Sitar
618 Colorado Blvd
Pasadena
626-449-5954
I went to Sitar once before but I did not have my camera. I though the food was good enough that I would go back again and take pictures. So about two weeks ago, I decide to go back to Sitar. I walk in and the host tells me they are closed, due to a private party. I see a couple eating dinner and ask what about them? The host tells me they have been there before Sitar closed the restaurant to the general public. So I was pretty mad, especially considering the cost of gas. So I wanted to back and give them a bad review. So I decide to go back for their lunch buffet, $8.95. Their take out menu says $7.95, so that must have been printed before gas was $4.50 a gallon.
Anyways the lunch buffet is set up in the back of the restaurant. They have three main entrees,
Chicken tikka masala., Butter Chicken and Chicken Curry. In terms of spiciness, they are all mild. If you order off the menu you can ask for hot or super hot.
I loved the chicken tikka masala, chicken roasted in a clay oven, and simmered in a zesty sauce. The chicken had a wonderful flavor. Not spicy and I wouldn't say zesty either. Just a nice pleasant tasty meal. The chicken, some white meat and some dark meat, was tender and cooked just right.
The butter chicken, tandorii chicken in tomato, butter and Fenugreek sauce. This was more like a curry flavor. This is mild and more of a heavy dish. Much different than the tikka.
I didn't care for the curry chicken. The chicken itself was a bit fatty and not tender at all, more like rubbery chicken you get at a banquet. This was heavy like the butter chicken but not as good.
They had basmati rice, which was light and fluffy but not oily.
Service was OK. They would come around and take away the plates but I had to ask twice to get more water. They were friendly and nice. I would give them a better review on service if they had filled up my water, without me having to ask.
The regular menu prices for the three entrees are $11 each and they are al carte. So the lunch buffet is well worth the price since you can get as much as you want and rice is included.
If the food wasn't good, I would have ripped Sitar because of what happened the last time I tried to eat there. But the food was very good. I may go back to Sitar but I will only go during their lunch buffet. You get to try different menu items with rice at a much cheaper price.
