Aakruti V.
Yelp
TL;DR: Relatively slow service on a busy night, but really good food.
Last night (on Diwali, a major Indian holiday), I had a Diwali Dinner with a party of 12. The reservation process was straightforward. I was able to make the reservation, but because it was Diwali, and I made the reservation 5 days in advance, the restaurant was unable to accommodate a larger party.
We ordered a LOT of food and ate it family style. I'll do my best to remember everything:
I wanted to note that in my experience, the food quality at many restaurants goes down on holidays, due to the rush to fill orders. However, this was NOT the case here - all of the food was excellent.
The Chili Paneer was excellent - it was perfectly seasoned with a bit of a kick, but was not too spicy. Perfect for the American palate. I liked it so much that I ordered another one.
The Hara Bhara Pakora was also really good - they're potato, onion and spinach cutlets, deep fried and served with the traditional mint and tamrind chutneys on the side.
The vegetarian malai murgh is made with vegetable protein of a similar texture to Morningstar vegan buffalo wings (which I like). The sauce is spicier than the chili paneer, but still tasty.
I personally didn't eat the regular malai murgh, but the table seemed to really enjoy it as well, as it was completely gone in a few minutes.
The Chana Bhatura was great - the chana came in a small bowl - just enough to eat with the bhatura. It was half the size of a traditional bhatura, but made up for that in volume - it was pillow soft and super puffy, almost like a foccacia.
The paneer dish, I think it was like a shahi paneer, was also really good. It had a unique flavor, with dominant notes of tamrind, which was surprisong and delightful. The paneer was fresh and soft.
The malai kofta was also excellent - the kofta were soft and melted in your mouth, and the gravy was just sweet enough to complement the savory notes in the dish.
The Bhindi was probably my favorite - the okras were sliced thinly. deep fried, and cooked together with onions (and other veggies?). It was covered in a somewhat tart sauce that also had notes of tamrind. This dish also went quickly, and we would have ordered another one had the service been less slow.
The plain naan and garlic naan were both soft and fresh as well. They were light and melted in your mouth. The garlic naan was literally just naan with garlic baked into it - no cilantro or other garnishes besides ghee/butter.
My friends ordered plain lassi and mango lassi. All of them finished their drinks, but I didn't get a chance to taste it.
For dessert, people ordered Kheer, Rasmalai and Gulab Jamun. One friend was disappointed that they did not serve the pineapple cake to tables that night.
All of the desserts were great. The gulab jamun was solid, but certain attendees expressed that they would have preferred it to be served warm. The rasmalai was delightful - soft cheese in a sweet and well-seasoned milk. The kheer was also great. The stylistic choice of the restaurant was not to add a garnish of nuts and/or cardamom on top.
My only major complaint is that the restaurant did not seem equipped to handle the Diwali rush. When I made the reservation, we were only supposed to stay from 7-8:30. However, the slow service meant that our meal did not end until 9:30, and it's my understanding that another party was waiting for our table. Even during the meal, the staff seemed overwhelmed. I attribute this to the general staff shortage in the restaurant industry, but another server or two in the restaurant, if just for Diwali, would have worked wonders for the level of service, and for faster customer turnaround.
All in all, I plan on returning here for the food, but only on a less busy night, and with a smaller party.
