Punjabi Tandoori

I was in the mood for some Indian food and couldn’t be bothered cooking so decided to try Punjabi Tandoori which I pass every time I go to Vietnamese supermarket on Days Rd.
We had Cheese-​garlic naan, jeera rice, malai kofta, eggplant masala and tandoori chicken.
The portions were all well sized and we ordered enough for 4 people, so had left overs being two. We phoned in a take away order after finding their menu on their website. The phone was answered promptly and the food was ready in 20 minutes. The décor inside is nice and the atmosphere reminded me a lot of places we went to in India.
I was a little disappointed with the food however. For a restaurant that has tandoori in its name I was expecting fluffy hand flattened naan hot out of the tandoori oven and succulent pieces of chicken cooked on the bone. What I got was naan rolled with a rolling pin and cooked in a frying pan and over cooked and dry tandoor breast pieces of chicken.
The malai kofta was good and had a nice level of heat in the rich creamy sauce and the koftas were soft and tasty.
The eggplant masala was smoky and flavorful, but a bit more texture would have been nice.
The jeera rice was also well cooked.
Overall it was a pretty average meal, it wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t terrible.

If I’m ever down in the north-​western suburbs and feeling like Indian food, I turn to Punjabi Tandoori. Located down Days Road, the two-​storey building might not seem impressive, but I can always count on the food to be both filling and delicious. The prices are good, the servings are generous, and one dish is good for sharing between up to 3 people.
The menu isn’t particularly exciting, but there is a good range of meats and vegetarian dishes in which you will likely find a popular favourite. I can’t comment on the infamously hotter dishes because I am a bit precious when it comes to spicy foods, but their other milder dishes have smooth, spicy flavours that aren’t overpowering, and the smells don’t tend to linger on your person.
Any dish swimming in their spinach/​saag, with or without meat, is a favourite of mine — I’ve even tried to recreate it. Their eggplant masala is also a nice combination of eggplant and tomato with hints of ginger in the mix.
As one of of those precious people, I always have to ask for my dishes to be prepared mild, and I’ve still had to have a glass of milk on hand. Fortunately, this doesn’t affect the flavour, unlike some chilli-​dominated foods elsewhere. For those who like spicy foods though — dive right in. Great for clearing blocked noses. I have found that some dishes, however, and in particular their naan bread, can be a bit oily.
I haven’t yet eaten inside the restaurant, and have only gotten take-​away with them, but even before the fella and I established ourselves as regulars, the owners have been very friendly and the service is good.