Get Gluttonous

Having a buffet lunch is always a dubious process. After a mid-afternoon feast, it’s easy to return to work stuffed and lethargic, unable to do anything productive for the rest of the afternoon. Note: they’re perfect for Fridays.

Next door to each other at Georgia Avenue and Thayer Avenue in Silver Spring, there’s Bombay Gaylord Indian Restaurant (8401 Georgia) and Tian Jin Palace, a Chinese joint, next door. Both buffets are cheap ($6.95 for all-you-can-eat at Bombay Gaylord, and $5.95 for a crammed plate at Tian Jin). But while one is fine as an unremarkable, stuff-yourself-sick option, the other is truly a bargain for the quality of food served.

Bombay Gaylord presents a nice balance of Indian dishes from which you can choose. When I visited, options included a Chicken tandoori, chicken tikka masala, a spinach and potato mixture, curried chickpeas, rice, salad and naan. The dark meat of the chicken tandori was moist, though the masala option offered more of a kick. The potatoes are an unusual and hearty choice, while sopping up the chickpea curry with some fresh naan is heavenly. With fresh versions of each dish being replaced frequently, and attentive waiters to assist you despite the buffet-style set-up, Bombay Gaylord is a relaxing lunchtime treat.

Over at Tian Jin, you’re given a choice of four items from an array of Chinese dishes, though most are your usual standbys. Popular options are a schezwan tofu, triple delight, sweet and sour chicken, chicken with mushrooms, egg rolls, and kung pao beef or chicken. I don’t think any dish stands out as particularly remarkable, and many are quite heavy, but if you’re looking for generic, quick and cheap Chinese, it satiates the craving. Not only do they give you four dishes, but the buffet is served with white or fried rice, and a choice of hot and sour or egg drop soup (the hot and sour is tasty, the egg drop rather bland). No matter how hearty your appetite, you won’t fit into your pants as well when you’re exiting Tian Jin. I’ve rarely ventured from the buffet at this place, but their shrimp toast is a greasy guilty pleasure.

If getting gratefully gorged is your goal, Silver Spring has quite the plethora of lunchtime options nearly piled up on top of each other. Next time, I’ll experiment even further and walk…one door over to sample the buffet at Langano Ethiopian Restaurant. I’ll let you know how it goes.