Pretty temple, cool people, fugly food

An estimated 7.3 million Americans are vegetarians according to vegetariantimes.com. There is no doubt restaurants catering to this lifestyle have become more successful. Unfortunately, Kalachandji’s, the Indian vegan restaurant located in East Dallas leaves a lot to be desired. 

The atmosphere at Kalachandji’s was cramped. No matter where I sat people were trying to squeeze by. I went during lunchtime and the patio, where most people sat, was desolate because of the cold weather. 

My first course was the Dal soup, which was mildly spicy, but also mildly good. At least, it satisfied my hunger. I also ate a rice entree mixed with vegetables, tofu, and an orange sauce that looked like the Dal soup. I regret to say it also wasn't very tasty because it was cold. The only food I ate that was somewhat tasty looked like a huge chip, it had a spicy taste to it, but went down well. [what were the names of each of the plates]

Now for drinks, you have only two choices: purified water or tamarind tea, which has a cranberry taste.  Tamarind tea was not my preference, but at least it washed the tasteless food down.

 Because food is served in buffet style, you can at least expect waiters and servers to be courteous. 

Aside from the service, Kalachandji's offers an additional attraction – a gift shop. The store sales random Hindu items such as necklaces, shirts, books and small trinkets. The prices weren’t bad, for example I found small books for as little as 99 cents.

Overall, the prices are relatively low. I brought my girlfriend along with me and our total was $15 – definitely a cheap date.

You may also wish to enter the temple, but remember to take your shoes off. The Hare-Krisha temple was a sight to behold, and the reason I decide to try Kalachandji's at all. Portraits of Krishna, a  Hindu deity, decorate the walls. With its high ceilings and comfortable atmosphere, it was definitely worth the crappy food.

So what is the verdict on Kalachandji’s? Come for the temple, not the food.