Punjabi Rasoi is a great place to try new flavors. They have an extensive menu that offers a huge variety of indian dishes to try, with vegetarian options to match. They are situated close to ODU and the parking space consists of metered parking spots, but these spots should be free on the weekends (though I would double check just to be sure). The portions were plenty to where we had leftovers to take home. Even the sampler appetizer we ordered was massive but I will say once you get through half of the sampler, the fried items start tasting about the same. The other thing was we had to wait for our food for a really long time even though there weren't a lot of people in the restaurant at the time. People who sat after us ended up getting served first. And since we didn't get an explanation, we can only assume that it might have had to do with the dishes we ordered that maybe needed to cook for longer. Either way, a great place to get some spice-filled food read more

Punjabi Rasoi Indian Cusine - sampler(app) - Indian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Very bland soup and the fried veggies/Punjabi platter did not have much flavor as well. The place was not very clean and not very inviting. Overall just not that good. I was disappointed because I love a good Indian restaurant. This was not one of them. The server was a nice guy but the food needs some elevating. read more

Punjabi Rasoi Indian Cusine - Menu cover - Indian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Food was really good but the service was 50/50. Not saying it was bad people should definitely go try this place, just took a little while to be greeted and get an order in. read more

No idea how this place has such great reviews. We ordered the Goat Curry and the Butter Chicken. Flavor of the butter chicken was underwhelming and too creamy tasting with less meat than a dinner should have. The goat curry was even worse. See attached photo, but I had one bite of meat in more than half the curry. The rest were bones and tendon. Extremely disappointing and not worth $20 in any way. Flavors were less than average and meal ended up being just rice and curry sauce. Go somewhere else. read more

Punjabi Rasoi Indian Cusine - Goat curry - Indian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

This review is strictly from an order I made via Grub Hub from Punjabi Rasoi. I ordered butter chicken, and naan from here on a Saturday early evening. The butter chicken came with a good size order of basmati rice and it was very delicious! I ordered the butter chicken in medium spiciness and it was sooo good. The naan was of good size and was perfect for me to sop the sauce with when all the chicken was gone. I will definitely return either to dine in or for another Grub Hub order! read more

The Samosa chaat is my go to. Flavorful, full of texture, fills you up. Very good Indian in a very convenient spot.

Got take out last night and was very disappointed. Very lackluster. Not sure why--this wasn't the first time we've ordered from here. Would not recommend anymore. read more

THIS IS THE BEST INDIAN SPOT!!! There's a lot of trial and error when trying new Indian food. Everything here is FRESH no bs. I've been to plenty of places who just serve anything and this place is not like that. We came here a while after I made my friend yellow curry and ever since then he's been obsessed with curry and Naan. I knew the best place for him! Everything was hot! The butter chicken was so creamy and flavorful, the meat wasn't over cooked just juicy and lightly seasoned. The rice and naan were soft and fluffy. The service was amazing! Very nice people and they also let you enjoy your food with fine service without suffocating you . The restaurant has a chill lil vibe I enjoy the music playing in the background, I actually downloaded a song that was playing Can't wait to visit again!!! read more

I am a big lover of Indian food, and I was looking forward to trying this restaurant, but I will admit I was a little disappointed. I visited the location by ODU to have lunch with my daughter. When you walk in, it is just basic. A room with tables and chairs. There was a bar setup in the back, but no real ambiance worthy of a picture. Customer service was also lack-luster. After they seated us, they poured some water in a glass and then came back about 10 mins later to take our order. The waiter was spending more time scrolling on his phone than paying us any attention. I was disappointed that they did not have a lunch menu, especially when located right by a university. We order the Lamb Tikka Masala, Malai methi chicken, and garlic Naan. The Lamb Tikka Masala was extremely tough and needed to be cooked longer. The Malai methi chicken was ok it was my first time trying it, so I don't have anything to compare it to. The sauces for both dishes you can tell are definitely pre-package and not made with LOVE, and they did lack in flavor. I personally think I've made more flavorful Indian dishes at home. The rice was the worst rice I've had at an Indian restaurant. The appearance of the rice looked over cooked, but after tasting it, my conclusion is that it was old rice that was reheated and not made day of. The rice was also very overpowering with the aromatics and taste of the cardamon, cloves, and other spices. It was all I could taste even after adding my meat and gravy to it, so I opted not to eat the rice but the Naan instead. Food presentation was also non-existent. Everything came out in a white cereal looking bowl. Overall, I don't think I will be returning to this restaurant, and if you are a die-hard lover of Indian cuisine, I wouldn't recommend them either. My biggest recommendation would be to have a lunch menu and tell your waiter to put the phone down and provide a better customer experience. read more

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Service was great! Food was wonderful! Prices were reasonable! Atmosphere - quiet and simple,not fancy , but a nice experience. We will definitely go again! Definitely not a fancy sit down restaurant, but it was still a nice place to eat . read more

This place comes highly recommended. Very friendly staff from the time I called yo ask when they will close they've indicated it's okay if I come in within 20 minutes, they'll wait for me to order; to the time I was going through the menu and they were so helpful in explaining the food snd spicy levels; to offering me iced water and a lollipop while I waited for my order. I ordered chicken curry and cauliflower manchurian. Entrees come with basmati rice. The food was good. I got spice level medium, could have gotten a little bit more spice. read more

Punjabi Rasoi Indian Cusine - Carry out chicken curry which comes with rice and cauliflower manchurian - Indian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Came in for a late lunch and enjoyed it all. Didn't rush us as we had a sample of things. The appetizer sampler was excellent. Samosa, chat, pakora were all great. Mixed tandoor shared between us was plenty. I loved the salmon done in the tandoori read more

Really enjoyed the food here, it's flavorful and fresh. The restaurant is clean and the staff are polite.

Absolutely Delicious! We ordered Samosas, garlic naan, Chili Chicken and vegetable kurma. The samosas were really good, well spiced and fried perfectly. I might not order them again as they were 2 for $8. I'd probably just order double naan instead. They came with a minty cilantro chutney that was the best I've ever had. More cilantro than mint. When I say everything was delicious, I am not over exaggerating. The garlic naan was the best naan. The chili chicken was spiced just right and the vegetable kurma was creamy but not heavy. Their rice is fragrant and light. We will definitely be back soon! read more

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Food was delicious, service was wonderful, and the place including the restrooms were really clean. Highly recommend!

The butter chicken is absolutely delicious! It is well worth the price. I will be back

I have newly moved to the area this past summer and have been scouting for the best Indian cuisine. I have tried basically everything I could get my hands on in Hampton Roads, and highly recommend all things curry from Punjabi Rasoi. Absolutely stellar, wonderful, delicate, complex flavors. Really can't praise it enough. I'm not as enthusiastic about their biryani, but it's still fine, it may not be absolutely spectacular but is still a very nice wholesome dish. I've had food from this establishment about 12 times, for reference. However, the one main gripe that really puts me off of ordering from this restaurant more often is the lack of a salty lassi drink option on the menu. There are both sweet and mango lassi options on the menu, but when I am ordering savory meals I am hoping to also order the favorite savory drink to accompany it. And in my head, if you have plain lassi and are able to sweeten it and add the mango flavor for the menu, why can't you serve it in the original form? Maybe this is a cultural bias for me as a Middle Easterner where some version of a savory yogurt drink is essential to the best kind of feast, whether it is called laban or ayran or dough it does not matter. But I will say that whether or not I am willing to visit and spend money at an Indian restaurant depends equally on the quality of the food and on whether they have a salty lassi option. If their food is good but they have no salty lassi option on the menu, I may occasionally order takeout from them, maybe every month or two, if I happen to have a gallon of doogh/ayran in the fridge. Otherwise, if they had the salty lassi, I might actually be frequenting or ordering from their restaurant every week or few days. So please, take this as an appeal to add salty lassi on the menu! I know you already have it in stock, otherwise you would not be able to have sweet or mango lassi on the menu! I find myself ordering from Indian restaurants with much less flavorful food more often simply because they provide a salty lassi option! I would much rather enjoy Punjabi Rasoi's stellar food with that most exquisite savory creamy drink! read more

This dinner was incredible! My fiance and I had just got into town and we were hungry for some Tika Masala, and we heard this place was the best in the Norfolk area- we were not disappointed! DRINKS: Mango Mule: was perfectly sweet and you could tell the mango addition was fresh puree. The combination with fresh cucumber was delicious. Lemongrass Jazmine Iced Tea: this was the perfect balance of tart and sweet with a subtle floral flavor from the Jazmine. Oddly enough, it almost reminded me of a tamarindo FOOD: My fiance and I shared the Lamb Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken. Both were given the medium hot spice level which was perfect for us as it got the nose running slightly, but didn't ruin it by being too spicy. Both dishes were served piping hot and were seasoned beautifully. The lamb was very tender with hardly any gristle. You DEFINITELY need to order the bread basket with your meal as it comes with a variety of naan my favorite was the garlic butter naan which made my eyes roll every bite. SERVICE: The service here is great! When we were eating my fiance and I noted it felt as if we were being served at a friend's house by their grandmother. Our waitress was a sweet old Indian woman who was all smiles and had a great attitude. Since it was our first time she even treated us with rice pudding, on the house! And let me tell you, I've never gotten excited about rice pudding but this stuff was the bomb!! read more

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Food was good would go back if my best option was closed. Service was quick and the restaurant was clean and organized.

This was our second time going to the Punjabi Rasoi Restaurant on Kempsville road. I will comment at the beginning of the review: there are TWO Punjabi Rasoi restaurants. The original is on Monarch Way (Norfolk) by ODU and the more recently opened location is at 1830 Kempsville road. According to the staff at the Kempsville location they are sister restaurants. We have never been to the Monarch Way location. This review is for the Kempsville location only. We love the food here. We love the staff here. I gave the restaurant 5 Stars. I gave the Food 5 Stars. I gave the Service 3 Stars. I gave the Atmosphere 3 Stars. It should be known that my wife and I get the same thing when we go to the restaurant. She gets the Goat Biryani and I get the Bhindi Masala (okra). Both are delicious. Of all of the Indian restaurants in the area I have only found one other that has Bhindi Masala on the menu - but I have not been to that restaurant. The kitchen makes the Bhindi properly and it is full of flavor. I order this dish as hot as they make it (level 5). I have ordered this dish in other parts of the country. By comparison, this preparation presents very well! It is a vegan dish (no I am not vegan). Be aware that typically the goat biryani is served with multi colored rice and pieces of goat meat with the 'bone in'. This may be a "no go" for some people, especially if unaware that there are pieces of bone at point of ordering, BUT the dish is delicious and is typically a large serving. We experimented with an appetizer of Dahi Balle. I liked this a lot - not so much for my wife. The preparation was done properly. The Dalle (two per serving) are fluffy lentil fritters topped with yogurt and chutney(s). The version served here is excellent. The fritters are fried but the dish is not a hot dish. I will order this again. My only criticism is the front of the house with regard to the service side. First, the dining staff (and kitchen staff - they came out to the table) is very kind however the dining staff is lacking in training (per our limited experience) and understanding of proper table service. At all points throughout the dinner the dishes were left on the table after being used. It was cumbersome when the dinners came out following the appetizers (there were four of us at the table - a booth table for four). We literally had to pick up the dirty dishes and hold them in order to make room for the main course service. It is just common sense to clear the table to make room for the dishes that need to be served. They seemed oblivious to this. This was also true after the dinner was finished. All the plates and bowls remained on the table. I had to ask that they be removed. The main courses were served without dinner plates. The dinner plates came a little later - after the bowls of food were placed on the table. In this way the dinner was unorganized and amateurish. The main thing is that the food is well prepared! The chef can cook and is able to manage all the details of the food preparation. The dining service is much easier to fix than trying to fix a cook that cannot cook. There are a lot of restaurants with people in the kitchen that cannot cook - this is not one of them. This is now our "go to" place for local Indian food. read more

Indian food is one of our favorites so we had to try out Punjabi Rasoi. I normally always get my "usual" go-to meal but this time I was feeling adventurous and decided to try new dishes. For appetizer we got Punjabi Platter because it came with a few different things; samosa, pakora and papadam. It was delicious! Definitely my favorite dish of the night. For my main dish, I got the Chilli Chicken. Now it wasn't bad but the chicken was alittle rough. The dish was quite interesting but I would try something different next time. Service was great! An older woman greeted us and was very attentive in filling our water glasses and making sure we had anything we needed. My one complaint which wasn't a big deal persa but it was an extremely cold night that night and they had the air conditioning on high which made the restaurant freezing! We had to keep our jackets on just to keep warm. The restaurant is close to ODU and the parking can be a challenge. And parking is also meter operated. read more

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The restaurant itself is unassuming, with a few nice tables in a simple room. But you're not here for the ambiance... you are here for the food! We had several variants of Masala and a Vindaloo and it was superb. Don't be fooled by the simple looks, the kitchen has it going ON! read more

It was fast took them 5 minute. They're hard to understand no disrespect somebody out of kitchen will help ! First bite was amazing def recommend. read more

Punjabi Rasoi Indian Cusine - Punjabi Platter - Indian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I had a really nice experience here. This is a newer restaurant, open about a month, right by the ODU campus. There's angled parking that you have to pay $1 an hour for, unless you go after 8pm or weekend. There was an older lady, who didn't speak a lot of English, but she was so nice. She will seat you and bring a menu. When I was ready to order a young man took my order on a handheld device. I also paid at the table with a portable card machine (toast, it's like square) and texted myself a receipt. Restaurant is nice and clean inside, a little small with an L shaped seating area. My food came out quickly, there was one other table occupied. They did a brisk to-go service. The chilli shrimp were great! The shrimp were marinated in something peppery, then grilled, and finally tossed in a strong chilli-sweet-hot sauce with some other vegetables. I loved the sauce and the shrimp were delicious. They had their tails on, so pop them off before digging in. My entree was a Punjabi curry that came with chicken, I added vegetable. It was also very flavorful. The medium wasn't as spicy as I wanted, so I'm going hotter next time. I loved the roti. It's whole wheat, and I'm trying to be healthy... but not to worry! It tasted great and was soft, despite looking dry. Great, friendly service and flavorful food. If I'm in the area, I'll be back. read more

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The food is fabulous spices, portions, temperature. The staff are friendly and customer focused. Ambiance is light and bright. I love the colorful parasols, elephant artwork and bicycle art. Will definitely go back! read more

Great food. Nothing special about atmosphere or service. Just solid Indian food. I would definitely recommend if you are close to ODU or for take out. read more

Have been here twice and had a great experience both times. The service is quick, attentive, and friendly- the owner even gave me house-made rice pudding and carrot pudding to try on my second visit and they were both delicious. The samosas are some of the best I've had- with a thin, crispy, flakey crust and a LOT of filling. The garlic naan is incredible and a must try. The portions are really generous and you will definitely have leftovers. The restaurant is more on the casual side and is in a great location to order from on campus or to walk to. They offer their own delivery which is only a $5 fee, which seems better than the inflated prices and service fees on Doordash or other delivery services. I will definitely be returning! read more

Family ran restaurant takes pride in family recipes and avoids using Restaurant depot supplies like most others in town. Chicken Tikka Masala is a great go-to for the lunch menu. read more

Punjabi Rasoi Indian Cusine - Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

The place was gross. The food was alright. I said spicy 4 and my young daughter could eat it. It wasn't spicy at all. The naan was good. But I don't know if I could come back. The service was lacking. Only saw the waiter when he sat us down gave us our food and gave us our check. read more

Best food i've had in a long time. We got the malai kofta, the aloo matar and the bread basket. Everything was wonderful and the spice level was refreshing compared to some watered down ones we have been putting up with lately. Can't wait to come back! read more

10/10 best Indian restaurant I've ever had in VA! Service was fast and enjoyable, very nice servers! Ambience was beautiful!!! Can't wait to go back!! read more

Authentic Indian food! And Auntyji is an excellent host. We tried the Kebab Platter, Matter Paneer, and Shahi Chicken Kadhai. Super delicious! read more

Punjabi Rasoi Indian Cusine - Indian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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There isn't a single thing this restaurant has that is t absolutely delicious! Very authentic and well made Indian food!

We got the Punjabi Platter App, the Butter Chicken, and the Chicken Tikka Masala. The appetizer was good, but the entrees were very mid. They were overly creamy and lacking flavor compared to times we've had those dishes at other restaurants. Employees were really nice but they didn't stop at our table once while we were eating which I only noticed because I was going to ask for salt. Ambience was pretty standard! read more

Punjabi Rasoi Indian Cusine - Tikka Masala, Raita, and Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Honestly impressive quality -- arguably one of the best take-out Indian restaurants I've ever tried (and this is Norfolk, not New York City). Punjabi is usually lightning fast (20 mins or less), has incredible samosas and pakoras, and can feed an army with its rice (and meal) portions. Also, when they say Indian hot, they actually mean Indian hot, which is truly a delight -- I typically have to add my own heat to takeout meals even at the highest spice level, but not here. While I could eat here (and the space looks cozy), this has become my go-to takeout place in town. read more

Went to this new Indian restaurant at ODU. AMAZING!!! HIGHLY recommend it!! The food was outstanding. The service was excellent. The restaurant decor and ambiance was very nice. Prices were fair with our current economy and the servings were generous. read more

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I've eaten butter chicken all over the United States, and I will say hands-down. This is the best I've ever had totally awesome.

The most delicious Indian food I've ever had. Perfect blend of seasoning, not too grease or over powder. The taste is strong and gentle in the same time. I left craving more. I would definitely go back. read more

Okay food, terrible manners by the staff. I placed an order via Grubhub for lunch. When I got there I was berated by two of the staff for not placing a large enough order. It was an $11 lunch for one. "This is the last time!" and older woman scowled at me, shaking her fist. It was my first time there, and now it's also the last. I don't know restaurant economics, but I do know restaurants can set a minimum order amount on Grubhub. The staff should consider implementing that rather than trying to shame people whose only crime was ordering lunch. read more

Only ever ordered takeout here but it is delicious! Looks like a cute place too. Fairly new but seems to be doing well.