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!

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!

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...

Incredible food and one of the most beautiful thoughtfully designed restaurants I've ever been to…read more If you want a truly special Indian meal in a lovely environment this is the place. Be warned: the food is made to order which means it takes a long time to come out. We waited 90+ minutes for entrees. But we were warned in advance and had nowhere else to be and it was so so worth it. The owners are lovely and told us we can order ahead next time if we want to expedite things.

Very good Indian food with all of the classic curries and butter chicken and such. Service was not…read morethat great and can be improved. Off street parking. Tip is automatically included "for parties of 1 or more."

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 !!

Imagine visiting a BestBuy and buying a duffel bag and no electronics? I visited this Thali place…read morefor the first time only to not have any of their speciality Thali meals instead have biryani and puris. The person who services us was very kind and helpful with the selections. I went here for lunch with some of our friends and family and after having had a heavy home breakfast and hence didn't have an appetite for the Thali meals. That's the same reason I didn't click a lot of pics like I would usually do. The vegetable biryani, SPDP chaat and puris with aloo subzi came in no time from the time we ordered. As much as the food was tasty I found them bit salty and the subzi little oily - this coming from a salt lover who tends to add salt to anything he eats, you can trust me. Overall a good restaurant serving quality food and with ample parking space (weekend parking story could be little different).

Having been here before and trying the gigantic Maharaja Thali with my cousins, I was excited to…read morebring my wife to get a smaller thali. Pani Poori- 6 pcs - these were tasty though the chutney was more like syrup. The water used came out in a small bottle which was cool. Crispy Baby Corn- great indochinese appetizer, the baby corn is lightly battered and fried then tossed in a sauce Soya Masala Curry- this was a flop. The tomato onion based curry lacked salt and spice and the actual soya pieces were too soft and mushy in texture. Wish these were a bit more dense as experienced in other restaurants. Roomali Roti- drown in ghee and it must have sat over a gas flame because it tasted of bad chemicals. Basically like eating the ghee-soaked cotton swabs from the candles at the local temple. Kathiyawadi Thali- the wife's dish- she enjoyed two if the items but this was not a great experience either. I was disappointed in the vast difference in quality between two visits. Service, however was great as servers were attentive and quick.

Came here for a nostalgic Indian street food fix and the experience was a mixed plate of hits and…read moremisses. The interiors are easily one of the most memorable parts of the restaurant. Between the Bollywood murals, warm hanging lights, and the vintage Indian "food carrier" truck setup, the space feels playful, colorful, and full of old-school Mumbai street food energy. It's the kind of spot that instantly sets a fun mood the moment you walk in. Service was warm and attentive throughout the meal, and the staff checked in often and kept everything moving smoothly. We ordered the dabeli, bhel, dal vada, vada pav, pav bhaji, paneer makhani ravioli, and kesar pista kulfi. The bhel had a nice crunch and good balance of chutneys, while the dabeli brought that classic sweet-spicy street flavor. The vada pav had that comforting Mumbai street-style feel with soft buttery pav and flavorful filling. The dal vada was crispy and enjoyable, though not particularly standout. The pav bhaji was comforting and buttery, but could have used a little more depth in seasoning. The most interesting dish was the paneer makhani ravioli. Creative fusion concept with rich makhani sauce, though the ravioli itself felt slightly heavy. The kesar pista kulfi was a nice way to end the meal, creamy with subtle saffron flavor. Overall, a fun and visually vibrant spot for Indian street food cravings with genuinely good service, though the food itself felt a bit inconsistent across dishes.

First time here as we were drawn to the menu…read more Sev Puri- This was great, perfectly balanced flavors with the right amount of crunch. Paneer Tikka Sautee- loved that the onions and peppers were cut thin so they absorbed flavors as well. Paneer was nicely prepared with lots of flavor in every bite. Thali's - this is where we were let down. Many of the dishes were overly sweet and began to all taste the same with different textures. Rotis were a hit and fresh but the dishes were not. Side note: We ordered two lemonades hoping for that nostalgic fresh squeezed taste but were served two cups of water with very little lemon and no sugar. Polite staff.

PROs - location and availability of chennai style food CONs…read more- taste of few items Being originally from Chennai , I was so happy to see yet another Chennai restaurant open in Edison NJ ! Vasantha bhavan !!! Went here for dinner and I should say - it was disappointing.. it was empty when we went .. service was good .. and the food arrived in 10-15 mins .. lots of seats inside to sit and eat . Ambience was ok . Overall , the food had less salt and less pulippu .. it was kinda bland .. we ordered Sambar vadai . Sambar wasn't the original taste of Vasantha Bhavan Sambar .. less salt and tasted like "bachelor Sambar".. kothu paratha was average too. Less spicy and very bland . Coffee was good. We ordered chilly paneer to go and it was good . Kids liked it . Billing was quick . Good location ... heart of oak tree road . Parking available outside the restaurant.. average experience overall .. 3 stars .

Having reviewed a lot of South Indian restaurants in the Jersey area, we (myself and my wife) were…read moreexcited to hear about Vasantha Bhavan popping up in Edison. It's an established brand in Chennai (India) & we were keen to check if it matched parent restaurants' taste/consistency. We were impressed. We ordered plantain Bajji, Idly & Rava Dosai & all 3 dishes were great. Located opposite Edison Patel, it's easy to club your grocery run with good food. Sambhar & chutneys paired well. We had a chance to talk to restaurant people & chef (as we went closer to opening time at 11 30 am) & they were mentioning that word is spreading around organically. I hope they are able to maintain taste consistency.