{"id":68593,"date":"2025-11-21T00:01:33","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T06:01:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68593"},"modified":"2026-04-03T11:10:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:10:36","slug":"maharaja-indian-cuisine-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68593","title":{"rendered":"Maharaja Indian Cuisine – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Maharaja Indian Cuisine on Lomas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In his Netflix “23 Hours to Kill” special, comedian Jerry Seinfeld posed the question:\u00a0 “What is the idea of the buffet?\u00a0 Well, things are bad.\u00a0 How can we make it worse?\u00a0 Why don’t we put people that are already struggling with portion control into some kind of debauched Caligula food orgy of unlimited human consumption<\/em>?”\u00a0 Frankly, that’s a notion I’ve contemplated myself, but it’s not the only reason I don’t partake of buffets.\u00a0 As an independent observer of the culinary condition, reviewing buffets–irrespective of how good they might be–is not a true indicator of a restaurant’s quality.\u00a0 \u00a0For that, you’ve got to order off the menu.<\/p>\n

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When You Walk Into The Restaurant, You’re Welcomed by a Portrait of an Indian Princess<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Please don’t get me wrong.\u00a0 I’m not anti-buffetite<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0My Kim loves buffets.\u00a0 So does our friend John Martin, a fellow trencherman.\u00a0 During the height of the Cabrona virus, even culinary cognoscenti believed all-you-can-eat buffets were a thing of the past, just like sending Christmas cards.\u00a0 The more fastidious among us were relieved that sanitation protocols would be the riddance of those too short plexiglass sneeze guards and the sharing of serving sporks and tongs.\u00a0 Sadly, doing away with buffets–even if only for a short time–resulted in the permanent closure of such buffet favorites as Sweet Tomatoes.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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The Buffet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Alas, no virus could vanquish Bacchanalian feasts<\/strong><\/a> with their celebrations of excess.\u00a0 Buffets are back.\u00a0\u00a0According to an industry market research company, buffets were a $5.5 billion industry in 2022 \u2014 up 9% from 2021.\u00a0 The reason given for Americans returning\u00a0 to buffets have everything to do with the economy.\u00a0 Amid record inflation–with at-home food prices rising more than 11% in just 2022–buffets make a lot of sense. You know what it\u2019s going to cost you to get in and get out at buffet restaurants.\u00a0 Not only that, the selection of items is cost-prohibitive to prepare and serve at home.<\/p>\n

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One of Two Capacious Dining Rooms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Indian restaurants are both beneficiaries and victims of the buffet culture.\u00a0 Buffets are akin to “Indian Cuisine 101,” an entry-level introduction to the foods of the exotic Indian subculture.\u00a0 \u00a0Sadly, some diners don’t graduate beyond that entry-level introduction and never venture beyond a limited number of items on the buffet.\u00a0 My Kim is an exemplar of this style of dining.\u00a0 To her, an Indian buffet would be complete if its only offerings were tandoori chicken, naan, mango pudding and the de rigueur fruits such as watermelon and grapes.\u00a0 No matter how effusively I extol the deliciousness of menu items, they’re usually “too spicy” for her.\u00a0 \u00a0That’s her prerogative as are buffet visits an individual choice<\/p>\n

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Left: Strawberry Lassi; Right: Mango Lassi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ubiquitous buffet is a hallmark of Maharaja Indian Cuisine which opened its doors in September, 2024.\u00a0 As with most Indian restaurants, buffet dining is available only for lunch (11AM – 2:30PM).\u00a0 Dinner is designated for “fine dining.”\u00a0 Special dinner buffets are available Friday and Saturday nights from\u00a0 5PM – 10PM.\u00a0 Maharaja is the sister restaurant of the Taj Palace<\/strong><\/a>, a very popular buffet restaurant on Eubank.\u00a0 Maharaja is located on the westernmost complex in a nondescript shopping center\u00a0 on Lomas midway between Carlisle and San Mateo.\u00a0 Previous occupants include Mr. Tux Formalwear and I Do, I Do Bridal.<\/p>\n

Maharaja’s website boasts that “for over 25 years, Chef Rashal Sandhu has prepared the finest Indian cuisine in Albuquerque.\u00a0 Found himself in a bustling kitchen in the city, a world apart from his humble beginnings in the Punjab, armed with recipes and a relentless passion for perfection, he sought out to conquer American palates with the richness of Indian cuisine.\u00a0 He is delighted to be serving you<\/em>.”\u00a0 \u00a0From the second you’re greeted at the door, you get the impession that the staff is indeed delighted to be serving you.\u00a0 Politeness and formality are hallmarks of Indian restaurants, perhaps nowhere moreso than at Maharaja where you’re addressed as “sir” or “madam” and extended every courtesy.<\/p>\n

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My Kim’s Buffet Plate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maharaja\u00a0is a Sanskrit word that means \u201cgreat king<\/em>.\u201d It refers to a Hindu monarch or prince in India who ranked above a raja (king).\u00a0 Maharaja, the restaurant on Lomas, may not look especially oppulent from the outside, but step inside and you’ll be thoroughly impressed by the decor and the restaurant’s sheer size.\u00a0 There are two main dining rooms, both of which can accomodate a sizeable crowd.\u00a0 Most of the lunch crowd is there for the buffet.\u00a0 Maharaja’s buffet is extensive.\u00a0 Gleaming metallic trays showcase both vegetarian and non-vegetarian items, each appearing fresh and delicious.\u00a0 A separate section of the buffet is designated for various chutneys, fruits and Kim’s favorite mango pudding.<\/p>\n

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Gil’s Buffet Plate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

23 October<\/strong> 2024<\/strong>: While my Kim feasted on her “usual suspects:” tandoori chicken, mango pudding, naan and watermelon, her buffet-eschewing husband perused the menu with the deliberateness of a slow-striking clock.\u00a0 The menu is segmented into logical and inviting categories: tempting appetizers, hearty soups, biryani, naan breads, tandoori temptations, chicken entrees, lamb entrees, goat entrees, fish and shrimp entrees, vegetarian entrees, vegan entrees and condiments.\u00a0 It’s a great read, like a Rudyard Kipling novel listing Indian cuisine.<\/p>\n

21 November 2025<\/strong>: My second visit to Maharajah took place on a rainy workday for Elaine Rising and Nader Kahlil, so much more than my very best friends at the University of New Mexico (UNM).\u00a0 Because they had to return to work, even I succumbed to the charms and enticements of the buffet.\u00a0 My plate was loaded with lamb meatballs, chicken vindaloo, saag paneer and naan.\u00a0 The chicken vindaloo is\u00a0 redolent with the bold, tongue-searing spices that render it fiery.\u00a0 It’s an addictive type of fiery.\u00a0 One trip to the buffet isn’t enough.\u00a0 As with most Indian buffets, the challenge is keeping featured items on gleaming metal trays warm and fresh.\u00a0 Only the naan suffered the indignity of drying up and acquiring a crispy texture.\u00a0 Everything else was warm and delicious.<\/p>\n

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Mulligatawny Soup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

23 October 2024<\/strong>: Recipes of India<\/strong><\/a> explains “Lassi is a cooling, refreshing, probiotic drink perfect for the warm summer months made essentially with curd or yogurt, sugar or salt, spices or flavoring ingredients like green cardamom, saffron or rose water. Popular in Punjab and North India, there are many variations of a lassi recipe, including mango lassi, dry fruits lassi, and malai lassi<\/em>.”\u00a0 Though we may differ in our choice of entrees, my Kim and I agree on having lassi with every meal of Indian cuisine.\u00a0 Typically this has meant mango lassi<\/strong><\/em>, but Maharaja offers a lassi we didn’t know existed: strawberry lassi<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 Both were refreshing and delicious.<\/p>\n

23 October 2024<\/strong>: A wonderful counterbalance to the cooling effect of lassi is one of the three hearty soups on the menu: mulligatawny soup<\/strong><\/em>, madras soup and dal soup. Mulligatawny may sound like the name of an Irish jig, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the Irish and is as far from Ireland as it gets.\u00a0 Mulligawny is a traditional curry soup which is rich in ingredients, comforting and absolutely delicious. It’s not purely an Indian soup. It\u2019s an English soup inspired by an Indian recipe. The name roughly translates from Tamil as \u201cpepper water\u201d. The original Indian recipe is not even a soup, it\u2019s a sauce that is served with rice.\u00a0 Maharaja’s version is among the very best I’ve had (though in the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve never had the Soup Nazi’s<\/strong><\/a> version).<\/p>\n

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Basket of Bread<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

23 October 2024<\/strong>: Questions have been asked on this blog about the propriety of having naan from the buffet when ordering from the menu.\u00a0 It’s a question I ask at every Indian restaurant we visit.\u00a0 Most of them are fine with diners enjoying naan from the buffet even if ordering from the menu.\u00a0 For me, it still doesn’t feel right.\u00a0 Besides, naan from the buffet won’t be as fresh as naan ordered separately.\u00a0 Maharaja’s best bread bet is the bread basket<\/strong><\/em> (combination of freshly baked breads: aloo paratha, onion kulcha and garlic naan.\u00a0 If you’re a bread fiend, you’ll love this combination basket.<\/p>\n

23 October 2024<\/strong>: One of the many wonderful things about Maharaja’s menu is variety. What could be better than selecting from among chicken entrees, lamb entrees, goat entrees, fish and shrimp entrees, vegetarian entrees and vegan entrees?\u00a0 I was pretty excited to find goat kadai on the menu until our server admitted it’s a pretty bony entree.\u00a0 He suggested lamb kadai<\/strong><\/em> (boneless chicken sauteed with red and green peppers, onions and green chiles) instead.\u00a0 Great suggestion!\u00a0 Large chunks of tender lamb marinated in an aromatic curry tempered by yogurt.\u00a0 If there’s one dish that celebrates Punjab spices, aromas, and textures, it would be lamb kadai, increasingly one of my very favorite Indian dishes.<\/p>\n

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Lamb Kadai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The buffet is alive and well at Maharaja Indian Cuisine.\u00a0 So is a menu of Indian cuisine favorites.<\/p>\n

Maharaja Indian Cuisine<\/strong>
\n4900 Lomas Blvd., N.E.
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 554-1754
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> |\u00a0 Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 21 November 2025
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 23 October 2024
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: Very Good<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013\u00a0Good to very good food; generally solid; delivers consistent quality, strong technique, and a comfortable, enjoyable dining experience
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Lamb Kadai, Basket of Bread, Mulligatawny Soup, Buffet
\nREVIEW #1428<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In his Netflix “23 Hours to Kill” special, comedian Jerry Seinfeld posed the question:\u00a0 “What is the idea of the buffet?\u00a0 Well, things are bad.\u00a0 How can we make it worse?\u00a0 Why don’t we put people that are already struggling with portion control into some kind of debauched Caligula food orgy of unlimited human consumption?”\u00a0 Frankly, that’s a notion I’ve contemplated myself, but it’s not the only reason I don’t partake of buffets.\u00a0 As an independent observer of the culinary condition, reviewing buffets–irrespective of how good they might be–is not a true indicator of a restaurant’s quality.\u00a0 \u00a0For that, you’ve got to order off the menu. Please don’t get me wrong.\u00a0 I’m not anti-buffetite.\u00a0 \u00a0My Kim loves buffets.\u00a0 So does…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":71553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440,15,523,141,5631],"tags":[4448,4442,1658,4451,4454,872,4453,4445,4447,866,4452,4444,4441,4443,1659,4449,871,4450,4446,4456,4455],"class_list":["post-68593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-buffet","category-indian","category-new-mexico","category-very-good","tag-biryani","tag-bread-basket","tag-buffet","tag-chicken-entrees","tag-fish-and-shrimp-entrees","tag-garlic-naan","tag-goat-entrees","tag-green-chile-naan","tag-hearty-soups","tag-indian-cuisine","tag-lamb-entrees","tag-lamb-kadai","tag-maharaja","tag-mulligatawny-soup","tag-naan","tag-naan-breads","tag-tandoori-chicken","tag-tandoori-temptations","tag-tempting-appetizers","tag-vegan-entrees","tag-vegetarian-entrees"],"yoast_head":"\nMaharaja Indian Cuisine - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=68593\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Maharaja Indian Cuisine - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In his Netflix “23 Hours to Kill” special, comedian Jerry Seinfeld posed the question:\u00a0 “What is the idea of the buffet?\u00a0 Well, things are bad.\u00a0 How can we make it worse?\u00a0 Why don’t we put people that are already struggling with portion control into some kind of debauched Caligula food orgy of unlimited human consumption?”\u00a0 Frankly, that’s a notion I’ve contemplated myself, but it’s not the only reason I don’t partake of buffets.\u00a0 As an independent observer of the culinary condition, reviewing buffets–irrespective of how good they might be–is not a true indicator of a restaurant’s quality.\u00a0 \u00a0For that, you’ve got to order off the menu. 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