Your Indian Food Questions, Answered
First time trying Indian food, or just want to know if the buffet is still $18.99? This is where Las Vegas asks and Taj Palace answers. Halal sourcing, vegan dishes, buffet hours, biryani, catering, and parking at Summerlin, Henderson, and Las Vegas Strip locations. One belief runs the kitchen behind all of it: Athithi Devo Bhava, the guest is as good as God.
Jump to a Question and Find Your Answer
New to Indian Food? Start Here
What is the best Indian dish for beginners?
Butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are the easiest place to start. Both are creamy, tomato based, and mild. If you want even less heat, order chicken korma, made with a gentle cashew and yogurt sauce. The lunch buffet is the low risk way to taste six dishes in one sitting.
What are popular Indian foods?
The classics are butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, biryani, tandoori meats, samosas, dal makhani, and paneer curries, all served with fresh naan and basmati rice. Taj Palace serves those alongside South Indian dishes, a deep vegetarian menu, and halal prepared meats.
What is the most ordered Indian food in the US?
Butter chicken and chicken tikka masala. Both are mild, creamy, and tomato based, which is why they travel so well. At Taj Palace, the chicken is roasted in the tandoor first, then finished in the sauce.
How spicy is the food?
You choose. Most dishes can be made mild, medium, or hot, so a table can order the same curry three different ways. Tell your server your heat level when you order.
What is the best Indian food in Las Vegas?
That depends on what you came for: a daily lunch buffet, halal meat, real vegetarian and vegan variety, or biryani made the slow dum style way. Taj Palace does all four, and Las Vegas Review-Journal readers have voted it Best of Las Vegas five times.
Lunch Buffet Questions
How much is the Indian buffet?
The all you can eat lunch buffet is $18.99 per person.
What are the buffet hours?
The buffet runs 11 am to 3 pm daily at Summerlin and Henderson.
What is on the buffet?
Butter chicken, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, biryani, dal makhani, chana masala, paneer dishes, a rotating vegetable curry, basmati rice, salad, papadum, and warm naan from the tandoor. Everything is cooked fresh that morning, not held over from the day before.
Is the buffet good for vegetarians?
Yes. The vegetarian and vegan side of the buffet is a full lane of its own, not one dish parked next to the meat trays. Dal makhani, chana masala, paneer tikka masala, and saag paneer are regulars on the line.
Is the buffet fresh or has it been sitting out?
Fresh. Every tray is cooked that morning and swapped out through the lunch rush, not held over from the night before. If a tray runs low, ask. The kitchen brings out a hot one.
How often is the buffet refilled?
Through the whole service, so the guest who walks in at 2:45 pm gets the same food as the guest who walked in at 11 am.
Is the dinner menu as good as the buffet?
Yes, and it is a different meal. At dinner every dish is cooked to order from the dinner menu, so you pick the protein, the curry, and the heat level. Lunch is for tasting a lot at once. Dinner is for the one dish you love, made the way you want it.
Halal Questions
Is Taj Palace halal?
Yes. Every piece of meat we cook is halal, with no exceptions and no separate non-halal menu. Our chicken, lamb, and goat come from a certified halal supplier and are prepared by the zabiha method, and pork is never brought into either kitchen. The certification is current and we are happy to show it to any guest who asks. Learn more about our halal kitchen.Yes. Every piece of meat we cook is halal, with no exceptions and no separate non-halal menu. Our chicken, lamb, and goat come from a certified halal supplier and are prepared by the zabiha method, and pork is never brought into either kitchen. The certification is current, and we are happy to show it to any guest who asks. Learn more about our halal kitchen.
Is Indian food usually halal?
Not automatically. Halal depends on how each restaurant sources and prepares its meat, not on the cuisine itself. Always ask the restaurant directly.
What does halal mean in Indian food?
It means the dish follows Islamic dietary law. The meat comes from an animal slaughtered by the halal method, and the kitchen keeps pork and alcohol out of the preparation. In Indian cooking that applies most to chicken, lamb, and goat.
What is the difference between zabiha and halal certified?
Zabiha usually means the animal was hand-slaughtered by a Muslim in the traditional method. Halal-certified can also include machine-slaughtered meat approved by a certifying body.
Can halal and vegetarian guests eat together here?
Yes. The menu splits cleanly between halal prepared meat dishes and fully vegetarian and vegan dishes, so a mixed table can order from both sides at once.
Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten Free Questions
What vegetarian dishes do you serve?
Paneer tikka masala, paneer makhani, shahi paneer, saag paneer, malai kofta, vegetable korma, vegetable tikka masala, dal makhani, chana masala, and vegetable biryani. See the full vegetarian and vegan menu.
Do you have vegan options?
Yes. Chana masala, aloo gobi, bhindi masala, dal tadka, and jeera aloo are made without dairy or ghee. Tell your server you are vegan so the kitchen can point you to the safe list.
What is the difference between vegetarian and vegan Indian food?
Vegetarian Indian dishes often include dairy such as paneer, ghee, cream, or yogurt. Vegan dishes have no animal products at all. Taj Palace marks both so you can order with confidence.
Do you have gluten free dishes?
Yes. Most curries and tandoori dishes are naturally gluten free, and rice replaces the bread.
Biryani and Menu Questions
Is biryani Indian or Pakistani?
Both. Biryani grew out of Mughal-era cooking across the subcontinent, and every region claims its own style, from Hyderabadi to Lucknowi. Taj Palace cooks a dum-style biryani with layered basmati rice and slow-cooked meat or vegetables.
What is in biryani?
Long-grain basmati rice, marinated meat, seafood, paneer, or vegetables, and whole spices, all layered and sealed so the flavor cooks into the rice. Taj Palace serves nine varieties, including chicken, lamb, goat, shrimp, paneer, egg, and vegetable.
How many people does one biryani feed?
One order is a full meal for one hungry guest, and plenty of tables share an order with naan and a side curry. For a group, order a family meal or a catering tray.
What is the difference between North and South Indian food?
North Indian food leans on wheat breads, cream, and tandoor cooking, which is where butter chicken and naan come from. South Indian food leans on rice, lentils, coconut, and tamarind, with lighter and tangier curries. Taj Palace cooks both. See the full menu.
Is your biryani dum cooked?
Yes. The rice and the meat are layered in the pot, sealed, and cooked slowly so the steam stays inside and the flavor goes into every grain. That is dum. It is also why a real biryani cannot be rushed.
Do you serve goat, lamb, and bone-in dishes?
Yes. Goat and lamb are both on the halal menu, and bone-in cuts are part of what gives the curry and the biryani their depth.
Visiting, Ordering, and Catering
Where are you located?
Taj Palace has two open locations, Summerlin on Lake Mead Boulevard and Henderson on Eastern Avenue, with a Las Vegas Strip location on the way.
Do you take reservations?
No reservations needed. Taj Palace seats walk in guests only, so come when you are hungry and we will find you a table. The busiest stretch is weekday lunch, so if you are on a tight schedule, arrive before noon or after 1 pm. Bringing a large group? Call ahead and we will have the room ready for you.
How many people does one biryani feed?
One order is a full meal for one hungry guest, and plenty of tables share an order with naan and a side curry. For a group, order a family meal or a catering tray.
Is parking free?
Yes at Summerlin and Henderson. Both have free lot parking with easy in and out.
Do you deliver or offer takeout?
Yes. You can order online for pickup or delivery from either open location.
Do you cater?
Yes. Taj Palace caters weddings, Diwali dinners, corporate lunches, and family events across the valley, with trays built to feed a crowd.
Do you have a bar?
No. Taj Palace does not have a bar and does not serve alcohol at either location. That keeps the room easy for families and for guests who do not drink. You will find mango lassi, Indian masala chai, sparkling water, and soft drinks instead.
Which Taj Palace location should I go to?
The one closest to you. Summerlin sits on Lake Mead Boulevard for the west side. Henderson sits on Eastern Avenue near the 215. The Las Vegas Strip location is on the way for visitors. Same kitchen, same recipes, same buffet.
Is Taj Palace in Henderson or Las Vegas?
Both. Henderson is its own city and has its own Taj Palace on Eastern Avenue. Summerlin is on the west side of Las Vegas, on Lake Mead Boulevard. You do not have to cross the valley to eat with us.
How We Cook Authentic Indian Food
Is your food traditional or fusion?
Traditional. The recipes are North and South Indian, cooked the way families cook them at home, not reworked into something else. If you grew up eating this food, you will recognize it. Read our story.
Can you cook for Navratri fasting?
Traditional. The recipes are North and South Indian, cooked the way families cook them at home, not reworked into something else. If you grew up eating this food, you will recognize it. Read our story.
Can you make dishes mild for someone who cannot handle heat?
Yes. Say mild when you order and the kitchen cooks it that way. Korma, butter chicken, and dal makhani are gentle to begin with. One table can order the same curry at three different heat levels.
Groups, Events, and Catering
Do you cater Diwali, sangeet, mehndi, or a welcome dinner?
Yes. An Indian celebration is not one meal, it is a week of them. Mehndi wants finger food. Sangeet wants fast service. The welcome dinner wants a full spread. Tell us which night you are feeding and we build the tray list around it. See catering.
Can you handle a large group or a private event?
Yes, and bigger than most people expect. Taj Palace caters events up to about 1,000 guests, from a birthday dinner for twenty to a full wedding reception. Tell us the headcount, the date, and the kind of event, and the kitchen builds the tray list around it. Start with the catering page, and we will take it from there.