This place is really strange. Apparently it's been around forever (used to be on Chapel and then…read moremoved down here) yet it consistently receives some of the most mixed reviews I've ever come across on Zomato/Google/TA/Yelp. We live nearby, so wanted to get to the bottom of it.
It's a small, BYOW, seemingly family run Indian restaurant in an accessible but unremarkable part of town, which is good because you can find parking outside easily.
Right off the bat, I just want to say, that the curries here are really yummy. Not the best in the world, and it doesn't REALLY stand out above others like Indian on High or Yarra Indian, but the curries were definitely good and above average. We had pappadums, mint/yoghurt/chutney, samosas, lamb vindaloo, and paneek butter masala, which we ate half of and finished the rest at home. Loved it. So the two stars here are 100% SOLELY for food.
Now, everything else.
It is expensive. About $35+ per person for a very basic meal. The lamb vindaloo was an average to below average sized portion, and it's $23.50. That is pricey. Yarra Indian does the same one for about $13.50, arguably better and they have delivery, for example. Although a lot of people were getting take away, so there may be something special about their food.
However the worst most unforgivable part, hands down, is the service/dine-in experience. It is completely non-existent. I cannot stress this enough. You literally are sitting alone with NOBODY in the room in dead silence the entire time. And the back doors are all open so the place is freeeeezing. We could've just walked out at any moment and nobody would've noticed.
They should shut down the restaurant. And just make the food at home as a takeout/delivery service.
However we would never come back here OR order because of the prices. Here's our experience (and I'm making it detailed due to the shortage of clear reviews for this place):
We walked in, and an older guy/younger girl (who were sitting palm on face in the restaurant) came and gave us wine glasses and water and then headed out back, I suppose to fire up the pots and get started (we didn't see them again until the end).
We drank wine. And talked. And talked. And talked. Thank god it's BYOW because there's nothing else to do.
30min later, this oafy guy comes barging in from the street all manically. We thought he was a take away customer or as he headed out back, robbing the place. Turns out he was our waiter! He went the counter then came to us with a pen + paper and lifted his head a bit to say "What you having?" .. straight from the street lol.. we were caught a bit off guard, but went with it.
We have had Indian hundreds of times, so we asked if there was anything he could recommend. Anything. Something that perhaps they specialised at, or preferred making, or HAD already on the pot, or something. And this guy just had no opinions on anything. "Everything good. Anything. Whatever you want. Anything. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Anything." etc etc etc. These were his recommendations. Also, the menu only had like 12 curries. Beef vindaloo, for example (but not lamb/chicken/vegetarian). When we asked, he said he could make lamb vindaloo. We got excited and said "Oh great!" what else can you make that isn't on the menu. He was "everything" we said "like what? ANY examples of something?" .... nada.. so we said we needed a few minutes. Also, they have NO SALADS. No kachumber (seriously? you don't have tomatoes/onions/cucumbers?)
Anyway, we eventually made our order.
30min later. Pappadums come out. On their own. And sit there for about 20min. We started to eat them on their own cuz we were so bored. Eventually I went out back to find the guy in the kitchen for condiments like chutney. And he brought those reluctantly. And everything afterwards was the same / just like pulling teeth. A tissue? 15min wait. Glass? 15min wait. We gave up eventually.
Like... what is going on back there?
We are slow eaters, but we were there for over 2 hours, and we probably saw the staff for about 5minutes in total. Curries took over an hour. Even paying the check I had to go out back to get the older guy and younger girl again. We wanted to just leave our phone numbers/walk out to make a point but felt bad.
$70+. Seriously?
After we paid the older guy and younger girl then came back into the restaurant and sat down, seemingly sweaty and stressed and tired from having had to make our food from scratch single handedly out back (I assumed!? Where else could they have been!?).
We felt bad. But honestly they should just shut down the joint and work out of their houses. There's no point to have a venue really.
I'd never return. There's just SO MANY better and cheaper and more fun options right down the road. But other people seemed to like their take out. So try it for yourself to see if their curry is worth twice the price as anywhere else. For us, it wasn't.
