The Oakham Curry Club (OCC) is one of the world's most respected reviewers of Indian cuisine. With multiple international franchises, we relentlessly scour the globe in pursuit of the crispiest papadums, the tastiest sauces and spiciest curries. On April 22nd, 2022 the OCC Nova Scotia reviewed Mirchi Tandoor as part of our hunt for the CHOTY (Curry House Of The Year) and in search of the third OCC approved curry house in Canada. Members vote anonymously on 5 categories - and an average score is given to each restaurant we review. For Mirchi Tandoor: Quality - 8.5/10 Service - 9.0/ 10 Value - 7.8/10 Customer Care - 9.4/10 Atmosphere - 8.6/10 With an average score of 8.6 (our highest rated curry house so far!) Mirchi Tandoor is OCC approved! Delivering strongly on both quality and atmosphere, Mirchi Tandoor truly put itself in a class of its own by treating OCC members in attendance to the highest level of service and customer care. The OCC membership would agree with Mirchi Tandoor's own description of its staff as "attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly" and that those who choose to dine with them are most certainly "in good hands". Having enjoyed a variety of tasty curries including butter chicken (both mild and Indian spicy), shrimp vindaloo, lamb madras, and dal makhani, the made in-house from scratch tandoor baked naan (3 kinds - butter, garlic, and chili - as is OCC custom) was exceptional and truly brought the meal together. Waitstaff was eager, enthusiastic, very friendly, made sound recommendations, and ensured the cold Kingfisher kept flowing with plenty. Of note, Mirchi Tandoor is the first OCC NS reviewed curry house to not run out of ice cold Kingfisher for the duration of the meet. The ever fragrant atmosphere appropriately complemented the cuisine as the walls were adorned with multiple TVs showcasing Bollywood hits / music videos, along with the use of traditional place settings and serving dishes. In summary, we are pleased to make Mirchi Tandoor the third OCC approved curry house in Nova Scotia and in Canada. We had a most delightful dining experience and would certainly recommend Mirchi Tandoor to anyone in the mood for exceptional customer service and an authentic Indian curry. - OCC Date of visit: April 2022 read more

Mirchi Tandoor - Indian Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

We went to Mirchi Tandoor on a busy Saturday night, following a tip from a bartender at one of the local breweries. That tip turned out to be pure gold! The place was very busy around 8PM, but we got a table right away. The first thing that gave us a great feel was the fact that we were two of the only four white patrons in the entire dining room. I knew we were in for a treat. The staff was fantastic, quickly bringing water to our table and checking to see if we were ready to order. We eat a lot of Indian food, and I've got a lot of Indian friends from many years working in software roles. So, we do tend to be a little jaded on the quality of Indian restaurants. I did see a few dishes and breads we don't typically see at home in our favorite Indian places. My wife has a tendency to order the same dish when we go out for Indian every time, and I have a tendency to want to try different things. I was able to convince her to try the Murg Lawabdar (chicken) entree. I have to say, that may really be the best single Indian dish I've ever had. It was probably smart for us to tell our waitress "medium" when she asked what spice level we wanted. Medium at Mirchi is pretty darn hot and spicy, but by no means unbearable like a Vindaloo can get to. Murg Lawabdar was like a thick curry gravy, with tons of spices and a good heat level. I think using chicken thigh brings even more flavor to the dish, which also includes green pepper, chilis, and a good bit of onion. We split one order of this, and we couldn't even finish the whole thing. Trust me, we tried. I couldn't stop eating, it was so good. We also got the spicy chili garlic roti bread. Oddly enough, not many of our Indian restaurants around home offer roti. Almost all of them offer naan, though. The funny thing about this roti was that it was also spicy, sprinkled with red chili pepper flakes. So, when you tried to cool the fire from the Murg Lawabdar with the bread, it just got hotter! So, make sure you order some raita to go along with your meal. That goes a long way toward cooling you off if you reach the five-alarm fire level with a spicy dish. This place has very low-key cool vibe in a relatively small dining room. The atmosphere is so good, I highly recommend eating in the dining room instead of getting it to-go. This is as authentic as it gets, and I can't stress enough that this was one of the very best Indian meals I've ever had. read more

Mirchi Tandoor - Murg Lawabdar (top left), chili roti (center) - Indian Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Best indian food ever... great service ... great staff... and awesome food. I have visited this place multiple times and food is consistantly awesome. read more

We are here last night and had an amazing dinner! Great service, great food. Highly recommend!

Amazing food. We walked in here because of the aromas, and the food did not disappoint! We got the butter chicken (medium) and the chicken tikka Masala (mild) with garlic naan. I can't even describe the explosion of flavor, but this was literally the best Indian food I've ever had. The garlic naan was perfectly fluffy. Would 10/10 go again read more

Located at the crossroads of pizza/poutine corner and the Argyle bar district, Mirchi is a relatively new Indian spot serving up its wares to the hungry masses. Sitting about 40 at a mix of two- and four-top tables, there's also a set up in the back corner for a lunch time buffet. The restaurant has a fairly laid back décor, with peach-coloured walls and a handful of Indian paintings depicting battle scenes and elephants. It's not overtly Indian, but it isn't the over-the-top kitsch that many ethnic restaurants go for to remind you what they are. The Bollywood music videos playing on two TVs made for amusing entertainment though. Their menu is fairly compact compared to most full service Indian restaurants, with a handful of appetizers, thalis (Indian combination plates), and a few each of curries, sides and rice dishes which have a lot of crossover with the thalis. I was tempted to get a thali to sample as much as possible, but the very reasonable prices on the regular entrees and my desire for leftovers to take to work the next day lead me away from the thalis. My girlfriend and I ended up getting a nice spread of onion pakoras to start, then beef curry, chicken korma, potato and pea curry and rice. For our rice we were given the option of coriander or cumin rice, and since neither of us are big coriander fans, it was an easy choice. The pakoras came fairly quick, several on a the plate with what tasted like a honey and tamarind sauce for dipping. Made of slices of onion in a spiced chickpea batter and then deep fried, these are very good. Crunchy on the outside and moist in the very center, this blows simple onion rings out of the water. They were a little on the greasy side, but otherwise perfect. The rest of the dishes all came in nice stainless steel bowls that were a good size for two, but if you had many more people you'd want to order multiples so that everyone would have more than a bite or two. The beef curry was by far the spiciest, with its rich, dark brown sauce. Chunks of stewing beef were super tender, but not overcooked or dried out. This was a great dish to have on the cold night that we were here on. The chicken korma was comprised of pieces of chicken breast in a mild curry. Again, Mirchi's kitchen did a great job with the protein, as the chicken was fresh, tender and moist. Too often in Indian or other Asian restaurants that serve a lot of family-style dishes the meat will just sit around in a warming tray all day and be way overcooked or just be noticeably from frozen and not enjoyable, but this was definitely not either of those. The veggie curry had the aforementioned peas and curry along with some diced carrots and onions, in a curry sauce that might be the same as the chicken korma's. The veggies were nice and fresh, with a mix of textures that made it more than just the throwaway veggie side dish that it could have been. The cumin rice (jeera) had whole cumin seeds which added just a light hint of cumin without overwhelming the basmati's own flavour. Service from who appeared to be the two owners was very attentive and friendly, and the internets told me that they are the former owners of the nearby Baan Thai. If you're craving some Indian food, definitely hit up Mirchi as they're hitting all the right notes - quality food and service all at a very reasonable price, and with some Bollywood action as the cherry on top. read more

Mirchi Tandoor - Beef curry, cumin rice, chicken korma and veggie curry - Indian Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

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We were standing between sushi and hamburgers debating on what to have for dinner when suddenly this delicious spicy curry scent comes oozing in our direction. Seriously, that is how we ended up here! I call it getting out of our comfort zone, not that we don't eat Indian or middle Eastern food, ever, but we normally always end up at this same places when dining. We ordered the chicken pakoras to start - they came hot with some (cucumber cilantro curry sauce?) That may not be what it was at all... But that's what we tasted! They were delicious! They were perfectly spicy and cooked to perfection. I could eat these all day every day. Then we shared the lamb madras with a side of basmati rice and two garlic naan. Wow! I talked about this naan bread for the rest of the night. It was the most freshest, chewy, garlicy, scrumptious naan I have ever had! If you go there please get their naan!!!!! The lamb madras was so good, so spicy so flavourful! The rice had a strange spice in it that I wasn't really fussy for, however when eating it with the madras I couldn't taste it as the spices overwhelmed it! The staff were SO nice, we met the owner who was quite funny! Our server was lovely! We will be back! read more

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I'm so happy I finally tried this place out after walking by it on Blowers Street so many times. Delicious, delicious Indian food! Everything comes out piping hot and with varying levels of spice - I've never found anything so spicy it prevented me gobbling it down, though. Lamb kashmiri (lamb curry), the daals (lentils) and their perfect, fluffy, buttery naan bread are probably my favourite things off the menu so far. The lunch thalis available from 12 to 2:30 Monday to Friday are a steal and an especially great way to try a few different dishes. I can't rave enough about the food, honestly, and I've sampled only a small portion of the menu! The owner of Mirchi Tandoor is especially great - friendly and checks back with you a few times during your meal to make sure you're not "on fire". I came with a friend who had a little trouble with the spice and he was clearly concerned for her, brought her some more water, etc., which was unexpectedly nice. When we asked about how business was going, he said it was slower than he'd like...come on, people! An authentic, amazing Indian place in Halifax! Let's spread the word of mouth. I'll be returning in future as often as I have curry cravings. Which is very often. read more

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Update. September 2015. We were disappointed to return here to find out removed the thalis from their menu.... I'm not sure why they did this. They were offering a Sunday buffet that was overpriced and awkward to order from as well. You only are served tiny cups of dishes and I imagine that it would be awkward to order more even though it says all you can eat. I've been to many Indian buffets and the price is usually no more than 11 dollars a person and the food is served in a buffet area so you are made to feel welcome to take more and go up. We did not get anything we left after hearing the thalis were gone and the buffet was expensive. For two people to eat lunch it would have been 40 dollars! Way too expensive... We will probably never go back unfortunately... The menu is very regular now nothing out of the ordinary and the buffet looks like a rip off... My husband and I really enjoyed eating here, we actually returned the next day and ordered the same thing! We love thalis so this is the first restaurant in Halifax where we have found thalis on the menu. A thali is a plate with lots of sections filled with different things on the same plate (ex. rice, indian pickle, a meat dish of your choice, a piece of bread and usually a vegetarian dish). The atmosphere is also nice here, and it seems to be a popular place we saw many customers coming and going. Very affordable and tasty- we will go back! read more

Mirchi Tandoor - Mmm. Delicious butter chicken Thali. I will be coming back to have it again for sure. Authentic taste and great prices. - Indian Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

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This was the best Indian an food I've ever eaten. Ever. The aloo gobi was complex and unique (a usually blah dish ah in my opinion) and I wish it was in my hometown! The paneer butter masala was rich and delicious, huge kudos to the chef, you are an artist! The one star short of perfect is because we were told it would be 20 minutes for the to-go order but ended up standing there for almost an hour when they weren't even busy. If told it'll be that long, that's fine, but it was a waste when we could have come back for it. read more

The best food I have eaten at a restaurant in a very long time...maybe ever. The butter chicken is by far the best I have ever eaten, and could have eaten their homemade bread all day . Just the right amount of spices in the sauces, accompanied by the fluffiest rice Immensely enjoyed the whole meal Would recommend it highly if you are looking for authentic, delicious Indian food. A definite 5 out of 5. read more

Best Indian food in Halifax. Delicious food made with quality ingredients. Hot fresh house-made naan done in a tandoor oven which was great since many places seem to serve prepackaged bread simply heated before serving. The two staff (owners perhaps?) Were extremely friendly and a pleasure to deal with. Service can be slow but they only have one chef and its explicitly stated on the menu that food is cooked fresh, and also, it's worth the wait. I am so glad this place is back open. read more

Mirchi Tandoor - Chicken tikka masala, giant portion of fresh tandoor naan, and chicken biryani. Best in the city! - Indian Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

I visit here sometimes, but it's not one of my favourite restaurant for sure. The dosas are tasty but around $9 which are pricey. I once went for sunday buffet and the restaurant was full. Go there by 12pm to get a table and food even. They run out of many dishes by 1:30 or so. The taste wasn't great but not bad even. read more

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That's good Indian food. I lived in London for 9 years, close to Southall, and so had plenty of opportunity to get used to quality Indian cuisine. I had recommendations for this place, and so we gave it a try tonight for a takeout dinner. It was about 10 minuter later than predicted before it was ready, but it was worth the wait. The dahl, chicken korma, and paneer were all very tasty and spicy, with lots of sauce. And the naan were not only soft and yummy, they were *huge*. Robust, north Indian food, a great warmer on a cold autumn night. read more

I hope this plates does really well! it deserves to. I came here with a friend tonight, wasn't sure what to expect. This place is cozy and clean on the inside. It began to fill up as we were leaving but was on the empty side when we walked in. We were warmly greeted and handed menus. I immediately noticed how cheap the food was. A madras chicken thali was $11. Great deal. My food came out reasonably fast and it was FANTASTIC. The thali came with the madras chicken, a chickpea curry, a mixed veggie curry, rice, a spicy pickle, raita and a fried bread called a puri. The food was outstanding, and unbelievably flavourful and fresh. The chickpea curry was so rich and tasty, the vegetable curry was pieces of potatoes and carrots in a spicy sauce and it was amazing too, the puri i dipped in the raita and spicy pickle and it was amazing too. The madras chicken was the perfect amount of spice and was rich and tasty, the chicken was incredibly tender. The server was also very friendly and welcoming. Can't find any faults with this place. Check it out. read more

I tried this place based on a desire for non pizza or chinese deivery. It did not dissapoint. My fiance and I have tried the butter chicken (of course) chana masala, shrimp masala and naan bread. It has all been wonderful. The dishes run on the spicy side which is just fine by me. I was pleased with the portion sizes, even the naan was huge. This is the best indian food I have had, hands down. The service is curtious and the delivery is fast. I look forward to sitting down to enjy a meal inside the restaurant one day soon. Tip: If you pay cash, delivery is free. read more

This has to be the best authentic Indian food I've tasted outside of India! Perfect flavour combinations to soothe my homesickness! The chef really knows what they are doing and seem very well informed about the spice proportions to develop particular flavours associated with each dish! So food is healthy + delicious! The prices add a star on its own since it's extremely reasonable. I'm a student and I could feast like an emperor at those prices! Madras curry: good spicy! Butter chicken: perfectly creamy. Dal: very homely. Chicken korma: to die for! Absolutely recommend this place and go for thali if a first-timer for Indian food since there'll be a good variety of options to find out what one likes and doesn't. I really wish I could move to Halifax since I could eat out here every day for the rest of my studies instead of ramen noodles. Really hope they can branch out and open a branch here in Montreal!! read more

Come with an appetite! Friendly and kind welcome, clean with a relaxing atmosphere. There's an extensive menu with all the Indian staples. Price is amazing for quality and quantity of food and definitely satiated my Indian cravings! Super GF, vegan and veg friendly too! read more

Mirchi Tandoor serves real authentic Indian food. This comes as a sigh of relief for myself and other traditionalists of this diverse and exotic cuisine. From my first visit it was obvious that they are striving to keep it between the lines of tradition and away from a "take on" approach. The menu at Mirchi Tandoor is simple, straight forward, and in my opinion this is a good thing. Offering Thalis is a brilliant way to provide the customer with a variety of dishes without having to order separate items. The dishes we ordered were impressive in flavor and quality, reasonably portioned and priced. Before you leave, make sure to save room for Gulab Jamin which is also very delicious. Looking forward to my next visit already. read more

Please do not hang up any more signs In your bathroom. Rude! Food is also taking forever to come out. However they did warn that it'll be a while. read more

Whenever I am trying to decide on a weekday lunch spot, I usually go to google maps at work and make my choice based on what's closest to my office. This place has never shown up in the listings, so after a few times walking by it in the past, I kept forgetting it was there. On a cold sunny winter Friday at noon, I was planning on trying Baan Thai for the first time, but once I got to Blowers St, remembered this place, and decided I did feel like Indian, so gave it a try. I was the first customer of the day apparently, greeted immediately by a friendly Asian couple (the owners I assume?) and allowed to pick my own table. (out of maybe a dozen). Very simple atmosphere inside, kind of salmon colored walls with lots of natural light coming in. The TV tuned to Bollywood videos which I actually liked, with volume a bit loud, but not too loud. When I left about 45 mins later, only one other customer came in. I felt a little bad that they weren't busier, but did attribute that to the terrible road & sidewalk conditions, which no doubt kept many people in their offices or at home. Good veggie samosa with dipping sauce (Spiced potatoes in delicious pastry and deep fried served with tamarind chutney. $1.99/ 1 pc). Very good veggie Thali combo (platter that consists of chickpea curry, raita, basmati rice, daal, daily vegetable side and one puri. $8.50). Was very full by the end and barely able to finish it all, although the male owner seemed to find it funny that I was full, him not thinking this combo was as much food as I did. I will definitely be back someday. read more

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One of the better Indian restaurants in Halifax.. menu is limited but the tastes are really good.. especially the tandoori chicken and samosa chat read more

Excellent and authentic Indian food. Bonus is they have dosa and Indo-chinese (Manchurian, masala paneer and Hakka noodles). Everything was perfect and perfectly spiced. Will come back here again. read more

Terrible food. Certain dishes are too salty and curry should never have a vinegary taste. Seriously, why would anyone put vinegar in curry? Why? The service is awful to boot. They are slow, don't check on the tables and don't serve dishes at the same time. The food takes and hour or longer to get to your table. They ask you to "bare with them" because it's only one chef and everything is made to order. The latter is fine, but the former is just ridiculous. You really just one have person making all the food? This is problematic for when the restaurant is full, like it was when we were there. They seemed to prioritize those who ordered take out as food was flying out the kitchen for pick up. Not for people actually waiting inside the restaurant though it seems. I know this place closed for about half a year and recently reopened. I don't know why it closed but clearly it wasn't for any sort of improvement. There's no way it could have been worse than this before it closed. read more

What can I say? After all the fanfare over Mirchi it finally opened, alas still no great or even decent Indian restaurants in Halifax ever since the Taj Mahal closed. The naans at Mirchi were very good compared to the soggy President's Choice ones served at Dhaba Express in Bayer's Lake. However the Mirchi curries were a bust - heat, heat and more heat is the seasoning, no complexity to the dishes. I can take scads of heat, even Sichuan, but the Vindaloo was so hot it overpowered the entire dish along with the others in the table. Pass. Come back Taj! John C. read more

Our second family meal here in the last month. I don't know if they changed chefs but it has always been very good but last night was fabulous. Onion pakoras (I think of as bhaji) are a great starter for 3 (very substantial). The we ordered 3 dishes for the 3 of us. Butter chicken - I know there is some disdain for this dish (invented in England I gather) but this was by our opinion, the very best we've ever had. Richer and much more complex than usual servings. Could use a little more chicken with that fabulous sauce. I like dark meat with it myself but.. Then a lamb dish ahhhh I forget the name... the second one down. Again rich and tasty. Good portion of tender lamb. Don't remember any bones which is nice. Then Aloo Gobi, cauliflower and potato. also very nice but I used it to sop up some of the butter chicken sauce. Man, I'm getting hungry again just writing this. We ordered a small rice and two naan (which are large) for the table. It was more than we could eat. Service was very pleasant and fairly timely. Fairly busy for early on a Wed night. Server said it is crazy busy on the 'pay as you can' nights at Neptune like last night. I've eaten here probably 7 times since last summer. It's my go to spot if I'm in the area and they are open. Enjoy, Halifax read more

Update as of 13 Sept 2015: It looks like they got rid of the thalis. Not sure why they would do that, almost all of the reviews here are raving about their thalis. I enjoyed a few thalis here and they were all excellent meals. Without the thalis this restaurant has lost it's appeal to me. read more

We went here for MIL's birthday. The staff were friendly and accommodating, they explained and tried to fit the menu to us (one in our party cannot eat spicy food). We ordered veggie samosa (HUGE and delicious), naan, rice, lamb biryani, chicken curry of some sort and a vegetarian paneer dish. As a vegetarian I enjoyed just the paneer dish but the other curry and biryani were enjoyed by the others. Oh, the mango lassi was out of this world. A little pricey but so worth it. We felt like we were company. read more

I think this place is highly underrated. The food is authentic and delicious. They offer a lot of variety with their combination thalis; which are a great way to try a variety of dishes in a single meal. read more

I love this spot for lunch - great thali plates, and excellent naan. Really happy there is finally a good place to get curry in Halifax.

This place seems to be the best Indian food I've had in Halifax. Nice level of spice (they didn't chicken out like most local Indian restaurants), good prices -- particularly the fact that veggie dishes are cheaper than meat -- and friendly staff. We showed up mid-afternoon when it wasn't very busy (one other table was occupied) and we got our food super fast; less than 10 minutes. Good decor, not over the top with a mix of modern and simple style. The plates separate each item on the dish, cafeteria style, which is only annoying when you want to mix lots of things together, otherwise it works well. read more

This is the best authentic Indian restaurant in HRM. Period. Exclamation Mark. Amazing! The food is very reasonably priced and the portions are generous. Sometimes they even throw in little extras of something new. :) read more

Absolutely love this place. One of the best indian food I had in Halifax, especially being a vegetarian. But the service is bit slow thats y I am going with 4 stars read more

My husband & I were here vacationing from Northern Michigan. Read the reviews, were both very pleased with our combo plates (lamb & chicken). Also, friendly service and a casual atmosphere. Definitely a delicious way to round out a long day of travelling. read more

I have been on the hunt for a authentic Indian restaurant in halifax for 4 months and I have finally found it! This is the best indian food outside of india i have found in over a year. Tastes like home cooking. The restaurant was empty when we went in for a late lunch but the service was prompt and polite. We both ordered Thali's, (i had the chicken madras, friend had butter chicken) the portions we perfect and so were the curries. The chef momentarily brought out fresh puri after our thali's were served. SO hot and fresh. Perfect spice and delicious pickle as well ( I ordered extra). Cant find any faults, I will be back my mouth waters just thinking about it. read more

After 2 visits for the Sunday buffet, we were greatly disappointed (both times). The selection was limited, and there was not enough quantity on offer. Everyone in the restaurant was waiting for food, and there was a feeding frenzy when fresh dishes were brought out. They stopped refilling the buffet 1/2 hour before the advertised end of the buffet. When I, and others, brought this to the attention of the staff and owners, we were informed "no dishes will be refilled", and that was the end of the communication. There is a threatening sign posted beside the buffet stating any items left unfinished on your plate will be billed back at full menu price. I get it, please don't waste food - but this inhospitable, aggressive communication sums up the overall experience. Too bad, downtown Halifax needs an Indian buffet. read more

Based on Yelp reviews we came here. No one metioned the food was so spicy with chili. The chef made our selections as mild as he could but I would call them medium. Definitely not mild as everyone's mouth was on fire. I enjoyed the masala dosa but the sambar, though spice and vegetables were great there was just too much chili in it. Service was very nice and they did not rush us though we showed up 15 min to closing. I would go again without my kids as the chili was too much for them. I had an entire bowl of dahai and the kids each had a lassi to lesson the impact of the spice. Also, I was looking forward to their Thali but it is only available for lunch. read more

Had another excellent lunch. The chicken madras was fantastic, very filling, and the service was great.

Food is delicious here and the owner is a hoot. Really down to earth. One gripe is that although it's all good, and a good place to sit down, usually not crowded at all, it usually takes a while for the food to come. I usually end up using a full hour lunch just to order, eat and pay. read more

Simply Brilliant food. Good service. Tried the Tandoori chicken, chilli chicken and chilli paneer. Amazing.