For many that magical week between Christmas and the New Year is a week of excess. It’s a time for little work, a lot of indulgence and for making the most of those last moments of the year. I ate whatever I wanted, stayed out later than usual, drank a little too much and tried to make the most of 2010 this past week.

Cook-out milkshake? Check! Fed Burger? Check! Chubby’s quesadilla? Check! Nachos at Tobacco Road? Check! More Christmas cookies and french fries than I’m willing to admit? Check! But of all of these indulgences, the meal I was most looking forward to was the lunch buffet at Sitar Indian Palace.

Specializing in both North and South Indian cuisine, Sitar Indian Palace won my heart a few years ago when they made the journey across 15-501 to their current location and had a free lunch buffet for their grand opening. In addition to the classics (chicken tikka masala, saag paneer and tandori chicken), you’ll find items on their buffet you won’t find elsewhere in Durham. The day we were there, the buffet had an egg curry, a veggie vindaloo, veggie pakora and a lasooni gobi (cauliflower cooked in a garlic sauce). All in all there were about 10 dishes to choose from in addition to rice, naan, chutneys, rice pudding and a not-needed iceburg salad.

The chicken tikka masala is exactly what you want it to be – rich and creamy, the tandori chicken was moist and flavorful, the vegetables in the veggie vindaloo were light and crisp and the rice pudding was a satisfying finish. The only dish I didn’t love was the egg curry, whole boiled eggs floating in a curry sauce just didn’t do it for me.

The lunch buffet is $10 and Sitar also offers take-out and an a la carte menu. An order of chicken tikka masala ($13.99) with a side of naan ($2.50) makes a nice affordable dinner for two.

Sitar is a family-run Indian restaurant with a nice atmosphere, friendly service and tasty food.

Sitar has a lunch buffet Monday-Friday 11am-2:30pm and a weekend lunch buffet from 12pm-3pm. Dinner is a la carte, except Friday and Saturday when a buffet is offered from 5pm-9pm. They have live sitar music on Friday nights.

Sitar Indian Palace

3630 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd

Durham, NC 27707

http://www.sitar-indiancuisine.com/

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