Saffron Restaurant

[saffronnj]

Yup. The buffet lunch is available 7 days a week. I think it costs $1 more on weekends, because they put out more food.

[dflylilkid]

Hello everyone, long time no see...

I am home this weekend so I decided to visit Saffron for lunch. Other than having to wait 15 minutes to get a table (it was packed!) everything went smooth. I noticed there were more people working there and a manager went around to each table and asked how we were doing. Water and Naan basket were always full. Food was milder than usual, but still very tasty.

[Rosie]

To his credit perhaps the owner was trying to fix the problems that were listed in the review.

[saffronnj]

I think what Rosie suggested is the case. I have heard that the owner has taken some very substantial steps to improve his restaurant's service following the Star Ledger review. His New York City restaurants are well known for their service, and this is something he prides himself on.

[nizza]

I am looking forward to going to this restaurant to try their lunch buffet, BUT, something dflylilkid said has me worried. "Food was milder than usual"

Did the reviewer from the Star Ledger mentioned something about the taste of the food besides the service and now the Owner is going to "Americanize" and downplay the wonderful spice and flavor of what sounded like delicious Indian food. I hope not!

[saffronnj]

Do not worry. The reviewer from the Star Ledger loved the food. Saffron had a glowing review where food is concerned. I have eaten there recently and can attest to the fact that the food has remained unchanged by the review. The owner has focused his efforts on improving the service.

[dflylilkid]

I am looking forward to going to this restaurant to try their lunch buffet, BUT, something dflylilkid said has me worried. "Food was milder than usual"

Hey Nizza i highly doubt they are "americanizing" the food. There was one dish I felt was mild and I guess I shouldn't have generalized to all the food. I've actually never had that dish there before and so perhaps the dish is meant to be mild?

I am used to eating spicy food thanks to my indian roommates. But I feel there is a huge difference between "spicy" and "tasty". Saffron is definetly "tasty".

Check it out and let me know what you think!

[scott123]

I have been noticing a trend in recent years towards much milder Indian buffet food in the area. I guess it's an attempt to entice the large number of people in the area that don't enjoy spicy food. I am disappointed by the trend, but can see the economics involved.

If you are looking for heat, go for dinner, where special tastes can be accommodated. Depending on how much you eat, though, dinner will cost anywhere from two to three times as much for the same amount of food.

[saffronnj]

I also recommend takeout for accommodating your requests for spices if that is what you are looking for. Takeout is available for both lunch and dinner, and the website provides a place for you to specify any "Special Instructions." This field is available for each dish, and you can use it to specify how spicy you like your food, how you want it cooked, any ingredients you want left out, etc.

Depending on what you order, takeout can typically be less costly than dine-in. Saffron offers some great deals during lunch for instance (their "Lunch Box To Go" specials).

[Rosie]

Safrronnj--Besides being the webmaster for this restaurant do you have a financial interest in it? In other words....are you a part owner?

[saffronnj]

Hi Rossie,

Nope. I have no financial interest in the restaurant, and in fact I've already been paid for the website. Not really sure why I do all that I do. I guess I'm just dedicated. I wouldn't go online and tell people about it if the food wasn't good though. I don't think that's right. I've eaten there many times, the owner is friendly, and the food is always very good. That's always a nice situation for me when I work with a client, and in a situation like that I like to go the extra mile to help them out.

[mongo_jones]

"naming" yourself after the restaurant itself is dedication indeed.

[nizza]

Well, thanks for clearing that "milder" statement up. I hope to get there this weekend or if not the next. We have been eating Indian food for several years now and just love it. We usually go to Chand Palace on Tuesday night for their great buffet.

Thanks for the info and will post when we do get up to Saffron.

[saffronnj]

I just wanted to let everyone know that Saffron's website is now offering coupons. You can find them at http://www.saffronnj.com/coupons.php.

Thanks again!

[dflylilkid]

Whoa, these coupons rock!

$10 off $40+ dollar dinner!

$2-5 off Takeout!

Eat away people, eat away!!!

[Rosie]

Whoa, these coupons rock!

$10 off $40+ dollar dinner!

$2-5 off Takeout!

Eat away people, eat away!!!

The thing is when I see discounted coupons I ask why???

[dflylilkid]

I would think it is to get more people into the restaurant. Perhaps people that wouldn't normally eat indian food and would now give it a shot because of the great deal.

I also feel like they might be trying to increase dinner and take-out volume.

I know there are plenty of good/pricey/tasty/popular restaurants that put coupons in newspapers and entertainment books to get new people to try out their food.

(sorry for the bad grammer...been studying too much.)

[saffronnj]

I'm not an expert on the restaurant business, but the reason for offering coupons for a restaurant is probably the same reason for doing it in any other industry.

For example, suppose I own a toothpaste company. Most people are very brand loyal to their toothpastes, and if my company hoped to attract new customers, I would have to give them some incentive to try my product. I might therefore offer a coupon or discount for a period of a couple of months and undercut the competition. The discount might mean that I'm making little if any money off of my product for that period of time (perhaps even a loss), but hopefully new people are trying the toothpaste and liking it.

Then when the discount period is over, the people who liked my toothpaste better than the one they were using, would continue to use my product.

It's the same type of a situation with restaurants. People get comfortable going to the same restaurants over and over again. They are comfortable there because they know they like the restaurant, the food, its service, prices, etc. When given the choice between going to their favorite restaurant and a new one, many people opt for the one they know they like. It's less risky for them. So the coupons act as an incentive to overcome this, and like dflylilkid mentioned, to encourage them to try something new, whether it be a new restaurant or even a different ethnicity of food, such as Indian.

I hope this helps.

[saffronnj]

"naming" yourself after the restaurant itself is dedication indeed.

actually... i'm named after the restaurant's website ;)

so you see, I'm a dedicated web designer... hehe

[Episure]

It is possible that the restaurant serves good food but I think the author of the below mentioned howler is giving Indian cuisine a bad name.

Chettinad  Lamb cooked with dry apricots and garnished with straw potato

[Curlz]

Finally got out to Saffron yesterday; on a grey, cool middle-of-a-holiday weekend, this place was hopping--at 1pm and later!

First of all, it's a truly lovely space with aforementioned tiles, Indian accents, and it was SPOTLESS, right down to the bathrooms. All of that is a welcome sign when entering any restaurant. The only quick concern that one friend had was that she was underdressed (in shorts); I told her I wasn't worried--we were still on Rt. 10, and it was the middle of the day. I turned out to be right--people came in wearing everything from jeans to what I'd call business casual to saris.

When the two (of 4 1/2 of us) first arrived, there were only 4-5 tables occupied. This was just after 1pm. By the time we left around 2:15, the place was packed. Nobody had to wait for a table, but there was a constant stream coming through the door! I also noted (a good sign as far as I'm concerned) that we were the only non-Indian or non-Asian group in the room. Although I knew that I'd have the buffet, I wanted to look at a menu, but was surprised that I had to ask if one was available. Aesthetically, it's very attractive, and I'd say that there is a wide range of dishes based on my experience eating Indian food. Prices went from $4 for appetizers (i.e. samosas) to $23 for a few of the entrees. That to me seemed a tad high, but there was plenty priced in between those numbers. At $9.95pp, though, there was no doubt of what I was having. We were starving and hit the buffet because our other friends were a solid half hour behind us.

The buffet is huge, and even included two desserts (Kheer + ???), although I never got to try either of them b/c I was so full. There is a full range of both vegetarian and meat dishes; we started with a cucumber/green pepper/red onion salad in a dressing that was likely made with yogurt, but it was very light, and very refreshing. Not raita--something slightly different. Then there were (room temp) fried veg fritters with another yogurt-looking sauce. Next were (warm) spongy-like pieces of small bread (about 3" round, cut in half) with a variety of sauces available, including the standard mint chutney and tamarind sauce. The surprise there was what I would call a vegetable soup, and after asking, I was told that yes, it was another 'sauce' for the spongy breads. I put some in a small dish and took it back to the table; more on that in a moment. Continuing down the line, there was wonderful Chole (chick peas) on a large flat wok-like server--can't remember what that's called. There were large pieces of a chick-pea flour bread surrounding the chole--also tasty. Then there were easily 8 more chafing dishes of everything from lamb to chicken tikka masala to tandoori chicken to peas pulao (peas in rice) and yellow dal (lentils). There was also a saag dish that I hadn't seen before--basically a creamed spinach with corn in it. We sat down to eat, and a basket of naan (unexpected, 'tho I had commented to my friend that I was surprised there wasn't any on the buffet) arrived very quickly. Our water glasses were refilled constantly throughout the meal. And when I asked if the veg 'soup' was supposed to be for the spongy bread, one of the waiters immediately ran to get me a spoon, and was mixing them together for me. For a brief moment, I thought he might actually feed it to me!

Our other friends arrived with their 8 month old (who is unbelievably great in restaurants), and the staff jumped to get them up to speed. Friend's hubby is a very picky eater (but we love him anyway), and he ordered Saffron Tikka off the menu. I thought it was the restaurant's version of Chicken Tikka Masala, and told him they had it on the buffet, but since he's weird about what he'll eat, just let him do his thing. It turned out to be a sizzling platter of tandoori chicken cooked with (I'm assuming because of the color) saffron and onions and peppers along with it. My comment? "Look! Indian fajitas!" It came with rice. My other friend was stubborn and didn't listen to me when I told her to check out the buffet before ordering from the menu. She ordered yellow dal. Helllloooo? It's on the buffet!! For the same price (or darn close) she could have sampled all of the other veg dishes as well. Oh, well--her $$. She loved the dal. I finished my lunch with a terrific cup of masala chai.

Overall, I liked everything I tried (almost all of the dishes), but my favorites were the chole and the dal. Without exception, ingredients were fresh, presentation was nice, and everything was constantly being replenished on the buffet table. My only real complaint is that there isn't enough spice in the buffet items!! One of the things I love about Indian food is the 'kick', esp because it's one of the few that I can tolerate while still enjoying the food. The veg 'soup' with the spongy bread had kick. The dal had some kick. Everything else was fairly mild, though very tasty. I'm wondering (as have others on this thread) if they're either toning down the spice to please the masses or, as we speculated, if the owners/chefs are from a part of India where they just don't cook with as much of it. Does anyone here know?

In terms of service, the only true complaint I have is that the waiter who took my friend's dal order didn't say to her "Do you know that it is the same dish that is on the buffet?" When the dish was brought to the table, the server said it at that point, which made her feel even dumber than she already did (she had already seen it on my plate). They would have won points with me for saying something ahead of time. Other than that, they could not have been nicer, including talking to/playing with my friends' daughter, who sat in her high chair cooing at everyone around us. If anything, they hovered even a little too much. As I came back from my 2nd trip to the buffet, I had to do a little dance maneuver to get around one of the waiters who was sort of parked next to our table! The owner came by twice, once while we were eating to ask how everything was, and again to bring the check--which he promptly gave to the 8 month old.

We all agreed that we will be back any time we're in the area. For $9.95 (maybe less during the week, from what I've read), you can't beat the deal!!

EDIT: Rachel, is there any way to change the subtitle of this thread to mention the name of the restaurant? I had to do some digging to find it! Thanks.

Edited September 6, 2004 by Curlz (log)

[Curlz]

Went back to Saffron earlier this week, and had a terrific dinner. The fact that I'm wondering when I can get out to E. Hanover again tells me that India on the Hudson now has competition for my Indian food cravings!

We shared (veg) samosas that were not only tasty, but presented nicely with a garnish of greens and julienned carrots. $4 for the pair is a bit steep considering that the samosas are smaller than most, but I'm not complaining. We also had an order of naan with our entrees.

My friend had the yellow dal, which I had the last time I was there b/c it was on the buffet. Delicious! We shared a dish that was new to me...lemon rice; full of mustard seeds, lemon juice and curry leaves and at least one chile--which gave it just the right degree of kick. Bright and beautiful. And who knew that it would pair SO perfectly with my entree?!? Oh, my entree. Let me preface this by saying that although I always enjoy it, I tend not to order the tandoor items when I eat Indian food because they seem too 'plain' when so many amazing sauces are available (hey--I tend to cook and eat fairly healthy--Indian food is a treat!). It took me forever to decide what to order (no Thali available, so I couldn't get my numerous tastes on one plate ), but once I tasted it, I knew I had made the right choice. I believe the official name was Saffroni Tikka, but the extra i at the end could have been a typo (they also order Sherbat on the dessert menu...made with real bats! ). But I digress. This may have been the best boneless chicken breast meat I have ever eaten. EVER. Anywhere. Seriously, this chicken was moist, flavorful, and melt-in-your-mouth yummy. It came with a TON of onions and I ate half and brought the other pieces home and enjoyed them again for dinner the next night.

Service was again terrific, although at some point they were almost TOO attentive, as we realized we often felt the need to interrupt our conversation to acknowledge whomever was checking on us. But I'd rather have that problem than the opposite!

I'm really anxious to hear other eGulleteers' take on this place, and am both surprised and saddened to see that more of us (YOU!) haven't tried Saffron yet. If you have, please do report...I think the best way to try it out is to hit that amazing buffet, but I'll certainly get back there for dinner again soon.

Curlz

[suzilightning]

curlz- it sounds wonderful but it's easier for us to get to cloves than trekking all the way to saffron from nw morris count(remember american grill is 20-30 minutes for me). though it is on the list for my favorite eating partner and me. may fit it in with a visit to trader joes.....

remember those of us who are out during the day tend to lunch east and cut out so we don't have to deal with the westbound traffic after 4 - or go later for dinner so we don't have to deal with the traffic. since you are going the oppposite way after dinner it may/ may not affect you.

[dflylilkid]

Hello Everyone!

Long time no post. Been busy up in Boston. However, I got a chance to go back to NJ this past weekend and visit Saffron. The restaurant has been open over a year now, and the taste is getting better and better. Either that or i'm becoming addicted? I ate the Saturday Buffet and also got a lunch box to go (for dinner..hehe). Food was great as usual.

One point of surprise--the manager remembered me as the student from Boston and asked how things were going. I cant believe after 4 months he still remembers me! He told me they've been doing very well, and that their catering is picking up as well. I asked them why they werent on Zagat yet, and he told me they were actually in the voting process right now. I checked it out and put in my vote. If you have some time, go ahead and vote as well.

Curlz-Have you had the Malai Kofta there? It's one of my favorite dishes. Try it out and let me/us know what you think.

I'll be there again on Black Friday. See ya.

[scarlet knight]

my wife and i had the buffet lunch here on Sunday afternoon. this is the best indian food i've had in NJ.

we've enjoyed udupi village in montclair, but it's limited because it is vegetarian.

an old friend at a nearby table said that he enjoys this place, but this was the first time he's seen it crowded. They deserve to do well here.

if you like indian food, you should try this place. Not only was the food good, but the decor is pretty and the service is friendly.

Highlights: Lamb stew, spinach croquettes, mango ice cream.