Juli S.
Yelp
On 5/17/23, I arrived in Walla Walla, Washington, late at night. There weren't very many restaurants still open. Of those that were, this is the one that received the highest ratings. Walla Walla Indian Cuisine has a 4.6 rating on Google and a 4.5 rating on Yelp. My experience did not match that, but given how highly most other diners are reading this restaurant, I assume that I had a one off.
I ordered Lamb Samosas, Butter Chicken, and a side of Butter Naan.
Lamb Samosas ($10) - crispy triangle filled with minced lamb and peas. I was very excited to see these on the menu. While the meat feeling was plentiful, it was not well seasoned, and it as overcooked/dry. If there were any peas, I didn't see them. They may have just been cooked down.
Butter Chicken ($18) - succulent chicken pieces from our clay oven served with rich creamy tomato sauce with butter. I don't normally order Butter Chicken, because I make an excellent version myself, and it's better than most that I've been served in restaurants. But there were lots of reviews about this specific dish, and many diners said it was the best they had ever had. I asked my server to relate to the cook that I would like it prepared the same way they would do so, if making it for themself. That was my way of saying "make it Mumbai hot." While the sauce was nice and creamy, it was the blandest and least seasoned version of this dish I have had, and the chicken was over cooked and dry. The rice was perfectly cooked. I shared my concern re: spice level with my server, who told me she could bring out a bunch of spices that I could add to it at my table. Given that I was not eating Pho, I declined. She graciously offered to remove this item from my bill, which I accepted.
Butter Naan ($3) - flat leavened bread with butter. The naan was very good, but there was no butter on it.
With the exception of one other table, everyone else was eating outside on the patio, which was pretty full. The interior is dark, but it's a comfortable dining space. I like that they have big booths and that it's quiet. The service was excellent!
This restaurant has a very large number of vegetarian options. And I'm impressed they have goat on the menu!
In all fairness, I did arrive within 45 minutes of the restaurant closing. My server brought out all of my food at the same time. I very much appreciated them serving me this late at night, but it was clear to me that they were in a hurry to get out. I understand completely. Given the stellar reviews this restaurant has received, I think that my server may have failed to communicate the spice level I wanted. Or perhaps the cook miss heard, and thought that I wanted it a lot less spicy than usual? Either way, I would definitely give this restaurant a second chance. Based all the other outstanding reviews, including many who say this is the best Indian food they've ever had, I feel confident that upon trying this restaurant again, I would be likely to give it at least 3 to 4 stars. But I don't typically eat at the same place twice when revisiting a town, so it might be a while before I get to try it again. Hence, the reason why I wanted to share pictures of the food, menu, and interior. So you can have it on your radar for your next visit to Walla Walla.
P..S. The owner of the motel, where I stayed shared that this is one of his family's favorite restaurants, but he did say that they did not like very spicy food. Given that, I think another explanation for why my food was so mildly seasoned is because the restaurant owners and cook are focused on meeting the expectations of the majority of customers who dine there, which I respect.
