“Great, I’m early,” I thought, while walking to Tadka Indian Cuisine in McCully Shopping Center. After all, the restaurant opens at 5 p.m. for dinner.
I was wrong. At 4:45 p.m., there were already three other groups lined up at the door.
Two things you should know upfront: This restaurant doesn’t accept reservations (so get there early), and your whole party must be present in order to be seated.
Tadka Indian Cuisine opened quietly in August, but word has since spread. The executive chef — Ganesh Shrestha — was formerly at Bombay Palace and is still a partner/owner at Spice Up House of Indian Cuisine. Prior to Spice Up, Shrestha’s culinary experience included working in both New York and India for more than 10 years, so you can anticipate an authentic experience.
To start, we got vegetable samosas ($7.27) — crispy, pastries stuffed with a flavorful medley of spiced potatoes and peas that came with sides of tamarind and mint chutney sauces; it’s an absolute must-have — and pani puri ($8.31). The latter is a popular Indian street food dish that’s harder to find in Hawaii. The deep-fried, breaded spheres are filled with potatoes, onions and chickpeas and served with sweet-and-sour chutney. I enjoyed the delicate, crispy texture, but found the onions slightly overwhelming (onions have never been my favorite, but my dinner companions enjoyed this dish).
Other popular starters include an assortment of momo, or Nepalese-style dumplings served with tomato chutney. We got the vegetarian Jhol Momo ($14.55, $15.59 with chicken) — which came highly recommended — but I preferred the steamed chicken momo ($8.31 for five pieces), a flavorful combo of minced chicken, chopped onions and garlic with creamy tomato chutney on the side. The dumplings’ texture was on point for both dishes.
A must-get — and one of my favorite dishes of the evening — was the tandoori chicken ($19.19), which was marinated in yogurt and spices.
At first glance, you might assume this chicken would be dry, but rest assured that it’s juicy, tender and worth the preparation time. Even after it had been sitting on our table for 20-plus minutes, it was still juicy on the inside.
Next up: Curries. You can choose your spice level (mild, medium, spicy or extra spicy). Signature dishes include butter chicken in creamy tomato sauce ($18.99) and chicken tikka masala ($18.99), which features an onion-and-tomato sauce. We got the Goan-style coconut shrimp curry ($23.24) at medium heat, which proved to be too spicy for me. However, I enjoyed the lamb korma ($20.12), which came in a mild curry cooked in a cashew-and-almond sauce. It was slightly sweet with an aromatic, nutty flavor, and the chunks of lamb were flavorful but not gamey.
The eatery offers many vegetarian options, ranging from vegetable korma and Chana Masala ($16.63 each) — the latter is chickpeas cooked in onions and tomato sauce — to saag paneer ($16.63), a creamy blend of spinach, Indian cottage cheese and spices. The latter may not look appealing, due to its dark green hue, but the spinach-and-cheese combo is amazing.
While our group ordered a varied selection from the menu, there was still lots more to try. For my next visit, I have my eye on the lamb boti kebab ($21.27), which comes with a mix of yogurt, ginger, garlic and spices.
All curries and tandoori come with one complimentary order of rice (you need something to mop up the last bit of curry).
However, I highly recommend adding garlic cheese naan ($6.60) to your order. It’s big enough to share, and has a sufficient amount of cheesy flavor.
By the end of our meal, we were too full for dessert, but options include customer faves like rice pudding ($6.23) or mango lassi ($5.19), a homemade yogurt-based beverage.
My only regret (and I’m crying a little as I write this): the next time I go to Tadka Indian Cuisine, I’m sure the line will be even longer to get in.
Tadka Indian Cuisine
Address McCully Shopping Center 1960 Kapiolani Blvd. Ste. 109, Honolulu
Phone 808-941-0414
Hours 11 a.m.-2 p.m. lunch, 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays, closed Mondays
Instagram @tadkaindiancuisine808
Food: ****
Price: $$
Ambiance: ***
Service: ***
Parking: Free parking at McCully Shopping
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta’s column focuses on new restaurants and dining experiences across Hawaii. Follow Kelli on Instagram (@kellishiromabraiotta).
