Maya Tandoori
My friend has been nagging me for weeks now to try out this Indian restaurant called "Maya Tandoori" in Surry Hills, Sydney. Having tried a lot of indian restaurants in the past and my fair share of them located in food courts, I kept refusing to try another "butter chicken" or "beef vindaloo". However, I did change my mind, maybe it was to shut him up or his nagging finally got to me, I don't know which. But at the end, I was glad that we tried it.
Located just opposite to "Maya Da Dhaba", this restaurant has two floors, which was a bit weird as to why they couldn't serve it all in the same place. Anyhow, we made our way upstairs, already having made up my mind that this restaurant would be the same as the others.We were seated at a table for two and were handed the menus. The items listed were priced around $16-$18, on average. It was priced cheaply which only made me further question the restaurant. Nevertheless, the waitress was polite and agreed to an order we made which was not in the menu.
We received a complimentary entree called "Kurkuri Onion & Spinach Bhaji" which is basically crunchy onions and spinach fritters together. It went great with the mint chutney which was also served as well alongside the entree.They were finished quick and the waitress was even generous enough to offer more, to which we declined. We were not about to be flattered by customer service. Bring the food on already!
The "Paneer Tikka Lajawab" was better than expected. Made from cottage cheese, it was too soft and eating it along with the onions was just a no go. Everyone knows how onions give you a bad breath!
On that note, I'd like to add that the lemon did add a big difference to the taste. However, if you do like onion, then that would be recommended.
The last entree we had ordered was "Hariyali Mint Chops". Four pieces of juicy tender lamb meat cooked to perfection.
It was perhaps the best lamb cutlets I've ever eaten in any Indian restaurant (others tend to be too bland or salty). I'd have ordered more if i hadn't ordered for what it is about to come next...
After we went ape over our entrees, the waitress cleared our table and brought us new plates, a knife and a fork before she set the mains on the table.
As you can see, we've ordered the lamb shanks, fried rice and three pieces of cheese naan. The butter paneer came a bit later.
The overall presentation of the food so far was great. Sorry if the pictures don't look appealing enough but that's what you would expect from a phone camera. It was a little weird as I did manage to attract a lot of stares. "Another instagram user" I know what they were thinking! Anyway, the cheese naans were soft and cheesy but satisfactory. I wish they could have been better since they were $3.80 each a piece whereas, other restaurants such as Zaffran in Darling Harbour serves three pieces for $4 each.
I was impressed with the lamb shanks, especially with the sauce that went great with the cheese naan. The meat was tender as expected of a lamb shank, however, it did seem to smell a tiny bit. If you love lambs, then it should be fine so it wasn't much of a bother to me. Do keep in mind that because I have a knack for spicy food, all the items ordered were spicy. The rice, on the other hand, was not cooked properly and what was annoying was quantity that they had served. If the rice isn't done proper then there is no point in serving a lot of rice, is there?
So would I recommend this restaurant? Maya Tandoori could do a lot better. Maybe replace the chef? Despite that, it is important to remember that because the price is a bit too low, the food will suit any person, on a budget, looking to dine at an Indian restaurant. The customer service was excellent with the waitress checking in every 20 minutes to make sure everything was going well. The ambience of the restaurant is also appealing and the soft indian music that plays in the background makes the experience a whole lot richer.
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