My verdict in two lines: Taj Mahal stays true to its roots, offering authentic Pakistani flavors without compromise. A place unapologetically Pakistani. The owner is super nice, and on my recent visit had a insightful conversation. I learnt that it's run by a family with a rich legacy in restaurant operations in Pakistan (Islamabad), the recipes and traditions have been passed down through generations. Women from the family are running the show inside tajmahal's kitchen, ensuring every dish carries the warmth of home cooking. With hand-slaughtered Zabiha Halal meat, strict use of premium desi ghee, and avocado oil in place of regular cooking oil, use of premium meat instead of lean Americanized chunk meats, every detail reflects their commitment to authenticity and quality. What I Tried Beef Nihari A showstopper! Rich, flavorful, and cooked in ghee with bone marrow, the tender meat melted in my mouth. One of the best Niharis i had for a long time. Perfectly spiced and an absolute must-try. Makhni Lamb Karahi Creamy, aromatic, and indulgent. The lamb had a delightful richness from chunks of fat, and desi ghee. One suggestion to them: make the meat slightly more tender and the dish would elevate to next level. Lahori Chicken Karahi Super tender chicken in a beautifully balanced, not overly tangy gravy, delicious. A bit more spice would have been ideal for me personally, but I guess it's customizable. Lahori Chole Flavor-packed chickpeas that retained their shape yet melted in the mouth--anything but bland. Pulao Fluffy, nicely cooked rice in broth, though a touch heavy on cinnamon caused a little bitterness. i hope that's not a regular thing. Btw, pulao is their default rice. Naan & Kulcha Not the best i ever had. but good accompaniments, soft and warm. Firni Sticky, milky, and caramel-like, served cold--a sweet, delicious satisfying finish. Final thoughts: i think i can skip vancouver trips for nihari and karahi. amounts are generous. With plans to expand the menu, it's a must-visit for lovers of authentic Pakistani cuisine. read more

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Delivery review In short Wonderful food, wonderful flavors. Lots of goat, beef, and lamb. The menu isn't the longest, at least online, but what's here is excellent and worth repeats. In long It sounds like this is Pakistani, rather than Indian. It probably makes sense to list it under Indian, too, since people will be in the mood for this if they're in the mood for Indian, but you can definitely tell you're not eating the same stuff, and it's definitely not Americanized. The flavors are much bigger and stronger than typical American food. One caveat: We had the slowest driver ever, and we're already some distance from the place. So through no fault whatsoever of theirs, I'm very much wanting to try all these things fresh and hot. Beef Samosa Big airy pockets with thin but chewy crust. Nice warm seasonings inside, plenty of flavor. Ground chuck is most of the filling. Dahi Bhalla Cool yogurt with tons of savory seasonings all over the place, still very much in harmony. Nice fluffy lentil fritters under the sauce. Really good, very unexpected with how many different flavors you get in the sauce. Chilli Onion Masala Naan Nice chewy naan, big tangy hot flavors on top. Tons of toppings compared to most naan I've ordered anywhere else, closer to what we might think of as a flatbread. Delicious. Beef Haleem Serious comfort food that comforts you in ways you just haven't been. Tons of seasonings, huge flavors (this is very much a theme with these dishes). I thought I was fully adventurous in my dining but all these flavors make me feel like I've been sheltering my palate way too much. Mixed Pickle Always nice to add this to an order. Not too crazy new and different; we always have a jar of this in the fridge. Delicious for sure. This whole meal really made me sit up and take notice of what I was eating. I'm so looking forward to leftovers tonight. read more

I've been waiting for this restaurant to open up, and it really impressed me. I love the local family-run business, and the service was so friendly and warm. We had the Chicken makhni Karahi, the lamb palak gosht, and two different types of naan - everything had incredible flavor and the prefect amount of spices. Excited to go back and try even more things. We also tried the Gajar ka Halwa (seasonal Pakistani desert) and it was amazing with the warm and sweet carrots. Surprised it wasn't busier for a Sunday evening, but it was quiet, and enjoyable. read more

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Today for lunch, we visited a Pakistani restaurant in Mountlake Terrace that opened a couple of weeks ago. My wife and I were impressed with the cleanliness of this restaurant. Our server Noor was very friendly and pleasant. The cooking here is done by two aunties from Pakistan. Reminded us of home. The menu has typical Pakistani dishes along with naan bread. They are working on getting kebab dishes added to the menu. We ordered three popular dishes Lahori Chicken Karahi, Beef Biryani and Nihari, along with a Garlic and a Plain Naan. All the dishes had real authentic Pakistani flavors. You cant go wrong when aunties are cooking. lol I'm not exaggerating if I say the portions were huge. We had so much food leftover that we will probably have 2 or 3 more meals out of it. I ordered a chai tea and was told that it was complimentary. We highly recommend this restaurant and wish them success in their new endeavor. I always root for new small businesses to succeed. Please visit them and try their food. You wont be disappointed. Taj Mahal Mt. Lake Terrace https://tajmahalnw.com/ (425) 678-6939 read more

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Ordered over $80 in takeout after seeing all the reviews. I have mixed feelings about this place - I rate it at a 3.8 out of 5. PROS: - Authentic Pakistani food, a first in Seattle in my experience - Great menu with lots of options including a variety of protein/vegetarian - Family O&O which is good, I support small businesses - Amazing biriyani and flavorful high-quality rice. Food is cooked correctly and spice level is high. It's actually spicy not just pretend spicy. - Goat curry was my favorite, all their flavors were unique - 10% off if you call in and order over the phone instead of delivery apps CONS: - Not adequate meat for what you pay. If I'm being charged an average of $22 a dish, I expect more protein in my food. Their meat to rice ratio is abysmal and I was disappointed to see this restaurant skimp out on protein after such prices. - All the food was swimming in oil especially the goat curry. - Food tasted fine, personally I would have preferred more salt - Garlic naan was not naan at all, it was store-bought pita bread being sold for a whopping $3.99 per piece for the basic stuff, and $8 a piece for the fancy ones like cheese or paneer. This was insulting to me as a customer, and many others who know very well what is truly made in-house naan vs what tasted like cardboard bread. I would not order naan because they don't actually have a tandoor, and I was very disappointed with this aspect of a restaurant that prides itself on being authentic and unique in its flavor - Received only 1 box of rice when we ordered 2 full curry dishes. I have only the best things to say about the quality of the food and the chefs in the kitchen. I do not care for the mediocre management who have yet to figure out price, portion size and should really not be indulging in terrible practices like making you pay $4 for a store-bought pita bread. While I recommend this place, unless I see significant improvements in portion size I will not be ordering from them again. read more

Food is SO good. Best nihari in the area for sure! Huge portions so family style is a must! read more

Wow, what a great first impression. The food was awesome. We had a chicken dish with a perfect tomato sauce that was spicy with ginger and green chilies, so good to dip the naan in. We also had the lamb chops, this dish was amazing, such a depth of flavor. You can tell they really know how to prepare serious food. The service was the best. The woman was so kind and explained the menu choices and made recommendations. Oh, and the drinks we had called Lime Taj were the greatest tasting ever. I'm obsessed and stuffed and we have leftovers for tomorrow! Huge portions. I think it was our first time trying Pakistani cuisine but it will not be our last! read more

OH MY GOD. That was some of the BEST Pakistani food I've had in America. This food was so delicious I wish I could eat it everyday. We got the chicken karahi which was perfectly spiced and we got the Lahori Chana as well which brought me back to la shore and don't can get me started in the naan. These were the BEST naans I have EVER TASTED. Especially their kulcha naans are a must try. It was AMAZING!!! The absolute highlight of our trip. read more

So, ok. Aside from the obvious 10 family reviews here is my actual experience. We ordered food to pick up under my name and my boyfriend went inside to pick it up. I PAYED for the food already so all that he needed to do is to say my name, grab the food and leave. That's not what happened. The young lady at the register REFUSED to give him our food unless I came inside. Ok. I came and even then there was some questioning and irritation. She had to call some man from the back who asked my name and finally gave me my food. The food was not great. Karahi chicken was sweet af, read more

Fire fodddddddd The Makhni Karahi goes crazyyyyyyyyyyy The gajar halwa was tufff tooooo read more

Atmosphere was attractive. Bathroom big and clean. Our server, Bhavjot was a delight. She was friendly and helpful. She answered all of our questions as we were new to Pakistani food. We tried several entrees, and they were delicious. Lot of good spices in the food. Tasty and plentiful. Reasonably priced. It was a lovely, delicious and educational experience. read more

The food was delicious. The service was lovely. Definitely a new favorite. Can't wait to come back and try some other delicious dishes.

Happy to find a halal restaurant nearby. Wonderful service and lovely family. We tried the vegetarian dishes and were quite pleased. The lassi is great! read more

Tried this place for the first time today, the food was excellent , the service was courteous and timely, the atmosphere was quiet, clean and elegant. We will certainly return to this spot as our "go to" place for Indian and Pakistani cuisine. read more

Excellent, flavorful (and authentic) Pakistani food! I was surprised how good it tasted. Very friendly staff. Would definitely return.

The food was delicious but they forgot the Nan in our takeout order the woman behind the counter was awesome and nice I would recommend it for anyone make sure you check the order to see if you have everything read more