Mati's (Sacramento, CA)

I've wanted to try Mati's for a long time, but they used to be located in Natomas. Considering I venture to that area pretty much never, it never happened. Fortunately, Mati's recently relocated to midtown! Well, I think they've been there since last year. Anyway, thanks to Groupon, I finally dragged myself over there tonight.

Mati's has good quality counter service food at really good prices (and it was an absolute steal with the Groupon). They have a good selection of vegan curries, all of which are clearly labeled (it says "vegan" right on the stickers on the food case! Go Mati!), so you don't have to ask a lot of questions. The staff was very friendly, and even offered us samples before we committed to ordering anything.

We went with the $16.99 Meal for Two special, which included three sides, naan (garlic or regular), two samosas, and rice. Most of their vegetarian dishes were vegan, and the exceptions were obvious. For our sides, we chose aloo gobi, chana masala, and mixed vegetable curry. The mixed vegetable curry was basically a bowl of cabbage, so I wasn't really into that one, but the other two dishes were very good. The chana masala could have used a little more spice, but the flavor was good. Has bad chana masala ever existed, anyway?

The star of the show was the bread basket! The garlic naan was pretty light on garlic flavor, but it was still delicious (and delightfully puffy!). And the samosas? Well, I could probably have just eaten a basket full of those. Samosas can sometimes be heavy and greasy, but these were light and perfectly fried. Hot, potato-filled goodness. Really, it's worth a trip to Mati's just for the samosas.

The meal also came with our choice of chutneys. We tried three: onion, cilantro, and mango. I wasn't thrilled with any of them, as they were more like little containers of spicy paste than chutney. The mango one was particularly odd. The flavor was somewhere between mango jam and a bottle of perfume. Pass. I didn't need the chutneys anyway, so no real loss there.

I've had better Indian food, but considering the quantity you get for the price, I was impressed with Mati's. Their vegan-friendliness also makes me want to support them, so I will be back. I hope they do well in their new location. The restaurant was pretty empty for dinner, but I would imagine they do most of their business at lunch time, since you can get in and out of there pretty quickly. They seem to have some good luch combination specials, too.

If you're in midtown and in the mood for Indian, give Mati's a try. Don't leave without trying a samosa!

Mati's
1501 16th St
Sacramento, CA 95814