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I've been a fan of their original location since opening, but haven't gotten to try this one until recently. It originally opened as more of an Indian street food restaurant, but have since expanded to other dishes. It's a casual and convenient opening in 808 Center if you're nearby, on the first floor along the street. They have two tables outside and more inside, it's a simple place. They have a varied menu of Indian street foods like momo, roti, and dosa, plus curries, other breads, drinks, and rice dishes. We tried mostly vegetarian items like cauliflower in yellow curry, a daal dish, and veggie mom. The food is flavorful, curries include jasmine rice. Prices are reasonable for the size. It's worth stopping in if you're a fan of Indian food, or looking for something new and flavorful to try.
Great option for Indian food in this part of town. Small and clean with friendly staff. Came for a quick lunch with my friend and we had the chick Mosa Dumplings, lamb tikka masala and roti. What we ordered came with rice. Flavors were delicious. The dumplings almost looked like Xiao Ling Bao but of course filled with chicken curry and it came with a dipping sauce which was good too. However, for me I loved the flavor inside the dumplings that I preferred it without the dipping sauce. The filling had a great flavor inside wanted to enjoy. My friend loved it both ways and she continued with the dip. The lamb tikka masala is always a great choice. Theirs was delicious but the meat was small bite sizes. Not like the larger heartier chunks I am accustomed to. The food was still great I gave a three because of the size of the meat not because of the lack of flavor. If I was in the area and I wanted Indian food I'd still come here.
Lunch in Honolulu, Hawai'i... I really enjoyed the Butter Chicken at Tadka Indian Cuisine at McCully Shopping Center and wondered if it's sister restaurant, Cafe Tadka, would have the same Butter Chicken... Time to find out... I was the only customer one day. It was a peaceful, clean, bright, spacious and pleasant environment! Service was excellent! The friendly worker paid attention to me and was very friendly! I ordered my favorite Butter Chicken... the meat is so tender and the sauce is so flavorful! I ate everything! Now I know where to go when I want a relaxing, delicious meal!
This review is for service and food since I ordered takeout via delivery. I came across a couple of mishaps through the food delivery app and the order took about an hour total. I ordered butter chicken with basmati rice. The rice is fine and adds texture to the overall dish really well. Taste of butter chicken seemed present. This seems to be on the lighter side in flavors though, and while I did not mind this because it made it easier to eat, I noticed the chicken was red. If I had to take a guess, that could explain why there was a delay, but hopefully this was just a one off experience.
We tried a few dishes on our first visit and all of them were delicious! The veggie samosas were HUGE and filled with perfectly seasoned vegetables. The crust was buttery and crispy and it was served hot with a cilantro chutney and a sweet and tangy tamarind sauce. The chicken lollipops were yummy! The meat was tender and juicy with a hint of crisp around the edges. It was covered in a savory slightly sweet and spicy chili sauce with green onions and sesame seeds. The paneer curry is served with a small bowl of basmati rice and the curry has onions and peppers in it. The curry was rich and flavorful and the medium spice had some good heat but wasn't overpowering. Lots of fat chunks of soft and toothsome paneer inside! The international dosa was good, chock full of red onions, cilantro and seasoning and it had garbanzo beans inside. I thought the menu said it had potatoes inside but there were none. It's served with a small bowl of lentil soup and 2 chutneys (coconut and curry). While this was good and filling, I don't think I'd order it again bc I like my dosas crispier and the filling wasn't the same as described in the menu. Portions of everything were generous for the price point. Their chai tea was delicious! We got it iced since it was blazing hot outside. We tried the banana semolina dessert and it was good, not too sweet. I wished it had a sauce or ice cream but I'm just being a fat kid. It has a soft wet consistency of crumbly semolina with a hint of banana and sugar and a few nuts and raisins. A but like halwa but not as sweet. I'd skip ordering this again. Inside of the cafe is very basic. A few tables and chairs. Not much in terms of ambiance but the service is good. There is A/C but it's still a little hot inside when the kitchen is cooking up the food. It's a good spot to go eat yummy food and not break the bank but not really a place for a special occasion or date night.
I saw Nadines check in on this place so I spied on a new Indian eatery in town. Thanks Nadine! Very small place with only a few double seat tables. It was very comfy with their nice AC running on this hot day. We ordered the usual favorites and everything was tasty and delish! Service was friendly and fast. Another good option for Indian foodies.
"The streets are where food and culture dance together." - Unknown Earlier this year, we heard about chef Ganesh Shrestha's departure from one of our favorite Indian restaurants, Spice Up. We were excited to hear about his opening of Tadka Indian Restaurant in the McCully Shopping Center, as his menu offers North to South Indian regional cuisines. However, we haven't made it to the McCully Shopping Center restaurant yet because we were gearing up for our culinary cruise in East Asia, where we ate at gourmet to family to street food establishments. We were fortunate to experience authentic Indian cuisine in Singapore, which further piqued our appetite when we returned home. However, during a recent urban hike, we visited Chef Shrestha's sister restaurant, Cafe Tadka, at the 808 Center. This small, clean cafe only seats 12 inside and four people outside. Upon entry, we were greeted by a lovely female server, who we asked if this was sit-down dining or order-at-the-counter service because others were eating from disposable tableware. She motioned to us to sit anywhere in the air-conditioned restaurant and brought us menus. Compared to its McCully site, the menu is limited but concentrates on popular street foods. FOOD: -Panjabi Samosa Chaat: crispy pastry stuffed with spiced potato and peas topped with yogurt, tamarind, mint, and chana masala (chickpea curry), garnished with onion and jalapeño chili. This colorful, multi-textural, and tasty street food snack hit our tastebuds with spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors. I could imagine drinking an icy cold beer or a glass of red wine with this snack, but we were taking a lunch break during our urban hike and felt we'd be better off keeping hydrated with water. The spice level of this samosa chaat was enough to put a slight tingle on my lips, but I'm sure the yogurt in the chaat helped to mellow the jalapeños. $9.99 -Chicken Lollipops: batter-coated chicken tossed with tomato, garlic, and chili sauce. Cafe Tadka's meaty chicken wing appetizer hit the spot for my fried food-loving husband. Although the sauce made the fried battered chicken wings a bit soggy, there was still a bit of crunchy mouthfeel. The savory and sticky sauce made these wings more delectable or, as they say, "finger-licking good." My husband ate 4 of the five wings while sharing the samosa chaat. 5/$6.99 -Vegetable Dum Biryani: although traditional dum biryani is prepared with a mix of meat, vegetables, and basmati, we chose the vegetarian alternative. Dum biryani refers to the slow-cooking and layered process, which yields a richer and more complex rice dish, whereas "normal" biryani cooks the meat separately from the rice and combines the ingredients after cooking. I don't have astute tastebuds to discern the entire difference in flavors or textures of dum versus normal biryani, especially when it is just vegetables and rice. Still, this biryani was fluffy and seasoned yet subtly flavored. $13.99 -Mango Lassi: this thick and creamy yogurt-based beverage was refreshing and not too sweet. The beverage's fresh mango flavor was accented with cardamom, but I wished the beverage had been served more chilled as I saved drinking this beverage as a dessert. Mango lassi is perfect for cooling down on hot summer days. $5.50 When we ate at Cafe Tadka, our original order included the Chef Special Dosa. Still, unfortunately, their heating element for making dosa wasn't working correctly, so we didn't get to try it. There is just one chef behind the counter and one server, so although you'll get delicious food straight out of the kitchen, please be patient. We'll return soon!
I haven't been the main Tadka location so it was nice to try this more quick serve concept with Indian street food. I ordered the Panjabi samosa chaat, chicken lollipop, chicken dum biryani, and classic dosa (Indian crepe). They also gave me banana sira to try. It was a lot of food but I wanted to try a wide selection of things and welcome leftovers! The food was flavorful, spicy and different from the Indian food I'm used to. The chicken lollipops are not spicy, very mild despite the red color. Sort of like char siu. Chaat on the other hand is spicy and is like a deconstructed samosa which I liked a lot and could be a meal itself. The dosa came with two sauces and lentil soup. It was plain tasting so not my favorite. Maybe the other dosa are better, I just wanted to try the classic one for my first time. Biryani is a little spicy but good to have something overall than is plainer to eat in between or with the spicier dishes. The chicken was moist and they gave a good amount. Sira reminds me of bread pudding with raisins in it but with a denser texture. This is mainly a takeout place with a few tables. If you do eat there, they give you paper plates to eat on so keep that in mind for the experience. Maybe not someplace to take on a first date haha. The staff is friendly, open to explain the menu, and give suggestions. Cafe Tadka brings something different to the 808 Center and Honolulu so give them a try!
Tadka Indian Cuisine's smaller and more casual sister restaurant, this relatively new cafe still serves up fantastic Indian flavors and is a stand out on Oahu. The best part is they've brought dosas - something we'd been seriously missing. We tried two - the Chef's special and the classic. Both were very similar but we'd go with the Chef's next time. The Panjabi samosa chaat was just fantastic - like a sauced up smashed samosa. Do not hesitate on this one; probably the best thing we ate here. We'll be back; repeatedly.
My coworker loves Spice Up and Tadka. We recently went to Tadka together. When this place was set to open, we were excited to try it. We ordered the chicken biryani, chili paneer, and chicken momo. The owner lady also offered us a chef special dosa. While it wasn't what I was expecting (I only tried the chicken momo at Tadka before), all the food was very flavorful. My favorite was actually the dosa. It is marketed as an Indian crepe which is really what it was. Imagine samosa filling in a crepe. The tomato sauce with it was very good! I even poured it on our chicken biryani. The chili paneer was interesting. It reminded me more of a sweet sour pork but instead of pork, it was a potato. I'd come back but my coworker and I stressed to the owner to please bring naan to this menu. It's not the same without it! As for drinks, I think this place is marketed as more of a to-go place. There were only bottles or cans for drinks. No free water. Maybe you can bring your own? I'm not sure. But it's probably more of a grab and go place. I think it would be nice if it was more of a Panda Express concept (bunch of entrees and you can choose what you want with a side of rice or naan). Overall, I'd say 4.5 stars for the food we tried but I'll round up to give them the benefit of being a newer spot. I enjoyed everything but I wish there was a bigger menu. The waitress and owner were very friendly. The food came out quick which is a plus when you're strapped for time or you just want to take out. Also everything is on a paper plate with disposable utensils since this place is pretty small.
Dosa, dahi puri, and samosa chaat were excellent. I wish they had pav bhaji and chole bhature on the menu.
I often get a hankering for a dosa. Cafe Tadka is the place for that. Friendly service and great street food. We had the classic and chef special dosa as well as the Punjabi samosa chaat. To drink some chai tea and lassi. It is a clean small space with seating for about 16. Check them out!
1 month ago
Cafe Tadka has a second location in the 808 Sheridan Center. It reopened in July of last year. They have a small interior space that can seat twelve but there's also seating outside. For lunch it looks like a one-man show. Hours are from 1100 to 300p daily for lunch; dinner from 500p till 1000p. The exception is Thursday when the are closed for the day. Got their Butter Chicken for takeaway. Good, rich and creamy...and got it mild. Good portion as well, with lots of chicken. read more
7 months ago
Ordered via UberEats. It's on the pricier side for the amount of food that you get. - The dosa was decent but a bit bland for my liking and soggy, though that might just be due to the nature of takeout. - The butter chicken comes with rice which is a plus. It's perfectly creamy and spiced well. - The chicken tikka masala was on the sweeter side, though also had a good blend of spices, though it was light on the chicken. read more
8 months ago
I've been a fan of their original location since opening, but haven't gotten to try this one until recently. It originally opened as more of an Indian street food restaurant, but have since expanded to other dishes. It's a casual and convenient opening in 808 Center if you're nearby, on the first floor along the street. They have two tables outside and more inside, it's a simple place. They have a varied menu of Indian street foods like momo, roti, and dosa, plus curries, other breads, drinks, and rice dishes. We tried mostly vegetarian items like cauliflower in yellow curry, a daal dish, and veggie mom. The food is flavorful, curries include jasmine rice. Prices are reasonable for the size. It's worth stopping in if you're a fan of Indian food, or looking for something new and flavorful to try. read more
Great option for Indian food in this part of town. Small and clean with friendly staff. Came for a quick lunch with my friend and we had the chick Mosa Dumplings, lamb tikka masala and roti. What we ordered came with rice. Flavors were delicious. The dumplings almost looked like Xiao Ling Bao but of course filled with chicken curry and it came with a dipping sauce which was good too. However, for me I loved the flavor inside the dumplings that I preferred it without the dipping sauce. The filling had a great flavor inside wanted to enjoy. My friend loved it both ways and she continued with the dip. The lamb tikka masala is always a great choice. Theirs was delicious but the meat was small bite sizes. Not like the larger heartier chunks I am accustomed to. The food was still great I gave a three because of the size of the meat not because of the lack of flavor. If I was in the area and I wanted Indian food I'd still come here. read more
16 days ago
Lunch in Honolulu, Hawai'i... I really enjoyed the Butter Chicken at Tadka Indian Cuisine at McCully Shopping Center and wondered if it's sister restaurant, Cafe Tadka, would have the same Butter Chicken... Time to find out... I was the only customer one day. It was a peaceful, clean, bright, spacious and pleasant environment! Service was excellent! The friendly worker paid attention to me and was very friendly! I ordered my favorite Butter Chicken... the meat is so tender and the sauce is so flavorful! I ate everything! Now I know where to go when I want a relaxing, delicious meal! read more
2 months ago
11 months ago
This review is for service and food since I ordered takeout via delivery. I came across a couple of mishaps through the food delivery app and the order took about an hour total. I ordered butter chicken with basmati rice. The rice is fine and adds texture to the overall dish really well. Taste of butter chicken seemed present. This seems to be on the lighter side in flavors though, and while I did not mind this because it made it easier to eat, I noticed the chicken was red. If I had to take a guess, that could explain why there was a delay, but hopefully this was just a one off experience. read more
We tried a few dishes on our first visit and all of them were delicious! The veggie samosas were HUGE and filled with perfectly seasoned vegetables. The crust was buttery and crispy and it was served hot with a cilantro chutney and a sweet and tangy tamarind sauce. The chicken lollipops were yummy! The meat was tender and juicy with a hint of crisp around the edges. It was covered in a savory slightly sweet and spicy chili sauce with green onions and sesame seeds. The paneer curry is served with a small bowl of basmati rice and the curry has onions and peppers in it. The curry was rich and flavorful and the medium spice had some good heat but wasn't overpowering. Lots of fat chunks of soft and toothsome paneer inside! The international dosa was good, chock full of red onions, cilantro and seasoning and it had garbanzo beans inside. I thought the menu said it had potatoes inside but there were none. It's served with a small bowl of lentil soup and 2 chutneys (coconut and curry). While this was good and filling, I don't think I'd order it again bc I like my dosas crispier and the filling wasn't the same as described in the menu. Portions of everything were generous for the price point. Their chai tea was delicious! We got it iced since it was blazing hot outside. We tried the banana semolina dessert and it was good, not too sweet. I wished it had a sauce or ice cream but I'm just being a fat kid. It has a soft wet consistency of crumbly semolina with a hint of banana and sugar and a few nuts and raisins. A but like halwa but not as sweet. I'd skip ordering this again. Inside of the cafe is very basic. A few tables and chairs. Not much in terms of ambiance but the service is good. There is A/C but it's still a little hot inside when the kitchen is cooking up the food. It's a good spot to go eat yummy food and not break the bank but not really a place for a special occasion or date night. read more
I saw Nadines check in on this place so I spied on a new Indian eatery in town. Thanks Nadine! Very small place with only a few double seat tables. It was very comfy with their nice AC running on this hot day. We ordered the usual favorites and everything was tasty and delish! Service was friendly and fast. Another good option for Indian foodies. read more
"The streets are where food and culture dance together." - Unknown Earlier this year, we heard about chef Ganesh Shrestha's departure from one of our favorite Indian restaurants, Spice Up. We were excited to hear about his opening of Tadka Indian Restaurant in the McCully Shopping Center, as his menu offers North to South Indian regional cuisines. However, we haven't made it to the McCully Shopping Center restaurant yet because we were gearing up for our culinary cruise in East Asia, where we ate at gourmet to family to street food establishments. We were fortunate to experience authentic Indian cuisine in Singapore, which further piqued our appetite when we returned home. However, during a recent urban hike, we visited Chef Shrestha's sister restaurant, Cafe Tadka, at the 808 Center. This small, clean cafe only seats 12 inside and four people outside. Upon entry, we were greeted by a lovely female server, who we asked if this was sit-down dining or order-at-the-counter service because others were eating from disposable tableware. She motioned to us to sit anywhere in the air-conditioned restaurant and brought us menus. Compared to its McCully site, the menu is limited but concentrates on popular street foods. FOOD: -Panjabi Samosa Chaat: crispy pastry stuffed with spiced potato and peas topped with yogurt, tamarind, mint, and chana masala (chickpea curry), garnished with onion and jalapeño chili. This colorful, multi-textural, and tasty street food snack hit our tastebuds with spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors. I could imagine drinking an icy cold beer or a glass of red wine with this snack, but we were taking a lunch break during our urban hike and felt we'd be better off keeping hydrated with water. The spice level of this samosa chaat was enough to put a slight tingle on my lips, but I'm sure the yogurt in the chaat helped to mellow the jalapeños. $9.99 -Chicken Lollipops: batter-coated chicken tossed with tomato, garlic, and chili sauce. Cafe Tadka's meaty chicken wing appetizer hit the spot for my fried food-loving husband. Although the sauce made the fried battered chicken wings a bit soggy, there was still a bit of crunchy mouthfeel. The savory and sticky sauce made these wings more delectable or, as they say, "finger-licking good." My husband ate 4 of the five wings while sharing the samosa chaat. 5/$6.99 -Vegetable Dum Biryani: although traditional dum biryani is prepared with a mix of meat, vegetables, and basmati, we chose the vegetarian alternative. Dum biryani refers to the slow-cooking and layered process, which yields a richer and more complex rice dish, whereas "normal" biryani cooks the meat separately from the rice and combines the ingredients after cooking. I don't have astute tastebuds to discern the entire difference in flavors or textures of dum versus normal biryani, especially when it is just vegetables and rice. Still, this biryani was fluffy and seasoned yet subtly flavored. $13.99 -Mango Lassi: this thick and creamy yogurt-based beverage was refreshing and not too sweet. The beverage's fresh mango flavor was accented with cardamom, but I wished the beverage had been served more chilled as I saved drinking this beverage as a dessert. Mango lassi is perfect for cooling down on hot summer days. $5.50 When we ate at Cafe Tadka, our original order included the Chef Special Dosa. Still, unfortunately, their heating element for making dosa wasn't working correctly, so we didn't get to try it. There is just one chef behind the counter and one server, so although you'll get delicious food straight out of the kitchen, please be patient. We'll return soon! read more
I haven't been the main Tadka location so it was nice to try this more quick serve concept with Indian street food. I ordered the Panjabi samosa chaat, chicken lollipop, chicken dum biryani, and classic dosa (Indian crepe). They also gave me banana sira to try. It was a lot of food but I wanted to try a wide selection of things and welcome leftovers! The food was flavorful, spicy and different from the Indian food I'm used to. The chicken lollipops are not spicy, very mild despite the red color. Sort of like char siu. Chaat on the other hand is spicy and is like a deconstructed samosa which I liked a lot and could be a meal itself. The dosa came with two sauces and lentil soup. It was plain tasting so not my favorite. Maybe the other dosa are better, I just wanted to try the classic one for my first time. Biryani is a little spicy but good to have something overall than is plainer to eat in between or with the spicier dishes. The chicken was moist and they gave a good amount. Sira reminds me of bread pudding with raisins in it but with a denser texture. This is mainly a takeout place with a few tables. If you do eat there, they give you paper plates to eat on so keep that in mind for the experience. Maybe not someplace to take on a first date haha. The staff is friendly, open to explain the menu, and give suggestions. Cafe Tadka brings something different to the 808 Center and Honolulu so give them a try! read more
5 months ago
Tadka Indian Cuisine's smaller and more casual sister restaurant, this relatively new cafe still serves up fantastic Indian flavors and is a stand out on Oahu. The best part is they've brought dosas - something we'd been seriously missing. We tried two - the Chef's special and the classic. Both were very similar but we'd go with the Chef's next time. The Panjabi samosa chaat was just fantastic - like a sauced up smashed samosa. Do not hesitate on this one; probably the best thing we ate here. We'll be back; repeatedly. read more
5 months ago
1 year ago
2 years ago
My coworker loves Spice Up and Tadka. We recently went to Tadka together. When this place was set to open, we were excited to try it. We ordered the chicken biryani, chili paneer, and chicken momo. The owner lady also offered us a chef special dosa. While it wasn't what I was expecting (I only tried the chicken momo at Tadka before), all the food was very flavorful. My favorite was actually the dosa. It is marketed as an Indian crepe which is really what it was. Imagine samosa filling in a crepe. The tomato sauce with it was very good! I even poured it on our chicken biryani. The chili paneer was interesting. It reminded me more of a sweet sour pork but instead of pork, it was a potato. I'd come back but my coworker and I stressed to the owner to please bring naan to this menu. It's not the same without it! As for drinks, I think this place is marketed as more of a to-go place. There were only bottles or cans for drinks. No free water. Maybe you can bring your own? I'm not sure. But it's probably more of a grab and go place. I think it would be nice if it was more of a Panda Express concept (bunch of entrees and you can choose what you want with a side of rice or naan). Overall, I'd say 4.5 stars for the food we tried but I'll round up to give them the benefit of being a newer spot. I enjoyed everything but I wish there was a bigger menu. The waitress and owner were very friendly. The food came out quick which is a plus when you're strapped for time or you just want to take out. Also everything is on a paper plate with disposable utensils since this place is pretty small. read more
9 months ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
Dosa, dahi puri, and samosa chaat were excellent. I wish they had pav bhaji and chole bhature on the menu. read more
2 years ago
I often get a hankering for a dosa. Cafe Tadka is the place for that. Friendly service and great street food. We had the classic and chef special dosa as well as the Punjabi samosa chaat. To drink some chai tea and lassi. It is a clean small space with seating for about 16. Check them out! read more
2 years ago
Yay so happy to have dosa on Oahu! The dahi puri and chili paneer were also yummy (though I would have welcomed more spice!). Service was great, food was flavorful and definitely worth coming back for, and hope this place does well because there's no one else serving these dishes! Only suggestion to the owners would be to please use reusable plates, silverware, cups for water etc. when dining in, as it feels wasteful to have disposables and plastic water bottles. Mahalo for the satisfying meal and wish you the best of luck! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
The food was excellent we ordered chicken lollipop and the chefs special dosa (My favorite). However, water is not complimentary and the service was a little rude. The dining area is very small, but nevertheless it was good. read more
2 years ago
We dropped by for a quick lunch and the staff are amazing! So friendly and welcoming. The portions and prices are perfect. So tasty and overall satisfying. The only downside is that they didn't have any high chair for my baby but nonetheless we still enjoyed our meal! That shrimp biryani was 1000000/10 read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
New Indian restaurant opened on the bottom floor of the 808 center. Very friendly, kind and plesent staff. I'm not too familiar with Indian cuisine and their hostess kindly went over their menu with me and gave great recommendations. The Panjabi Samosa Chaat was very filling and delicious, definitely going back to try their other dishes. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
More info about Cafe Tadka
808 Sheridan St
Ste 106
Honolulu, HI 96814
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(808) 200-0268
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