By Sherman Chan,
Special to The Post

The buffet was separated into stations. The curries were the biggest station with Halal, vegetarian and typical options. The Butter Chicken, Nihari Gosht, Chicken Biryani and came with freshly-made Naan. The level of heat had plenty of impact. Consisting of tandoori chicken, the butter chicken was legit having a good combination of creaminess and tang. The nihari gosht was also spicy, but especially the cardamom. The biryani had a kick while the rice was nicely dry and chewy. The freshly-made naan was nicely blistered and fluffy with an elasticity.

There were also the Veggie Pudina Paneer, Tandoori Fruit Chaat, Chicken Pakora, Fish Fry, Malai Murgh Tikka, Achari Murgh Tikka, Lakhnavi Seekh Kebab and Bhuna Murgh. The achari murgh tikka was the tastiest. It was succulent and tender and flavourful. As expected, the freshly prepared fish fry was crispy and flaky. However, the pieces that had been sitting around were overdone. The pakora was crispy.

Of the Bombay Shrimp, Dum Ka Murgh, Saag Gosht, Murgh Patiala and Chili Potato, I really loved the coconut-y creaminess of the Bombay shrimp, but the shrimp had become rubbery as it sat out too long. The chicken was tender and moist. I preferred the patiala with its classic cinnamon and cardamom flavors. For dessert, there was the usual gulab jamum and soft-serve ice cream. There were cakes that were more of the North American variety. This was a good alternative.

Overall, I thought the food at Tandoori Flame to be above average (considering it was a buffet). Considering that the place offers food stations that continuously pumps out dishes, the food is pretty fresh. It's worth a try.

Tandoori Flame Surrey-Delta

11970 88 Avenue, Delta, BC

The Good:

• A purpose-built Indian buffet that offers continuously prepared food at designated stations

• Good spice level

• Modern and trendy dining space

The Bad:

• Some repeated flavors with the curries

• Southern Indian dishes were a bit weak

Sherman Chan is the #1 ranked food blogger on the Vancouver portal of Urbanspoon.com. Read more of his reviews at www.shermansfoodadventures.com.