Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
- Joined: Jan 31st, 2006
- Posts: 926
Ah, that reminds me. There's a new Indian restaurant closed to Tsinghua Yuan (on Chengfulu, between Wudaokou and Beida) called Ganges that I tried maybe a week or two ago. Verdict: nice try, but no cigar. I ordered standard curry dishes and in each one the meet was pretty tough. Dangit. That would have been a coup for Haidian if it was awesome.
What I really want is a Jenny Lou's in Haidian. Any chance of that ever happening?
kaisatsu
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
It opened around Chinese New Year's, and a group of about a dozen of us (half Indian) went for lunch. They weren't quite ready for a crowd that size (they didn't even have menus yet), but the Indian staff was very helpful and friendly.
Since then, various groups have been back a few times. I agree that the meat was very tough the first time I went, but last time I was there, it was a little better. We had some kind a chicken skillet (chicken kalimirch [sp?]) that was excellent. Lots of flavor, and the chicken was very moist and tender. The meat in my lamb biryani was also much improved, although overall the dish was a little mushier than most biryani.
The vegetable pakoras were also excellent, although the paneer pakora was decidedly bland. According to our dining companions (who go there at least once a week), it's been much better in the past.
The one thing we're giving up on, though, is the mango lassi. We heard that last time (our friends went), they added salt! And this time, they were served warm. I don't think anyone has had a good lassi experience yet.
While the food is clearly hit and miss, the biggest problem is the wait staff. The Indian "waiter" is simply a friend of the owner and isn't very experienced in restaurant service. The Chinese waitresses are attentive, but they're sorely lacking in their understanding of Indian cuisine (I believe they're responsible for making the lassis, which explains some things). Hopefully both of these things will improve with time.
It's clearly not the best Indian restaurant in town, but it's (the only one?) in Haidian. Also, it's quite reasonably priced considering the going rate for Indian food in Beijing!
BeijEnglish - Amusing ways our city uses and abuses the English language!
Teriyaki
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
Interesting! If it has really improved as you say it has, I'm willing to go back and check it out again. I went during Chinese New Year's as well, around the same time frame when you mentioned that the meat was tough in your experience. I'm always willing to give second chances if there's significant improvement.
Yeah, the wait staff was hit and miss. I'll steer clear of the mango lassi and just try the "standard" dishes to see how they measure up now. Thanks for the update. 
kaisatsu
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
I'd probably give it another month or two to sort some more things out, but I was certainly much happier last week than I was at CNY. Although I think we ordered all more unique dishes this time (lamb biryani being the exception) instead of the classics like butter chicken and aloo gobi.
BeijEnglish - Amusing ways our city uses and abuses the English language!
judge thread
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
Nothing wrong with salty lassi - in fact amongst most Indians this is the most popular version (if you don't believe me try g00gling "salty lassi"). A good place should offer you the choice though between salty or sweet (or "saltish" and "sweetish" as it is sometimes seen on restaurant menus..
). Warm lassi though - that is taking the "he re shui" Chinese thing a little too far.
I haven't tried the place myself yet, but am looking forward to doing so soon...
"In life, he suffered from a sense of unreality, as do many Englishmen." J.L. Borges
kaisatsu
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
Very true! However, the general consensus according to my husband and our Indian friends is that a mango lassi, should not be salty. If we wanted a salty lassi, we would have just ordered a salty lassi!
BeijEnglish - Amusing ways our city uses and abuses the English language!
judge thread
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
Good point! Now I remember that I never order mango lassi because I don't like my lassi to be sweet :!:
"In life, he suffered from a sense of unreality, as do many Englishmen." J.L. Borges
kaisatsu
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
FYI - By a funny coincidence, we ended up over there for lunch today. We were with a mostly-veg group, so I can't comment on the meat quality, but overall it was our best trip so far. The paneer pakora was so good that we ordered a second dish. The palak paneer was better, although the portion seemed smaller. Our other dishes were also good, and the mango lassis were better (probably because I opted not to order one this time)! Hopefully they're starting to figure things out.
Now the problem is getting a table! I think every seat was full!
BeijEnglish - Amusing ways our city uses and abuses the English language!
Teriyaki
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
Had a passable experience there last night. It works for me now.
Teriyaki
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
I've been going to Ganges off and on. I reiterate that it's pretty good, but they have some real dogs on the menu that they need to lose. Very much hit and miss. Some of the weirder ones end up tasting kind of like Chinese food rather than Indian food. It's very odd. But the good dishes are quite sufficient. Enough that I haven't been to Chingari in a while because, well, there's that whole 45 minute taxi cab going there and back each way. Another 60 - 70 kuai for cab fare too. Ganges hits the spot after some experimenting to figure out what's good and what's not.
Ninas is still crap.
sunilms
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
Just want to express my experience with Haidian Ganges restaurant. I am an typical vegetarian came to a place where people don’t know what is the meaning of vegetarian. Struggled for 3 days eating half cooked vegetables and greens without salt, chilli. I was staying in nearby Hotel and passing through a road heard hindi song. My ears stood, a kind of happy feeling and surprised for a min thinking Chinees will also listen to Hindi music. Then found song is from a restaurant that to an Indian restaurant.
No wait, just went in and saw an Indian there named Rakesh, ordered Veg Biriyani. It was very delicious and felt like eating in India. The spices were correctly blended with rice. Enjoyed the food and returned Hotel slept cool and stomach full.
From that day till today visited almost every day minimum once in a day and tasted most of the Vegetarian food, Found awesome taste. Oh!!! What to do my stomach is so small that I can taste only one type per visit(Can order many but don’t want to waste). They give more than sufficient quantity of curries for 1 person.
Thought why don’t I get couple of my Chinees colleagues here and invited them a day for dinner. Came with a group of 5 others. The hospitality, service from Kamal and others (can’t remember the names of two other cooks) was really appreciated and even Chinees waiters are nice and very kind there. I should say that was not less than to any famous restaurants service we get in Bangalore. All my colleagues enjoyed the food and expressed the willingness to visit the place often as a change in their routine food.
Felt it was very small and needs to improve the infrastructure mainly the location. Just next to the restaurant something bad smell and running drainage water makes visitors to close their nose and walk away soon. This might distract the customers noticing the presence of the restaurant.
Totally, Service, taste was excellent. Prices are in little higher side. Hopefully Gages is not taking the advantage of non availability of Indian food to charge more.
Thanks to Ganges and its staff for feeding me and my other Chineese colleagues a nice and tasty proper Indian food.
Sunil M S
Bangalore
MrTang
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
One in YS as well.
Im a f-ing Idiot.
RemmyM
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
The Ganges is full of rotting, bloated corpses.
The river I mean, not the restaurant.
But I can't get that image out of my head.
I think I'll stick to the Taj.
Remmy be pimpin' in BJ, yo!
alwn1708
Re: Ganges Indian Restaurant in Haidian
Punjab Restaurant in Guomao - anything else is inferior!!!
Life is like a jar of jalapenos,what you do today might burn your ass tomorrow