SHER-E-PUNJAB

"A friend first recommended Sher-E-Punjab to me. It's in a little strip mall near the University of Nebraska, and sometimes I have to circle around because I've missed the turn (the area is a dense maze of one-way streets). It's small, but usually not too busy. They only do the buffet on Sundays; I found the buffet a little more expensive than necessary, though it's still affordable.

The first time I went here, the samosa were quite simply the best I've ever had - huge, perfectly spiced and just beautifully flaky. I've been back since and they are now merely very, very good. The food can be a bit spicy, though not unusually so, especially if you're used to Indian food. The last time I took someone there he was not, and he managed, though he had to drink a lot of water.

Meals appear to come with mulligatawny soup, which is good if perhaps a bit too salty. It might be better to skip it and concentrate on the entrée; the soup's all right but the entrees are really good. The mango lassi is the perfect mixture of sweet and just a little tangy. Since my friend recommended the place to me, I've taken several people there myself, and everyone's liked the place."