I ate at Amiya a couple of weeks ago. It was the longest dinner service I've ever had. The waiters were too busy catering to a large party outside that they forgot all about the people inside. The food was good but the service...horrible enough to never want to go back.

My husband and I had dinner at Amiya for the first time this past weekend. We ordered from the pre-fixe menu for restaurant week. I must say that we were very disappointed with the extremely slow and poor service. I ordered palak paneer for my entree and it was cold when it was served. I never usually complain at restaurants but had to send it back. When it came back to my table, it was cold once again. Not only that, but the waiter never once came to check on how we were doing. We also had to request twice for our water to be refilled and waited about 20 minutes before it was finally refilled. Needless to say, I won't be dining there again.

Amiya's is my favorite for Indian food downtown/harborside. They do a great lunch buffet during the week, but only if you can get in. Gets very crowded with the Harborside building employees. I ordered food last night from Wild Fusion. It also took far too long to arrive and was cold. I really think it was just the weather and demand for delivery last night.

Amiya's butter chicken is to die for.

Went to Amiya for the first time the other night. The food was good, but not as spicy as I would have liked. They also had a lot of paneer dishes.

And yes, it costs more than, say, Rasoi, but they're shooting for a different market, you need to judge the prices by what they deliver. We had no complaints--attentive waiter, great food, with nothing more than $13.95 per entree for what we ordered. Compare that to It's Greek to Me---Amiya wins, hands down.

But I'll always long for the chili and onion dosa at Dosa House. . . . .

I love Indian food.

Cafe Spice is simply awful. I have seen the frozen food arriving in trucks. It is still better than a lot of Newport choices so I admit to still eating there. But I regret it as much as the mall food court.

Amiya is good, although I have only been there for lunch and had the buffet.

Rasoi I have eaten there several times (excellent) and gotten the delivery many times (the only one I like in JC).

Where else should I go, in Little India especially. I like my food as authentic as possible. Really.

Indian fare with flair in Downtown Jersey City
Mango featured on Amiya menu in drinks, appetizers and more
Friday, November 10, 2006
BY S.J. GINTZLER
For the Star-Ledger

EATING OUT

A classy restaurant located on the ground floor of a corporate building in Jersey City's booming financial district, Amiya claims to serve "contemporary" North Indian cuisine.

The two-year-old eatery actually offers polished presentations of traditional fare, mixed with just a handful of updated dishes. But that worked for us.

Ambiance: Sleek and smart. The Eastern influence is implied: Oversized tasseled lanterns hang from high ceilings and gossamer curtains cloak floor-to-ceiling windows. An elaborate candelabra and recorded music add the final flourish.

Staff: Kind and accommodat ing, though somewhat overwhelmed by the full house on a recent weekend. Service improved as the crowd thinned out.

Food: The restaurant's namesake ingredient -- amiya is Hindi for "green mango" -- is mixed into both drinks and dishes, including a mango spritzer (with rum, mango juice, orange juice and Sprite) and crab cakes topped with a mango salsa (a starter, $8.95). Entrees and ap petizers are expertly executed and attractively presented.

Crisp, house-made pappadam (lentil crackers) came with sweet/tangy tamarind and feisty mint chutneys. The Amiya tandoori starter platter ($16.95) was a showy assortment of skewered, smoked minced lamb seasoned with coriander, ginger and garlic; zesty chili-rubbed tandoori shrimp; succulent yogurt-marinated chicken smoked in the tandoor, and fish tikka -- fleshy, flaky white fish marinated in minced spinach and spices. Vegetable samosas ($4.95), two fried pastries filled with assertively seasoned cubed potatoes and peas, were delicious. So was the tangy-sweet mango shrimp ($8.95; $17.95, entree), a stew of jumbo prawns and thinly sliced mango in a suitably fruity sauce.

A basket of three breads ($8.95) -- garlic naan, paratha pudina (whole wheat with fresh mint) and kulcha (stuffed with chickpeas and potatoes) comple mented entrees.

Sarson saag paneer ($10.95), a fiery blend of creamy, rib-sticking mustard greens and mild cubed cheese, ruled. A lavish lamb bi ryani ($13.95) mingled aromatic, slow-cooked basmati rice with tender cubed meat and sliced hard-boiled egg. Shrimp kadai ($17.95) -- a mildly spicy melange of jumbos, chopped peppers and onion stewed in a thick red chili sauce -- was particularly toothsome. Our meal was tempered by cooling swigs of India's King Fisher beer ($5; $8).

If you choose only one dessert, make it kulfi ($4.45), kitchen- made pistachio ice cream topped with a tousle of orange-tinted vermicelli. Now that's what we call a contemporary combo.

Food:***

Ambience: ***

Service: ** 1/2

Overall: ***