Instead of conferring honorary degrees on politicians and over-the-hill rockstars, some university should honor whoever invented the Indian lunch buffet. If it proves too difficult to track that person down, we should arrange for the degree to go to Shanti in Dorchester instead, because its buffet is one of the best in the city. The food here is pretty standard for a stateside Indian restaurant, but you won’t complain about a single dish so go forth and confidently order your usual. If you can’t make it for a buffet that costs less than the price of a movie ticket, it’s open for dinner, too and has a casual but nice dining room.