Mayuri is a favorite of Microsoft employees, who show up for the gut-busting lunch buffet, which is well stocked with both meat and vegetarian dishes, or the equally good-value dinner thali, which comes with a main, a vegetable curry, dal, naan, rice, soup, raita, and dessert.

Spicy and sizzling are the watchwords here. And buttery—the food here can only be considered healthy if you’re on a 60 percent ghee diet. A section of the menu is devoted to South Indian cuisine, including dosai (crêpes made with mung-bean flour) stuffed with vegetable curries or more unusual (at least in these parts) combinations of cream of wheat and rice. Indeed, some of Mayuri’s best dishes are southern creations, like the spicy chicken chetynadu. Otherwise, anything from the tandoor—including the unusual (and often disappointing) fish choice of tilapia—goes over well.

Although any place with a buffet can’t be too elegant, Mayuri puts some effort into presentation. How many places with prices this low give you cloth napkins?