Food was absolutely delicious, hands down. I ordered the channa masala, roti, DD chicken curry, and…read morechai, and every bite was packed with flavor. Truly some of the best I've had. The ambiance is beautiful, quaint, cozy, and really inviting. The staff were very kind and welcoming, though service was a bit inconsistent (we had to ask a few times for water and cutlery). My only real disappointment was the portion size of the chicken. The serving was quite small, about four small pieces, which felt a bit unreasonable given how incredible the dish tasted. It's honestly a shame, because the flavor is to die for. Overall, amazing food and a lovely space--just hoping for more generous portions next time.

Kidaan New Jersey,…read more This brand new spot with Nawabi Arabian style seating will transport you to the streets of Hyderabad where Biryani and Mandi are a shahi dawat that celebrates regional Indian cuisines of Vijaywada and every bite makes you say - yeh to next level tha yaar! To aajao mere naal to Desi Dawat in Somerset where they serve Biggest Baahubali Mandi in Jersey and over 25 types of Biryani and Pulav and if you mention this reel you get 10% off your order! Here are my top recommendations: Bahubali Mandi - You can't miss this king-size feast, yeh ek photo aur taste dono ka dream combo hai! Ek plate mein mutton, chicken, prawns... ek shaahi darbar lagta hai. Garelu with Hyderabadi Mutton Curry - Ek bite lo aur bolo, "arre yeh to lajawab l combo hai!" Soft garelu aur spicy curry ka mix - swaad aa gaya ji! Malabaar Parotta with Chicken Korma - Flaky parotta aur creamy korma ka combo, finger-licking goodness! Har bite mein coconut aur spice ka Hyderabadi flavor milta hai. Paneer Majestic - Paneer lovers, yeh dish ka naam hi kaafi hai... aur taste usse bhi zyada royal! Crispy coating aur creamy masala ka melt-in-mouth magic. Chicken 65 - Thoda spicy, thoda tangy, aur full-on addictive - ek baar shuru kiya toh rukk nahi paoge! Nalli Gosht Pulav - fall-off-the-bone gosht ke saath pulav ka smoky dum flavour... ek dum shahi dawat ka maza. To intezaar kis baat ka, visit Desi Dawat in Somerset today!

Food always on point...fresh and flavors married together very well...amounts are very generous…read moretaste to perfection...thank you

We tried Tikka Masala for the first time as a party of 2 on a Friday night around 9pm. We chose…read morethis restaurant because they are on the inKind app which offers rewards that can be used at participating restaurants. There were 2 other tables when we entered and we were seated immediately and told to scan the QR code for the menu, which opened up to Toast Tab, which is not the ideal way to view a menu. Within a minute, we were greeted by Louis (who handles the hospitality at Tikka Masala) and he asked if we wanted any drinks or were ready to order, but we needed a few minutes to look things over. He said to wave him over when we were ready, so I did and we decided to start with the Gunpowder Chicken appetizer medium spicy. He asked about entrees, but we told him we were still deciding. After picking our entrees, I called him over again and he said, actually he would come back after our appetizer was dropped off. Shortly after, the appetizer came out and it looked great. A good portion size, nice presentation, and good spice level. We snapped a few photos, which caught the attention of Louis so he came over and encouraged us to enjoy the food and take lots of good photos for a review. I mentioned that we post on Yelp a lot, but he seemed concerned and said Google is much better as the community uses Google, so I let him know that we'd be happy to post to Google as well. He reminded us that his name is Louis and he handles the hospitality at Tikka Masala if we would like to mention him in our review. As we neared the end of our appetizer, he came over for our main order. We chose Chicken 65 Biryani (spicy), Chicken Tikka Masala (mild), Chili Garlic Naan, Spicy Garlic Chutney, and a Mango Lassi. He read the order back, but did not mention the spice level on the Tikka, and I assumed that was because the default was mild, but it came out without any spice. Everything else sounded good, but we ended up with regular Chicken Biryani instead of Chicken 65. We were hungry and it was late, so didn't feel any need to correct this as we like both dishes equally. After all the dishes were dropped off, Louis reminded us to take lots of nice pictures for the review. The Biryani portion was large and the spice level was on point. The Masala came in a large dish with lots of curry, but the amount of actual chicken was lackluster, so I did not feel the value in that dish at $21. Our usual Indian joint is $17 for chicken tikka masala and the amount of chicken is literally double and we always have leftovers. They did not have any Spicy Garlic Chutney, but Louis said Mango Chutney was available. We politely declined a couple times, but he urged us to try it, so said yes, and it was alright, but we wouldn't get it again. The Chili Garlic Naan is SPICY, so be warned! Literally stuffed with chili and will scorch you from the first bite! I was only able to handle one piece, as I usually stick with mild-medium spice. As we finished our meals, Louis brought the check and reminded us each to leave a separate review on Google. We paid on inKind and took a few pictures of the place before heading for the door, where we were reminded again about the review. The inside is quite nice and clean with lots of seating at tables and booths and low-lighting. Overall, the food was decent and we would consider trying some more dishes. Hopefully they can sort out the portion sizes as the appetizer and biryani were good, but the curry was small. Louis was an attentive and friendly server, but we could have went without all the review reminders. As I was writing this review, I heard a rustle in the bushes outside and I quickly went to the window where I thought I'd see Louis offering one final reminder, but it was just a pigeon.

We needed quick fast food restaurant nearby and googled it and we went there. Nice truth variety of…read moremenu items south India and northern India varieties with takeout counter for quick pickup and hot sweets and prepared samosas sandwiches etchings.service order counter and fast food service table. Very well lit and tables and booth seats . Well lighted and pleasant

Food quality is poor and stale. I ordered takeaway on 8/29 around 11:45am. I picked up and…read morebrought home. When opened the box, strong sour smell came, palak was stale. I trashed everything. I don't know how the cook can't smell the ingredients while cooking or warming up.

I most often get disappointed when I eat in South Indian (Tamil) restaurants in the US simply…read morebecause I know how food is supposed to taste, having grown up with that all my life. That said, Arusuvai was one of the few restaurants that did not let me down. My parents loved the food, and I was impressed with the taste and quality, as well as the authenticity. We had ordered Briyani, Parotta, and Mutton Curry for lunch, and had also ordered Crab Masala for to go. They all tasted very good, especially the crab. Food might seem a little on the pricey side but I think it is definitely worth it. Staff were friendly and Service was fast enough but we did visit pretty on the tail end of the lunch rush, so not sure how the service will be when they are packed. Decor was pretty much standard South Indian restaurant style.

I've had the misfortune of being to this place 3 times and all 3 times I've seen customers being…read moreshouted at by the staff and customers shouting at the staff for their service. This time I was personally at the receiving end and hence this review. Hands down the worst service in all the Indian restaurants in NJ. The restaurant is definitely learning from their mistakes so now they make you wait in line, make you prepay so you are locked in, give you a good piece of their minds frustrate you so much that you just want to leave but cant and at the very end they will ask you if everything went fantastic. Food is mediocre at best. I've got my due for my 3 attempts, visit at your own risk !!

Wanted to try this restaurant for a long time.. one of my friends suggested and at last was able to…read morego and eat here.. actually a good location very close to a lot of places in Central New Jersey.. parking could get tricky on peak times.. interiors were good and the tables are slightly far away and not too crowded.. service was really good.. alwyn and the other manager were really welcoming . Great ambience inside . Nalla kaara podi thattu idly was super good . Very very nice taste and flavor. The breakfast combo was also good. Chutneys were like home made but Sambar was average . Sweet and could have more flavor. Vada was crispy from outside but not soft inside . Machine Vada always has this issue . Hand made Vada is generally very good and soft from inside too. Thali was awesome . Just loved the mango pappu, rasam, ghee rice , pulusu , gulab jamun etc .had a very good meal. Pls don't keep tiffen sambar in thali. It will be too thin if someone mixes that with rice.. apart from that everything was super good.. Gulab jamun was extra special . Fantastic. .. I'll surely come back to try more ! Good experience overall. 4 stars

I was actually really excited to try this place because it's close to our home, and I was hoping it…read morecould become one of our regular spots for South Indian food. Unfortunately, our first experience was pretty disappointing. We arrived around 5:15 PM for an early dinner with my daughter, brother, and sister-in-law. The restaurant was completely empty and we were the first customers there. It took about 5 minutes for someone to seat us. Once we were seated, we waited another 15 minutes before our server brought water and menus. After that, it took about another 5 minutes for the server to come back and take our order. So from the time we walked into an empty restaurant, it was already around 25 minutes before we could even place our order. My daughter had been craving idli, and honestly that was the main reason we chose this place. We ordered idli, medu vada, coffee, spicy mint dosa, and plain dosa. After we ordered, about 3-4 other tables came in. What started frustrating us was seeing people who arrived after us getting their food before us. The table next to us ordered two thalis and received them while we were still waiting for our idli and dosas. Our food finally started coming out around 30 minutes after we ordered, and during that wait I had to follow up with our server three times. I really couldn't understand why something as simple as idli was taking that long, especially when we had been the first table in the restaurant. Then, when our food finally arrived, the chutney container was empty. We ended up waiting around another 15 minutes for it to be refilled. So even after waiting so long for the food, we couldn't properly enjoy it right away. The delays were frustrating, but what bothered me even more was the lack of communication. Our server never really apologized or explained what was taking so long. A simple "sorry about the wait" would have gone a long way. We came early expecting a quick, relaxed family dinner. Instead, it was about 25 minutes just to place our order, another 30 minutes waiting for the food, and then another wait for the chutney. I really wanted to like this place because having a good South Indian restaurant so close to home would have been perfect for us. I honestly thought it could become a regular family spot. Unfortunately, after this experience and the customer service we received, I don't think we'll be going back.

We've been there many times and always enjoyed their food…read more We went there after Xmas and found out they've changed the owner recently but the food was still good b/c they kept the staff, very smart! The service is better now than before b/c the previous owner's wife was a little bit rough on the edge. There are quite a few Indian restaurants in the area but this one has been solid. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Folks - we may have stumbled into our find of the year. The place is a hidden gem in a nondescript…read moresuburban plaza. They raised the bar in truly exceptional food and service. Let's start with the food. Done with perfection and pride. The owner personally attends and recommends items, if you do need help. They are into good food and service, with passion. Pakoras we're done to perfection - fresh, crispy, and super savory. Their Naan and Tandori breads were, once again, spot-on (with the right amount of char and crispness). Highly recommend the Kadai Paneer. That smoky flavor- O M G! In fact, even the yellow lentils had the smoky flavor and reminded me of authentic lentils made way back home, in India. Our choices were all vegetarians and I feel we couldn't have gone wrong with other vegetarian choices either. Service with smile. The owner took personal interest in ensuring we had a good time. They accommodated so many of our customization requests that it's unfair to even mention them here because other guests may feel let down if they dine when the place is super busy. Glad we found them and hope this will be our goto place to get that authentic way-back-home yummy flavor! We hope to visit them again, soon!

PROs - kulchaaaaaaa , ambience, service CONs- taste for…read moreother stuff except kulcha , parking Was waiting to visit this restaurant for a long time and atlast we did it .. it's quite a drive but we don't mind driving in quest for good food . Parking is a bit narrow and gets crowded in peak times. Loved the interiors... lots of seats inside to sit and dine . Loved the dhaba style seating on the left . We actually got one and we loved the ambience . Service was ok .. not too notch but not too slow . Of course we ordered the kulchaaaaaaaaaa.. it was superrbbbbb. Mind boggling... very authentic. And it surely can be had by 2 people ! One cannot have the whole thing ! 10/10 kulcha . Other items we tried : Naan and paneer tikka - good Paneer green starter - very good Hats bara kabab - very average . Tasted raw and not fried/cooked well Chole batura - very good Gobi Manchurian - disaster . Should not have ordered Chinese dish in Punjabi restaurant Gajar halwa - disaster ! Wasn't sweet at all. We had to put 2 spoons of sugar to make it taste like halwa Apart from kulcha , we had mixed opinions on the food with most of the dishes not that tasty . May be it is not a place for vegetarians . I heard the non veg items had better reviews here . Overall , 3 stars wish other dishes are as awesome as their kulcha :)

Excellent food. Excellent portion. After a while I found a good and authentic Punjabi food…read more Amritsari fish, huge kulcha, Delhi chicken makhni, bhindi, gajar ka halwa. Everything was to the point! Finally even the pan was excellent. 5 stars and coming back to try the Sarso di saag!

What started as a purely supportive "I'll just keep you company" visit for a last-minute late…read moredinner with friends turned into a full-on food moment I hadn't planned for, and honestly, I regret nothing. The moment I walked in, the aromas hit first, followed swiftly by the sight of dishes making their way across the room. My resolve didn't stand a chance. I was eating. End of story. The menu spans both South and North Indian cuisine, and refreshingly - deliver exceptionally well. Everything we tried was well-crafted, but the palak paneer deserves a special mention. I have a personal rule about not ordering palak paneer outside of home, it rarely lives up. This one broke the rule entirely. It was simply superb. Then came the seasonal dessert. I wish I could tell you the name, but I was clearly too busy enjoying it to commit that detail to memory (lesson learned - notes app next time!). What I can tell you is that it arrived beautifully chilled, with just the right touch of sweetness. Absolutely worth whatever it was called [was a sort of pistachio something rice pudding] Having a South Indian restaurant this good just a two-minute drive away feels like a genuine privilege.

Great service good food First time was a charm, didn't…read moreenjoy the second time lacked everything