For more than a year,Taj palace has quietly served nothern Indian fare out of an unaassuming storefront on Cedar Lane. And for more than a year, I have driven or walked past at least once a day and never noticed the restaurant. Soit was a pleasant surprise to be warmly recognized on subsequent trips as if we were regulars. There is nothing palatial about the location or decor. At best the small,sparsely decorated space is stereo -typically Indian-restaraunt in New-Jersy: deep red hues,rich Indian prints adoming the walls,and a few brass sculptures.Gentle Indian music plays softly against the automobile traffic outside.

Plenty of appetizers

A meal at Taj Palace begins with papad and three accompanying dips(onion relish,mintchutney and mango chutney), and then you're on your own. The menu offers tandoori,seafood,lamb and chicken specialities,as well as a plentiful selection of vegetarian options,rice dishes and nine different breads. We started with an always safe best of assorted appetizers(7.95$) consisting of vegetable samosas(fried puff pasteries stuffed with potatoes and peas),vegetable pakoras(deep fried vegetable fritters),chicken tikka(boneless chicken marinated in yogurt and cooked in tandoor) and lamb seekh kabab(minced spiced lamb roasted on skewers in in the tandoor) Nothing to rave about,the samosas were standard, and the pakoras were on the greasy side.The chi -cken tikka waS juicy and light,the lamb meaty. Our server recommended the tandoori vegetables($9.95) as a starter and we loved the generous portion of steaming hot batter-free vegetables and paneer on another recommendation,we sampled tawa paneer($6.95) home made cheese sauteed with green bell peppers and onions in a spicy hot sauce.

Satisfying sampler

From there we were over whelmed with the options Did we go the fiery route and order chicken vindaloo($11.95) or keema matar($12.95) Or did we with some thing lighter, such as vegetable jalfrezi($8.95) or panner makhani($8.95) Unable to make up our minds,we did the only sensible thing and order a nonvegetarian(also offered a vege tarian) thali($18.95) and a Taj special dinner($22.95). These are Indian equivalent of the Japanese bento box or the sampler plate, perfect of the undecided. The thali-enough for two hungry people-consisted of a light and buttery chicken tikka masala(roasted cubes of chicken in atangy tomato and onion sauce)dahiwala ghost(lamb and yogurt in ablendof herbs and spices)a mouth filling and a flavorful palak paneer(home made cheese cooked with spinach in a blend of Indian spices); and dal makhani(black lentils simmered with onions and spices)served around a fluffy mound of delicious jasimine- scented with Basmati rice with raisins, fresh green peas and cashews it was accompanied by naan(traditional wheat bread like a lighter,moister pita) and a deserted of gulab jamun(served hot, a heavenly pastry ball in a sweet syrup) The special dinner-a camivore's dream with more than plenty to share-was composed of seekh kabab(minced lamb mixed with onion pepper and spices roasted in a clay ovenon skewers);tandoori chicken(on the bone marinated in yogurt and roasted in a clay oven) boti kabab(boneless cubes of lamb marinated in Indian spices and cooked in the tandoor)chicken tikka(boneless cubes of chicken cooked in the tandoor) chicken curry and dal makhani It is also accompanied by naan,basmati rice and a desert of rasmalai (cottage cheese patties served in cardamom and rosewater with pistachios)

To Go, to die for

On another occassion we opted for carry-out we ordered gobi aloo matar($8.95) with potatoes, cauliflower,and green peas cooked in a delicate blend of onions and spices;onion kulcha ($2.50),naan stuffed with sauted onions;tawa chicken($6.95), bone less pieces of chicken delicately spiced with onions and peppers; and a desert of gajjar halwa($3.50),a chopped carrot"pudding" with raisins and nuts. The tawqa chicken was light and tasty and an appetizer portion was enough for a main course.The gobi was subtly spiced,perfectly cooked and generously portioned.The kulcha was exactly as we desired-light,fully,flavorfuland filling. The halwa was to die for.It was warm and sweet, but not cloyingly so. A perfect close to a delicious nmeal. Sound like too many tasty options? You're in luck.Lunch is served in buffet-style six days a week and is, by far,the best value. For $8.95 on weekdays and $10.95 on weekends,you can enjoy as much as you can eat of tandoori specialities(inculding salmoon tikka) biryanis (chicken,lamb,goat or vegeterian),pooris(fried bread that you fill with your choice of accompainiments),dals,chana masala(spicy stewed chick peas),gulabjam,rasmalaiand more. Prepare to be surprised.Taj Palace is nothing much to look at, but with service more hospitable than most four-star haunts and northern Indian dishes second to none, this is a restaurant that belongs on your short list.