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Mon-Fri. 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Indeed a 5 star ratings for this restaurant serving the best Punjabi food in san diego. At one point of time, for continuous two years, I would drive from UTC to here for lunch. The family that owns the restaurant has put their best efforts and that one can tell from the quality of the food. Their whole menu is delicious, however my favorites are chicken makhni, spicy chicken, chicken curry (at occasions they make this but is authentic), saag paneer, rajma, choley, mutton karahi, chicken karahi, chicken tikka masala, bhindi masala, malai kofta.
PT has the best Seekh Kababs in the whole san diego. Plain Lassi is made to the perfect taste, whether sweet of saltish. Samosas, Gulab Jamuns and rayeta are delicious. I make sure that my food is served with rotis and rayeta.
Best place for lunch, no matter where you are in san diego and a cozy environment for dinner.
I always stuff myself up so much that later I am dizzy at work :D
This Indian restaurant located in the middle of a bunch of commercial buildings is a bit off the beaten path, but it's definitely worth the trip. You can tell from the moment you pull in by the line (mostly Indian people) going out the door most nights.
This has been my go to spot for Indian food for almost 2 years now. I've tried various dishes, none of which has disappointed, but I always find myself going back to the tried and true Chicken Mahkni. I'm not sure how "authentic" this dish is (for some reason I have a feeling this dish might be the equivalent to Orange chicken in chinese restaurants) but it's damn good.
Also, I totally agree with the other reviewers about their quality of naan. I've been to many places where it's too hard, too soft (and therefore doughy tasting) and everywhere in between. But this place gets it just right.
Ridiculously good Indian food.
The naan is absolutely to diiiiie for. The lamb curry is delicious - you won't get any shitty watery curry at Punjabi Tandoor. The portions are huge, so you'll be satisfied.
It's a family-owned joint, and the people who work all seem to be very very nice and welcoming.
The reason why I didn't give 5 stars is because the place doesn't have enough seats, and the wait is way too long at times. Plus I don't really like how they use paper plates and plastic utensils even when people are eating there. It needs to be more environmentally-conscious!
I owe you all an apology, honestly. So many of you have raved about this place time and time again, I heard you, but I stayed away because I get sick pretty easily and I am trying to avoid spicy diarrhea at all costs. Well, I finally gave in and tried this place out and holy cow, it's amazing! I am not the biggest fan of Indian food but this place just blows the door off of every other place I had ever been to. The Tikka Masala is simply amazing, not overly spicy with rich sauce, yum. I also had the chicken curry, it was a bit spicier but still delicious. The location of this place is a bit bizarre, if I were them I would move to a more central location but hey, what they are doing is clearly working so why change it, right? Hats off to you Punjabi Tandoor, and please keep up the good work.
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I haven't really had Indian food before, and after reading one review that said this was the best Indian food in San Diego, I was really excited.
I got the Combo #3 ($7.99) with:
Rogan Josh - This lamb curry was sooo good. A definite must have!
Chicken Tikka Masala - The curry was good, but the chicken was dry.
Garlic Naan - $1 extra, but it was the best freaking naan ever!!!
Kheer - Rice pudding was good, but I wasn't into the texture
Mango Lassi - Yogurt drink flavored with Mango was good, needed some ice and was really too sweet for me.
This hole-in-the-wall joint will definitely surprise you, foam plates, plastic utensils, and all. Most of their customers are Indian, which has got to mean this place is good. The service was fast and friendly and this place opens till 10PM!
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What a great find this place was! I have to thank Yelp for pointing the way because this is one of those places you would only find out about if you worked nearby (and maybe not even then). It's a little hole in the wall place, minimal space, small number of tables. If you go at the wrong time get the food to go because you won't find anyplace to sit and eat it. Very good food for a very good price (and the portions are huge). Service was great too. I had trouble deciding which two vegetable curries to try so he gave me a helping of a third one! Nice.
It's probably a good thing we don't live or work nearby or I would eat this food every day.
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Indian food as good as it gets in San Diego - I would prob give it 3.5 stars in any other city. The food is GOOD and VERY reasonably priced. This is the way Indian food is supposed to taste. Not the crap they charge an arm and a leg for in Gaslamp/ Hillcrest.
If you want ambiance, "mango-tinis", Bollywood videos in the bathroom, and bindis - this is NOT your place.
But if you have a craving for Indian food and want the real thing - this is the place. All the griping about styrofoam and plastic utensils is obviously from the non-indian people. Indian people understand that you come here for the food - not because of eco-conscious silverware. Leave your pretentiousness at the door and you'll enjoy the FOOD.
I've eaten here a couple times. The naan is pretty good and the portions are sized nicely enough. I've had the combo plate both times.
The last time they gave me the kheer instead of the raita that I ordered. Simple, fixable mistake.
It is a rather small operation with little space for seating. I wonder what the people do when it gets too cold to sit outside, since that is where it seems they have the most space. Heck, I saw that the office space next door was for rent. Maybe they should occupy that too.
All in this is good Indian food. I can't say it is excellent, but it is worth an occasional drive out of the way to eat here. So four solid stars is right on the money if you ask me, and that's why you're reading this, right?
People thought this was:
After reading all the wonderful yelp reviews I went after work to try this place. I went around 5:30pm. I'm sure most people frequent this place during lunch time. The man working there was extremely nice and helpful.
I was definitely not blown away by the food. I ordered the combinations #1 and #3.
#1 was very good being all vegetarian. Nothing to get excited over, but I did enjoy the vegetable korma. The daal was okay.
#3 is were the my review goes bad. I ordered the chicken tikki masala & lamb curry. The masala was average and the lamb was very dry!! They definitely give an overload of thick cream sauce. I was pretty disappointed because of all the raves this curry received.
The raita (yogurt mix) was very average. Honestly, the one I make at home is better.
Pros:
+ The roti and naan are fresh and good.
+ You can order the roti (flatbread made with whole-wheat ) instead of the naan for a healthier option.
+ The portions are good for the price.
+ I have cream sauces to cook with the next day! ;)
I will not be making a trip back here, unless its convenient. I think my taste buds would have been more pleased at California Thai Cafe right down the street.
I will continue my quest for the best inexpensive Indian food in San Diego. So far I prefer Delhi Kitchen for take-out & Annapurna for dine-in.
I was introduced to this place by my ethnically Indian friend.
That in itself says a lot.
They have great family combo deals; make sure to go with an appetite because they have really generous portions.
The people aren't ecstatically happy to see you, but this place is so good, their food redeems the less than excited staff that serves it to you.
It's truly a hole in the wall kinda place.
I never get tired of eating their Vegetable Marsala and curry.
I even like their rice pudding, which usually grosses me out at other Indian restaurants.
It's really authentic and if I love supporting small family businesses, because they deserve to stay alive with such amazing food. We are lucky places like this are still around.
Simply delicious! Curry chicken is incredible. Naan is fresh, right out of the tandoor.
It is certainly in the middle of an industrial park but is quite the little gem of a find. My coworker was just driving around the area and caught a glimpse. I was on the plane flying in from the East coast. Got there in time for lunch and drove straight over to the restaurant.
I order a little of everything. The food looked good so I asked for it all. No regrets! The naan came right out of the clay oven. I'll say it again, the curry chicken is incredible.
Of course you would find good food in the middle of the industrial/business where there are plenty of hungry working people during the week.
What can I say or rave about that people haven't already?? It's cheap, no frills, street-style Indian food. The workers there are super nice and the service is fast. And this place gets to be crowded the later it gets. A lot of people also call in to place take-out orders.
What I (and my boyfriend) love to eat here...
Appetizer/Bread
- Vegetable Samosa: fried potato with peas, lightly spiced, great with the Tamarind Chutney (sweet) and Mint-Coriander Chutney (spicy).
- Nan (regular and garlic): yummy!
Curry:
- Chicken makhni: my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE! This is basically a dish made from tandoori chicken, that's been cooked in a thick, spiced curry. Super decadent and you would want rice to go with this!
- Chicken tikka masala: not one of my favorite tikka masala of San Diego, but still good.
- Chicken curry: the curry is so much better spiced than the tikka masala, that's why in my opinion PT's curry is so much better !!
- Lamb curry: Now, when you get curry, I'd highly recommend getting the Lamb version. If you have never had lamb, I can almost guarantee that you will become a lamb fan afterwards! The spicy curry with the lean lamb that still has a little fat to it, is magic.
- Bengan Bhartha: basically, this is eggplant stew. It's eggplant that's been cooked down with tomatoes, onions and tons of herbs. It is one of my favorite vegetarian curries.
- Paneer tikka masala: ok, so paneer is cubed cheese and with the tikka masala curry, super YUM! (I've yet to try their paneer curry which I would wager would be even better!)
What are you waiting for?! GO TO PUJABI ALREADY!!!
I LOVE their kheer (which, by the way, Delhi Kitchen never seems to have when I go there for lunch).
Great food, great prices! The service is friendlier at Delhi Kitchen, but the flavors are more… Read more »
I have been craving Indian food for a couple months but hesitant to try new places only because I've only had it once before. I was at a bible study and realized this place was literally only a block away. Checked Yelp, 4.5 stars with 195 reviews? Punjabi Tandoor, here I come!
Food was great, and satisfied my cravings! Vegetable Samosas, Chicken Curry and Rice and Garlic Nan. YUM. I will be coming back!
I began coming back here regularly after I discovered that the #3 combo was the way to go. It's more than enough to make me "roll me down the stairs" full but in no way broke the bank.
I won't go into details, but you want to try everything at some point. If you don't have the opportunity to try everything on the menu at least once, at least try these: Shrimp Masala, Chicken Makhni, Rogan Josh, Lamb Curry, and Bengan Bhartha. That's not to say the other things aren't good, these are just my favorites of the things I've tried (aka, the dishes I pain myself in choosing over when I have to decide which 2 items I want in my Combo #3). Oh, I should also mention that of the things I've tried, more made this list than those that didn't.
Let's just put it this way for this place. My dad's comments regarding food 90% of the time is "It's OK" (but in Chinese), 9% is "this is no good" (again, Chinese), and 1% he'll actually say "this is good" (guess what language). Guess what he said about this place? That's right, that rare once or twice a year we actually get to hear him say "this is good."
GOD, I'm going to miss this place =(.
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Ok, I'm definitely not an Indian expert, but my general rule of thumb when it comes to ethnic foods:… Read more »
Punjabi Tandoor is, at first glance, like the rather fat, nerdy and just not-so-hot guy with nervous sweatstains along the armpits of his shirt. You look at him and start doubting if it'll be a great experience or not. But then he pulls out his package, and it's 10 prime inches of awesomeness that'll wow even Ron Jeremy himself -- and apparently, 183 other Yelpers too.
That's Punjabi Tandoor for you.
Located right in the heart of unassuming industrial plaza along Miramar road, you'll find styrofoam plates, sticky tables, and pretty much anything that wouldn't be found in a 4-star restaurant. But don't let looks fool you - because the secret to their success is their addicting and cheap Indian food. You want good naan? They have it here. You want some bomb-ass curry? They have it here. You want great friendly albeit thick-accented service? They have it here. You want the smell of great Indian food to last in your hair and clothes and make you jizz in your pants the next time you smell it? They have it here.
So the next time you decide to get Indian food, give Mr. Punjabi a chance. Because you never know if you might just have the time of your life.
People thought this was:
Its only fitting that I start with an Indian place as all of my genes come from the motherland.
I am going to keep this short as I don't want this to be that useful to anyone. Eat at Punjabi Tandoor if you want the best tasting Indian food in SD.
My first observations at this restaurant that pointed to it being excellent turned out to be true: 1) I walked in and saw nothing but Indian people 2) I looked past the front counter and saw a giant Punjabi man in a turban cooking furiously with his wife, two sons and a few helpers making bread 3) Everything was served on Styrofoam or paper-ware.
The service is pretty dismal. You order your food inside the restaurant and usually find a seat outside (as there are only 3 tables inside). Make sure to grab a pitcher of water and a few cups as soon as you order (or as soon as you see one available) because when you end up needing water it is always in short supply. If you get here during a rush you will probably wait at least 30 minutes for your food - but it is completely worth it. The chicken tikka/ chicken tikka masala are excellent - I recommend the vindaloo in all forms. The chicken biryani is huge and well worth the price. They make all around great bread at this restaurant - the naans are soft and moist, roti's are thick and covered in ghee like they should be.
People thought this was:
Pretty good food, can sometimes be hit-n-miss. The first time I went there the nan was a bit charred, but the next time it wasn't. I don't like how they charge you extra for rice though.
I like the nan, garlic nan, chicken tikka masala, vegetable samosas. I wasn't so much a fan of the alu gobi (rather spicy), and the chicken curry. I will try some of the other curries and update in the future!
Hole in the wall indian restaurant with ready-made curries for the business people around the area. Their chicken tikka masala is a little spicy, but it's not really spicy.. just a little kick. It has a hint of creaminess that reminds me of Naan N Curry in San Francisco, which ultimately means that it's freakin' GOOOOOOD! What's indian curry without the oil? a healthier indian curry... but I have yet to find a place without all the oil... so don't expect to find it here. =P Their naan also comes in different flavors: garlic, regular, and watever else.
This place has decent prices, $6-7? It's not a huge nor even close to being a fancy restaurant--very informal place. It's more of a fast-food Indian curry place, but it does have some tables inside and outside where you can eat your lunch. Haven't really tried a lot of Indian places in SD, but this place is good in my book!
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Was introduced to this place by a friend. Told me to meet her there. Do drove right by the Indian Complex near Miramar. Directions said to keep going. Thought I was lost when I landed in a business park. Seemed to be a lot of people. Always a good sign.
Went inside. Was a bit less than savory. But hey my friend was a foodie, Why not give it a try. Food came out and it was amazing. Great flavor. Have since been there several times and its my gf's favorite indian place. Everything there is good.
Definately a take-out place. You can eat there, but dining room is kinda cramped. Outside tables usually get filled up fast.
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i love you
i have finally found indian food in southern california that i loooove.
hidden away in the middle of nowhere, this restaurant rocks. bit of a wait though. their combos are a great deal!
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I'm writing a review for Punjabi Tandoor only after going several times and really getting a feel for this place.
Some of the dishes I've tried thus far: vegetable samosas, pillau rice, nan (garlic, plain and roti), chicken tikka masala, Chicken Makhni, chicken curry, Matar Paneer, Bengan Bhartha, Malai Kofta, raita, chicken tandori and the sweet rice dessert.
The first time I ate here i ordered their "combo for 2" platter which allowed me to try a bunch of dishes and get a feel for their food. The dishes are pretty big and filling and the sauces that came with it were delicious. The curries were well made, with lots of spices (curry, cumin, cardamon) and the creaminess of curry that I like the most. The tandoori chicken was a bit dry but it was well spiced. I also liked that the naan was hot and right out of the clay oven which made it taste perfectly fresh.
The downside to Punjabi Tandoor? Well, if your not Indian, indian-looking or speak Hindi or Punjabi, then expect your meal to not be spicy AT ALL. I like my Indian food spicy (not too hot, but i like a burn at the back of my throat when I eat it) and every time I order, they make it mild, or not spicy at all. Even when I call them out on it and ask for spicy, they still give me mild. Do they think I can't take spice?? Even after asking for it twice??
Other small downsides to this place is that when you order more than 2+ dishes (like you would in the combo platter) they sometimes forget to include dishes, so make sure you check every item, sauce, dessert, etc, before you head out the door. Finally, because its so small they get easily flustered when they get busy and they usually confuse orders or dine-in vs. take out (not a big issue really). The one thing that makes this place questionable is the fact that the kitchen does not look particularly clean and I wonder if everything is really sanitary or safe to eat.
Overall, I think this place is one of the very few real authentic Indian food. They know how to make the dishes well and spice them well (if they think you can handle your spice at least). I took off 2 stars because of 1) my food wasn't spicy, 2) they forgot some items in my food, 3) the kitchen scares the hell out of me.
I feel so bad for those people that eat at Bombay Coast on UCSD campus and rave about how good it is. These people obviously have not experienced the magic that is Punjabi Tandoor. Not to rip on Bombay Coast - their food is perfectly fine - but once you've had the naan and curry at PT, there is no turning back.
The location is a bit hard to find, since it's in the middle of industrial buildings somewhere in Mira Mesa, but once you find it you're in for a treat. If you have some time, skip the lunch specials and order off the regular menu. It'll be freshly made and tastes oh so delicious.
People thought this was:
Located in the middle of a commercial center, it's easy to drive past Punjabi Tandoor and not know that there's any food there. The only thing that sets it apart from its neighbors are the umbrellas covering the tables outside. You'll definitely have to google map this place before driving over.
This restaurant usually has a line out the door, but service is quick and cheap. Presentation is nothing special - served with plastic utensils and on styrofoam plates - but the food more than makes up for it. This is absolutely my favorite Indian food out there, and I have yet to try one of their curries that I didn't adore.
I usually try to go here at lunch time, where they have a bit of a different menu than at dinner. While you can still order off their main menu, they offer a panda-express style meal where you can get rice, chicken curry, veggie curry, naan, and a yogurt dessert all for one price. This is only one of their offers (you could forgo the chicken and get two veggie curries for cheaper, for example - there's about 6 specials they have written up on their board at lunch), but it's the one I always get.
I came here once for dinner, and while it was good, it just didn't feel the same - humans are creatures of habit, after all. The people I work with like this place so much that we very frequently make the 20-minute drive. If you're anywhere near the vicinity, and you have a hankering for some Indian food, I'd very strongly encourage you to try out Punjabi Tandoor.
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ok. im declaring it now. BEHOLD! the BEST Indian in San Diego.
the GRUB:
- the lamb curry makes me cream my pants - it is that good.
- chicken tikka was amazin!
- the sweet kheer is the perfect compliment to the combo
- rice and naan were great
- canned sodas and lassi available
the JOINT:
- real tight dining space
- hole in the wall kinda place
- hidden gem in mira mesa
- dining outside if you want
- plenty of parking
the SQUEEZE:
- on the cheap
- cash or card
FINAL SAY:
BEHOLD!
People thought this was:
Since moving to my new job and going from 50% Indian co workers to 2% I have been lacking on the Indian dining. Today I went to the place with the best Indian Food in San Diego of about 6 restaurants that I have been to.
This review is only based on the lunch specials, but I hear their other dishes are even more tantalizing.
Most lunch special places seem to have the food form crusts on the top from sitting for so long, or the flavor seems to be too sugary or salty. Punjabi, however, has none of these problems. I have consistently been impressed with the service here. I usually order garlic nan, which they never charge me extra for and usually I get an extra side for free.
The flavors at this restaurant compared to the other Indian restaurants that I have been to are much more intense and balanced. Someone on here said they don't use any/or very little cream, and that would make sense from my unusually non heavy stomach.
Tips:
I always ask for garlic nan, which gets cooked up right on the spot and give them a smile and you might get hooked up on some food.
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where i go for punjabi food in san diego.
try the bindi masala, sag paneer, and goat kadai.
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Wowie Kazowie!
My Vegetarian Lunch Special for $6.95 included three dishes of veggies, caraway seed spiced rice, a stuffed, fried, "oh god, it's good," lentil sambosa and a rice milk dessert that made me wanna smack my momma.
I think this could be love.
Dine inside or on the patio; I chose the great outdoors. It was a beautiful day and although surrounded by a business complex, there was enough green grass, growing tree's and singing birds to enjoy every moment of my meal.
My momentous experience can only be described with these words from Tina Turner...
"You're simply the best, you're better than all the rest!"
Now when I'm hankering for some home cooked family style Punjabi goodness, I know where my cravings will lead me.
This is the naan to end all naan's.
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man.. talk about amazing
so my friends have always talked about this place. they always brought back some leftovers and they always eat it in front of me. so, today, i decided to drive there for lunch and actually eat at this place.
heard this place was hole in the wall, and it is. located inside a small business plaza in the back where you really cant find the place unless ur drive down activity road and clayton. no other restaurants around and kinda isolated.. tables located outside with chairs and some shade.
as i walked in, there were some tables.. but not so much spacious.. looked over the kitchen/ordering area and saw that the curry is already made and ready to eat. combos from 1-7 come with nan, rice, veggie curry, chicken curry, samosas etc can all mix and match. i ordered combo #7 with 2 meets rice and nan. as a customer, i was satisfied not only by the food but also the great service. the worker gave me veggie curry so i can just try it out and the portion was like a side portion. the lady worker also provided us water service and both made sure if my dining experience was okay as i got to go bags.
the food was great, the service, was excellent.. price is decent.. overall, a great Indian food experience
San Diego, I'm so sorry for doubting you. I'm sorry for saying that I didn't think I could find decent Indian food here. I'm eating my words now.
This is seriously some of the best Indian food I've ever eaten. And the price! OMG. It's so cheap! I felt like I was robbing them with all the food I got. We ordered the 2 person combo because we couldn't decide/didn't know what to get. And, to be honest, I can't tell you the name of anything I ate. I just placed all my faith in the woman behind the counter and she did not do me wrong.
The mixed vegetable curry was my absolute favorite; it was so flavorful and delicious. It went perfectly with the piping hot naan and fluffy rice. The lamb curry was delicious as well, but the vegetable curry was definitely my favorite. The chicken roti was moist and delicious and we got four huge pieces. We couldn't finish all the food, and the combo meal could've easily fed three hungry people.
I live about a mile from this place, and this is probably bad news bears for me and my waistline. The bf and I have tried to rationalize that as long as we walk here from our place, we should be okay.
People thought this was:
i've been looking for some really good indian food around san diego and we finally found it.
the place is a little hard to find (especially considering we were driving there 10 minutes before closing). it's off miramar and in the back near all these offices. it's basically one little spot between other businesses.
we got the chicken tiki masala, seafood masala, potato naan, garlic naan, puffed poori, rice with peas, and the fried cheese.
fried cheese.. not a fan, but it wasn't bad. i think it's because mentally i was just expecting something like mozzarella sticks.
the garlic naan was super delish. the other naan + poori was made with wheat flour so it's a little more chewing but better for you.
the two curries were really good. i like the seafood one more only cuz we could sop it up with the naan. but there were big chunks of chicken in the tika masala and it was spiced just right.
definitely a place to recommend and come back to. the two guys that were running the shop last were really cool to cook everything when they were just about to close.
yum~ now i want more!
As others have said, the combo #3. Bet on it. Best bang:buck value for Indian food you'll get anywhere short of an impoverished nation.
The Rogan Josh, Chicken Makhani, Chicken Tikka Masala, and every other entree I've ever ordered has been great.
Good naan, decent kheer, and the lassi is passable, but those shouldn't be what bring you here. Entrees, people. Load up on them. =)
I love Punjabi. And not just because the name sounds like a dirty word, but because it is THE BEST Indian food I've come across. The combination of ample servings, lots of nan, and cheap prices makes it a winner. The owners are nice and will explain what certain dishes are if you're a novice like me and only know what nan and Chicken Tikka Masala are.
Their Combo#2 for $6.99 is the way to go: Rice, 1 chicken delight and dal, nan or roti, raita or kheer.
If you're really hungry, try Combo#3 for $7.99: Rice, choice of 2 meat curry, nan, raita or kheer.
The location is random, but SO worth the drive. The late closing hour makes it easy to try any night of the week.
I bet if Jamal Malik lived here, he'd eat up at Punjabi Tandoor.
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Its not too hard to get indian food right. But its very easy to get it wrong. There are slight nuances, slight texture changes, slight spice ratios that you can mess up. If you follow the common recipes though, use fresh ingredients, it should be fine right? Well the problem comes when incorporating meat in a dish that is to be somewhat stewed in a sauce. Tikka Malsala, chicken saag, for example, two distinct parts, one final product. Both parts have to be great, to make the final dish fantastic.
So here is where my problem for Punjabi Tandoor comes in.
I ordered the Chicken Tikka Malsala, chicken saag, basmati rice, garlic naan, and kheer.
Lets start with the kheer. A sweet dish which is basically stewed rice, sugar, milk. It was fine. I mean, its hard to mess that up. If anything it was a little starchy. I had a few bites of it after my meal. Fine.
The garlic naan. I tasted no garlic. The naan itself was fine if not a little cool. It could have been hotter. For some reason there seemed to be little more than usual oil on top of it. There were mini puddles. Not exactly what I am looking for. It was fine though.
Rice... rice was good. Moist, with a tiny tinge of oil. Not too oily, not dry, I liked it.
Chicken saag. OK I really did not enjoy this dish too much. The chicken they used for this dish was the worst grade possible. It was very fatty dark meat. you know the kind. The kind you bite into and the texture of fat outweighs the amount of meat. The saag itself was quite tasteless. I have had much better. Definitely NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Then the controversal dish. The chicken tikka masala. Here's the thing. The meat was chunks of chicken breast meat. It wasn't cut into tiny cubes, they were nice hearty chunks. When I got a good portion of sauce and chicken surrounded by my naan, it was very good. At first bite. At second bite... hmmm why does this taste dry? I then took a bite of the chicken with minimal sauce. It was dry. Jeez... this seemed to be good. The chicken was way too overcooked and the sauce did not reintroduce any of the lost juiciness. It was a big let down. Like I said earlier, the sauce and the meat have to be on par. Here, the sauce was good, great even... maybe, but the chicken was dry. When you put a lot of sauce all around it though, it turns aback into OK.
It was a huge let down. All these reviews put my hopes so high. Only to be let down by some dry chicken, tasteless fatty saag, and some mediocre kheer. Overall though, it was edible, it wasn't tasteless, so it was OK.
Do yourself a favor, go to Royal India Restaurant downtown. They know what they are doing.
People thought this was:
Every time I come here it's the best day of my life. Which means over the past four years I have had a hell of a lot of best days.
I've tried a lot on the menu, all great, but I typically go for the mushroom masala/saag paneer/garlic naan. And after I order I teeter on one of the dingy plastic chairs in a state of extremely impatient anticipation. The drive home is always terrible because the smells coming from the bag make me want to cut across all lanes, pull over, and eat with my hands at the side of the road. Yes, I have been known to run a red light under the influence of Punjabi Tandoor. When it comes to actually eating it, INTENSE TONGUE-GASM. Seriously. Your neighbors might actually ask you to keep your moans of pleasure down.
People thought this was:
A place that only focuses on the food. The best Indian food in San Diego hands down. It's no frill (plastic plates,spoons,forks and things like that) including the price which is cheaper than mcdonalds when comparing amount of food and suberb quality.
People thought this was:
I love this place. My girlfriend likes it but says she has had better. All my friends love it. They have the best nan. I love there vindaloo and masala. If you cone here you should have at least one freshly old school baked nan.
yikes.. I hate to do this but I have to knock a couple stars down on this updated review. The last time I was there my portions were significantly smaller.. not only that, but the chicken I got had only 1 piece of chicken in it in the entire thing! the sauce was still good though. And sadly my naan was a little too burnt. Sad :( I'd still come back for lunch but I don't know if I can rave about it the same way anymore..
People thought this was:
This place is definitely small, hole in the wall type joint. That means the 5 star rating isn't… Read more »
I stopped by this small out of the way restaurant on a whim. Several people were eating outside and there was one man waiting for his order inside. As I walked into the small restaurant I was greeted by the delicious aroma many kinds of food being prepared. I was unsure what to order and the man at the register was extremely friendly and helpful. I decided on a chicken dish, a shrimp dish, and some leaven bread. The prices are very inexpensive for obviously very authentic meals. As I sat and waited, people kept coming in. The place was packed by the time my order was ready. I drove my meal back home and my car smelled delish!! We enjoyed the food very very much. We will be back for sure.
People thought this was:
A hole in the wall place should not taste this good. Normally, I do not like it if my food is too hot, but this can be forgiven by the fact that the food is prepared fresh, and cooked after you order it.
Go for #7 for lunch, or #3 for dinner. MMMMM!
This restaurant beats any "fancier" Indian restaurant by a mile!
San Diego, CA
Category: Indian
San Diego, CA
Category: Indian
San Diego, CA
Category: Indian
San Diego, CA
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: Mira Mesa
Category: Indian
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