Being from Glasgow, Scotland I believe I can recognise a good curry when I taste one. So I thought…read moreI'd give this place a try whilst I was visiting Melbourne for a conference. Dinner for one at Two Fat Indians. I walked in to the busy restaurant on a Tuesday night and managed to get a table at a booth. The service as I entered was quick, pleasant and helpful. I didn't feel awkward sitting there alone which I have done in other restaurants, so I was instantly at ease. I started with popadoms and mango chutney (not complimentary). The popadoms were fine, but the mango chutney was very sweet and thick and didn't taste home made, not unpleasant, but certainly not the best I have tried. For my main I had the fish madras, mushroom rice with a garlic nan. I think I would have been happy with just the rice, which was delicious! The fish madras was not outstanding with quite a strong fish taste. The fish itself was overcooked and quite chewy, whilst the sauce seemed somewhat lacking in depth of flavour (perhaps overpowered by the strong taste of fish).The garlic flavour on the nan tasted more Italian than Indian, but it worked well enough with the curry. I didn't manage to finish my meal as the fish madras really didn't seem worth the effort. The service was good and the atmosphere was lively. The decor was clean and modern, but the food was a little mediocre. Not bad, but just not memorable.

Hmmm....my quest for the best Indian food continues. Went there with so much anticipation and…read moreexcitement. No free papadoms :) and when we ordered cost us $3.50 for one serve! The mains were all very creamy, even if it said it comes in rich sauce....it was creamy. A white table cloth does not constitue silver service or 5 star no he right to charge premium price for ordinary food. The food must speak for it self....and patrons will pay happily. Not going back in a hurry!

A typical good suburb Thai restaurant…read more I really liked the decor, the orange napkins match the wooden tables match the walls match the light shades. I had a duck curry, that was a bit chili hotter than I would have liked, but I could still taste the coconut in the rice. Busy, a good sign, friendly service, varied menu with big veg section, well written wine list. Does take away.

First time trying here as I have just moved into the area…read more Entree of satay sticks were amazing. Great size with very generous amount of sauce. Pad Thai sadly was a huge letdown. Very bland. Peanut dust on the top and lemon from a bottle!! Not good. Fresh lemon is a must for a good pad Thai. As are freshly ground peanuts. The service was very friendly although they brought our meals out separately with a large wait time for my friends meal. Sticky rice balls in coconut milk for dessert = not great. :-( Just want to add though that the staff were extremely friendly and attentive.

Ok, I admit I was a bit of a skeptic before coming here as I didn't think Narre was 'known' for…read moregood Indian cuisine. But amazing food can be found everywhere, and in the most unlikely places sometimes. Arya is definitely one of those diamonds in the rough. My nephew suggested we celebrate his birthday dinner here, as he is in love with their butter chicken! I could totally see why - it was brilliantly rich and creamy, and the chicken pieces just melt in your mouth (good for the seniors on our table!). We also ordered samosas, fish curry, lamb roganjosh and lentil dahl which were all spot on. The beef vindaloo was probably the only dish not on par with the rest, as the meat was fairly tough. But what stole the show for me was the chicken tikka! It was served on a sizzling plate which really gave the chicken that wonderful crisp taste, and kept it hot but not dry - in fact it was incredibly juicy, and came with a lemon wedge for that extra citrus kick. As we were one of the first groups to arrive, service was attentive and the dishes came out quickly. Later on as they got busier, it became more challenging to get a waiter's attention to order again, but they were always smiling and did their best, given it was a Saturday night. Told them it was my nephew's birthday, to which they played a super tacky rendition of Happy Birthday in surround sound (much to his utter embarrassment) and the entire restaurant sang along! Great to see other diners get into the spirit of things. Seems they are well prepared for special occasions and after such a lovely dining experience I wouldn't hesitate to come back!

We love this restaurant and the fact the accommodate food allergies is fantastic. Their gluten free…read moreNaan bread is amazing !

Amazing food. More people need to know about this place. Best chicken korma ever! Great naan bread.read more

Walked in & was very quiet, initially was a little worried - a quiet restaurant isnt a good sign…read more But that soon changed as people started waltzing in. Well flavoured curries & they don't skimp on the heat! amazing My go-to dish, lamb vindaloo, in which I will always judge an Indian restaurant...A+ Also tried their 5 star hot curry - you'll feel that for days if that's your thing! OK, I tried it & paid for it, but would I do it again? Yes It's not for the faint hearted, when they say 5 star, its 5 star!! ~ Happy spice lover

Food Poisoning Spent hours vomiting , going to toilet ,…read morebeing dehydrated because of that as a result of $70 dining evening at Maharaja Spent 3 hours in hospital to get back to an ok stage . Horrible headache and generally felt like dieing... Called yesterday to complain -they said sorry and we will get back to you after speaking to Boss .. No one ever called back. Still feeling awful . Down below hospital certification showing that I had gastro . Horrible experience will never go back there and will always tell everyone how bad I got sick in my tummy. Cheers

First time trying this place and gotta say it's one of the best Indian I've had. From the outside…read moreit's looks small and tacky but once you enter and go down to the dining area it's nicely spaced and open. They have a separate dining area build like a train I thought it was pretty cool. We ordered a banquet with 2 entrees, 3 main dishes, rice, naan and dessert for $31 each person (min 2), food was absolutely delicious. The only thing I fault with this place is a particular staff member was very keen to remove plates from table whilst we were eating hence the 4 star review otherwise would of rated a 5.

Great food, service friendly & prompt…read more Staff happy to talk and explain dishes. Clean and comfortable atmosphere.

Really happy with the food quality here. Service is prompt and friendly. Not a fan of their…read morecutlery. Uncomfortable to use but mostly we organize take out anyway. I drive past 2 Indian restaurants from home to come to this one so there's an indication of preference! No hesitation with recommendation.

Delicious authentic Indian Restaurant in Patterson Lakes. Shavans has a large clean & modern dining…read morearea with ample staff who are very friendly. Shavans would be ideal for a large group. Flavours are wonderful. Prices are very reasonable too. I am a fan for sure.

Best Indian restaurant for miles. If it is authentic Indian food you are after this place is it…read more Great service, reasonable prices and mouthwatering full flavored food.

I've never been a huge fan of Indian food and have been put off from some horror stories of having…read morea funny belly for days. I've had to change my attitude, as now I can't say that due to Bala Da Dhaba being an exceptionally good restaurant. The food is truly amazing and I was surprised at how much I could eat. I don't know a lot about Indian cuisine but I was very impressed with the vegetarian dishes such as the Muttar Paneer and the Malai Kofta. The waiters are very friendly there where it is a great place to go with a few people to share some of the delectable dishes with a BYO beer or wine. My only criticism is that the setting is very formal and when I'm not in that mood I now get the food to go and head next door to the Lyrebird Lounge, where I can sit in the courtyard on a balmy night and listen to some live music. Either way, the food is where Bala is a winner and will most definitely satisfy the curry lovers but may turn a few, just like it did with me.

I'm a little sad that the old Bala Da Dhaba burned down. I had some good memories of that joint;…read moregood curry, good friends, awful Indian covers of old Eagles songs. But it's the same management and the same menu, so it's not like it's a total loss. And it's a good menu. Actually, it's a pretty average menu - standard Indian food, more or less. But it's done really well. Seriously, it's the best Indian I've had in Melbourne. Only complaint I can raise about them is that the in-house portions tend to be a bit smaller than the takeaway.