Jewel of India

This was the BEST Indian food I've ever had. Hands down. It's a lovely little spot (albeit in a strip mall) that is tastefully decorated and smells amazing even from the parking lot. It was impeccable service and the FOOD. Oh my goodness. There were four of us and we shared 4 different entrees. The Mixed Grill was perfect because it gave you a few of the proteins in different spices. The black and yellow lentils were amazing. The NAAN was warm and crispy on the edges and soft and fluffy in the middle. We had a bottle of Indian Chenin Blanc that went great with our meal. Everything was absolutely delicious and we left not one bite uneaten. I can't wait to go back and try more things on the menu. If you like Indian food- The Jewel of India in White Oak is where its at!

We've ordered before & had really good service & food. Tonight we ordered two entrées, both of which have come with rice in the past. We received only one with the delivery & also the biriyani we ordered was exceptionally spicy even though it was requested as mild. When we called to ask about the rice, we're told they combined the rice as a default but that separate rice containers could be selected. On looking at Uber Eats app I confirmed no such selection is available during ordering. Maybe it was Door Dash or other app, they're not the same. Didn't even get to the issue about the biriyani being so spicy.I think it's really silly to lose a customer due to something so small as rice or a spice level but they're very important small details.

INTRODUCTION:Continuing my photo series representing March is Jewel of India. So, fun fact my girlfriend likes me reading my Yelp reviews. She really enjoys Yelp stories I tell. She said after our Saturday, March 16 visit here, I can't wait until you get around to Jewel of India & that story, well now getting around to this review in late August 2024! Although she might not hear my Jewel of India review until 2025 as I've been reading them chronologically & only up to January 2019.BACKGROUND TO MARCH 16 & WHY WE ENDED UP AT JEWEL OF INDIA FOR DINNER:Earlier that day, we met up with group of friends at Wharf in DC for St. Patty's weekend event. One of our friends (certainly not a close friend to either of us) is known for inviting herself or just showing up to stuff she wasn't invited to but sees or hears about. She invited us to look at these cool cherry blossoms up by E St. Her boyfriend or her drove there, while my g/f & I took Metro. We were considering going with them but didn't care that much about cherry blossoms, which we saw some in the Wharf area & have seen cherry blossoms on the Tidal Basin before & in MD. Plus, it would've been inconvenient to have to walk to some other Metro that wouldn't've been Green line back to Greenbelt where I was parked.As we were walking to L'Enfant Metro, she calls my g/f to see what we were doing for dinner & in general. My g/f was too nice giving too much info & probably shouldn't answered call & let alone talked for over 10 minutes. Frankly, we hadn't fully decided what we were doing for dinner, but we wanted to get out of DC back to MD for dinner plus we had something else going on after dinner in MD too.While on Metro, my g/f & I discussed various dinner options. Meanwhile, this friend is texting with my g/f to find out more info. I said let's try Jewel of India in Hillandale. It's only 9 minutes from Greenbelt Metro once we get to my car, & this place has excellent reviews on Yelp. Now, we both assumed we were going to a place far enough away from downtown DC area, she lives somewhere in DC I think, & her boyfriend lives way down in Woodbridge, VA. So, I thought for sure she would say Hillandale is too far out of the way, but she said she will see us there. We were already near College Park on Metro at this point, & we were like she's going to be so far behind timewise. It'll take at least 45 minutes for her to trek to Jewel of India. We said she is derailing what was supposed to be a nice relaxing dinner for just two of us.Worse, we left train at Greenbelt & fare gate, & I realized my Washington Capitals hat was gone. It must've fallen off somewhere on Metro without me realizing because I had it while waiting at L'Enfant. I told Metro attendant, he let me back in & ran up there. I tried to look in train car still there, but didn't see. I got info for Lost & Found. I was very upset losing this hat as my girlfriend got it for me as I had lost the Caps hat I had just 2 weeks earlier. The Metro Lost & Found never found it. The good news is that other hat I lost in early March I found in a weird corner in my car later.RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE & UNPLANNED DOUBLE DATE:Despondent with her inviting herself to what we was supposed to be our nice peaceful dinner & worse losing hat, we finally arrived. It had a beautiful entry with a bar area on left. It was fancy looking with nice tables/chairs & comfortable lighting. I told host it'd be 4, but the other 2 might be a lot later.We were seated. Server was very nice & attentive getting us water, seeing if we wanted anything else, & how everything was. We were content with splitting appetizer & entree as I had lost my appetite somewhat due to how I was feeling night had been going. I know server would've gotten our food orders sooner, but because we were waiting on them, that delayed our eating. Thankfully, we weren't that hungry. Plus, we got samosas before they got there.They arrived more than 30 minutes after we arrived! We got our food order quickly once they arrived. Besides friendliness of staff, entree & Garlic Naan we got was incredible, which a lamb one. The Samosas we had earlier were delicious too. I wish I took a pic of entree, but I was just ready to eat at that point. But I did get a pic of dessert. We opted to get dessert as we asked about mango lassi & server said it's good but mango dessert is better. So we opted for that which was solid. Our double date got some ice cream one. They shared some (as did we), & honestly we liked theirs even more than ours. CONCLUSION:In spite of not looking forward to this unplanned double date, surprisingly, we had a very good time in spite of some circuitous rambling stories; it was still entertaining overall, were pleasant, & enjoyable. We felt better afterward, & we also talked about how great the food & service was and how it'd be good anniversary dinner or another time in general.

Honestly, I don't even know where to start! Rahul was amazing from the moment we entered to the moment we left! The atmosphere and food were spectacular! I'm definitely coming back and recommending!

Had lunch here a few days ago. The samosa chaat was outstanding. The palak paneer was good, as were two of the chicken curry dishes. However, the tandoori chicken was subpar - the flavor just wasn't right. I'd definitely come back, though, because we enjoyed everything else and the service was excellent.

I am a regular customer of Jewel of India since 2019. Even though I have tried a lot of Indian Restaurants in my area but I still went back there so many times until now because their food and customer service always are excellent. That made them is more outstanding than others.Price is quite value when you compare to a quality. Too bad that Jewel of India don't have lunch buffet anymore after pandemic.The restaurant is located at Hillandale Shopping Center in White Oak, MD. Spacious outdoor parking lots are available for free. Large dining room and interior are elegant, nice atmosphere and feel comforted.

Went for lunch and it was wonderful. Vegetable biryani w shrimp and some garlic naan hit the spot! My ex husband was Indian, so very familiar with the food. This was very good and I would definitely recommend and return. The biryani was light and flavorful with out being overly spicy. The naan was buttery w big pieces of garlic on the outside. Staff was friendly and attentive. Meals were brought quickly and water was always full. Great restaurant. Worth a try!

BEST INDIAN FOOD IVE HAD IN A LONG TIME. My gosh this place is delicious. I cant find anything wrong with the taste of the dishes to nitpick about.one thing, this restaurant seems a bit more upscale or slightly less casual than most places. they serve alcohol in glasses and are more formal. more people seem to dress better (may have depended on the day or time i went tho). respectful and kind servers who quickly cleared our plates and took our orders! mango lassi (5/5)cant go wrong with this.. creamy thick sweet delicious glass of goodness. puréed mango and yogurt that will just make you so happy ...malai kofta (4/5)very yummy nutty (not too nutty) creamy sauce with potato paneer balls. the sauce was absolutely delish but the paneer balls could've been a bit smaller? i also just in general didnt love the balls but rlly enjoyed the sauce nonetheless.palak/saag paneer (5/5)a classic dish you can never get wrong. yes, it was delicious, but just when next to the chicken curry i wasn't too interested. still delicious and very warming. def yummy and nothing bad ab this dish!chicken curry (5/5)this chicken curry was definitely my favorite. it had a bit more liquid sauce rather than creamy which was full of flavors such as coriander. slightly reminded me of thai food and just in general ab amazing tasty dish that raised the bar of chicken curry for me. also the meat chunks were extremely tender small and soft!

I'm have a weakness for authentic Indian cuisine. Jewel of India provided a dining experience that was surprisingly unexpected for this foodie! Everything was fresh, wonderfully and fragrantly spiced and served hot!!!! (A pet peeve is of mine... I hate cooled food!) please stop through... I highly recommend. Ask for Veer. He was a wonderfully pleasant servicer during our experience!!

Service was spectacular. Everyone was very attentive and friendly. The restaurant is very nice and clean. I was shocked to find such a classy place in this location.