Namaste Indian, Bundoora by Big Fil

Namaste is a very popular Indian restaurant located near the Bundoora Shopping Centre and a great favourite of a friend's little girl.  While I've been there a few times dining with a five year old limits the food choices a bit and I'd never really thought about writing a blog post about it before.  I think it's at least partly because it feels like I've only tried some of the more kid friendly options off the menu but then again, everyone is entitled to eat out right and sometimes you just have to choose the non-challenging option.

First thing though is that when I say this place is popular I mean it.  On our latest venture we arrived just after opening to find almost every table had a reserved sign on it.  Come in around 6pm without a booking and it's takeaway for you.  For a suburban Indian restaurant the decor is nice and moderately upmarket, making it a pleasant place to eat.  Where first impressions are really positive though is the staff, who are friendly and welcoming.

Something I really like are tandoori lamb cutlets, and seeing as though I was doing the ordering they were definitely on the menu.  Lightly coated in spices and served with a small (and fairly perfunctory) side salad, these were flavoursome and nicely cooked if just slightly more than I would have preferred.



The one dish I was told I had to order was the butter chicken.  It's a bit of a guilty pleasure but I must admit I like a good butter chicken too, rich and creamy and filling.  This version fitted the bill without really standing out, with nothing about the flavour to make it differentiate it from most other restaurants around town.



The other main chosen dish was the lamb rogan josh.  The lamb was tender but again there was nothing which really made the dish stand out to me compared to so many versions available in other parts of town.



The one dish which did let me down a little was the garlic naan bread.  I love good naan, crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle, and this didn't do it for me.  If anything I found it a bit doughy so that while it was able to perform its job as utensil and for soaking up the sauce, it's not something I would have wanted to just eat by itself.



Overall
Popular, nice place to eat and very good service (at least when quiet), family friendly and unchallenging food.

Verdict
Food - 6.5
Ambience - 7.5
Service - 8
Price - 7

Address
16 MacLeans Road Shop 6
Bundoora VIC 3083
Tel: (03) 9467 1868