"Swagath Plaza opened in March of 2019 in the Military Circle area of Norfolk, which has become well known for its concentration of Indian restaurants. Three others are Nawab, Biryani Hub, and Tamarind, all in walking distance from each other. The building houses an Indian restaurant, an Indian grocery store, and a banquet hall, all under one roof with approximately 14,000 square feet. This review is for its restaurant only. It was formerly a Chuck E. Cheese, and before that, the AMC Circle 4 Theater, which was built back in 1981. I saw many movies there back in the day. The owners hail from Andhra Pradesh, a state in the southeastern coastal region of India that is known for its tangy, hot and spicy Indian cuisine. They offer a huge buffet on Saturdays and Sundays. It features a salads and desserts section, a vegetarian section, and a non-vegetarian section for a total of about 30 dishes. Dosas and a variety of Indian flatbreads are also available. Two of my visits were on Sundays, which were jam packed with diners feasting on their buffet items. I am not much of a buffet person and ordered from the regular menu instead. I tried the following dishes during four lunch time visits: IDLI: This is a South Indian appetizer dish, consisting here of three steamed rice cakes served with a cool and creamy yogurt chutney and sambar, which is a lentil based vegetable stew. The rice cakes were large, light in texture, puffy and tasty. The chutney provided a nice cooling sensation while the sambar worked wonderfully in contrast as a hot dip My Rating: 5 Stars. CHICKEN MONCHOW SOUP: This is a hot and spicy Indo-Chinese soup with chicken and mixed vegetables. It was a small serving with just enough spice and depth of flavor to whet my appetite for my main dish. My Rating: 4 Stars. BHEL PURI: Listed in the Chaat section of their menu., it was described as a slightly sweet, spicy, and chaat snack made with puffed rice, chaat chutneys, veggies, and sev. There were some puris and peanuts in the mix as well. Sev is a fried snack shaped like thin noodles made with besan flour from ground chickpeas, a staple ingredient in Indian cuisine. Puris are deep-fried breads made from unleavened whole wheat flour that originated from India. I tried this dish before at one other local Indian restaurant. The version served here was crunchier but less spicy. I prefer the softer texture and the extra spice as served in the version from the other restaurant. Otherwise, it was tasty enough with a large portion size that filled me up quickly. I would love this as a Super Bowl snack. My Rating: 4 Stars. CHICKEN 65: This was listed as a Non-Vegetarian Appetizer and is a traditional Indo-Chinese dish made with spicy fried chicken in a fiery red hot chili sauce. It was reportedly invented at the Buhari Hotel in India in 1965. The version served here delivered an authentic Indian heat level, along with a crispy texture and an incredible depth of flavor. This is one of the best versions I have ever tasted. My Rating: 5 Stars. CHICKEN 65 BIRYANI: This was a combination of a traditional Dum style pressure cooked Biryani with layers of basmati rice, various spices, and chunks of the spicy Chicken 65 described above. Dum style Biryani is a popular style of this dish prepared in the royal kitchens of Hyderabad, which is the capital of Andhra Pradesh. The dish was delightfully aromatic, and the basmati rice delivered the dry and flaky single grain consistency I love from a Biryani dish. The chunks of Chicken 65 were as spicy as before. My Rating: 4.5 Stars. NOTE: There is one other nearby Indian restaurant that makes this dish just a bit more to my liking. VIJAYAWADA CHICKEN BIRYANI: This a a near duplicate but milder version of the Chicken Biryani dish described above, The recipe originates from Vijayawada, which is the 2nd largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh The chicken was boneless and mildly spicy. Vijayawada style Biryani is traditionally not as spicy as Hyderabad style Biryani, a distinction the menu failed to mention. The rice was dry, f"
Tikka Masala
