Authentic South Indian vegetarian food, super plain but clean ambience, mediocre service…read more Tried the gobi manchurian, the Andhra masala dosa, the kothu parotta, and the poori-sabzi. On hearing that I had ordered the kothu parotta, the chef came out and asked me if I was from South India and said that he was Tamil from Chennai. It's refreshing to have South Indian food in the US prepared by chefs from South India, and that could explain why the food seemed authentic at Udupi. I enjoyed all the dishes, and while they're nowhere close to the South Indian food one can get in Bangalore (where I'm from) the food is significantly better than one can get in a South Indian restaurant in North Indian cities such as Delhi. The food was perfectly spiced (for me, which means that it may be spicier than usual for most other people) and flavourful. My dining partner tried the mango lassi and enjoyed it. The food was very reasonably priced. The service was neither particularly good nor bad. The woman at the counter was not very friendly but quite efficient. The restaurant appears to thrive on takeout/delivery orders, and was relatively empty. We went on a weekday, so it is possible that it gets more crowded during the weekend. The ambiance is totally charmless and food is served on paper plates. The food did take a lot of time to come out, and I'm assuming that this is because they had one chef at the time who presumably was struggling with delivery orders (UberEats and GrubHub drivers kept coming by to pick up food). I don't live in Connecticut; otherwise, I would come far more often. Overall, I recommend this place if you are in the area, but cannot speak to the quality of the North Indian food served at the restaurant.

I came here on a Sunday around noon with a friend who recommended it to me because it is a…read morecompletely vegetarian restaurant. We were the only customers at the time so it was nice and quiet. I noticed it appeared clean and well organized and I enjoyed the beautiful wall hangings. The menu is found on the menu board above the counter where you order. They serve typical South Indian food. I ordered a dosa and my friend ordered an utthapam. Both meals were delicious! This is located next to an Indian grocery store and within a short drive of the temple. I will be back for sure!

Our favorite Indian restaurant. The Tandoori chicken is delicious as are all the meals we've had…read more Especially love the Mulligatawny soup and the sumptuous Biryani rice dishes. The only thing better than the food is the staff. Friendly, welcoming and professional. Five stars!

Great little spot! They have a cute dining in area, but I've only ever gotten takeout. Their paneer…read moredishes are wonderful. It's fast and super easy to pick up. The staff is so kind and it's smooth. They have order and pay online or you can pay in store too I think

Amazing taste on the butter chicken and the garlic naan was super tasty! When I picked up my food…read moreit was quickly and neatly packed and ready to go with no waiting. The only thing i REALLLY REALLLY wish was different is that I got more rice that came with my butter chicken so I can eat the rest of my leftover sauce. Absolutely excited to eat here again. Would be an easy 5/5 but I wanted more rice lol

Indian & Pakistani cuisine is often close to my heart. Meany years ago my friends brought to work…read morehome home made delicious dishes and instantly I fell in love with the textures, aromas and of course taste. This is my first time with Tandoor in Middletown but based on glamour reviews of their food by Jon R (look him up!) I decided to pick up meal while passing by. I went with traditional lamb biriyani and Pudina naan bread. For starters, their menu is very diverse. Just the bread section alone and consume you for long hours - which a good thing, the more you can try, the more you experience. Delivery was prompt and food well packaged - definitely somebody put care into wrapping naan correctly. For those that don't find joy in Biriyani, it's a rice based dish (often basmati) with meat like lamb, goat, chicken, beef or shrimp (I got the lamb). The aromas and flavors of ghee, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon ginger or chilies stand out, with exotic spices like saffron. Often you find vegetables as well like onions and potatoes. Meat cooked perfectly, tender and flavorful. Ordered portion should feed 3-4 people comfortably (as dish is filling) or leave one person leftovers for next 2 days - yay to next day and yet another one :-) Garlic sauce is a nice compliment if you go with the spicy variety (like me). Overall highly recommended! For vegetarians there is also meat free variant.

My mother-in-law lives nearby, so we decided to check out Bollywood Dreams for something different!…read moreWe came for an early dinner at 5pm, so we were one of the only tables for a while. The food was all great, but we expected the service to be a little more attentive, especially during the time when barely anyone was there. Tables did start getting more full around 6-6:30pm. Our water was empty for a bit and we were done for a while before we could get boxes and the check. The food came out timely from the kitchen though. Overall not a bad spot and we would come back.

I recently went to Bollywood with the most wonderful woman in the world, no your wrong She is!…read moreAnyway we arrived just before dinner rush so we had our pick of wherever we wanted to sit. Our waitress was very nice and gave us plenty of time to dig through their rather large menu. One thing I appreciated was that while our waitress was attentive, checking in periodically to see if we had decided, she didn't rush us to make a decision. We settled on trying the onion pakoda and the chilly shrimp but there wasn't anything chilly about it. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it but the chilly shrimp was covered in a sort of Indian general Tso sauce, which was delicious. It had a nice kick to it. We discovered that combining the shrimp and fried onion was an excellent pairing. Also I highly recommend trying the mango lassi, such a refreshing way to cap off some heat from the sauce. We ordered butter chicken, chicken Tikka masala, and a side of garlic Naan. I generally don't do carbs so I had Naan of it.... I'm sorry. Any who our food came out in a reasonable time and I wasn't disappointed. It was quite good, the only thing I'd say is that we ordered our dishes with medium spice and there wasn't much spice to it. If you're a fan of spicy food maybe give the high spice level a try and order a mango lassi to help with the heat. But generally the food was good. The only other minor gripes was it was kind of chilly, in the restaurant. Usually the cold doesn't bother me but I was noticing it and my poor girlfriend had to wear extra layers while we ate. Aside from these things it was a nice experience, the food was good, the service was great, and I'd visit again if I were in the area. Check them out if you like Indian food.

Tandoori chicken was really dry, wasn't a fan. Might have been just sitting a while. Poori was…read moregood, came with a white curry like sauce. Not my favorite spot in the area but definitely not bad, just wouldn't recommend that dish. Good size portions

This little spot is a dark horse. Tucked into a nondescript strip mall you might just drive past…read moreit, but that would be a mistake. The menu offers a very broad list of Regional Indian Cuisine. Lamb, goat, chicken, seafood, variety of basmati rices and biryani, vegetarian dishes, dosa, tandoori, curries, Indo Chinese, a dozen different types of naan and kulchas. The four stars are for the food only. We tried the cilantro, chicken soup and the onion PAKODA, fritters, which were outstanding, the Indo Chinese vegetable fried rice was excellent, Kodi vapudu very spicy dry rub with green chilies. It was a bit different than I've had before with the addition of cashews and dark meat instead of white meat, but it was spicy and good. Ambiance is basic with fun Bollywood movies and music in the background and on the TV, clean and organized. But apparently they do a ton of takeout rather than dine in. The service was by the the owner who was incredibly friendly, very hospitable, enthusiastic about the regional cuisine and very knowledgeable about all of the dishes and their preparation.

I'm back! The restaurant is located at 171B Spencer St. in Manchester. It right across the mall…read morefrom an Indian food market called Patel Foods so no excuse for not having ingredients in stock! There la only five tables here so space is limited. There not a lot if decor either. The music is authentic and they play Indian MTV. The immediately start you out either a beer pitcher of water. For my drink, I'm having a Limca (you just grab it out of the cooler). Limca is an Indian multinational brand of lemon- and lime-flavoured carbonated soft drink made primarily in India and certain parts of the U.S. It contains 60 calories per 150ml can. The formula does not include fruit, relying instead on artificial flavours. In an interview in 2008, Ramesh Chauhan of Parle Bisleri revealed that he had approached the owners of Duke's Lemonade, requesting them to share the formula for the drink with the promise not to make it in India, which was turned down. Chauhan decided to come up with his own formula, which he launched under the Limca brand in 1977. In 1992, when the Indian government allowed Coca-Cola to return for operations, at the same time as it admitted Pepsi for the first time, Coca-Cola bought local soft-drink (soda) brands, from Parle Bisleri owner Ramesh Chauhan including Limca, Thums Up (a cola-like drink), Maaza (a mango-juice based drink), Citra (a clear lemon-lime drink), and Gold Spot (orange flavour). Prior to 1988, the original formula of Limca contained brominated vegetable oil (BVO). After worldwide reports of ill effects of BVO, its use in soft drinks was banned in India. As a result of this ban, the formula for Limca was changed. This is good (artificially flavored or not). For my soup, I'm having the Chicken Hot and Sour (spicy). This is a popular Indo-Chinese soup made with mixed vegetables, mushrooms, soy sauce, herbs and spices. It has a balanced taste that is spicy, tangy and hot. The soup is usually thickened lightly and flavored with ingredients like ginger, garlic, vinegar and pepper. This is good! It's not too salty. It's hot and spicy. Lots of chicken too (it's small chunks and at the bottom). Ceramic plates and metal silverware. That's a good sign! For my appetizer, I'm having the Chicken Makai Kebabs. Otherwise known as Reshmi kebab, this is [technically] a Pakistani dish of boneless chicken marinated in spices, cream, and cashew paste, and then grilled in a tandoor. The name "reshmi" translates to "silk" and describes the kebab's tender, silky texture. Some recipes use ground chicken and cream cheese to achieve this silky texture, creating a "seekh" kebab instead of a "boti" kebab. Indians make it a lot too. This is a LOT to eat! It's steaming hot! It takes a while to cook so be patient. The spices are defining unusual. I like the Indian version of cole slaw too as a side dish except they use of onion. It's crunchy. Yummy! There is a new place opening up across the mall called Sakura Haven. The new venue plans to feature an anime theme with cosplay, a live DJ, karaoke, and other themed entertainment events. Signs were recently installed at their new space. Sakura Haven has been operating as a pop-up at various bar around Connecticut. The new venue is their first physical location. For my entree, I'm having the Chicken Madras. Chicken Madras is a flavorful, spicy, and tangy Indian curry originating from the southern region of India and the city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras. The dish features chicken in a rich tomato-based sauce made with a unique blend of Madras curry powder, which is a mixture of South Indian herbs and spices. The curry is known for its heat, which comes from chili peppers or paprika, and its tangy, citrusy notes. I'm told they use coconut here. You can add naan but I don't eat a lot of bread. This is steaming hot! I love this sauce! It's not very spicy but I like it! What a great meal here!

Food was very good Tasty and delicious…read moreThey asked your spice preference so for me that is always a plus It shows your food is made to order The mango lassie was thick and chilled and the service was polite and welcoming

We went for the food and was not disappointed! Had the chicken mughlai and lamb brogan Josh. Both…read morewere incredibly aromatic and saucy. Very unique taste and different from anything we've had. Also had the bullet naan (garlic and chiles). Yum! Spicy and perfect for dipping in the saucy dishes. The ambiance was basic. Not fancy. Spoke to the owner. He makes his own fresh spice blends- not from dried spices. Amazing. We will definitely be back. Try them.

Easily the best Indian food I ever had. The butter chicken was amazing, the lamb biriyani was…read moreUNREAL, and the Lamb Ramjash was the best Indian dish by far. 10/10 food and the service was great. Owner cam out to meet us and tell his story of cooking for 25 years, you can really taste it in the food. If you're looking for a good Indian dish this is the spot! Also they run buffet every day! I will come back to try that!

We met our friends for lunch today at the Dosa Hut. We all ordered a different dosa. Three of the…read morefour came to the table, but mine was not among them. A few minutes later, our waiter brought out my Paper Masala Dosa. It was so big, he brought it out on two plates! I hope you can get an idea of the size of it in the photo. Delicious dosas and attentive service.

What a hidden gem! Dosa Hut looks very unassuming from the outside, but the food is amazing…read more The inside is not exactly cozy, but it's comfortable enough. To eat, the three of us split two mains and an appetizer. It was plenty of food for the three of us and we even had leftovers. To start, we ordered the rava idly, semolina and lentil patties. The patties themselves didn't have a ton of flavor but they were perfect for soaking up the two dipping sauces it came with, one a creamy coconut and one more of a spicy, curry-type sauce. Both of the sauces were delicious and flavorful. For mains, we ordered the chole bhatura, a chickpea curry with a puffy fried bread (maybe poori?), and paneer pondicherry dosa, a kind of dosa wrap with spicy potato and paneer). They were both delicious but I think the dosa was my favorite. The crispy dosa with the rich filling just worked so well. I don't know if I'll ever be in the area again but if I am I would love to come back!

"There's a party going on right here A celebration to last…read morethroughout the years" (Kool and the Gang) What is the English translation of the word Utsav? Would you believe "celebration, or joyous occasion"? Well, I can probably declare that celebration is the right word to describe one of the best lunch specials I've found in months. Now brace yourself, and remove all breakables from the room, when I tell you that you can get a seven course Indian feast of a lunch for just $15. Utsav has 22 lunch specials priced in tiers -$15 for vegetable or chicken, $18 for seafood, and $20 for lamb. You'll find Utsav in the Wethersfield shopping center on the Silas Deane Hwy. All of those lunch specials start with a lightly dressed refreshing salad of greens, shredded carrots, seeded half cucumber slices, and sliced red onions. Now let me tell you about the remaining six courses. Your lunch comes out on a serving tray with lots of bowls - one each for your entrée, Basmati rice, eggplant with zucchini, spinach with potato, rice kheer for dessert (a rice pudding with raisins and nuts), and a separate plate with 3 wedges of Naan bread. I wanted to try something different for my entrée, and since I didn't think I ever had Khorma before, I ordered Chicken Khorma prepared very spicy. Korma is an Indian curry cooked in a yogurt sauce with nuts and spices. There was a good amount of tender chicken cubes, and that spicy curry was wonderful. Same with the rice, bread, and the vegetables, although I did prefer the spinach with potato over the eggplant with zucchini. There was so much rice and bread that I took half of those portions home for another day. I loved everything about Utsav, from the décor to the continental professional service to the broad menu, to those incredible Lunch Specials. Five Stars for sure.

We love Utsav! They make incredible food that's impossible to stop eating once you start. It's also…read morea very large restaurant with comfortable seating, and several tables that can accommodate larger parties. We came to with some friends to celebrate my birthday. We ordered a large spread to make our own little buffet and everything was amazing! We had mutter paneer, dal tadka, tandoori chicken, balti baingan, and hakka noodles. Everything was vegetarian except for the chicken, and even if you are a meat eater I recommend you try any and all of those dishes. The way Indian cuisine handles vegetables is always next level! It's hard to pick a favorite dish, but I have to say that the hakka noodles were perfectly smoky with tender-crisp vegetables, and the balti baingan, which is a dish comprised of smoky mashed eggplant, rocked my world. Service has always been great when I've been. It's friendly, quick, and I've never seen my water glass go down more than halfway. They also have a great lunch special that's almost like a mini thali which I recommend!

Delicious pulled pork BBQ sandwich, ribs, and fried chicken--everyone especially loved the mac and…read morecheese! The restaurant is quaint and family-friendly, with a great atmosphere to eat, drink, and enjoy the smoky aroma. The manager was fun and welcoming.

Ordered to pick up since I was short on time. My order was ready as soon as I got there…read more Tried the barbecue eggroll and wow... mashed potatoes, chicken, peppers, mac & cheese, with ranch. Nothing like it, and I'm already planning my next visit Fast service, great customer care, clean spot, and seriously unique flavors. Don't sleep on Taino Smokehouse Parking? Eh... a little messy, it's in a plaza but seriously, don't let that stop you.