I tried the new buffet at a Gulfport Indian restaurant for the 1st time. Here’s my review.

The Mississippi Coast has a diverse food and dining scene, and restaurant options often seem limitless.

But one type of food that is hard to come by is traditional Indian cuisine.

Thankfully, a restaurant in the heart of Gulfport has South Mississippi covered.

Tucked in a strip mall off Courthouse Rd, Orchid Indian Cuisine is housed next to a Goodwill and offers indoor and outdoor seating.

It was lunch time when I found myself at Orchid to try their popular buffet. I have been on the Coast for about six months, and never got to have Orchid’s original buffet.

The restaurant owners closed it during COVID and reopened it in July.

The all-you-can-eat buffet costs $13.59 ($15.05 after tax) and offers a wide variety of traditional Indian cuisine.

When I arrived at 1:30 p.m. on a Tuesday, the restaurant was about a third full, with most inside eating the buffet. Á la carte is also available.

On the buffet you will find tandoori chicken, chicken curry and palak paneer.

All the chicken dishes are well seasoned, and the chicken falls off the bone. Although Indian food is known for being exceptionally spicy, the dishes at the buffet are spiced to an American pallet and won’t light your mouth on fire.

The buffet offers a wide variety of vegetarian options. Palak paneer is a crowd favorite. It’s a traditional Indian dish made of a spinach mixture, spices and paneer cheese.

Although all those dishes were good, the highlight was the homemade naan bread. It was chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside, the bread is served hot just out of the oven.

Drink options include traditional mango and sweet lassis and spiced lemonade, and Orchid also offer fountain drinks.

Orchid is open for lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This story was originally published July 15, 2022 at 11:39 AM.