Go Down the Street to the Third Indian Restaurant on the Right…Dusmesh

      Cincinnati has an abundance of Indian cuisine, especially in the Clifton area where Dusmesh resides just down the hill of Ludlow Avenue on the way to Northside.  It's been a place for Indian fare for many years (India Palace in a former life), but Dusmesh is a step above it and the others.  From our sincere welcome at the onset, we observed how each new customer was greeted to join this special place.  Service was exceptional for a buffet even as diners grew in number.  

Dusmesh Dining Room

The space was modestly decorated in what I would term Indian Country…mango colored walls with a stenciled border and linen curtains.  If I were to update anything it would be the
brass lighting, obviously leftover from the '80s.

Lunch Buffet

      The most meaningful way to visit an Indian restaurant initially is to sample from its lunch buffet.

Labels on the Lunch Selections

We don't do that often enough, but after our trip to Dusmesh we confirmed that it needed to be a regular event.  Choosing from our favorites and being able to try new ones was definitely the way to go.

Our Lunch Samplings

      We headed to the buffet before sitting down in our booth.  Everything was labeled, which I appreciate as I have a hard time deciphering between some dishes.  All Northern Indian preparations, they ranged from Fish Pakora (delicately batter fried mild fish) to Kheer (soupy rice pudding).  The soups, a choice of Lentil and Tomato, were superbly mild and flavorful.  They were a welcomed addition to the buffet.  Highlights for us were the Mushroom Matar with peas in a tomato sauce, Saag Paneer with firm homemade cheese cubes, and the Curried Beef Meatballs.  Our absolute favorites were the Egg Bhruji (spicy scrambled eggs) and the Special Chicken Tikka Masala in a savory tomato, onion, and butter sauce.  The Tandoori Chicken was tender and moist for the most part.  Lamb dishes were noticeably missing from the buffet.  Selections were 

Salad Selections

mild for the most part, although Eric did have a hot relish that was causing lots of coughing, drinking of water, and other discomforts.  It did state it was "hot".  Breads were plentiful in the form of Nan (traditional) 

Desserts

and Bhatura (layer

fried and crispy).  In addition to the Kheer, desserts were simple with Sliced Watermelon and Mango Fruit Chat (diced fruit in a creamy sauce).  Of course, there are many additions to the regular menu that we all should be sampling from soon.  Chalo!

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Chalo!