Shalimar, Woodbridge - Worth the Detour…read more Finding parking in Manhattan can feel nearly impossible--unless you're willing to pay what amounts to a full night's hotel rate just to stop for a short meal. On our way back to DC, we finally decided to stop somewhere more practical where parking wouldn't be a hassle. We ended up in Woodbridge and initially stopped at Shah's. Since my wife and I weren't in the mood for fast food, we asked the staff for a recommendation. Without hesitation, they pointed us to Shalimar, saying it was the best option in the area despite there being several Desi restaurants nearby. After a 10 min drive we arrived with fairly low expectations. The surrounding area felt a bit worn and unremarkable--but the moment we stepped inside, that impression completely changed. The restaurant was clean, modern, and felt recently renovated. Since we still had a long drive ahead, I asked for their specialty dishes. The initial interaction with the staff felt a bit rushed, as if they had somewhere else to be on a Friday night--but we managed to place our order. And then the food arrived. The sizzler was outstanding--perfectly seasoned, incredibly flavorful, and with a texture that really stood out. The chicken was juicy and tender, paired beautifully with buttery naan. The portion was massive--easily enough for four people, and even with our best effort, we still had leftovers. Asked for extra sauce to go but that came in as a no show. We also tried the Chapli kebab, which was equally impressive. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and packed with flavor. The combination of red onions and green chili on the side elevated the dish even further. Service was a bit mixed. The younger staff seemed quite busy and not especially attentive, but the manager noticed and stepped in, which improved the experience. Before leaving, we grabbed a mango lassi and a falooda to go--both excellent and perfect for the drive back. Overall, the food, portion sizes, ambiance, and pricing were all outstanding. Even if the service wasn't perfect that evening, the quality of the food alone makes this a place we would absolutely return to when in the area.

So yummy!!! My friends and I celebrated Eid here and the food and service were both great. There is…read moreplenty of seating but know it gets very very busy around dinner time, especially on Eid, there was a wait and eating time limit. Regardless, would recommend! Their naan is out of this world, so soft, warm, and delicious. We tried a handful of dishes, portions are great and prices are reasonable. Great ambiance. What a great indopakistani spot!

This is honestly one of the best vegetarian spots for our family and has become our go-to weekend…read moreplace. You'll find us here almost every weekend, and most of the time it's actually our 4.5-year-old daughter asking us to go. That alone says a lot about how much we enjoy this place. My daughter has her favorites -- Hakka noodles, paper dosa, paneer butter masala with garlic naan, and mango lassi. She already knows what she wants before we even get there. I love their medhu vada and filter coffee. Last week we tried the paneer khurchan with mirchi garlic naan, and now that's my new favorite combo. The paneer khurchan was really flavorful and went perfectly with the mirchi garlic naan. My husband's favorites are the rava onion dosa and chickoo shake. What we really like is that every time we come here, we try something new from the menu and keep exploring. There are so many vegetarian options that even though we visit regularly, we still have plenty left to try. For us, this is definitely one of the best vegetarian spots around and a place that has become part of our weekend routine. When your 4.5-year-old is the one asking to go back, you know they're doing something right. Easy 5 stars from our family.

I've been here twice now - both Saturday lunch - which automatically makes this place my family's…read morego-to for Indian food because we haven't gone a second time to the other Indian restaurants we've eaten at so far. The entire restaurant is vegetarian and there are a number of vegan options. What makes this place stand out is that that they have nut-free and gluten-free options. AND they have Jain options too. This is all a concern for my family because (1) we follow a Jain-like vegetarian diet (we avoid alliums) and (2) my youngest kid has multiple food allergies to wheat, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, avocado, kiwi, and pineapple. They are clearly popular. Both times I've gone, it doesn't seem like there's people but within 10 minutes of opening, it starts to get packed and by the time we leave, people are waiting for tables. A vast majority of the diners are Indian which gives me the impression that the food's authentic! They do close between lunch and dinner services so be aware of that. We probably would have gone here more if they opened during the odd in-between hours because that's how we roll on the weekends. You're greeted by a hostess who leads you to your table and a waiter will come by within 5 minutes. We got the same waiter both times - shout out to Vivek! There are tablets on every table with the menu and you can filter out allergens or for special diets which is quite handy. You do not order on the device; you order with the waiter but it does cut down on questions. We still go through the whole allergy spiel and that we don't eat alliums in an attempt to make sure the order is put in correctly. As a side note, they have an extensive menu which is quite impressive that encompasses dosa, steamed items, curries, even a thali set, dishes I haven't heard of... all the way to desserts and even sweets (burfi, etc). Their falooda looks epic! I haven't ordered any of their sweets. Most all of them are things my youngest can't have. However, once I filter out for Jain, gluten-free, nut-free options, our menu shrinks. It makes it easier to order, but is sad if you have your eye on something. For instance, I love malai kofta. I cannot have the one here. Nor can I have the Bhel Puri or the thali or any of their meal sets for that matter. We've ordered: COCKTAIL SAMBAR IDLI - little steamed (GF) cakes dunked in sambar. I got this for fun. I did not expect it to be my youngest's favorite dish. Hands down his favorite. He asks for it every so often. If you avoid alliums, make sure you double check. The second visit, the kitchen accidentally prepared it with the regular sambar and not the Jain one... There was an onion floating in the sambar. PALAK PANEER - this is my kids' favorite curry. It's quite good. If you forget to specify the level of spice, it will come with little chunks of spicy green chilies that pack a little punch. Depending on which side of my mouth chewed on it, that ear with ring and burn. PLAIN DOSA - this comes as a HUGE dosa with a small bowl of sambar. It was excellent. My kids even ate some; one prefers the crispy bits, the other the softer bits. An oldie, but goodie. DAHI VADAI - GF donuts (I think it's a lentil/chickpea batter) in a pool of yogurt that's both tangy and very slightly sweet and spiced. I loved this. It comes with 2 3-inch donuts. BREAD - flatbreads are extra and only comes with one piece. My daughter always insists on it. She had parotta the first time and then roti the second. No complaints from the picky eater so that's a win! RICE - we ordered PANEER PULAO-turned-VEG FRIED RICE before. All their rice dishes are well seasoned and tender... likely with ghee. You could probably eat them alone. A note: Even though we used the filters and the Paneer Pulao popped up, it came out with cashews. The cook said it always comes with cashews. It was changed to a vegetable fried rice. Luckily, we looked through it before we gave some to our kid. I played it safe the second time with Jeera (cumin) Rice. Overall, good experiences. Aside from the cashews in the rice the first time and the non-Jain cocktail sambar idlies the second time. My youngest hasn't had any allergy reactions so at least cross contamination isn't happening. Service is pretty good, the place clean, and the food is delicious. If they can get the food right consistently, then that would push this to 5 stars. So far, it hasn't happened yet.

I was in the area and craving a dosa, so I decided to stop into Sri Dosa for some lunch. I grabbed…read morea table right away and the waiter took my order pretty much immediately. This is a very casual spot with a few tables and lots of to go orders going out. There's a serve your own sambar station which I appreciated. The sambar is delicious, hot and spicy but not too spicy. I ordered the masala dosa which was huge and came with coconut chutney. Lunch was only $12 which, for this amount of food can't be beat. My only complaint was the lack of air conditioning which had me sweating it out significantly. Small price to pay, though.

My go to breakfast whenever I come to nj. Love it. Great portions. Great spice level and heat if…read moreyou ask for it !!

This place has been on our list for some time now. This restaurant has all the flex for a…read moregood-looking restaurant as this is a new kid in the Indian town. The place is new and well maintained. We went here for the first time and the aesthetics and mural on the walls got our attention right away. We had a Kathiyawadi thali, Vada pav and a set of Puris with a welcome drink of Chaas. They food tasted amazing but when the same Kathiyawadi offers the same thali but unlimited for a much lower price but this one for limited at $35, it makes you feel more empty at stomach and wish you had eaten more or rather they had served more. The parking is dedicated and quite spacious and easily handicap accessible.

Same owners or not do not expect the same quality service as the Sayreville location. We were told…read morea 20 min wait for our family of 4 only to watch groups of 4 and 5 come in after us, also be told 20 min, but getting seated well before us. After being seated, we were given menus, and within a few -a table of 5 was seated next to us. Their waiter and more staff gathered around them answering their questions and making recommendations while we sat and waited, trying to make eye contact so we could order. Terrible start, the food better make up for it. Service woes continued as you cant make subs on thalis as you can in Sayreville (they are more than happy to there, which I pointed out). I was told they simply couldn't but could charge us for an extra dish. Even subbing out our 10 yr old's dessert required "supervisor approval". That table that ordered before us despite being seated after? Well they were 3/4 done with their meals before our 2 thali's came out. Thank goodness our 10 yr old's food came out earlier. Food was okay. Punjabi thali def had some Gujarati elements. Also how do you not have chole on it? lol Puris seemed fresh but crumbled. The naan was delicious and fresh and my two tiny pieces of paneer were delicious. Nobody coming around with papadums or fresh breads like the Sayreville location (am sure you sense the theme). Not worth the extra $10 bucks per thali from that other location...

One of the Best Indian restaurant with an entire Veg option menu. I have visited this restaurant…read morefor over a decade and they continue to maintain their food, service, and overall quality and quantity. You will find South Indian, North Indian, and even Indo- Chinese options and delicious desserts as well. After their recent renovation, Sukh Sagar has a classy and Royal vibe for a perfect lunch date, birthday dinner, anniversary or just a simple outing with your family or friends. Recently, I had their Rava masala dosa with coconut chutney, peanut chutney, masala and delicious authentic udupi style sambar. My husband ordered a chilli garlic fried rice for himself and enjoyed that as well. The quantity, taste, hygiene, and value for money is always on point at Sukh Sagar. Also, the entire staff and front-end is efficient, polite and always welcomes and accommodates customers.

Had a great experience at Sukh Sagar in Piscataway!…read more The food is consistently delicious -- full of authentic flavors and great variety, especially if you enjoy vegetarian dishes. Everything we tried was fresh and well-prepared. The ambiance is warm and inviting, making it a perfect spot for casual dinners with friends and family. The service is also friendly and attentive, which makes the whole experience even better. Overall, it's a go-to place for us, and we always enjoy coming back. Highly recommend giving it a try!

While the suburban intersection here can hardly be called a chowrastha, this new outpost of a…read moreU.S.-wide Andhra food chain is serving up some of the best dosas in Jersey. We ordered the Bangalore masala dosa - this is not the thick Karnataka benne dosa that's been going viral in Bandra and South Delhi, but was rather relatively thin and filled with a delicious aloo masala with onions and other vegetables. They serve it with the typical condiments you would find in Hyderabad, including a delicious peanut chutney. The other items we had were fine, but certainly not as good as the dosa. The vada tasted a bit stodgy, and the gongura paneer biryani was very salty.

I have been to and ordered from Desi Chowrastha multiple times over the past year, and even though…read morethe service has been inconsistent, the food has usually made up for it. Unfortunately, this visit was disappointing on both fronts. We ordered two dishes meant to be eaten together as a meal for two. The first arrived in about 20 minutes, but the second took around an hour. After waiting for a really long time, I went to the counter several times to ask for it, but the lady working there repeatedly refused to even acknowledge or interact with the people waiting there. Its understandable to an extent that it's a busy time and she was probably frustrated with the speed of the kitchen staff but as a customer, it was not a good feeling to have to beg for the food I paid for and be met with indifference. When the biryani finally arrived, the chicken pieces were not fully cooked. By then we were so hungry that we had it anyway, but it was quite disappointing to wait that long for food that wasn't even good. Its unfortunate because we have generally enjoyed the food here in the past. The whole experience was so chaotic that it felt like a test of endurance than a fun time. Left a bad taste in my mouth, literally and figuratively!

Food very nice no complaints service wonderful…read more I strongly recommend you should try once

Fantastically located right in oak tree rd. Very good location. Right next to a lot of shops …read more. there was a restaurant called DHABA in the same place before .. was skeptical to go to chamkila because i thought it is the same cook .. Dhaba food before wasn't that good .. but chamkila food was actually much better and tasted good . Service was sooooooooo slow ! :( I ordered on phone and they said 15 mins . I went there after 20 mins of calling and then had to wait another 25-30 mins ... overall about 45-59 min wait time - for a naan and curry !! I almost asked them to cancel the order but they atlast gave it . Food taste was good though. The curry was super good. I asked for spicy but it was medium spicy. Naan was also good ! Ate it inside the car just to have it fresh . Quantity was good and price was not bad . Wanted to give a 3 for the service but gave it a 4 !

We stopped by for dinner and were not disappointed. The kathi rolls were delicious and prepared as…read moreper your ask. The staff is nice and warm. Plenty of parking available and you could eat in your or outside. The place has nice wall art and is kept clean. Food- 8/10 Ambiance -8/10 Service- 8/10 Value for money- 8/10 I shall return and you need to go check this spot out!

Great Shrilankan food, variety of dinner options!! Thanks a lot! Would visit Vegetable Rice and…read moreCurry recommended!