Namaste India Bistro

Nepalese owner/chef Dilip Gurung of the Loose Noodle on Lighthouse had a change of heart. He was experiencing pasta fatigue. His true identity beckoned. So he started cooking a cuisine closer to his roots.

The result: He reopened his doors nearly five months ago, after a hiatus, to reinvent the restaurant. No more noodles. Namaste India Bistro has arrived, and it already enjoys a steady stream of regulars.

It’s easy to enjoy his tasteful creations in the newly updated and more colorful dining room, and the staff’s attentive service with a smile certainly doesn’t hurt. But the affordable plates help inspire customers to come back for more.

The values include one of the best deals in the area: Namaste’s lunch buffet. I personally have a love-hate relationship with buffets. I’ve seen them all, the cheesy and unattractive included, but here they keep it on the classy side. Their offerings are enough to cover vegetarians and meat eaters alike and not overwhelm diners with too many options.

This allows the kitchen to keep a close eye on the freshness of their daily offerings, which rotate often. Weekdays, $10.95 covers all the hot and fresh foodstuffs you can eat between the hours of 11:30am and 2:30pm. Weekends include a glass of bubbly or a soda for a dollar more.

The line starts with a bowl of freshly cut fruit as well as mixed greens, slices of cucumber and red onion. On my most recent visit, a bowl of fresh serranos cut in half spiced up my plate. Fried veggie fritters or vegetable pakora furnish a crispy treat; sometimes kale is the main ingredient, while other times it’s a mix of vegetables fried in a chickpea batter.

White basmati rice with hints of peas is their starch of choice, and pairs well with their bold saucy creations. But first have some dal (lentils cooked down with spices like cumin), a staple comfort food in India and Nepal.

Typically there are at least two meatless main or side dish options such as okra masala and coconut vegetable curry, while other times chana masala, a dish that consists of chickpeas cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices, is present. You probably won’t see any lamb dishes in the buffet spread, but you can get your poultry fix several ways with their butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, chicken curry and/or tandoori chicken. Dessert is always a rice pudding known as kheer.

Another option, and something you don’t see or hear about often, is take-out buffet: You can fill up your takeaway box with whatever you like and they’ll even throw in a side of warm naan bread, which impresses with a balance of chewiness, earthiness and softness. Perfect if you are in a hurry and crave warm food full of flavor. I think I’m in love.

On a recent dinner visit I ordered the chicken tikka masala ($14), lamb biryani ($14) and a bowl of murgh mulligatawny ($6), large tender cubes of chicken floated in a tomato and cream sauce that goes sweeter than normal.

Biryani is a mixed rice dish using the basmati strain; this one enjoys succulent lamb along with rich spices and a touch of sweet from the raisin garnish. Mulligatawny translates to “peppery water” which is a fair label with this murgh (chicken) lentil soup, as the medium heat warmed me up on a cool evening.

Other items from the menu that pique interest include baingan bharta ($11) – tandoori roasted eggplant with tomatoes, onion, and yogurt – and the cheese naan ($3), which is quite the party in your mouth. The basic naan ($2) also arrives made to order, delivered warm.

I like getting saucy, but I also like to know what’s in the sauce before I alter my food. Here you can experiment with additional flavor boosters using their housemade condiments. Most of their food doesn’t need a lift, but three different sauces appear on the buffet line. For heat use the red, essentially a smoothie of hot chiles. The burnt caramel-colored sauce is their tamarind chutney made with sugar. The mint cilantro chutney adds a fresh zip of herbal magic.

From the menu you can order raita, a cool yogurt concoction made with fresh cucumber, carrots and a hint of anise seeds as well as achar, or pickled veggies, delicious with rice or naan by itself.

Some might be turned off about parking on bustling Lighthouse Avenue, but those who aren’t keen on paralleling with an audience can park on perpendicular streets or in Namaste’s hidden private lot directly behind. It’s located off Foam Street, with a backdoor entrance.

NIB offers a delivery service during lunch and dinner, but for the full experience, dine in their calming and welcoming bistro. Another calming effect: Their short but sweet wine list runs mostly $7 a glass; try one of the three wines from India at $8. Domestic drafts are available at $5 a pint, with a couple Indian brewskies like the easy-drinking Kingfisher also available ($7). I treat myself to a mango lassi ($4) every time.

Namaste Indian Bistro’s mantra is “Exotic. Sensational. Tasteful.” They combine these three elements as well as anyone in town.

NAMASTE INDIAN BISTRO 538 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey •11:30am-2:30pm, 5-9:30pm daily. • 641-0130.