Saffron Indian Cuisine

I had high hopes walking into Saffron Indian Cuisine on 7724 West Sand Lake Road, Orlando FL. especially arriving right at 11:30 a.m. on a Sunday when the doors opened. Unfortunately, the experience didn’t quite live up to expectations. My wife chose the buffet, assuming everything would be freshly prepared at opening time. To our surprise, every single item on the buffet line was cold — from the rice and chicken dishes to the biryani and palak paneer. If a restaurant opens at 11:30, the food should be hot and ready to serve. Cold curries and rice immediately take away from both texture and flavor, and in this case, the dishes tasted flat and lacked the depth of spices you expect from Indian cuisine. Based on this visit, I would recommend skipping the buffet and ordering from the regular menu instead. Buffet selections often feel like the more economical options, and here they were devoid of the bold flavors that make Indian food so memorable. I ordered the chicken biryani from the à la carte menu. It was noticeably better — aromatic and more flavorful than the buffet items. However, it still missed an important element. Traditionally, biryani is prepared by marinating the chicken and cooking it together with the rice so the spices infuse the meat and every bite is cohesive. In this case, while the rice carried some fragrance, the chicken itself was not well marinated and tasted bland on its own. It felt more assembled than thoughtfully cooked together. Another important point is pricing. The dishes are on the expensive side, and at those prices, the flavors and overall quality should be excellent. When you’re paying premium prices, you expect depth of seasoning, proper preparation, and attention to detail — not cold buffet trays or under-marinated meat. Service was the bright spot of the visit. The staff was friendly, attentive, and welcoming throughout our meal. Overall, not a terrible experience, but certainly disappointing. With better attention to temperature, flavor development, and consistency, this place could justify its pricing — but on this visit, it fell short.

I usually order takeout but I decided to dine in for once and it was a great experience! Everyone is so attentive and kind, and was very communicative about the menu. I had the lamb samosas and tandoori chicken and everything was so delicious and flavorful. I get a new dish every time I eat here and each item has blown me away. I can’t wait to try more!

The starter prawns were excellent as was the idli sambhar from their sister restaurant. Biriyani average at best as were the veg options (otherwise 4 starts) The waiter had a very 'no can do' attitude but otherwise served us well.

We ordered Malai Kofta with garlic and butter naan. The portion size of malai kofta was huge. Easily enough for 3 people. There was jeera rice that comes with it too. Tasty and heavy food which will probably make us dose off post lunch.

I ordered the shrimp biryani and it was very yummy and flavorful. The shrimp were well cooked and the spices were just right. Everything tasted fresh and authentic. We tried butter chicken and it was good also. I really enjoyed my meal and would definitely order again. Highly recommend this for Indian cuisine!