Tandoori Corner

I would give this place no stars because honestly when I have to wait 10 minutes to order and theres only one other person in the whole restaurant who is already eatting. There were 4 things on the menu that were not offered, keep in mind that there are only about 12 things on the menu to begin with (including dessert). The employees were rude and the food was awful and overpriced. The naan bread was chewy and not at all flaky or delectible. The curry was gross, you could not tell what you were eatting and it seemed the curry was on the simmer for a few. more days than needed and it was greasy. The crêpe was bland with no taste at all and the crêpe being undercooked and chewy. All in all the food was inedible. Save your money because costco pizza or mcdonalds taste better and you get better service.

Every time I hear about a new Indian (or similar) restaurant, I feel obligated to go and try it out for 2 reasons: 1) because my friends think I’m the expert on Indian food and 2) because I AM the expert on Indian food (kidding, but not really). Actually, I’m just always on the lookout for a viable option to Maharani b/​c in my books they are the standard for this type of cuisine in Hawaii.
So my gf had purchased a groupon to Tandoori Corner and had been wanting to try it out for some time, so we decided to give the place a shot. The staff there was really friendly actually and they explained to us that not all the dishes were available on all the days, and since we had gotten there rather late in the day, some of the items were already sold out unfortunately. It wasn’t a huge problem for us… we just wanted to try something, so we ordered chicken vindaloo, tandoori chicken and pulao rice since they were out of biriyani. It took about 10 minutes for the food to come out to us, and it smelled quite delicious, so we rushed home to eat our meal with two of our friends who were waiting eagerly to join us in devouring this meal.
…
You know, usually if I have nothing nice to say about the restaurant, I just don’t say it, unless the owner is an a**hat (see my review of Antonio’s poor excuse for a pizzaria). On the contrary, the staff and owner were wonderful — this is one of those instances when I’ll leave comments about this restaurant because I really like the people that were running it and am hoping that they can take the time to improve their food. I would really recommend that they try out some of their competition and have the chef practice perfecting the dishes.
I’ll keep this brief and to the point:
The tandoori chicken was a bit bland, lacking salt and overall flavor — seems like they toned down the spices for whatever reason. The vindaloo chicken was lacking chicken, and was WAY too salty; also missing any real flavor to it. The pulao rice… oh god, the pulao rice… Sorry, but I’m not going to be nice about this — YOU DON’T COOK PULAO RICE IN A FREAKIN RICE COOKER!!! Shame on you!
OK, I’ll stop there… thinking about the rice is making me upset. I really hope that the restaurant owners can take a moment to experience some of the other Indian restaurants here — they should go to say Maharani and see, smell, taste what they’re doing and try to implement at least some of that in their cooking. I really wish the best for those guys. And I know that side of the island deserves a good Indian restaurant; I’m hoping Tandoori Corner can step it up and provide that.
Normally I would give this 2 stars, but again, the staff and owner (I think that was the owner) are really great people, so that alone deserves another star.
Oh and one last comment for Indian/​Meditteranean/​Egyptian restaurants in Hawaii… pleeeeease stop toning down your food to appease the masses. Some of us WANT to eat food with spices. Some of us WANT flavor in your dishes. Stop trying to make your food bland and tasteless so that the average joe can be happy… they can go to Zippy’s for that! This type of cuisine is built on the use of spices, so please use them! Make your food memorable!!!

Had take out delivered, but now wish I didn’t.
My friend had gone and had some kind of Groupon so he brought back some food for us all to share. I love Indian food, so the idea of a new place opening up in Aiea intrigued me. I wish I could say that it was stellar.
First of all apparently they no longer make Samosas… bad. They also do not make, or was out of, Biryani… WHAT?! If the rice they serve with the dishes was basmati; then I’m from Mumbai. The Tandoori Chicken was okay. The Tikka Masala was surprisingly bland, not medley of spices, just bland. The Chicken Vindaloo, which was the most flavorful, was actually comparatively bland as well.
I’m left wondering what the hell: Steamed rice, bland Tikka Masala, and no Samosas! Luckily my friend owed me money so I didn’t have to cough up any cash. I heard that the people were very nice, so I do feel for them; but it seems that they need to change something.
Pretty cheap; but similar places like Govindaji’s or Komala Curry House better… ok…well…just go to Govindaji’s. Well at least it serves as something different in Aiea.
Would like to provide a better review, but will have to decline this time around.

Great food, that’s a little pricey, in odd-​ball surroundings.
As I walked around Waimalu Shopping Center, hungry and looking for something to eat, I was pleasantly surprised to find … Indian food! The pictures and light scent of curry drew me in, as I studied the sign board outside, and convinced me it would be worth a try.
«This is odd.» Those were the first words out of my mouth, when I stepped into Tandoori Corner/​Aloha Crepes. Two separate restaurants, occupy the same small space, counter to counter. Both restaurants offer entrees, desserts and drinks … it puts you in the socially scratchy position of ordering from one person, and not from the other, both of them looking at you, standing five feet apart.
It’s an EXTREMELY casual atmosphere, bordering on shoddy. But Shay and Greg, the counter people on the Tandoori side, more than make up for it with bright smiles, and friendliness. Although they have a leaflet menu, it’s wiser to choose from the wall menu, which changes with the chef’s mood and supply of fresh ingredients.
On to the food, which is fabulous, in a KCC cafeteria sort of way — 90% of what you order is scooped from a pre-​made pan, onto your plate. Depending on who you are, that can be a good thing. Served up in the industry standard, bought-​from-​Costco styrofoam trays with white plastic flatware, my meal came hot and fast.
My Chicken Vindaloo was amazing. Fragrant, full flavored with balanced curries and peppers — it paired wonderfully with the perfectly prepared Basmati Rice. The Saag Aloo (creamed spinach and potato) was a surprise superstar item, and I’m getting hungry for another bite of the Mushroom Makhani, as I speak. They were OUT OF NAAN (boo hiss!) the day I was there, but the Paratha Roti flatbread made up for it, kind of. Honestly guys … «Tandoori Corner» was out of naan? That’s like L&L Drive Inn being out of rice … seriously.
My wife’s Mahimahi Coconut Korma was outstanding. To finish the meal, Shay talked me into trying a Mango Lassis … a kind of Indian yogurt smoothie. I hate yogurt. I hate anything yogurt. Well, I should say, I hatED anything yogurt, because I wound up loving this. It grew on me. Now I want another one. Hmm.
The food was great, and oh yes, I WILL go back again, hopefully soon. But the atmosphere is dauntingly weird. «That was odd» were the last words out of my mouth, as I left.

Sketchy… pretty much everything about Tandoori Corner is sketchy… except the food. The food we had there today was solid. I enjoyed it very much… in spite of the abundant sketchiness that surrounded it.
The cleanliness of the place was clearly sketchy. I’m not kidding; as we were waiting to order, my dining partner flicked a roach off the counter and stomped it.
A significant minority of the numerous crew members were sketchy. The one I had the longest conversation with never made eye contact, not once. It was odd. However to be fair, a most of the crew was friendly, helpful, and non-​sketchy.
The whole layout of the place is sketchy. It’s two and a half separate businesses crammed into one tiny store front. At one end of the counter you can get appetizing Indian food from Tandoori Corner. At the other end on the same counter you can get a very wide variety of crêpe creations from Aloha Crepes. In between, you can get a smoothie! Again, it was odd.
I don’t know if you can call their pricing «sketchy,» but you can call it high. Our lunch for two came to $ 35, but we did get plenty to eat.
If you’re like me and you’re willing to tolerate some significant sketchiness once in a while to get some tasty Indian food, Tandoori Corner is the place to go in Pearl City/​Aiea.

I got take out from Tandoori Corner and was pleased with the food but pretty disappointed in the price. I got two plates with extra naan, but ended up paying over $ 35! I’m not sure if this was an error when ringing me up or what exactly happened. I didn’t notice it until I was pretty far from the store, so I didn’t get to ask about it. I should have paid more attention when he was swiping my card, but I was in a rush that day…
I’d be willing to give it another chance and will hopefully be able to update my review with more positives in the future.
On the plus side, the guy (I believe he is the owner) was very friendly and talkative, and quite the entrepreneur – he also had a video rental store as part of the restaurant!

The fambam decided (actually I did) to try out Aloha Crepes for dinner and dessert. Haven’t been there just drove by it whenever we’d eat at Shiro’s. Sooo… before I babble any further, this review IS on Tandoori. I just wanted to let everyone know that it is connected with Aloha Crepes. So we decided to eat Tandoori for dinner and have crepes for dessert (review to be posted up shortly).
We took awhile to order; looked at the pictures in the restaurant, the stand of pictures outside as well as the take out menu. The fambam is not familiar with Indian food, and I’ve tried it a few times, but wouldn’t call myself an expert to the tastings of Indian food.
The great thing about this place is they let u sample each dish available which is great for us and for those who are unfamiliar with Indian/​Fusion cuisine. Unfortunately not all items listed on the photocopied menus are available. The counter worker told me that the cook makes his dishes and it’s whatever he brings we serve. This tells me that no meals are made at the restaurant (excluding their smoothies of course), and there’s only a select items to choose from. Out of the 9 entrees listed on their menu, only half of the items were available. We sampled the mahimahi (Okay-​we ordered this), chicken something (bleh– sauces with onions, garlic, and spices), and the salmon something (eh, so-​so). I decided not to choose any sides (not much to choose from), so I went with all rice.
Okay so the food. It was okay. It was the best out of the 3 samples we tasted. The mahi was moist and the sauce was good. The rice was very dry and again I do nit know how its supposed to be, but it was waaay too dry for my liking.
The staff was friendly and also offered us water. Seating is limited, I think there were only 5 – 6 tables, and the place is rather small.
Overall the food was okay. I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here, so I give this place 2.5 — 3 Stars.

i don’t really know how to rate this place because i’ve never tried their food. WANNA try it. haven’t tried it.
the 2 times i’ve walked in to order, i have ended up walking back out due to long waits, which appear to be a result of lack of necessary staff, and utter lack of any semblance of organization. you walk in, and it’s a cramped tiny cell of chaos. WAY too much is going on in this place, and it’s so poorly set up. the girl who was working today was visibly distraught, and grumpy. it doesn’t look good to potential customers to see that kind of vibe.
anyway, i came home and then called back to order ahead for dinner. the gentleman who answered asked me to hold, then came back to sort of sigh and ask me what i had planned on ordering because they were out of many items — at 4pm. ugh! i understand that the food is prepared elsewhere and brought in, but how long can this place survive under that sort of setup? it doesn’t allow any flexibility for demand. how do you expect to make any money and get loyal customers when you frequently run out of items?
regardless… i WILL keep at them until i’ve tried the food. if it’s good indian, i’ll weather through the owner’s storms for the sake of good indian on this side of the island. but not many people are so forgiving. get your stuff together! please! :)
note: i’m gonna give it 4 stars now, in anticipation of above average indian grub if i ever get it… to be continued.

Went in and waited for almost 10 minutes. It wasn’t busy, but we were ignored. Finally we gave up and left. There were only three things on the menu. Not worth it. I’m giving it one star because it smelled good by the crêpe counter.

Saw this place a while back but kept forgetting about it. Finally tried them for lunch. Looks like they do the Indian/​Nepalese food towards the back and crepes in the front. As a previous poster noted, they are still trying to work out the kinks. Ordering wise and menu wise and just trying to run things a lot smoother.
Anyway, I ordered the chicken Tikka Masala and Saag Alo. Came with 2 scoops of rice. It was a lot of food. I couldn’t finish it and brought home the leftovers for my kids. To me, it was a little bland. But then again, I’m not an expert on this kind of food. I also got an order of Roti. I liked that… a lot. There were a lot of different sauces I could have added but I just went au natural from the kitchen.
Overall, I’d go back again. I think I would go earlier to have more choices. The prices sere okay. For me and my wife, it came out to around $ 26 bucks. Two 2-​choice plates, and order of Roti and two bottled waters. If we don’t have time to drive out to town, Tandoori Corner will do.
PS. The crepes looked pretty good.

I’ve been eating at Tandoori Corner for a few months now since I found out about it. As a vegetarian I love that there are always several selections to choose from. The smoothies are great too, pistachio and the acai-​based «chocolate mystery» are favorites.
Flavors are always great, I never had a dish that was to spicy. Calling in your order for take out is recommended.
They recently added «Aloha Crepes» as a double-​offering. Fruity, chocolately, peanut buttery, and veggie options available. Some meat and pizza options too. And $ 5 each right now as part of their grand opening!
The new layout has better feng shui or something, or the crepes must be really popular, because now I notice about twice the amount of customers. Still not a long wait though.
If you live or work in Aiea/​Pearlridge area, definitely add this stop to your regular lunch or dinner rotation.

If you live west of town and you’re in need of a quick fix for Indian food, check this place out! Their chef is the same chef from Himalayan kitchen, so if you’re a fan of them, then this place is for you.
*WARNING* It isn’t your «traditional» type of Indian restaurant… it’s a takeout version of it, so don’t expect to go in and speak Hindi and have the server understand you. The two guys that are running it are still working out the kinks and will soon be re-​vamping everything with a new chef and a tandoori oven.
Also, if you’re a fan of Acai bowls, give this place a shot! I would rank it right behind the Diamond head cove health bar (considered best on the island)

Bottom line up front: 3.5 for food and price. Another 0.5 for great service.
So this was my first visit here. This place is close to where I live now in Aiea. I did not know this place existed in the Waimalu plaza until I saw a «15% off on two plate lunches, or a free smoothie» coupon in valpack. I had to try it out.
Turns out that this place serves the Nepalese/​Indian fusion food from Himalayan Kitchen on 11^th and Wailiae. The owner of Himalayan is the brother in law of the gentleman who owns this place.
When we got there it was less than 45 min before the place closed (930pm). There was one female customer watching grainy Hollywood videos on a tv. There were about 17 or 18 seats spread among a handful of tables. In addition there were six stools arranged bar style at one wall. It was interesting to note that they rent Hollywood movies $ 3 for one and $ 5 for two. Also, they had a mini selection of Indian masalas and pickles and things for sale.
The prices were reasonable. Plate meals for $ 10 for two items and $ 12 for three items. The food selection seemes more limited than the drinks options, oddly enough. You can pick many drinks including many lassis and smoothies. They also offer iced tap water.
The food came out quickly. It was more than enough (I got a three item plate with chicken Vindaloo, saag paneer, and a samosa. I also got a garlic naan for about 3.50. The food was good. The only bad part was that the naan was cool, dry, and too chewy. It must have been sitting out or in the fridge for a while. At the end of the meal, we were given a little taste of cheer for free dessert. Of note, the service was outstanding. My water glass was refilled multiple times and the owner was very friendly and pleasant even though we got there right at closing time. We got a little over four dollar discounted, which I promptly put in the overflowing tip jar. They do not take American Express, so I paid in Visa, except for the cash tip.
I will definitely try this place again. Although next time I will go earlier in the day — and also try a smoothie or a lassi.

Tried this place back in June 2010 not long after they opened. I did not like it at all, food was very bland and they were out of many items. I wanted to give them some time to settle in and give them another try before I commented. Figure they needed some time perfecting transporting the food from Himalayan Kitchen which I’m pretty certain is where they bring their food from.
I think I have a good idea of what Indian food should taste like. Indian workers shared their food with me in Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and I’ve visited many restaurants in the Little India district of Singapore.
Service was fine until I asked about the rice concoction that I had chosen for an additional $ 1.50. It looked delicious with raisins and nuts but as I started to eat it I noticed a slimyness not unlike natto (soybeans fermented with Bacillus Subtilis bacterium causing slimyness) and a faint sourness reminding me of rice that has sat out too long. He explained how it was made and brought over from the main restaurant; all I wanted to know was if it was supposed to be slimy/​sour; I couldn’t finish it and I like to eat natto.
I wish them luck, but they really need to pick up the flavor, simply looking like Indian food doesn’t cut it for me.

THIS PLACE IS A JOKE… WE WENT OUT TO EAT SOME INDIAN AND SAW REVIEWS ON ANOTHER WEBSITE. AND WE SAT DOWN THEY COOKED ACTUALLY COOKED CHICKEN TANDOORI IN THE MICROWAVE AND THE NAN… THE FOOD WAS DISCUSTING AND WE ENDED UP PAYING 50 BUCKS FOR FOOD OUR DOG COULD MAKE!!! you better believe we Will and i mean we WILL be telling everyone we know about this place and will never return there!!!

Overall a 2.5 for portion-​to-​cost ratio and .5 for being the only indian restaurant in the west side and welcoming service. The food was good but I dont think it was really worth its price for the amount ($ 10 for plate lunch style with a scoop of rice, entrée, and 1 side veggie.) Anyway, upon entering on a sunday during prime lunch time, the place was completely empty and only another group of 3 came by when we were half way through eating, in which only 2 of them ordered. They did seem like regulars though because they asked about some of the products that they sold on the side shelf.
As for the food, the guy told us that its very limited because the chef is cooking up more stuff, okay, well it would have been nice to have more selection but o wells. For my plate lunch I ordered the shrimp coconut korma with a side of some kind of mixed veggies that actually had small pieces of sliced chicken in it so that was a nice touch. The side came cold though so that was a bit interesting. The shrimp came with 9 small pieces of shrimp and nothing else really in the curry besides a small chunk of potato. The curry was good but I just wish it had more pieces of potato or something else to give it some substance. The side was also good and actually carried some heat so that was nice. I also ordered the garlic naan because I love naan and I wanted to give theirs a try but to my disappointment it was not the soft and fluffy kind you get at other places. It was more hard, tough and dry like and you couldnt really taste the «garlicness» and I love garlic so 2 stars cauce i’ve def had way better. As for the drink he advertised the mango lassi to us and told us that” oh, we make our own fresh yogurt too” so okay, why not, I always wanted to try a mango lassi anyway. It was pretty good and really «mango-​y,» and tasted liked creamed mango. It was also a bummer that we didnt get water and I asked for it and we were dining in anyway… Oh yea, I also thought it was funny how they have a sign in the front window that says the chef has thousands of recipes in his mind to try which I didnt really see that on the current menu.
Overall the guy working there was pretty nice and since its the ONLY indian restaurant on this side of the island so I gotta hand it to them for making one… Also as we dined, I noticed that a lot of people were curious about the place as they passed by and looked in and glanced at the menu outside. However, since most of them are probably locals to the area and they were probably hesitant to give it a try. Idk if i’ll be back because I dont really see paying $ 10 for the portion of food in a plate lunch box.

I’m a fan! 6 of us show up with two bottles of wine and our own glassware at 8:45pm. For us to show up before closing was not very courteous to the staff, but they handled us very well! We wanted to try everything on the menu and we almost accomplished it. The food was outstanding! Very flavorful and the heat was just right. It is BYOB, but I also advise on bringing your own glassware. We really enjoyed this restaurant and will be back for sure!

I always eat indian when I find one.
Have eaten in Vancouver, Seattle, San Fran, Los Angeles, Sacramento, all over the west.
Pricey and not the fastest service.
You can tell they are trying, but they need to try harder.
Food was unremarkable.
Would rather go to Bombay sunday buffet in Waikiki.

I went here soon after they opened, and I really wanted to like the place because I’d really like a good Indian place in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, when I went they weren’t quite ready for prime time.
I had the tandoori chicken, which was flavorful and tasty, but not quite piping hot. Likewise, the naan looked like it would be delicious, but was instead cold, dry and tough. The samosa again had good flavor, but wasn’t as tasty as I was hoping.
I spoke with the owners, who are super-​nice, and they explained that currently they don’t have a tandoori oven on the premises, but instead have to make the food off-​site at the tandoori oven and then bring it to the restaurant. They said they were working on getting the oven on-​site, and I look forward to going back and trying Tandoori Corner again when they do.
One (very) positive note — they also make smoothies, and the Vanilla Mint smoothie I tried was easily the best smoothie I have ever had. Simply delicious.

I usually have a craving for Indian Food whenever the weekend rolls by. I was driving around, as usual, not knowing what to have for lunch, but having a craving for something exotic. When I saw the sign «Tandoori Corner,» I immediately got excited. I thought to myself, finally, an Indian place closer to home and not hidden deep in downtown Honolulu, where I would have to fight traffic and drive around the block just to find parking. It was destiny!
The selection is limited, but they all are my favorite selections I usually have in any Indian restaurant I go to, if they do offer it. Today, I had the Tandoori Chicken (1 leg and 1 thigh) with Saag Aloo. I also elected for a second plate lunch, Chicken Tikka Masala with a side of mushroom and peas. Both plates had rice and I bought an order of garlic naan.
I had both plates to go to see how they would hold up. I drove 10 minutes to get home so freshness will not be «much» of a factor.
Naan: The bread was dried out. The underside was black, not toasted brown. Usually, if it is freshly made and then wrapped in foil, after driving 10 minutes, it would still be steaming and soft. This bread was the opposite.
Tandoori: Portion size was small and the marinade was very very mild. I was missing the bright taste of a freshly made Tandoori Chicken. While waiting in all Indian restaurant dining area, I usually can smell the aroma of Tandoori Chicken and any other dishes being cooked, in this place, I could not.
Saag Aloo: I am not sure if this stuff is supposed to be served steaming, but mine was not. I am almost suspicious that it was probably frozen and thawed out and then reheated when it was ordered by me.
Chicken Tikka Masala: Again, the taste wasn’t as bright as I expected it to be when I compare with other Indian establishments I have gone to. It was probably made fresh, but then frozen for later use. Portion size was small. It doesn’t come in a bowl.
Mushroom and Peas: I swear, it looks and tastes just like the chicken tikka masala. It took me some time to figure out where my other side order was. I noticed that ½ of my plate’s section didn’t have any meat in it so I concluded that this half was the mushroom and peas.
The only bright taste in both plates was the rice, which is how it is supposed to taste in an Indian restaurant. Also, you know how when you have a take out plate lunch of Indian food in your car and how your entire car smells of Indian spices? My car didn’t smell like that. That’s how I know most of this stuff I ordered wasn’t freshly made!
I am generously giving this place 3 stars because of 1 simple fact. I hate driving far distances for Indian Food and not having a parking lot to park my car at. I refuse to walk 5 blocks from my parked car to an Indian restaurant! The rediculous-​ity stops NOW!