Page 50 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2019

ORCHID INDIAN
ADDRESS:
63 Hardy Court Shopping Center, Gulfport
PHONE:
228.206.1162
WEB:
www.orchidms.com
HOURS:
Open Daily 11a.m. - 3p.m. and 5p.m. - 9p.m.
Buffet Served Daily 11a.m. - 3p.m.
CUISINE
story and photos by Jeff Clark
Orchid Indian Cuisine is something of a Coast institution. If you want great Indian food or a delicious lunch buffet, you head over to Teagarden Road in Gulfport to Orchid. But if you make the Teagarden Road pilgrimage these days, you’re going to be highly disappointed. Owner Mike Vasani
has moved his restaurant to 63 Hardy Court Shopping Center on Courthouse Road. He’s only a few doors down from Brooklyn Pizzeria, making it
one of the tastiest spots in South Mississippi.
The move is a good thing – Vasani said he’s seen an increase in customers since he made the move about a month ago. Although the old Orchid location was charming and quaint, it could
also become crowded quickly and the building itself was quite old. That is no longer the case at the 63 Hardy Court Shopping Center location. Orchid now has plenty of space and is very roomy and comfortable. And yes, the lunch buffet is still the centerpiece for the eatery. In fact, it is served seven days
a week from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The Orchid lunch buffet is still one of the best bets in town.
We recently went at night to sample some items off of the expansive menu, which includes chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetarian dishes. My wife is a vegetarian, so it’s always good for her to have options besides a side salad
or fries. We started with a vegetarian Indian staple – samosas. The vegetable
LEFT: VEGETABLE SAMOSAS are fried and stuffed with potatoes and other vegetables. BELOW: VEGETARIAN MEAL contains both Paneer Masala and Palak Masala. Paneer is an Indian-style cottage cheese.
50 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • July 2019
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