If I'm headed more than 5km East or West of my French concession comfort zone, I'm probably headed to the airport or mr. taxi driver has noticed I've dozed off and has graciously signed me up for the grand tour of Shanghai.

On this rare occasion, I found myself in Gubei at lunchtime and was excited to give Bukhara another try as I hadn't been there in years. Pouring over the extensive menu and realizing that two of us would be pushing upwards of 300rmb to order all our favorites, I asked the waiter if they had a lunch special. And boy do they ever! Starters, soups, mains, curries, rice, naan, dessert...and all for 88rmb per person. I was thrilled. I can't even remember all the things we ordered but staples like Chicken Tikka Masala, Bukhara dal, Palak Paneer, were as I remembered them; the best in town. Try their soups as well, they have an amazing creaminess I didn't know existed in Indian cuisine. I had to roll myself out of there after trying to finish everything they brought out.

So friends, if you find yourself out west, disoriented, surrounded by signs in Japanese and Korean, and hungry for lunch, look for Bukhara. Just be sure to ask for the lunch special as they like to keep that little gem tucked in their back pocket.

Had heard good things about Bukhara, it really didnt live up to its reputation. The food was substandard (ive had better frozen microwaveable butter chicken than the butter chicken there) - Whenever I crave Indian food its really a craving for the spices and our food (about 6 different dishes) did not have much taste or smell and all of our dishes seemed to taste the same. The service was slightly awkward in contantly being asked how we liked the food, the service staff just stared at us while eating, seldom refreshing our drinks or taking the dishes away. The decor was so disappointing, it could have been any restaurant with nothing particularly interesting or Indian themed about it.I felt embarassed that I had been so excited to try Bukhara and with all of the other Indian restuarants in Shanghai, I would definetly not return. Side Note: They should remove the window to the kitchen if the chefs are going to look so unhappy while cooking - nobody likes food made without any love.