Royal Karma

Based on the many reviews about Royal Karma, we decided to give it a try. The establishment was very clean and the staff were friendly, and though it is located in a strip mall, they have done a decent job on the décor. Unfortunately, my biggest let down was the food. I suppose that if you haven’t had much indian cusine you may find that the Royal Karma is quite tasty. But overall, I feel it was only mildly exceptable on taste. I always order a particular dish when trying out Indian restaurants and I did the same on this occasion. There was something just not right, like it was missing something. I’m not saying the food was bad, it just was not to the standards I am use to. I would definitely say that it’s worth checking out at least once to make your own decision though I think it’s no where near 4.5 stars.

Probably the best Indian restaurant I have visited. Everything is very fresh and flavorful. I do not give out many 5 star ratings but this place is truly unique. Best Tofu Chili outside China and India.
The wine list is excellent and you can always count on top notch service. I have been to the restaurant 4 times before writing this review. Each time it has surpassed my expectations.
I have tried many of the items on the menu and find each one to be fantastic.
The restaurant is pricey but you can expect that for Annapolis.

My family and I decided to try this place based on the excellent reviews; however, we were not impressed. We went during the lunch buffet and were seated right away. The waiter took our drink order and then left without any indication that we should help ourselves to the buffet (at this point, we weren’t aware that you had to get the buffet). After a minute or two or an awkward «what should we do» feeling, we made our way to the buffet.
There were many options including vegetarian dishes, meat dishes, basmati rice, Naan, and a couple of desserts. There were also several dipping sauces; however, no Papadam was provided for them. We could tell that the food had been sitting around for a while and some had only sauce left in the pan. About 5 minutes after we sat down with our plates, the host came to our table to tell us that they would be closing the buffet in 5 minutes (apparently, it closes at 3:00…an important thing you would think the host would have shared when we first came in). To make matters worse, all the food was cleared by ten till 3:00…early! We quickly returned to the buffet to load up a second plate before they closed.
Overall, the taste of the food was ok. I have definitely had better (especially at Basmati). The Naan was overcooked to the point that it was crunchy and the basmati rice was not very fragrant. I was also quite disappointed that they didn’t include Chicken Tikka Masala… a very popular dish. The Butter Chicken and Saag Paneer were my «favorites».
The two stars I gave are for the number of options on the buffet, the atmosphere, and the fact that it is fairly kid friendly (we had a 1 year old in tow). I was pretty annoyed that we weren’t told when we came in that the buffet was about to close (resulting in old food, empty pans, and rushed eating but a full-​priced bill) so I wouldn’t choose to return to this restaurant. However, if a friend wanted to go, I would go.
If you are looking for really good Indian food in Annapolis, I would recommend Basmati… that is where we will be going from now on.

Since my last review we have gotten take out 3 times and had the lunch buffet 3 times. The chefs are way too heavy handed on the salt… and I love salt I’ll even put it in apples and watermelons. I first thought it was only the buffet bc they want people to drink more water and fill up quickly, but even the takeout was incredibly salty.

We called in a large order for about 20 people last night. The lady on the phone was very polite and efficient. As with always when ordering for large groups we had to add food which again she was really helpful with. When we arrived the food was ready in the time she had told us and the staff were extremely plesant. They helped us out to the car with our order.
When we arrived home all the food was very clearly labled making my wifes job of dispersing the food very easy. Everyone enjoyed their meal.
Food was 5 stars, the service was 5 stars.
Althiugh we did not dine in the resturant was clean, tidy well decorated with some really cool authentic artwork on the wall.
I definitely reccomend this resturant

Delicious cuisine and wonderful, friendly service. By far, the best Indian restaurant option in Annapolis.

Best Indian restaurant in Annapolis. Stuff on the buffet you almost never see. Give it a try.

My favorite place in Parole. Food, service and atmosphere are excellent. The lamb vindaloo is outstanding. Always look forward to returning.

I have loved this place since first bite! I have not yet had the pleasure of dining in, but I’ve ordered take out and delivery and have always been happy with my choice. Not only is the food delicious, but the portions are generous, so you will an extra meal or two as a result. An almost absurd variety of tasty omnivorous and vegetarian dishes to choose from.
In case you are wondering, the answer is «yes, you should get the naan.» Unless you have gluten sensitivities, in which case you should probably skip the naan.

Fabulous service! Fabulous food. The garlic naan is very good. I took my mom here and they treated her like a queen. Warning: if you want spicy, order a 6 not an 8!!! I’ll be back soon!

Bad choice
The hospitality and services is very much below average. It’s a money minded’s restaurant. They keep an eye on what and how much you are eating in the buffet. They were discussing that they have served naan twice on our table and we were able to hear all their crappy talks. Ultimately we had to stop eating in the middle of our meal. I was there with a friend of mine and they made me feel embarrassed in front of him.
I have never seen an uglier ass hole than that guy ever in my life.

The food is expertly prepared and is matched with the genuinely comforting and practiced service. An excellent value and well served meal.
Off the main path but we will make the turn every time. Accommodated special requests and made corrections without pause.

I LOVE Royal Karma. It is tucked away in a small strip mall off the beaten path but popular.
The wait staff are attentive yet unobtrusive.
The selection is large and varies from day to day so you never tire of the same thing. The variety is always good enough to appeal to the entire party whether they want spicy, more mild or vegetarian. LOVE the samosas and pakora.
The naan is served fresh and hot to your table.
They have a full bar as well as soft drinks, lassi and masala chai on the buffet.
The atmosphere is appealing and not overdone. The service is excellent. The food is excellent.

I’m not sure how much this might of swayed my feeling about this restaurant but my wife and I ate here after running the Bridge 10K… so we were hungry.
The location is fair and easy to find. It is in a typical strip.
The inside is well designed and welcoming. The bathroom was clean and not smelly.
The food layout was great! I have not seen so many choices at an Indian restaurant buffet in a long time. Lots of choice for vegetarians (of which I am not) and plenty of meat eater options (no beef of course). Made a salad and thoroughly enjoyed it albeit a small salad. I chose to do tiny amounts of everything to see what I liked before making a ‘meal’ plate. To my surprise there was roti on the buffet. The type that we make in the Caribbean (I’m from Jamaica and my wife is from Trinidad). My wife’s mom makes the roti (fried roti) exactly the same way and cut in the same shapes… very interesting.
Butter paneer — yum
Curry chick pea — yum
Curry fish — yum
Tawa /​Tava Chicken — exceptional!
Naan — It won’t blow your mind but it is good (had just the plain butter naan)
Chai — yum
Saffron vermicelli — yum
Carrot pudding — fair
Veggie biryani — yum
Curry goat — okay — I like a thicker curry with more spice
Salad — make it yum — easy to do
This is my new favorite Indian restaurant for sure.

Previously heard of this place from a friend and decided to give the place a try. I went during the lunch buffet hour. They had variety of different entrees. I enjoyed mostly Tandoori Chicken and Butter Chicken. Overall taste from their entrees are moderately ok with their spice and flavor due to trying other restaurants.
Their dessert selection was oddly different from what I normally see at other Indian restaurants who seem to always have Galub Jamun and other things. Their Chai Tea wasn’t sweetened so you might want to add sugar.
I would still come to this place though.

Style over substance is typically criticism, but when the substance is good and the style is just that much better? Baby, you’re golden. Royal Karma serves up a sultan’s ransom of eastern delights. The sauce is on point. The meat is in the sauce, and watch out! Spicy! There are all sorts of bread, and none of it like the supermarket bread that mom used to make. It’s a whole new world, exciting and new. Who knew food like this existed?
Resplendent. It’s the only word adequate to even begin describing the décor. An elephant sized screen looms over the dining room. Sports? No sir. Culture. A kaleidoscope of colors and shapes moving to exotic rhythms. There’s nothing like it in Annapolis.
The house red tasted a little off, but maybe that’s how they like it? Free because I checked in via Facebook. Domo arigato, Mark Zuckerberg.

As far as Indian restaurants are concerned this is perhaps my favorite. It’s hard for me to find a restaurant that takes me at face value when I ask for it as spicy as it gets, but these guys delivered. The lamb vindaloo was stellar and I was really impressed by the heat. My girlfriend got her staple dish, the butter chicken, and she loved it!
That would have been enough for a four star review, but then we happened to be there when a trained belly dancer took to the floor to provide entertainment while we were eating! What a show! I was really impressed, and the night kept getting better with great desserts and all at a very reasonable price.
Suffice it to say that we’ve found the Indian restaurant we love most in Annapolis, and this is where we will be going henceforth. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy this cuisine!

We made our first visit to Royal Karma for dinner last night. We were very pleased. The service was attentive without being cloying and the kitchen was first rate. We shared a Tandoori mushroom dish for an appetizer with the crackers and sauces that are complementary. We shared lamb vindaloo and chicken kadhai with garlic naan and raiti. I agree with other reviews that Royal Karma’s version of «medium» is a little spicier than the norm. We thought it was excellent. Too often spice is hot for its own sake; here the spice is part of the flavors. It is really great!
Prices are reasonable. The ambiance is quite pleasant. We will return.

4.5 Food
5 Ambiance
4 Service
4.5 Cleanliness
«Wow, spotless!?» I can get down with a restaurant that’s been open for four months already and still remains spotless. Not to mention the food is incredible here. Love the décor as well.
What I tried/​ordered/​tasted:
5 Samosa Chat
5 Vegetable Biryani
4.5 Yellow Daal
5 Plain Naan
4 Garlic Naan (Where’s the garlic, people!?)
4 Rosemary Naan (not as good as I thought it would be)
The server was descent. He had a group of nine of us to serve, which I know can be overwhelming and hard to manage, but there was a really long period of time between our appetizer orders taken and us waiting on dinner choices to be heard. At least it felt like a long time while I watched the seven of the nine of us raving about the beer and wine while taking ‘em back at a rapid pace in my face.
Overall, I loved the cleanliness, but they could’ve touched up the restroom a little as there were paper towels all over the floor and over the course of 2 ½ hours, I used it twice (it stayed the same). I loved the minimalistic and modern Eastern décor, peacocks, gods and mythical characters methodically placed over most of the tables. I was also very fond of the hand painted Ganesh on the way out the door. Good stuff!
Would I come back for more?!
Definitely! (Maybe in a smaller group)
Oh and… Their medium spicy is on the hotter side (for all you wimps like me out there!)

Food (3.5÷5): Some hits and some misses. I highly recommend their oven baked naan, especially the garlic one. Direct oven to table, still hot when we got it.
I wasn’t too impressed with their Indian Chinese Fusion menu. The chili chicken tasted like general tso’s chicken.
The lamb saag could have been more tender, but the spinach that came with it was excellent.
Huge portions and great prices though
Service (⁵⁄₅): Attentive service throughout. Plates were cleared right away and our water glasses never ran empty.
Overall, if I am in the mood for Indian food and in Annapolis, I would not hesitate to go back.