Darbar, Lake Mary - Closed

I had lunch at this Indian restaurant in the original K Mart shopping plaza off Lake Mary Blvd (next to Einstein's) on Monday. It has been open for two weeks. The name denotes - "a magnificent hall where ceremonial gatherings were held and royal feasts were served to guests". That may be hyperbole, but, they did provide an acceptable buffet for $9. They served from left to right: salad, raita (yogurt), chutney, padam (wafers), chicken tikka masala, chicken in red curry, palak paneer (creamed spinach and cheese), aloo (potatos), two types on lentils, and basmati rice. There might have been one more vegetable dish. They also had a chicken dish that I believe was called Chicken Kalita. It was slightly breaded. It's not on the menu. They also brought out hot buttered naan if you asked. Dessert was included too - mango ice cream (I think) or rice pudding. I was too full to try. All the offerings were nicely prepared. The service (1 plus the manager) was good. The place is a bit stark. It is divided into two sides that are identical. It seats about 60. There were three other tables and a to go order in motion while I was there. It has booths on the periphery and tables in the middle. My booth was a little tight (and not because I'm large, 32 waist smart asses). I'm not sure if any other booths suffer from the same restrictiveness. The front window is severely tinted. I hope it doesn't scare people into thinking no one is home. The quality of the decor, seating and tableware is definitely reclaimed kitchen surplus. The menu is based on Northern Indian recipes (meat) with a nod to southern India via some vegetarian dishes. If the buffet is any indication, the rest of the menu (chicken, lamb, seafood, kabob rolls, tandoori preparations) is probably delicious. I was worried that the area couldn't support another Indian restaurant. But, since the other restaurant in town doesn't offer a buffet and since they have some unique dishes, I think they can survive. I'm always pleasantly surprised at the level of acceptance and familiarity there seems to be in the region for Indian food. Here's another option for you to chew on.