Since opening in May, Namaste Indian Restaurant has been steadily drawing diners from the ExxonMobil headquarters, The Woodlands Waterway and all of the new businesses opening in the area, owner Jitu Chudasma said. He said the location on Sawdust Road is ideal.

Although the restaurant opened this summer, Chudasma said he has already modified the decorations inside Namaste to make the restaurant look brand new. Updates to the eatery include new arches and repainting the entire restaurant. 

“I [have] only [been] open for three months now, and this is a brand new restaurant,” he said. “I totally modified everything inside.”

Namaste Indian Restaurant has expanded its menu to include southern Indian options since it opened in May.[/caption]

Namaste offers a buffet from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. seven days a week featuring about 20-25 items. The restaurant’s menu offers vegetarian, vegan and non-vegetarian items.

Chudasma said he is also making changes to the restaurant’s menu. Namaste specializes in northern Indian cuisine, but he is beginning to add more variety to his dishes. In August, he hired a chef who specializes in southern Indian cooking so the restaurant can serve menu items that showcase cuisine from that region.

“Ninety percent of the items are north Indian,” he said. “But I am introducing southern Indian specialties.”

While northern Indian foods, such as tandoori sizzlers and curry dishes have always been on the menu, Namaste now offers southern Indian foods, such as dosa, vada and idli sambar.

Chudasma said he is also adding thali to the menu—a dining option that includes several different items in one serving.

“It includes seven, eight [or] nine items that we would serve in India,” he said.