Amrit Palace

I have always liked Amrit Palace in Ocala, especially their $7.95 lunch special, but the location has always been a little sketchy. I guess the owners realized this too, because they have finally moved.

The new location, which is just a stretch farther west on Highway 200, is not exactly the picture of perfection with its orange stucco walls and faux-palace structure, but it is definitely an improvement.

Luckily, the move did not effect the quality of the food, as it sometimes does. The food is still delicious and authentic. In typical Indian style, the best way to experience Amrit Palace is to order a few different dishes and share amongst a group of people.

Chicken Tandoori sizzling hot from the kitchen

I think eating should be an experience rather than a chore, so this style of cuisine really suits me. I love nibbling on a bunch of different things, dipping into sauces and tearing into Nan and other Indian breads.

After a meal of chicken tandoori, curried chick peas, lamb, stewed lentils, samosas and a variety of breads and sauces, I was very satisfied. The only improvement that I believe could have been made is that the food could have been spicier. I ordered it medium, and I was expecting, by Indian standards, that it would be fairly spicy, but I was wrong. I guess next time I will have to order my food hot.

Nan, a traditional Indian flatbread

The food was amazing, and just for that I will definitely visit again, but if it wasn't so tasty I don't know if I would; the service that evening was less than desirable.

First of all, instead of having us wait 10 minutes for a bigger table to open up, they sat five people in a tiny booth designed for four at the very most. Then, once a table opened up, 10 minutes later, they had us move.

And it went downhill from there. The server brought out the wrong dish, couldn't seem to figure out the wine list, and which wines were white and even spilled water on the floor. I don't understand why, with all of the people unemployed right now, a restaurant would employ someone who obviously has no clue what they are doing.

Bhatura, a puffy Indian fry-bread that strangely reminds me of a Chinese donut with no powdered sugar on it

When it comes to food, Amrit Palace has it down, but they really do need to hire some new servers if they want people to enjoy the experience, which in my book is about half of the battle.