10/04/08

confusing review

by shmelvin

I also used to live in Orlando and always enjoyed the Clay Oven, so when I saw the review below and was in town for the weekend I was excited to return for a meal. The review below was posted 3 weeks ago.....

The Best Indian Food in Orange, Seminole, and Osceola County 09/09/2008 Posted by reddiamondcoffee....

The problem is ...the Clay oven closed 18 months ago and has been replaced by a Vegitarian only retaurant under a completely different name. So Mr Reddiamondcoffee how could you have given such a great review for a completely different restaurant with a completely different name??????

09/09/08

The Best Indian Food in Orange, Seminole, and Osceola County

by reddiamondcoffee

I used to live in Orlando, and have eaten at a lot of Indian restaraunts around America since moving. The Clay Oven is the best food and service anywhere around the area, and it is as good as the best anywhere else around the country. I have moved back to the area recently and cannot wait to go back to eat there. The food is not "hot" spicy, but it has great indian flavors. Some places are either too hot, or too bland, where everything tastes "Americanized" and has no distinct and separate flavors for each item. The Clay Oven tastes authentic. They are clean. Their workers are courteous and quick to replenish the buffet. Oh yeah! They have a buffet! And it is great too. If you move here or are passing through, drive the extra miles to eat there instead of all of the over-hyped, over-priced tourist-traps off of Orange Blossom Trail, or International Drive. By the way, the prices are reasonable versus the tourist restauraunts. I'd rather spend the gas money to eat great food than to eat overly-priced, overly-spicy hot food that has no flavor other than "hot". That's my take on the Clay Oven in Winter Springs (Orlando Area).

• Pros: It is never packed out. No wait. Looks like a hole-in-the-wall place, but it's a diamond in the rough.
• Cons: Bathrooms could be cleaner. Welcome to India!

09/26/06

A Hidden Treasure

by bizarro7

Don't let the half-abandoned strip mall in this ordinary section of Highway 17-92 fool you; hidden away is gourmet-level cuisine in big portions, prepared by a chef who used to serve Presidents. On my last visit, I couldn't decide what to order, so I went for the tandoori mixed grill, and got a cornucopia of delicious chicken, shrimp, salmon and lamb dishes on basmati rice that was as light as a cloud. Don't miss the house special nan bread, good enough to order as a dessert! The waiters and waitresses were very attentive, but for some reason on the night we came, they kept forgetting to bring all the standard basics to our table without prompting, such as the papadums and sauce, beverages, silverware, menus....it got to be kind of a running gag, after awhile that we were invisible. Prepare to take some of your dinner home; and don't be surprised when the leftovers taste as good as you remember--or even better!