Tandoori Kona Restaurant- Slow Service, But Spectacular Indian Cuisine
Having lived in Richmond almost all my life, one would assume I know a lot of good hidden gem restaurants that reside here. But
nope, after my trip to Tandoori Kona, I realized I knew nothing about hidden gems in Richmond. How could I
have lived here for so long and not know about this fantastic, authentic, and
arguably the best Indian restaurant in Richmond?
Trixie, Misu, and I came to Tandoori Kona on a normal
weekday night and the place was packed. A guy waiting in line said that he and
his buddy waited for 45 minutes already so we almost decided to go somewhere
else. Good thing we didn’t.This restaurant is situated on Cambie and No.5
road in a relatively average strip mall.
weekday night and the place was packed. A guy waiting in line said that he and
his buddy waited for 45 minutes already so we almost decided to go somewhere
else. Good thing we didn’t.This restaurant is situated on Cambie and No.5
road in a relatively average strip mall.
I always have to order Mango
Lassi ($3) when I go to Indian restaurants and this time was no different.
🙂 I could tell their mango lassi was very fresh and the yogurt they used really
thicken up the drink to the point where it had the consistency of a milkshake.
The only criticism is that all three of us thought it was a tad lukewarm.
Lassi ($3) when I go to Indian restaurants and this time was no different.
🙂 I could tell their mango lassi was very fresh and the yogurt they used really
thicken up the drink to the point where it had the consistency of a milkshake.
The only criticism is that all three of us thought it was a tad lukewarm.
We were given Papadums
to munch on while waiting for our entrees. It was quite interesting and I liked
it despite it constantly getting stuck in my teeth. Maybe don’t munch on this
if you are on a first date.
to munch on while waiting for our entrees. It was quite interesting and I liked
it despite it constantly getting stuck in my teeth. Maybe don’t munch on this
if you are on a first date.
One thing I have to mention is that the service was
incredibly slow… like mega turtle slow. All in all, the meal took us about
2-3 hours because of all the waiting (from trying to get a table, to the food,
to paying the bill). I think it was just an off night though because all my
friends who go there regularly say it’s quite unusual to have to wait THAT
long.
incredibly slow… like mega turtle slow. All in all, the meal took us about
2-3 hours because of all the waiting (from trying to get a table, to the food,
to paying the bill). I think it was just an off night though because all my
friends who go there regularly say it’s quite unusual to have to wait THAT
long.
Trixie loves Butter
Chicken ($11.95) so we ordered that right away. All entrees come with naan
bread and rice pillau. This was surprisingly the best butter chicken I have
ever tasted! Their chunks of incredibly tender chicken swimming in an awesome
creamy sauce won my heart.
Chicken ($11.95) so we ordered that right away. All entrees come with naan
bread and rice pillau. This was surprisingly the best butter chicken I have
ever tasted! Their chunks of incredibly tender chicken swimming in an awesome
creamy sauce won my heart.
The Rice Pillau had
peas and flax seed mixed in it which was pretty cool. Misu in particular liked this A LOT.
peas and flax seed mixed in it which was pretty cool. Misu in particular liked this A LOT.
The Naan Bread came piping hot and was great but it just lacked a bit of softness. Next time, I am so substituting the
naan for garlic naan. I hear from Rae that their garlic naan is fantastic!
naan for garlic naan. I hear from Rae that their garlic naan is fantastic!
We only ordered two entrees to share between the three of us
and it was definitely enough. For people with bigger appetites though, one
entree per person would probably be ideal. Our second entree was lamb in a creamy curry sauce. I think it is called Shahi Korma (~$12.95) but I can’t quite remember. Anyways, it was
absolutely delicious. The lamb in particular was, like the chicken, wonderfully tender.
and it was definitely enough. For people with bigger appetites though, one
entree per person would probably be ideal. Our second entree was lamb in a creamy curry sauce. I think it is called Shahi Korma (~$12.95) but I can’t quite remember. Anyways, it was
absolutely delicious. The lamb in particular was, like the chicken, wonderfully tender.
All in all, Tandoori Kona is hands down the best Indian food I have had to date. Despite the slow service, I will come back to try all of their other dishes and garlic naan. 😀
Service Rating: 2.5/5 (based on this particular experience)
Food Rating: 5/5
Price: $$ ($10-20)
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Happy Eating!
I used to come here quite a bit when their naan was soft and delicious. But then it changed a few years ago, so I stopped going. Their butter chicken and rice are pretty good though 🙂
And the mango lassi!! Mmmmmm…