Amaya Indian Cuisine

Surprised. Surprised that this Indian restaurant is unlike the others in town… no typical Indian décor, no copper serving dishes, no Indian music, nor mainly Indian staff. And yet the food is very Indian and very good.
Over the years this location has been a number of Indian restaurants but this is the first time we ate at Amaya. The Groupon (or Living Social, I forget) deal got us in the door. It was refreshing to see that someone dared to try a different approach to Indian in Rochester.
The place was very lively and quite full on this January Friday night. They had live music by Deborah — she was not playing Indian tunes but classic lounge songs (which was kinda funny) and the décor was upscale with a full bar. We ordered a big Godfather beer (it’s Indian not Italian!)
We started with a bowl of Mulligatawny soup which was very flavorful, though it could have been hotter (thermally) — we’d get it again. We ordered a couple of our go-​to Indian dishes — Chicken Vindaloo and Chicken Tika Masala. Both were very good and the sauce on the TM was excellent. Nice and creamy. The garlic Nan was sufficiently garlicky.
Our server was very friendly and generally attentive. When there was an error with our bill he corrected immediately.
We will definitely be back.

Good Indian food. Amaya does not make the dises taste more American.

So i am a massive road tripper and each state i go to i have to eat the indian food there. Hands down this good was soo lovely and so flavourfull and so aromatic and tastes like my moms homa made made food in a fine dining resturant. The servers are awesome too. We had the rajma, palak paneer, masala dosa, and the house salad. Alll sooo yummmyyyyy! Deff coming back to rochester again for this food.

Came in for lunch buffet and it was a bad experience. Being an indian was just looking for reasonable taste. This place caters to fancy indian restaurant experience. Food was not fresh and tasteless. I wouldn’t expect too much even during regular dining.
Only thing that was good was the waiter working hard and provided good service.

As a South Indian, I am very familiar with the food from this region. My family and I really enjoyed our meal at this place. The dosas were authentic and the sambar and coconut chutney were tasty. I especially loved that they had vegan options which is unusual for most Indian restaurants. I would definitely go to this place again.

I ordered chili chicken and chicken biryani for takeout. The chicken in both the dishes was either not fully cooked or was not fresh. The chili chicken was cooked in sweet tomato gravy — and there was not a hint of chili (hot /​spicy) in the chili chicken.

Gobi Chili Chaat fried cauliflower, and veg momos were as good as they were the last time. The service was friendly.
Bhindi Kurkuri fried okra, was well seasoned and crisp. I think upon chewing a bit of okra slipperiness was evident.
Potato stuffed naan was like mashed potatoes smeared inside naan
Baghare Baigen eggplant, the sauce was very nutty feeling but not very nutty tasting. There were 4 small eggplants in.
Saag paneer the flavor was good, not too much paneer or spinach.

It is possibly the best looking Indian restaurant in town. The guy who greeted us was charming and so was our server. Ordered samosas from the small plates — the crust was crispy the filling was not really that flavorful.
The biryani was a big big let down. I love biryani and I am sort of an aficionado and I cannot let anyone play with a biryani! Bell peppers in Biryanis are unacceptable! There was so fried onion, no flavor, no fragrance!
Recommend Biryani Making 101.
The saag paneer was alright– the paneer was nice and fresh.
The desserts– the chocolate samosa meh! The rasmalai was nice and mildly sweet and flavorful! That was the best thing I ate.
Wish they played better bollywood songs or even classical Indian music!

The ambience when I first walked in screamed «come one come all»…I felt very comfortable. I tried the Tikka chicken masala which was excellent, they even added potatoes at my request (love, love, love potatoes). Their Georgia Peach cocktail drink was awesome… it was made with love so I had to have two. The staff was very pleasant and accommodating. Although I would not recommend bringing children they did pull out a booster chair for the cutest little baby boy who was just learning how to walk, he barely used it though as he spent most of his time testing out his legs and exploring the dinning area. With that said I would consider it kid friendly and a safe environment.

Excellent food and excellent service. I had my go to Indian dish, Chicken Tikka Masala and my brother had the Malai Chicken. Both were served hot, fresh and tasted great. I don’t like the plaza location as it makes me feel like I am going into a CVS instead, but the restaurant itself stands on it’s own there. It is the best Indian food I have had in Rochester, NY and would definitely go there again.

Went there on Friday afternoon for buffet.
Trust me this is the worst buffet I have ever had in my life. Idly’s were very bad. No desserts.
I don’t know about weekend, Avoid this on weekdays.

Amazing food. Friendly staff. Fair enough prices. At first glance from the outside, you can’t even tell this is a restaurant. Once you get inside, your amazed that it’s the same place. The fried paneer pakora appetizer is quite good. The manager is extremely friendly and is a pleasure to speak with. Definitely get the chocolate samosa dessert. They are made in house and are worth the indulgence.

Great tasting Indian food with a touch of gourmet. A brain child of two medical professionals, Amaya was born out of passion and the love for food. Anything passionate will always score high in my books.
If you find yourself here, try the Dosas — any and all kinds.
Definitely sink your teeth into the traditional Dum Biryani, cooked in a clay pot covered with dough and steaming hot.
One Indian joint that has still not disappointed me.

This is my fave Indian restaurant in Rochester. I Have tried a few diff dishes but I always stick to the chicken Dal that is served in a coconut… my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Not my favorite Indian spot. I ordered a lunch special (homemade veggie burger; which was unusual since it was an Indian restaurant). Very bland. I called to place the order and when I got there they locked the doors so I had to knock for about 5 minutes. Not interested in going back.

The Good: A few unique dishes and presentation that feels more like New York than Rochester.
The Bad: The prices are a little bit higher than the competition, though are worth it.
Times Gone: 6
I Usually Order: Amaya Chicken, it’s served out of a coconut. I figured if they named the restaurant after the dish it had to be good (and was right).

Honestly, the best thing that I can say about Amaya Bar & Grill is that their décor is very nice, their serving staff is attentive, and that the plating is very nice.
All of these are really great things to have at a restaurant, but if the food (and price for the food) doesn’t match up to the quality you expect, you’re just going to be left with a lingering feeling of disappointment. Unfortunately, this is the case with Amaya.
If you’re looking for authentic flavor, this is NOT the place to go. All of the spices are way toned down and everything was very watery and bland. The best part was the rice, and that should say something from an Indian food establishment.
Despite the elegance and even a coconut chicken dish being served inside a coconut shell, it was completely devoid of flavor (even coconut flavor!) I had the Chettinad chicken one time as well which is supposed to be one of their most authentic spicy aromatic dishes, and it tasted like watered down curry I could get from a food bar at Wegmans.
Overall, it has to be a thumbs down. I tried it twice and was let down both times by flavor. If you want really good Indian food, there are far better places in Rochester to go to that may not be so classy inside, but are great where it matters the most — in the food itself.

My best friend and I went to Amaya for dinner. It was a Friday night, and it was pretty busy but we were helped right away. We ordered naan, and I got a «Georgia Peach» with Grey Goose. It was SO good. My friend ordered chicken tikka masala, and I got chicken vindaloo. Everything was delicious — my best friend even soaked up the remaining sauce with her naan like the true Italian woman she is. My chicken vindaloo was awesome, although I probably could have done with it being a smidge spicier. We also had the kheer for dessert, which was sweeter than what I am used to, but still very good.
The service at Amaya was good. The owner came out and introduced himself to the guests and seemed genuinely concerned with everyone having an excellent experience. Our waitress was sweet and, between her and a bus boy, made sure we always had water and that no unused plates stayed at the table for too long.
The atmosphere at Amaya is really surprising, seeing as how it is kind of tucked away in a Tops Plaza. The interior was well decorated and comfortable. Parking is easy too.
All in all, I’d say give it a try.

There are many things I enjoyed about Amaya on my second visit with friends. The $ 3 mango lassi, the naan (can this ever be bad?), saag dahl (always a favorite), dosa (think Indian crêpe), and samosa appetizer were just as I wanted them. I stuffed myself beyond comfort in a way I only do with Indian food.
We also had the alu gobi, a chickpea dish, fish appetizer, and the shrimp biryani. These were mediocre at best. The shrimp dish was actually the most expensive at $ 20 but the least satisfying. It was basically a giant bowl of rice with a handful of shrimp (we literally went hunting for more) covered by a thin crust.
They don’t have all of the traditional Indian offerings (no rice pudding except during the lunch buffet) but I appreciate that they are trying to do new things.
The staff was pleasant, except for the busboy who twice tried to take plates while people were still eating off of them, and the atmosphere was classy.
Bonus: a Unilocal check-​in will get you a free glass of wine!

Maybe it was because it was a Thursday.
Maybe it was because of our server who could barely contain her annoyance.
Maybe it was because I had a Groupon.
Maybe it is because I ordered the wrong dishes.
Maybe it was because I am one of those pesky diners who know Indian food and love it very much.
Whatever the reason, if my experience is anything to go by, Amaya’s idea of Indian flavours is similar to (I can’t believe I am going to say this…) Olive Garden’s idea of Italian food.
When we walked in, I noticed how heavily the place had been renovated. It looked quite modern. Our server was pregnant and so, I can’t hold her annoyance against her. I mean, you try carrying around that kicking and moving weight while running around a restaurant and attending to demanding customers. Of course, I wasn’t demanding and was painfully polite but nevertheless, I was okay with it.
We ordered the sesame chicken wings as an appetizer. Then we decided to go with the pepper chicken curry, chicken makhani and garlic naan.
After what seemed like an eternity, we finally got the sesame chicken wings. The skin was crispy but the wings themselves tasted similar to Sesame Chicken from Golden Dynasty next door. Not bad but not very Indian. Based on those alone, I would have given this place 3 out of 5.
The second the server put down the pepper chicken curry, I knew it was not going to go well. Extremely watery and bland, it tasted primarily of curry leaves. Did the pepper get lost between the kitchen and the table?
I tried a little of the chicken makhani — it was better than mine and it tasted more like butter than most restaurants’ versions (which is not terrible as makhani means with butter). However, it didn’t really have much of a flavour beyond that.
The garlic naan was the biggest let down. Lacking the charred bottom of a well executed naan and missing the punch of garlic and cilantro, it was just a waste of carbs.
So, why 2 stars instead of 1?
1) Upon realizing I was not going to be able to eat the food without some flavour, I asked the server for some hot chillis and she brought out a plate of sliced jalapenos, onion and Indian pickles. I thought that was a nice selection to zest up the meal.
2) As I was leaving the restaurant, I overheard someone who might have been the owner say their best dish is their biryani so it is possible I ordered their weakest dishes. They also seem to lean towards marketing themselves as fusion/​bar more than pure Indian so maybe my standards were too «ethnic».
However, I think I am going to stick to Tandoor, Thali or just making the food myself. If you are interested in real Indian food, invest the money in a Madhur Jaffrey cookbook. But if you are more about cultures compromising their cuisine’s flavours to satisfy the popular palate, you will love Amaya.