I’m not defending Maharaja in any way, those were general observations about indian buffets and expectations relative to a la carte offerings.
Do they have the water and puris kept out for assembly? Water is always adjusted to taste - even when you eat it on the street - the guy does multiple dips based on how you want it: chutney waters first, then the main water. At home or at a restaurant, the chutneys are provided near the water so the spice, tang, and sweetness can be “fixed.”
Apples to apples, entrees at a place like this typically run $15-20, breads $3-5, apps $5-10. I’d guess the quality of the a la carte food is better, for obvious reasons - I wouldn’t really expect that on the buffet. Re goat - I’m very wary of it being correctly cooked anywhere, even a la carte; I rarely if ever order it out.
But overall, I agree - my solution is generally to skip the buffet if it looks a little iffy around the edges.
