Finally! A good Indian restaurant in Seattle proper! We ordered the Curry Leaf Chicken biryani,…read moresaag paneer, samosas and garlic naan. Everything was phenomenal. There were quite a few items on the menu we weren't familiar with and the table next to us could see we were overwhelmed with the choices, so they suggested we had to order the curry leaf chicken and we wouldn't be disappointed. They were right! I love saag paneer so I get that everywhere, but this was one of my favorites, the flavor was perfection. Everything was flavorful and well spiced, with a bit of a kick even though we ordered some items mild, but everything was so delicious you had to power through the heat. Service was great. Our waiter was very patient with us and explained the different biryanis, but I'm glad the table next to us stepped in and offered a suggestion. Ambiance was also wonderful, lots of Indian families and groups of friends that evening so you know it's a good spot! Highly recommend and we will definitely be going back.

Food: We ordered a decent number of dishes: Biriyani, Curry Leaf Chicken, Veg Curry, Manchurian…read moreCorn, Naan. All were pretty solid. The low spice level was good for my weak palate and overall the flavors were solid. In particular, I liked the veggie curry. Service: This was where the experience felt lackluster. It took well over 10 minutes for the one server (not her fault, they're lowkey understaffed for a Sunday lunch) to make their way to our table after we were sat. Our waters were never filled once after the initial filling (why would we still be expected to tip?), and the food took longer than average to come out than I've had at other Indian establishments. Granted, the food was better than I've had at other Indian places, but the time it took for things to come out was a bit longer than we would've liked. The plates that were at our table were also definitely cleaned poorly. The restaurant is only a GOOD rating out of five on the cleanliness scale (inspection done by the health department in the state of WA) and I think that does not come without reason. My plate still had some food remnants and smudges from previous servings. Atmosphere: Pretty decent place to talk, seating was fine, bathrooms were clean. Overall no other issues with cleanliness outside of the plate.

4/5-- A Delicious Little Gem in Seattle…read more Stumbled upon this small Indian joint in Seattle and ended up so pleasantly surprised. The paneer wrap was the standout--soft, flavorful paneer tucked into a warm wrap with just the right amount of spice and freshness. The butterscotch shake took me straight back to childhood, creamy and nostalgic without being overly sweet. Even the burger was unexpectedly good, with bold seasoning and that comforting, homemade feel. It's the kind of place that doesn't try too hard but delivers big on taste. Cozy, unfussy, and absolutely worth a visit if you're craving something satisfying and flavorful. There was no one at the restaurant and had to call them a couple of times just to take our order( that's why 4stars)

The burgers were good. Not life changing but pretty good overall. I liked the different vegetarian…read moreoptions. The paneer burger was a nice twist too. The garlic fries were great. Honestly a major perk of this place is the quality of food for cost too (except the chai that was quite small). The server was perfectly polite. The eating area could have been cleaner as several tables had some residue on them but otherwise it was a nice little spot to sit down and have lunch.

Ordered two shawarmas, one beef one chicken…read more Both marinated beautifully to bring out the unique flavors of each meat and the pita was made fresh in their fire oven. Definitely coming back!

********CLOSED************…read more They recently closed and reopened under a different name. It's now called THE BOSPHORUS PALACE. We originally went because we had seen good reviews for Almanqal Mediterranean Grill. When we got there, the server mentioned it's basically the same place but with a different menu, so we decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. The food took quite a while to come out and when it finally arrived, it wasn't even hot. The bread honestly tasted like something bought from a grocery store. The rice was very bland, and although the salad was actually really good, the chicken was extremely dry, chewy, and lacked flavor. The presentation looked nice, but the taste just didn't match. The portions were also quite small, and the prices felt very high for what you get. The service was just okay overall. Maybe they are still new and working things out, but for the price and portion size it just didn't feel worth it. Overall, it felt like a waste of time and money considering the quality and quantity of the food.

Geni's is consistently delicious, and the best part is they're a local market staple. Friendly and…read morequick service is an understatement! I've only ever interacted with kind and gracious hosts that are deservedly proud of their excellent craft.

from fall to spring, chai from geni's is a must-have every week at my local farmer's market. truly,…read morethere's not a chai that comes close to it in the city-- incredibly well-spiced, as are all their menu items, and always a little gingery. I love their lentil sambusas, and it's always a treat to grab one of their rotating meat entrees for lunch. both of the owners and all of their staff are incredibly kind and friendly, and it's been a joy to be a regular for the last few years. I cannot recommend them enough.

We decided to try out a new restaurant on a whim and had an amazing dinner at Koshari tonight. They…read moreserve authentic Lebanese and Egyptian food. We got the lentil soup, Koshari bowl, falafel meal, and loubya bzeit. Everything was outstanding and very delicious. The owners also had incredible house made hot sauces and they were proud to share they were using authentic ingredients. The star of the show was Sahlab dessert beverage, which a milk drink made with delicate flavors of orange blossom water, rose water, and mastic, topped with cinnamon, coconut, and nuts. I'm so glad we gave this place a try and supported a family owned business. We'll be back for sure.

The ful medammas, falafel, lentil soup, and pistachio baklava were delicious. Top notch…read morepreparation. Will be coming back.

Naan- moist and tasty. Portion was generous too Service…read more-quick, granted it wasn't too parked Butter chicken - I can't write enough praises . The leftovers were enough for another one. I went on a rainy Monday evening as I waited for traffic to die down. Curry is a great remedy for the cold. Music could be turned down a little.

Ordered Shahi Paneer, Malai Kofta, Butter Naan and Plain Rice…read more All were good in taste and the service was good as we explicitly asked for utensils, spoons and napkins. Quantity was good, I would recommend to check on rice with entrees (curries) before you order additional rice.

Every time I go to Pink Bee I get one of their sandwiches. Every time I think "maybe I should get…read moresomething else," and then, inevitably, I do not. The sandwiches are just so good...yes, I have confidence the rest of the menu is as well, but I can't help myself. Big, flavorful, packed sandwiches. I want one just thinking about them. Be aware they can get messy, but whoever thought 'what if we put curry in a sandwich' was a genius. They're all great, though. Friendly staff, great food, and pretty quick takeout -- can't ask for anything else.

Another banger in Ballard, Pink Bee is low key one of the better Thai establishments I've had in…read moreSeattle. A small, cutesy establishment with plenty of pink decor, it is a quintessential neighborhood spot where both the food and customer service shine bright. The ordering process starts with a LCD screen in which folks can place their orders without the needles of consulting with anyone. Once an order is placed, find a seat, grab your own utensils, and serve your own drinks. The pink cups are a nice touch, as is the floral decor, the clean bathrooms, and the casual atmosphere. Seating is limited and there are also outdoor seating options as well. My group and I ordered chicken wings, pad see you, garlic noodles, green curry with purple multi grain rice, gyoza, a basil pork belly, and a bamee moo toon. I would have ordered sandwiches since that's part of their specialty but we needed dishes that were shareable and feastworthy. The green curry was rich and fragrant, which paired perfectly with the multigrain rice. There was an addictive quality about the garlic noodles, and the pork belly was as succulent as it was flavorful. The pad see you was excellent as expected, and the ba mee toon was the favorite of the table. Everything was roughly $90 before tip, and service was excellent the whole time. I appreciate the fact that they served everything on local dishware and the natural lighting from the windows made the food look incredible. Since there wasn't any dish was executed poorly, I was more than satisfied with my experience along with my dining mates. Seeing as I'm in Seattle every year, this will be another place that I will add to my existing rotation. Highly recommended.

Food offered by the vendors at the Ballard Seafood Fest was not up to snuff for me, so I decided to…read morego here with my foodie friend for dinner that day around 6:30pm before catching Built to Spill later that night. You could say the "secret" part of this restaurant is that you see the signs advertising the place at the front, yet you have to enter a small lobby before hitting up the main entrance door almost to the immediate left of the lobby entrance. If that was a mouthful, wait till you need directions to find the shared restroom one floor below... besides that, the inside contains several booths and two- and four-tops in a compact but surprisingly quiet area due to the muffled noise from the seafood fest. My foodie friend and I got a booth seat close to the window where we thought the main entrance door to this place was. How convenient... Menu is extensive and includes appetizers, soup, curry, noodles, rice, desserts and a bunch of lunch specials. The two of us took our time deciding what we wanted, and settled on the following: - Phad woon sen with chicken (2-star spice): my dish for this visit. This is a bean thread vermicelli noodle dish with egg, onion, cabbage, celery, Chinese broccoli and Thai stir-fry sauce. Noodles had a smooth, silky and al dente consistency, and paired well with everything else inside. This is savory all right, but not overly so. - Thai fried rice with chicken (3-star spice): my foodie friend's dish. Similar to my phad woon sen in ingredients though it has tomato and garlic and no celery. Very filling, and not too oily with the taste spread evenly overall and a smoky taste akin to wok hei. - Pandan sticky rice with mango: a dessert we split together. Yeah, we went overboard with this and I ended up eating up most if not all of this dessert. The sticky rice here is pandan flavored, and a ton of thinly sliced mangoes surround the dish, with some cubed mangoes sitting on top of the sticky rice dome in the middle. So dang delicious, didn't think the sticky rice could be any other flavor than what the coconut sauce usually provides! All dishes were around the same price of $15-20 - yes, even the pandan sticky rice with mango. It was a lot, but the both of us went beyond the night with everything we ate here without having to get anything else after. I've got a new favorite Thai restaurant that I'd like to come back to given I'm around the area!

Ordered take out online. Ordered 415pm on a Friday afternoon and it was ready about 30 minutes…read morelater. I arrived a bit early and they didn't have it ready but the lady was super nice. If you're going to have a dine in experience, there are a few seats on the upper level but most of it is on the downstairs level with a few stairs going down. Simple but cute tables. Really nice vibe. I ordered the green curry with pork and a spicy level. It had a nice kick. I love spicy. Probably could have went higher. If you like hot, go with this level. I got it with sticky rice. Wasn't the biggest fan of that. I think next time I'd go with the classic white rice. Not because it was bad. But because I think it didn't match well with the curry. Parking in Ballard isn't great so be prepared to walk a bit to get to this place.