First off I'll say that the service is usually always hit and miss. Not terrible enough to where you'd never come back here again, but not good enough to where you feel bad for leaving a 9% tip. It's like this, even on their best day.
The food, though pricey is usually delicious enough to have you coming back for more (my ATF anyways). Overall they use fresh, quality ingredients, the curries are robust and full of flavor, and most importantly they're consistent.
This last visit though, was such a disappointment. I know we have a pandemic going on, but when you pay nearly $30 for 1 item. You'd expect it to be at least 3/4 as good as when you'd dine in.
I ordered the Crab-Scallop Meljol, normally it's perfect. Creamy, tomato-y, savory, buttery curry, perfectly cooked scallops, giant chunks of crab. I'm getting hungry just writing about it, about how I remembered it anyway. But this last time I ordered, which was fairly early btw, before the "dinner rush" anyway...it was hands down the worst Indian food I've had in RVA.
You'd think after spending nearly $30 on 1 dish they'd at least make it decent. What I got was basically, sour tomato curry, with 2 tiny rubbery bottom of the barrel scallops, and the chunks of crab was non existent. It may as well have been called "rubbery Walmart scallops in spoiled tomato curry Meljol". I honestly think they gave me leftovers, yeah it was honestly that bad. Straight garbage.
Oh well I'll probably be back, hopefully it'll be at least close to how I remember it, at least I can always count on their subpar wait staff, who consistently ignore us, until the manager has to take over and provide actual friendly service.
On a serious note, we're out here during a Pandemic spending our hard earn cash, when people are losing their jobs in record numbers and business are closing down "permanently". If we're out here trying to help local establishments, the least they can do is provide some sort of quality in their food.
When places like this, give me the impression that they're being cheap, underhanded, selfish, trying to save a buck by selling me garbage, it makes me not want to help out local establishments during this time of need.
If you're hankering for some indian food, don't feel bad if you decide to skip Lejha until after the lockdown. Unless you want to risk spending $$$ on un-inspired cuisine. There's a lot of other Indian restaurants who charge significantly less/ fairer prices and the food is just as delicious, if not better.
To be honest I only come here for the Crab-Scallop MelJol, because no one else has it.
Anokha is pretty terrific and it's close by short pump mall, and normally from what I remember cheaper. Also there's an authentic place a lot of Indians go to inside of an Exxon Mobil gas station off of Nuckols Road.
They have hands down the best Goat Curry I've had around here.
Seriously though if they're not going to be grateful for the patronage during this pandemic ...give it to someone else who will. Especially with those ludicrous prices they charge. read more