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Malabar Hill Indian Cuisine
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
42 reviews for Malabar Hill Indian Cuisine
Review Highlights
"The Mango Lassi is divine."
(in 5 reviews)
"The naan was delicious, it was cheesy inside and crispy on..."
(in 7 reviews)
"The entrees take a little while to get to the table but the..."
(in 3 reviews)
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42 reviews in English
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Review from Wilson V.
Elmsford, NY
11/20/2011
Visiting any popular ethnic restaurants, and majority patronized by its owned culture gives a sense of comfort and an idea of the authenticity of the food. The restaurant has a simple and comfortable ambient with an obvious Indian décor.
My fiancé ordered Chicken Tikka Masala $16, and I ordered spicy chicken curry, also $16. We ordered Tandoori Roti (whole wheat) & Poori (deep fried) bread, $4 each.
The food was very delicious and the flavor explodes in your mouth. The spices are just right, not over powering one another. You only get a small portion of rice, which is usually a standard practice in many Indian Restaurants that I have been to.
Lunch buffet is $10.95 Monday through Friday and $13.95 for brunch buffet on Saturday & Sunday. Restaurant does local delivery, $20 minimum order for lunch and $40 minimum order for dinner. Gratuity not included!
The waitress was not as attentive as she should be, however the bus boys were very attentive and friendly. We feel that the prices are high but we can't blame them for being in a county area high in rent and taxes. -
Review from LISA N.
10/18/2011
Empty for a Tuesday, but quite satisfying. They have a nice drink selection, no bar, but a good variety of some beers I haven't seen and also a nice cocktail menu.
I didn't want to eat too much so I ordered the paneer cheese naan, and the lamb malabar. The basmati rice was delicious, it didn't have a bad aroma and it was light and perfectly cooked. The naan was delicious, it was cheesy inside and crispy on the outside. The lamb in the lamb malabar was dry and tough. The malabar sauce was amazing, just the lamb was bleh. My friend ordered the saag paneer which was good, but I've had better.
The place's decor was pretty, the bathroom was pretty nice. I really like the mini tiles in the bathroom wall and the bowl looking sink.
Oh and service didn't seem that bad, they were nice and service was speedy...but of course I went during the week. -
Review from Sharon S.
Bronx, NY
11/12/2011
Now now, this place is a bit of a hike for me for lunch but it is worth it. The prices are outta control which is why I only do lunch here. The spread is delicious and not your everyday Indian spread, since I've been to many. The servers are very sweet and probably the most attractive of any other Indian restaurant hehe.
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Review from dan s.
Updated - 2/26/2011
I haven't been back to Malabar Hill in years, but I was in town and my first two choices for lunch (Latin American Cafe and Bengal Tiger, both in White Plains) have apparently burned down.
So, we hit the buffet at Malabar Hill. I noticed a few things:
- they continue to have some interesting, unusual choices on the buffet menu
- the paint on the walls is in terrible shape and the decor in general seems way way worse than before. Despite this, I was shocked that the men's room has received a swanky update, as it used to be horrible.
- the quality of the food seems to have declined. The chicken tikka masala was just tandoori chicken tossed in a sauce for a few moments, instead of being cooked in the sauce.
Generally speaking, I thought everything was a step or two below where it had been. It's still decent Indian food, but it's no longer a place I would recommend that you come out of your way to try. I only hope that Jaipore in Brewster has not suffered a similar fate.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/26/2007
I will go out on a limb and rate Malabar Hill as perhaps the best Indian lunch buffet in… Read more »
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Review from Ms. F.
Brooklyn, NY
8/22/2011
I've eaten here twice now and had their takeout a few times. The place is ok.
Eating at the restaurant last night, I was disappointed in the brusque, slow service. Also, the prices here are higher than most Indian places.
However, the place was packed, and there were many Indian people eating there. We enjoyed the tandoori dish listed as Martha Stewart's favorite, lol, which was simply flavored but well prepared: juicy and very tender. Their habanero naan doesn't mess around -- hot hot. They also offer more interesting dishes than most Indian restaurants, if you want something more than just typical "British" Indian cuisine.
So, this will remain part of my mix of Westchester restaurants, but it's not amazing. We go to Rani Mahal in Mamaroneck which has a mostly traditional menu, but is consistently good with friendly service! -
Review from Bill E.
Saratoga Springs, NY
12/16/2010
The best Indian buffet in the area. Fresh, generally large crowd for lunch and the food plentiful. Dinner is professional, tasty with good service.
I never feel jerked around like I do in many Indian Restaurants. i wonder if the waiters ever ate out? Here is different.
They have a good Indian beer list and Lindeman's flavored ales. -
Review from Tammi T.
11/6/2010
I come a country where there's Indian food on every other street and a few really excellent Indian restaurants. So when it comes to Indian food, I have certain expectations.
Despite the tons of good reviews I've seen and heard about this place, I'm going to give my honest two cents worth. I've been here twice for dinner and once for the lunch buffet.
The lunch buffet was value for money. The food was ok, not outstanding but for the price it's worth trying.
The first time I had dinner here it was with a group of friends. I noticed the food was just ok and it was on the pricey side. And anyway we were not concentrating on the food much coz we were talking all the time.
The second time we ate here it was just two of us and it was frankly not a great experience. The service was extremely slow. When the food finally arrived , the Chicken Vindaloo was disproportionately too sour. The chicken korma was just passable. I started wondering what took them so long to come up with food of this standard. Seriously, we had better tasting food at the foodcourt in newport mall in NJ.
I guess an experience is really made up of everything put together. In our case, the service and food really failed us this time. I would have given it 2.5 stars though. -
Review from Sarah E.
Bronx, NY
6/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
We ate here last night. This is the second time my husband and I came here. The food is absolutely scrumptious. You can taste all of the different spices and herbs. They can adjust the spices to your liking. Try the lamb chops, they are out of this world!
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Review from George J.
White Plains, NY
7/29/2011
Food is pretty food but am giving only 2 stars because of the seevice. We had to wait extremely long before we were served. This place is understaffed atleast the day (monday) we went.
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Review from Rahul P.
Elmsford, NY
6/14/2011
Great food and amazing service.....its one of the most authentic Indian restaurants here
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Review from Melissa B.
Oakland, CA
1/14/2009
Not to be too generous here or anything, but this place is approaching the title of "My Favorite Indian Place in the USA". Maybe I don't get out enough, in fact, I should consult my Goan buddy who lives in Scarsdale-
Wait! He took me here for the first time....OK then, this place rocks.
No trip to NY- and in my case I spend a good chunk of time in Westchester, is complete without a lunch buffet at Malabar.
Jackson Heights would be the next best thing, but I'm not in that area, am I? -
Review from Cat P.
Sleepy Hollow, NY
Updated - 3/19/2010 1 Check-in Here
I finally mustered the chops to revisit this place after the previous experience of them forgetting my food and then bringing me the wrong dish afterwards. Of all the days we chose to go, it was on the Saturday when the crazy storm in the Northeast was happening. The wind was howling like a rabid wolf from outside and the lights kept flickering on and off in the restaurant, but we persevered!
I ordered a mango lassi, vegetable samosas, a plain paratha, some aloo gobi and some kheer (Indian rice pudding) for dessert. All of which I highly recommend.
I forgot what my boyfriend ordered, but he scarfed his food down so fast I can only assume it was awesome.
I'm happy to say no one forgot or messed up my order this time! I got my food in a timely fashion and I even had left overs to take home to eat for the next day!
My boyfriend is not much of an Indian food-lover, but he absolutely adored the vegetable samosas we had. (He's never had them before.) It was an overall crappy day, but Malabar Hill's food was worth the trek in the dizzying rain and violent winds!
I would recommend this place to anyone living in the area!Listed in: Westchester Favorites
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/15/2010
Great food! And lovely atmosphere.
Excellent mango lassi, samosas and perfect Jasmine/tumeric rice!
… Read more »
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Review from Josh E.
Chicago, IL
12/3/2007
I'm sitting in my hotel room right now, stuffed, with a bowl of take-out Chicken Biryani resting nicely on (and in) my belly. This was some of the best Biryani I've had since I was in India. So good.
I asked for it spicy, and they definitely understood what I meant. Some Indian places just add some red pepper when you ask for spicy. Not Malabar Hill. They actually added spice, which improved the flavor.
They lose a star for not including any utensils in the take-out bag. I hate that. Good stuff though. I may be back. -
Review from Ian G.
4/19/2009
We made the a stopping point here after the reviews. we waited for a little while to be greeted, papadom'd and beer'd. Usually not a problem but we were on our way to the demetri martin show at the incredible Tarrytown Music Hall. The food came fast once we ordered was definitely some of the best Indian I have had in NY. (I was a fan of Brick Lane on 6th st but it went downhill but obviously not the same hill of Malabar)
Service was relatively attentive.
They have one of the best beer and wine selections I have ever seen in an Indian restaurant. The wine is inexpensive for what you get, especially if you ever eat in NYC. -
Review from Ehsan H.
Cambridge, MA
7/17/2010
Very nice Indian restaurant at Elmsford. The food is a bit overpriced, but the quality of the it definitely makes up for it.
There sell an item call "thali" with different flavor and items. If you get one of them, it should easily serve 2 people. -
Review from Olga D.
Cold Spring, NY
8/2/2007
This restaraunt has same owners as the Indian place in Brewster that I absolutely admire - Jaipore Royal India Cuisine.
http://www.culinarymen...
Back to Elmsford location - I tried their lunch buffet once and food quality was very good. Place is as good as other one.. but I still like Bewster location much more because it is BIGGER and food selection is wider (probably because of it) and they are doing a real feast (maharaja dinner buffet) on sunday nights. Historical house (mansion) where restaraunt is located is also making Brewster place into a special destination as well. -
Review from Dana K.
New York, NY
9/10/2008
I was really impressed with Malabar. On a Tuesday night near 9 pm in Westchester, the restaurant was buzzing with large tables of happy diners. The food took a little time to come out, but when it did - it was well worth the wait.
Bendekai Fry was a great twist on my usual favorite Bhindi Masala. The naan was perfect. The Chana Masala was great - spicy and fragrant. I also saw the Masala Dosa at another table, something I definitely want to try the next time. On the menu it is also noted as "Martha Stewart's Favorite." Along with a few other things... not sure what that means, but I've been known to read a few MS Living Mags.
Steer clear of the specials on the side - I think it's the experimental fusion side of the menu. We had "roasted peppers and paneer" from that side of the menu, described as being served with a little ginger soy and onions. I found it to be a lot like chinese orange chicken, except with paneer instead of chicken. Tasty - but I prefer the traditional items - and at Malabar, it all looks so good! -
Review from Glenn G.
San Francisco, CA
12/29/2008
What a pleasant surprise. I didn't think I'd find an indian restaurant, especially a good one in Tarrytown but glad we decided to try this place.
They have a pretty good menu. I went simple with the tandoori chicken but sampled my co-workers' other dishes and the spices were good but not overpowering. They even serve cocktails. Service was good and attentive...yes we were there in the middle of the week and there weren't more than 10 tables with diners but I can't complain. I would give it 3.5 stars but since I can't, I'll give them an extra half. -
Review from Scott C.
Wellesley, MA
9/9/2009
Nice Indian food with classic dishes. Big dining room, but not busy and slow service tonight.
Place is tough to find on a dark night, you might drive bye it if you're not looking! -
Review from Patrick W.
New York, NY
2/28/2010
I've been here a couple of times and really enjoyed it, both for lunch and dinner. The service is always great and the food is generally of enough variety that if you're there with someone who is weak sauce they'll find something they like, while more adventurous Indian food lovers will find great dishes. The lunch buffet is not to be missed, however I'm disappointed because they haven't had Kheer as part of the buffet when I've gone there.
The Mango Lassi is divine. You should be sure to give it a try. Definitely one of the better places in Westchester. -
Review from Bob M.
Bergen County, NJ
4/4/2010
update 2/14/2011
Visited on Valentines Day and need to update my review.
This restaurant seems to have changed ownership and has declined in so many ways.
The menu has changed for the worse and the items that used to be prepared with finesse and skill, are now be slap-dash.
The service used to be exemplary and unusually efficient, is now very slow and careless.
As an example of how pathetic this restaurant became, see how they prepare what used to be one the best ras malai deserts in the nyc area. Instead of actually giving ras malai, they put two pieces of ras gulla in a ras malai sauce. The mentality behind this is mind boggling.
This restaurant went from sublime to pathetic. Really sad about this turn of events. I am changing my rating from 4 stars to one and will not be going back again. -
Review from Chris T.
Seattle, WA
11/1/2010
Towns like Elmsford and White Plains are not my cup of tea: from the short time I was here, I got the feeling that it was just a "city" haphazardly put together with some businesses scattered along arterial roads/highways and residential areas everywhere else.
Malabar Hill was a nice respite from all of that; we walked through two sets of big heavy wooden doors in a stucco building (kinda reminded me of a church) into a big, warmly lit restaurant with wooden floors and lots of seating. We ordered the lamb vindaloo, mango chutney, mango lassi, and garlic naan. The vindaloo curry was delicious: it comes in a little metal pot with a huge dish of rice; when the order came out, I saw the itty bitty pot and was kind of disappointed but even my DAD (who loves loves loves food and has the potbelly to show it) couldn't finish it all. The curry was the high point of the meal, however. I'm not really savvy with Indian cuisine so perhaps my opinion shouldn't be taken as the end-all-be-all when I saw that they have the funkiest mango chutney ever (sour-sweet syrupy thing with chunks of what I only know to be mango because I ordered mango chutney). The mango lassi tastes like there was not enough mango and too much sugar and milk or whatever else is used to make mango lassi. And the naan was not up to my fluffy standards.
Nevertheless, it was a satisfying meal. However, I wouldn't recommend coming when it's busy, since the waitstaff don't seem to be highly trained (with only 4-5 small parties in the restaurant, the service was already pretty slow). -
Review from Dylan H.
Harrison, NY
4/12/2011
Inconsistent. That is the best word to describe Malabar Hill. The service is also quite poor. I have eaten here numerous times. While some dishes were simply amazing, i have also had very bad experiences. In my last take out order the Avail was so fiberous and tough that the only thing we could do was spit it out. I emailed the restaurant to tell them about the problem and they didnt even bother to write back. Additionally, the prices are quite high compared to other indian resraurants. If you love indian food, like I do, I suggest you check out Rani Mahal in Mamaroneck.
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Review from Michael S.
Poughkeepsie, NY
6/2/2010
I got turned onto this place by a friend from work. After reading the rest of the reviews here my expectations were set pretty high and Malabar Hill delivered. We got the Saag Aloo & Aloo Gobhi (we were in a potato mood) and both were absolutely delicious. The naan & lassis were good as well and they even brought us out a small lentil soup on the house. We will definitely go again the next time we're in the area.
Loved it! -
Review from Adam P.
Schroon Lake, NY
1/22/2011
Bland food, bad service and decor. Will not go back,
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Review from Junah C.
New York, NY
10/20/2010
Nisht nisht. Maybe the most bland Indian food I have ever experienced.
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Review from Debarati C.
Westchester, NY
Dear Malabar Hill,
I love you! They got a new menu (which is amazing). So I had pretty much tried every pescatarian friendly thing on the menu, and I gotta admit I was getting kind of bored ordering the same things over and over again (I eat here A LOT).
And then VOILA! They get a new (and more stylish) menu! It's incredible. This most recent time, I got the veg thali (a HUGE plate with naan, papad, mango chutney, achar, and rice with peas) which came with fair sized bowls of bhendi bhaja (okra fry), raita, the dessert of the day (gulab jamun that day - YUM), daal (lentil), saag paneer (spinach w/ paneer), and gobi (cauliflower). Oh man. It was good. Nothing was too salty or too spicy, the papad was perfectly crispy, and the gulab jamun...so good. All for $16. Totally. Worth. It. Oh, AND I have leftovers.
The last page of the menu is now extra awesome. It's basically a menu of sauces/dishes where you can pick your "protein" - I think there was lamb, vegetables, fish, chicken, etc. That made me happy because I'd always wanted to try some of the dishes my bf got, but without the meat. Now I can!
I'm not the biggest fan of the mango lassi here, but I'm very particular/like to make my own lassi - very sweet and not so thick. I see tons of mango lassis brought out though, so don't base your judgment off mine. The bf always gets a Kingfisher beer, which they now serve in chilled glasses. The drink menu is extensive, and ranges from lassis to mixed drinks. They list their beers by country.
Yey! I could go on forever about this place...but in conclusion, Malabar Hill is awesome and definitely my favorite place to eat. Everybody is friendly, the service is awesome, and they're always open when I need an Indian food fix. Also, I've never actually had to wait to be seated more than a minute.
So far I've had both weekday and weekend buffet, as well as dinner - both dine-in and take out. For dine-in, they call you when your food is ready and are usually done in the time limit they give you. I think the food is tastiest during regular dinner, then weekday buffet, then weekend buffet in order of awesomeness of food. They do a pretty good job of maintaining the tastiness of the food even in bulk, though.
If you haven't been in a while, go back for a visit! The new menu is worth a try!Listed in: Westchester Woes
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/12/2010
I have talked to people from all over Westchester and the second the topic of Indian food comes up,… Read more »
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Review from Elaine T.
Dobbs Ferry, NY
3/6/2011
Good food, good prices, nearby. Especially good samosas & breads. The staff is nice too. They could spruce up the place a bit, but as long as the food is good, i'll definitely keep coming.
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Review from Amy B.
East Haddam, CT
6/22/2010
I may have had the worst experience of my life at Malabar Hill.
The reviews looked good, and seemed to accommodate our large group with a wide range of food allergies and tastes. When we arrived, our seating for 17 was already set up.
The buffet suited many from our group well. At $10.95/plate, it was a bit expensive for a lunch buffet, but also came with bread and tandoori chicken served at the table.
Several members of our party ordered standard entrees instead of the buffet. The food took over 45 minutes to come, arriving after even our hungriest buffet-goers had filled up from several plates. The food was tasty enough, so at that point I would have rated it 3 or 4 stars.
Then we returned to our cars. Our minivans had been parked directly in front of the kitchen, whose door was open. We had locked the cars, but that was not enough apparently at Malabar Hill. Two of our vans had been broken into, with high school seniors on their senior trip losing their laptops, cell phones, and hand-held video game systems. How did Malabar Hill respond? They didn't. They only suspiciously said, "We didn't see anything." They didn't offer us water as we waited over 2 hours in our dealings with the police on a 90 degree day. They didn't even offer to call the police when we shared our horror with them. In our conversations, they separately took members of our party aside to ask them the same question: "How did they break in?"
Instead of offering compassion, they seemed to hunt for any holes in our story.
This incident was highly suspicious. We suspect the employees of Malabar Hill purposely held our food up so they could steal our things from our cars. (Or maybe the cooks were too busy robbing us to prepare our meals faster.)
I do not trust this place. I encourage others to stay away. -
Review from Kevin A.
1/22/2007
What a pleasant surprise! This restaurant has excellent food and good service. My friend and I tried the chicken tikka which came on a sizzling plate of grilled onions, the rogan josh which used succulent pieces of lamb (instead of the nasty bony parts you get at other restaurants), and a spicy vegetarian dish off the menu that the waiter recommended for us. Prices are a little high, but are in-line with other quality Indian places. I can't wait to go back!
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Review from Ilene B.
Tarrytown, NY
7/12/2010
The strip mall location and minimal decor leave a little to be desired. However you can expect great food with very friendly and knowledgeable (if a bit leisurely) service. Love the mix and match "curry house" menu on the back.
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Review from Katamari D.
Berkeley, CA
1/6/2007
I love Indian food. Yes I do. I am a curry loving veggie hippie chick and I pride myself on knowing the difference between cardamon and cumin even when mixed in to a complex long-simmered pot. What I can't figure out, however, is how these folks get their food to taste SO GOOD? I ordered the fish tika and malay kofta and almost passed out from how delicious everything was. It was packed so I'm guessing the secret is out amongst the non-yelping crowd but if you need good Indian food, go! They have southern and northern cuisine, fair to high prices (for a student) and slow but attentive service.
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Review from Angel S.
White Plains, NY
8/22/2010
Very Good indian food. The paneer khurchan , sarson ka saag and the lanagarwali dal are just fantastic. After a long long time had this kind of good quality north indian food. A little expensive but a good treat. Can't wait to go back again. Must must must try.
They even have indian sizzlers just ask for it. -
Review from Adam F.
Washington, DC
6/26/2009
I know this might sound ridiculous to you, but I am a HUGE "foodie" and Indian is my absolute favorite. I used to work at an Indian restaurant, and I have a ton of Indian friends...so, as you can imagine I'm constantly getting recommendations as to what the best dishes are and where the best places to eat are. Living in Westchester, it can be a bit of a schlep to have to go all the way to Jackson Heights (Queens) to get some good food. Now, I have finally found peace. Malabar HIll is my absolute most favorite restaurant...it's gorgeous, the food is amazing, beautiful decor, fantastic service, and an excellent price. The fluffy naan melts away in your mouth, and the south indian specials will blow your mind with their intense flavors and incredible spices. I know you probably think I sound crazy, but I just need to get the word out about how amazing this place is.
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Review from Sabina Z.
Richmond Hill, NY
12/13/2009
I only ate here once so far but I really love this place. Everything dish I had was delicious. I could not get enough!
I am giving the restaurant 4 stars because the waiters could have been more attentive, but for the quality of food you get, the wait is worth it!! -
Review from Jen A.
White Plains, NY
2/15/2011
I have been craving Indian food for a little while, and have not found a restaurant since Bengal Tiger's incident last year. My boyfriend suggested this place, which I happen to pass every day on my way to work but have never noticed. It was DELICIOUS, and the service was very good. Only negative criticism is that they do not have more vegetarian sampler plates. Two thumbs up...definite recommendation.
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Review from john m.
Manhattan, NY
11/25/2010
For about $10, you get a very good lunch with a variety of typical indian food. The staff provides very good services, but a bit slow during busy times. Overall, this is one of the best in the area, definitely worth repeating.
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Review from Amanda Z.
Westchester, NY
7/25/2009
This is an amazing restaurant. Each time I visit I order something new off the menu and each time I am totally satisfied with my meal. The entrees take a little while to get to the table but the wait is worth it. The menu even features Vegan dinner items! The beer list is also great.
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Review from Delicious B.
New York, NY
3/31/2008
Food four stars. Decor 2 Service 3......North of Elmwood, nothing comes close. South of Malabar, only Bengal Tiger is in the same league. By all means never disspapoints.
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Review from Dave M.
Valhalla, NY
4/3/2010
One of the best Indian restaurants in the Valhalla area, a little pricey though.
