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Tadka Indian Cuisine - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian [Edit]
229 E 53rd St(between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10022
Neighborhood: Midtown East
(212) 355-9660
- Nearest Transit:
-
Lexington Av/53 St (E, M)
51 St (4, 6, 6X)
59 St (4, 5, 6, 6X)
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
129 reviews for Tadka Indian Cuisine
Review Highlights
"chicken tikka masala is delicious."
(in 26 reviews)
"They even have whole wheat Naan."
(in 67 reviews)
"I usually get their Matar Paneer or Saag Paneer."
(in 13 reviews)
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129 reviews in English
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Review from Kristin C.
San Diego, CA
5/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I started this while visiting the city a couple months ago on a business trip and realized I never finished it...I ate, alone, at this restaurant on Valentines day and it turned my lonely night into something special. So here it is!
Currently I am sitting at the window table at Tadka and just finished the most amazing meal. I ordered the Tikka Masala Chicken and the very generous manager sent put lentils, nut/coconut stuffed naan, an incredible flat cracker like bread, I know the name but can't think of it...I believe it is cooked on a hot plate and they let it bubble up before they remove it, if I am thinking of the same bread....a fantastic yogurt sauce an crushed chili and some perfectly cooked rice. I feel like the dishes are never ending as more and more food arrives to my table.
Since starting this review, a bowl of rice pudding has now been sent out, a deliciously thick bowl of rice pudding.
I am speechless at how great the food is, how clean the restaurant and semi-opened kitchen is and how hospital everyone working here is. Truly a must visit place in NYC. -
Review from Em S.
San Francisco, CA
10/1/2011
This place was small - I'm talking 10' x 15' for the dining area & 5 tables - but it's quiet and has nice decor. I was craving Indian food after a flight and this did the job; the aloo gobi and tandoori paneer was pretty good. The only weird thing is that throughout the meal we kept hearing this strange sound, like someone whispering "z-dam- z-dam!" Halfway through the meal, we realized it was the door kicking in the wind.
Tight quarters, for sure, but a good place for a decent meal. -
Review from J C.
Manhattan, NY
9/22/2011
Definitely a take-out establishment (should have known by the BYOB scenario at the neighboring table).
Wandering down the seemingly random options on this stretch of 53rd St, we made the mistake of walking in to this tiny place, deliberating too long & wound up staying.
While the attempt to update the decor was made, it felt dingy and unclean. Most of the food was pretty good, but way overpriced for what it is (and for where you're sitting). -
Review from Suanne L.
4/25/2011
Tadka has great food that is very consistent. They're the same group as the people at Chola, which I love. Things are pretty affordable and portion size is great. My friend and I got an order of aloo baigan (potatoes & eggplant), chicken madras curry, and garlic naan. The waiter also threw in an onion naan and some dal tadka (yellow lentil soup). The aloo baigan was excellent, but could have used more eggplant. Chicken madras I should have asked to be spicier. The dal was great.
The location is really tiny (12 seats total perhaps?) and the place gets drafty (Thursday was especially windy and the place was quite cold). This unfortch, brings down the review a smidge. I'd recommend this place for a really casual night out, or better yet, for takeout. Tadka is BYOB, so that might warrant an extra star for you lushes. -
Review from Jelly H.
Brooklyn, NY
6/4/2011
Perfect naan!! The lamb in the lamb korma was boneless and succulently tender- this was the tenderest korma ive had yet. Unfortunately the spices are mild and the dish was rather bland.
This place is very tiny insid ed so your best bet is probably takeout most of the time, unless you go at a weird time -
Review from Sunny C.
New York, NY
4/4/2011
Great Indian food in Midtown East. We ordered aloo gobi and chicken tikka masala - both delicious, especially the masala curry. I took off one star because the chicken was kind of dry and maybe it was like tandoor chicken re-used for the masala.
Tadka is in a really small space, but the service is excellent if you get to sit down. We were immediately served a tray of that crispy fennel bread (name escapes me) and given seconds upon request. Our waiter gave us garlic and fruit naan on the house. And their naan is oh-so-good! Fluffy and doughy just the way I like it. :) -
Review from Pamela G.
Briarwood, NY
3/30/2011
In choosing between Baluchi's and Tadka for a quick lunch on a weekday, and given my disappointing experience at Baluchi's recently, we opted for the latter. I didn't even mind that the place was so small - maybe it wouldn't be as good if it expanded. I think it's really difficult to find good Indian cuisine in the city, but this place is a little treasure.
We had the lunch specials - Chicken Tikka and Saag Paneer - and they were both delicious! The chicken tikka wasn't too creamy (I find that this is usually my chief complaint at other restaurants). The special came with rice, naan and lentil soup.
Awesome food, awesome prices. -
Review from Roc R.
Astoria, NY
4/21/2011
Never had Indian food before (was always scared) so my co-worker took me to this place for my 1st experience and i was surprisingly impressed! I am not much of a meat eater so i had the Mattar Paneer and it had a little more curry than i would have liked but it was still very good and better than i expected. I recently went back and tasted someones order of chicken tikka masala and i loved that! I regret not exploring Indian food sooner!
Place is super cute and cozy (meaning tiny) but the wait staff are very attentive and polite.
I will def be back. -
Review from nikki n.
Los Angeles, CA
3/6/2011
While visiting NY i was craving indian food so so badly. Started browsing web and came across this tiny little IR.
IT seems like mostly they do is takeaway orders.but we decided to dine in which turn out to be great.
Amazing non-vegetarian dishes
chicken vindalooo
chicken butter
Lamb vindaloo
chicken saag
Vegetable briani
raidin naan
garlic bread
Everything was so delicious. Flawless customer service. If i visit ny again i will surely be visiting this place again. -
Review from Bahi K.
12/10/2010
On the recommendation of other Yelpers, I decided to order in (not to mention that I was stuck in a hotel and feeling especially lazy), so I surfed onto their website, checked out their menu and placed a call. I ordered their Punjabi Goat curry (Lamb Rogan Josh) extra spicy and their vegetarian buriyani -- both regular size.
What I got was a feast that could've easily fed three people. The vegetarian buriyani was best-in-class (heck, it even included tofu and okra!), and the goat curry was tender and tasty! The meal also came with some daal (free), onions, chilli, yogurt, chutney, extra white rice. The total came to $40 for everything (tax, tip, delivery) and I can honestly say it was worth it. -
Review from Wendy G.
4/12/2011
The place is tiny, and food is worse than chicken-over-rice or whatever street/truck food.
Regular menu is ridiculously over-charged for such horrible quality: $18 for a chicken masala dish, for example.
Unless you go for the $10 lunch special...while the food is still disgusting.
The food were basically all dumped to the trash at the end. -
Review from The S.
New York, NY
5/25/2011
Well, I should've known I'd be disappointed. After ordering my food, I saw "Egg Rolls" on the menu. The kitchen is filled with not one Indian person.... If you are in the neighborhood spend the extra $1 or $2 and get Brick Lane Curry House Too right next door. I don't have any issues with anyone, but if I want mexican food, I expect to see mexican chefs whipping it up. Italian, I expect to see some Italians in the kitchen.... You get the point. My Chicken Tikka Masala was WACK! Rice was the right flavor, but over cooked. The gravy for the Chicken Tikka was super watery, the spices was almost right.
Pros: Fast service. They're super friendly, the place is clean, the price is $9.95 for a lunch special. You get naan with your lunch special, you get side of daal too with the lunch special.
Cons: Flavorless. Who cares about ambiance when the food isn't tasty. -
Review from Monte B.
New York, NY
1/28/2011
My better half is extremely passionate about food. Particularly Indian food.
...recently....
Her, "hey, can I order Indian"
Me, "sure"
...5 minutes later...
Her, "I ordered from Tadka"
Me (silently), "oh (expletive). If this is anything like the food I got there the first and last time I ordered when I swore I'd never order from them again this is going to end badly. Just stay quiet and starting thinking positive thoughts. It can't be atrocious twice, right?"
...55 minutes later (great)...
food arrives
...1 minute later...
Her, "this is not good"
...3 minutes later...
Her, "this is the worst Indian food I have ever had. I'm craving Indian food and I cannot even force myself to eat it."
...the entire rest of the night as well as the following morning...
Me, "let's not even talk about it"
Her, "profanity/unfulfilled Indian food craving/never again/so pissed"
(rinse, repeat)
There are so many solid Indian restaurants near Tadka (Amma, Chola, Yuva, Bukhara, Dawat to name five within five blocks) I have no idea how this place survives serving food that is old school awful (bland/greasy/flat out unappetizing). -
Review from A G.
Wellesley, MA
4/16/2011
Ordered-in from Tadka tonight and polished off every bite.
We had chicken tikka masala, vegetarian korma, tandoori chicken, a side of naan and mango chutney. Everything was amazing and made with fresh, quality spices. Even the basmati rice was incredible; I could have eaten an entire container of it alone.
The restaurant thoughtfully included a small rice pudding which was the perfect end to our meal. Delivery (free within 10 blocks of Tadka) was prompt and the food (even the naan) was still hot.
One suggestion: The order of naan included only one large piece, so I'd order 2 if you love it as much as we do.
This is some of the best Indian food I've ever had in the US. Highly recommended. -
Review from Karen C.
10/8/2010
3.5 stars
Came around 7:30 on a Thursday and were about the only people in the (tiny yet cute) restaurant. I was excited to try it after hearing good reviews from friends and seeing good Yelp reviews.
The menu is completely different than the one on their website. It's not organized very well and not quite as extensive looking. My favorite, Lasoni Gobi was still there though so I can't complain too much.Food was good (lasoni gobi, chili chicken, chicken kali mirch) but nothing really blew my mind. Nice and spicy though. Naan was not as fluffy and a different texture (denser) than I am used to but flavor was good.
Service was OK - very friendly but SLOW considering how empty the place was. Food actually came out pretty fast but it was hard to get their attention at the end to get the check.
Loved that the naan and rice pudding they gave us were freebies "compliments of the chef." Never been to any restaurants that do that! With 2 apps and 1 entree the bill was $39+ tip.
Overall I'd come back but Mint on 50th b/w 3rd/Lex is still my fave in the area. -
Review from Logan A.
Minneapolis, MN
1/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was staying at a Lexington Avenue hotel, and found Tadka Indian Cuisine using the Yelp iPhone app. What a gem!
I had the chicken tikka masala lunch special even though it was well after lunch. It was wonderful and only $10. A whole menu of lunch specials was available for about the same price. The special includes the entree, rice, lentils and naan. I ate almost all of the very ample portions!
The dining room is miniature. The manager mentioned to several other customers that they deliver, so when I visit New York again, I will definitely do that. I suspect that's most of their business since there's only seating for about a dozen diners. -
Review from Amanda W.
Little Neck, NY
1/11/2011 2 photos
My friends and I were craving Indian and a little online research got me here at Tadka. Like other reviews have mentioned, the place is tiny; I probably wouldn't try to bring more than a table of 4 (6, maybe if necessary). We went around 1pm on a weekday and there was no wait, which was nice (but I'm assuming a lot of people order their food to-go, with all the offices around here).
The food was amazing. We were so happy with our ours (Chicken Kali Mirch, Lamb Vindaloo, and Chicken Vindaloo). The manager noticed us talking about the food and the place itself and made some conversation, asking us if it was our first visit, how we found the place, etc. He gave us more naan on the house. This is the part where my friends and I smile like crazy -- we love naan, and Tadka's is fluffy and crisp at t he same time and all around amazing. I only wish I hadn't gone there for lunch because I was so full for the rest of the day that I didn't eat dinner until around 9pm. Needless to say, the lunch special is an amazing deal.
The only downside to this place is planning your day around it if you aren't in the area. After eating, we decided to take the 6 down to shop around downtown/soho. Not a big deal, but I thought it was worth mentioning. -
Review from Chelsea D.
New York, NY
7/31/2010
A review of Tadka popped up in "new reviews near you" on my homepage, reminded me that I have yet to review this place. I don't generally like Indian food; I am unable to eat things that are remotely spicy because it hurts my entire face, but one of my BFFs loves Indian so I generally man up and go with her at least once during her visits to NYC. Though Tadka was a little too spicy for my tastes, she thought it was perfect. And to be honest, the food was great, if a little painful for myself.
At this point, I only remember what my dish was, and that was saag paneer. Very thick, with a nicely textured paneer. Incredibly flavorful, and went perfectly with the thick naan and rice with peas. I do remember that all of the other dishes at the table, whatever they were (I think one was chicken tikka masala), were just as flavorful and delicious. The entrees were quite large and we had plenty to take home with us afterwards.
Additionally, the service was excellent. The waiter was patient, explained some of the dishes to us, and was generally very accommodating, especially when it came to splitting the check and packing up our leftovers. They were kind enough to give us extra rice with peas to go with the insane amounts of entree we were bringing home!
Just an FYI, this place is not good for groups. I'd say the restaurant seats about 10 or so in total. We went with 4 of us in tow, and some awkward rearranging had to be done to seat us, we were on top of a similarly-sized group, and there almost wasn't enough room for all of our food. Regardless, the atmosphere and decor were nice. -
Review from Lisa H.
6/18/2011
DELICIOUS Indian food. Had the saag paneer and chicken tikka masala. Next time im trying the butter chicken. The servers are extremely hospitable. Warning: VERY small place!
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Review from Salimah D.
Los Angeles, CA
6/27/2011
This place is great. I went to NYC for a short trip last month and was craving indian food, so I yelped indian food options near my hotel. This place popped up, so I went in there blind. The place is really small, up a half flight of stairs, but the second you open the door, it smells delightfully spicy--great sign! Despite the size, they have made great use of the space and it was clean. I ordered the butter chicken with an order of naan. They brought over a complimentary daal and rice as well. Everything was up to my standards for indian food. I would recommend it to anyone in need of a quick indian food fix in a hot sec. My bill came out to be about $30 with tip.
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Review from Lindsay H.
Charlestown, MA
8/4/2010
My boyfriend and I were visiting NYC and really wanted to try some Indian food. Yelp led us to Tadka and what a wonderful delight it was!
The restaurant was very very tiny, but I guess this is no surprise for regulars in the New York area, for people from out of state like myself it was really hard to believe how any restaurant could survive in that small of a space. Our waiter was very friendly and polite and quickly took our orders off of the lunch menu. The lunch menu is a lot more economical- about $9.95 for more food than my stomach could handle. I opted for the Chicken Tikka Masala and my boyfriend the Shrimp Curry. The food arrived quickly and my taste buds were in love. The naan bread was fluffy and oily, to die for.
On our way out the waiter even held the door for us, continuing his polite and friendly attitude. I highly recommend this restaurant even for take out if you're in the area. -
Review from Ceda X.
Chicago, IL
6/8/2011
I never knew Midtown had such little hidden gems. Tadka was a bright and modern little nook of restaurant. The dinner prix fix with bread, soup, and main protein were all incredibly tasty. I've had Mattar paneer up and down Devon street in Chicago, and this tiny shop in New York totally killed it. I'm a little sad that I'm not eating it right now. I ate with a party of four because we ordered four entree dinner sets, we got free chicken tikka masala.
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Review from Catherine S.
New York, NY
5/2/2009
Yummy, yummy in my tummy.
The food was fantastic. I had the butter chicken everyone was raving about, and it was so good. It's like an improved version of the more common chicken tikki masala which is something I always order when I get Indian. The chicken is more tender, the sauce delicious with strong notes of sweet cream, tomato, garlic, basil. Yum.
My one criticism is that though the portions are sizable, it was a bit on the pricier side for Indian. Also the delivery took almost 1 hour from call time to receiving. I did call on a rainy day at the height of dinner delivery time, but 1 hour is a record for me in NY. So BEWARE if you are starving! -
Review from Carol S.
7/13/2009
First of all, I had a GREAT phone conversation with the man on the phone. He greeted me, put me on hold for like 5 seconds, and then came back on saying that he's so sorry to have put me on hold.
Then I gave him my address and we find out that we're practically neighbors! So he asks how I found this place and I say "Yelp." He is delighted to hear that, so he takes my order and gives me naan and a vitamin water on the house! Awesome!
The delivery was quick and the food was really good---I took everyone's advice and got the chicken marsala. The sauce was creamy and a little sweet and a little spicy. It didn't feel too greasy so that was great. There was also a side of beans and this other thing (I have no idea what it's called, but it looks like chopped garlic but its' NOT garlic and it's sweet!) Then there was this thin layer of something bready... and it was so good!
As you can see, I'm a "beginner" when it comes to Indian food. It used to scare me, but now I LOOOOOOVE it!!!
I totally give this place 5 stars. I love good customer service more than anything----working in the service industry myself. I support this place & highly recommend!
Cheers Tadka! -
Review from Deborah H.
New York, NY
5/23/2008
I was somewhat wary about coming here because I didn't realize they had a lunch menu, and the dinner menu is somewhat pricey. Whew! They only serve stuff from the lunch menu during lunch, period. The selection is still great and the portions are generous: you get your choice entree, rice, and naan for 8-10$. Better yet, if you come with multiple people, they assume you want to do family style and bring out sharing plates for everyone. Woo!
We tried the lamb vindaloo (WOO-WEE. This was superbly spicy, even for Ms. I-Dumped-Two-Tablespoons-Of-Spicy-Stuff-Into-My-Ra men-And-Still-Ate-It. It made me cry but I kept going) and the chicken kali mirch (This was my first time having this and it was AWESOME: peppery, creamy, and corianderish). The meat in both curries was tender and flavorful. The naan was light and crispy rather than doughy, but it was an enjoyable texture that went really well with the richness of the curries.
The place was pretty packed and there's only enough seating for about twenty people. They most likely cannot accommodate parties larger than four unless you call ahead. They do take out and to-go.
I found my staple dine-in Indian restaurant!!! -
Review from Sina B.
Manhattan, NY
8/5/2009
I started ordering from Tadka through my job on Seamless Web. Every Wednesday Tadka would appear on the list of restaurants. This was a good thing because Tadka lunch helped me get through the day.
Their food is the best Indian food I've had in a long while. Almost rivaling the famous Jackson Diner. I usually get their Matar Paneer or Saag Paneer. They even have whole wheat Naan! Excellent.
But the best part is that the restaurant is excellent to visit as well. I decided to visit after enjoying Tadka from afar. The owner (or manager?) is so very nice and personable. He made us feel like we were at home with his hospitality. And again, the food was awesome.
I highly recommend this restaurant for any occasion. They do cater to I believe! -
Review from Berk U.
Cambridge, MA
2/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
I discovered this place through Yelp about a year ago and I have to say it's absolutely one of my favorite Indian restaurants in the city.
Tadka is a little more expensive than most of the Indian restaurants that I've found on Curry Hill but they make up for it with excellent tasty dishes which do not hold back on using on key ingredients - if you've ever had a curry with more sauce than meat / cheap cuts of chicken or lamb, you'll know the importance of what I'm talking about.
To date, all of the curries that I have tried have been excellent and I can't find a single complaint about the the naan. Most of the main dishes come with a complimentary side of rice as well as lentils - which is great if you're on a budget. Personally, I would advise you to try out the Lamb or Chicken Biryani which is incredibly filling and can often double as lunch the following day.
The restaurant is tiny but also relatively quiet. Being in midtown, I figure that they're more of a lunch spot than a dinner spot. The plus side is that you won't need a reservation to enjoy some Tadka tastiness. The downside, however, is that there is only 1 waiter and he is somewhat passive (though very easy to get along with) - just to say that you might have to go out of your way in order to get a check or order desert. -
Review from Sherry C.
Forest Hills, NY
5/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Tiny, tiny restaurant, great food, excellent service.
Their rice pudding is one of the best I've ever tasted.
Warm, fluffy naan (garlic and fruit are the best), complementary lentil soup is always great.
I favor Tadka over its sister restaurant Dhaba in Curry Hill. -
Review from chase m.
New York, NY
11/3/2009
Food/Drinks: definitely thumbs up! Very flavorful, we ate so much it was almost hard to walk out. Dishes you can't go wrong with:
Butter Chicken
Chicken Vindaloo
Garlic Naan
Price: $-$$ decent price for yummy food!
Service: excellent! Very friendly staff, and super nice restaurant owner!
Ambiance: casual, cozy & warm
Groups: might not be great for big groups (4 people max)...it's a tight space
Would I come back? no doubt!! GREAT food, GREAT service.
Thanks for the sweet ball dessert!!! -
Review from Lara R.
New York, NY
1/17/2008
Sinuses? OPEN!
Naany magic... this place was pretty teeny. And the door to get in was heavy enough to make you feel like you'd had a full upper body work-out. It was clearly set up more as a carry-out locale, but I'd opt again to dine in. The servers was super nice (even if not super quick -- all you had to do was flag them down though and no issue).
My sister and I started off with the garlic naan, which was most fabulous. I ordered the kali mirch chicken. Even though there was mention of black peppercorns, I don't think I was quite anticipating the spiciness that followed -- even though I must admit I really liked it. Mmmm. The sauce was fabulous and even better when I drowned my naan in it...
My sister got the chicken tikka masala, which was also quite good (I snagged a couple of bites). The server brought us free plain naan (score!). We then each got an order of gulab jamun to go (I tried this one in the comfort of my own home - quite tasty). They then brought us out an order of sooji halwa. I was at first afraid it was chawal ki kheer, the rice pudding I am *so* not a fan of. Last time they brought it out to us at Brick Lane, I wanted to cry. I was relieved it was not. It kind of tasted like a really sweet couscous. I really liked it. I might actually opt for it over the gulab jamun next time - I know, I've likely defected...
All-in-all, I feel like some places that cater more to the carry-out scene don't quite deliver the same degree of quality when you dine in. I think Tadka was the complete opposite. I've never been somewhere where I've received so much free stuff (without an order being *seriously* screwed up) and felt so appreciated. Three cheers for some Tadka-style lovin'. I'm a fan and will be back for more ;-)Listed in: Meals, please?
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Review from Amir T.
New York, NY
2/13/2008
I have honestly never encountered a place to which I wanted to give five stars on strictly the service alone, but alas I've found it. Once, I accidentally left my debit card at Tadka, after pay for a pick-up order. The owner called me back promptly and told me that I had left my card and he held it for me until I was able to come back and pick it up. That is not, however, to discount the food which deserves 5 stars as well.
I work in the midtown east area, and I have tried the majority of Indian places in the east 50s for lunch, and this own outshines them all. I have ordered nearly all the vegan dishes and they are truly amazing. I personally recommend the Lasoni Gobi. It's reminiscent of a Chinese dish, but has prevalent Indian flavors. The restaurant is a little small, but the impeccable service makes it cozy.
If you're looking for the typical Indian Wham Bam buffet, this isn't the spot, but if you want some great food and even better service, there's none better. -
Review from Ania M.
Brooklyn, NY
8/14/2009
Yum! They have a fantastic dinner special for about 15$: it includes rice, naan, some tasty vegetables, and dal, in addition to whatever delicious thing you choose to have. I've had both the lamb rogan josh and chicken kali mirch, and both were great. (If you don't see what you want on the dinner special menu, ask if you can get something off the regular menu as a dinner special--that's how we scored the rogan josh).
The first time I went, I was greeted by very friendly people, and I was so happy about everything being so delicious that the manager brought me some free kheer for dessert (also very good!). The last time I was there, I went with a friend and neither of us were totally starving. We split a dinner special and some kheer, and it was the perfect amount to eat--all for around 20$ not including tip.
This is definitely my favorite indian restaurant in NYC so far. Just make sure to come a little bit outside of the dinner rush, because there are only 12 seats. -
Review from Arvind A.
New York, NY
7/14/2011
I ordered delivery thinking they could solve my hunger for Kati Rolls. The calcutta chicken tikka roll is not good. It comes on a roti versus a paratha. They put lettuce on it which was not mentioned in the description. This completely killed the sandwich, however the quality of the chicken was decent.
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Review from Melicious B.
Huntington Beach, CA
9/13/2009
I'm visiting NYC for a couple days and found this place on yelp. The restaurant is tiny, I think it could seat maybe 15 people. We ordered off the lunch menu which is about $10, with rice and naan and some lentil soup. I got the chicken tika masala and it was delicous. my sis got the lamb and she enjoyed it. I thought the lamb was OK.
It was a good little hidden Indian joint.
I'd recommend it! -
Review from Leslie R.
New York, NY
1/16/2008
Loved it! I've had a hard time finding the right Indian restaurant in NYC, and this has definitely been my favorite so far, BY far! My sister and I shared an order of the garlic nan; for our main dishes, she ordered the kali mirch chicken and I ordered the chicken tikka masala. The sauces were flavorful and spicy, and the chicken was white meat (a plus for me, anyway!). For desert we ordered the gulab jaman, which was definitely tasty.
As a bonus - the manager brought us a complementary order of plain nan and an order of sooji halwa, a desert I hadn't ever tried before. The service was a tad slow at times, but always friendly and welcoming. I loved everything I ordered, and what I tried of my sister's order. I'll definitely be coming back!
I think they do most of their business in delivery and takeout, but there is table service as well. It's not too cheap, but the portions are big and I usually have some leftover for lunch the next day. -
Review from Audra G.
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, NY
1/26/2010
53rd Street has become the East 6th Street of midtown! I had no idea that there were so many Indian restaurants popping up there. I was very pleased with Tadka. It was chosen based on other user reviews. The space is very small, only seating about 12 people in the whole restaurant but we went around 9PM and were seated immediately. We asked our server for a recommendation on his favorite dish and he suggested a chef's special that wasn't on the menu. It was quite good. Throughout the course of our meal, they dropped two complimentary vegetable dishes on the table for us to taste. What a nice touch!
For three curries and three naans, the total was only $55.00. Can't beat that. The flavors of the food were very good. A spicy lamb dish, a creamy chicken dish and saag paneer was a great combo.
I imagine most of their business is take out and delivery since their seating area is so small.
If I am ever back in midtown craving Indian food, I will definitely go here again. -
Review from Nish R.
Chicago, IL
12/24/2008
Went there on a Saturday. Great fresh Indian food. Owner was very friendly. Nice ppl good food. Only negative is that the place is tiny.
1/24/09
Went there again at lunch time on a weekday. Wasn't so impressed with the food this time. I guess you can't blame the place for serving up pre-cooked food at the lunch hour rush. It was stil good but not as fresh as the last time I went there. -
Review from Howard R.
Manhattan, NY
10/21/2011
I went here based on the reviews and I was not disappointed. I do love Indian food and this place did not disappoint. The service was a little slow but otherwise it was a great place. Defiantly recommend.
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Review from Veronica N.
New York, NY
6/17/2010
I came here around lunchtime for their lunch specials but be careful because they close between meals!
For $9.95 you get naan, rice & an entree; we had the Lamb Vindaloo & Lamb Saag. The Lamb Vindaloo's sauce was on the more tomato-y side but was very tasty & the lamb was perfectly moist/tender. The Lamb Saag and naan was good too. Portions are perfect for lunch, we actually had some leftovers to wrap up.
The restaurant itself is really small but decorated in a modern style to match their menu. The waiter was really helpful & opened the heavy door for us too on the way out. -
Review from xteethx b.
Atlanta, GA
8/3/2010
Food was great but service was even better. This is the first restaurant where the service overshadowed the food because it went over and beyond my expectations; a little goes a long way. Every ten minutes they gave us stuff that was "on the house": mango chutney, onion chutney, fruit naan, cheese naan and dessert. (And no I promise I wasn't flirting or showing any cleavage or anything.) They gave us so much that we used the table next to us to fit all the plates.
The food was good... Honestly I don't remember the names of everything we ordered but with service like that I'd come back any day.
