to the anonymous commentor who taught me to search the building permits. Please tell me if you figure out any other restaurants under construction. If (for example) you were wondering if coal-fired pizza is coming to Shipley's Grant, you could type the address of the building into the Howard County Web site and see.

Until India Delight opens, definitely check out the nearby places, including House of India, Akbar and the Mango Grove/Mirchi Wok duplex. Or read my post about Indian Restaurants in Howard County.