Address: | 10181 Verree Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19116, USA |
Phone: | +1 215-673-6732 |
Site: | mallucafe.net |
Rating: | 3.3 |
Working: | Closed 10AM–8:30PM 10AM–8:30PM 10AM–8:30PM 10AM–8:30PM 10AM–8:30PM 10AM–8:30PM |
JA
Jay Abe
Please note: Ive only gotten take out from here. Reason being, this establishment caters to providing takeout (to various south Indian functions, churches, family events, etc.) rather than dine-in customers.... so you have to treat it as such. If you are looking for good sit-down Indian restaurant with pleasant setting and an appetizing atmosphere... I would suggest elsewhere. That being said, below is my pros and cons list for the food & the place: Food Pros: The south-Indian dishes are very good (better than the other similar Philly places, as well as my home on some items), Food seems pretty fresh, Quick preparation. Beef & King-fish curry/fry are excellent and very authentic IMO!! Food Cons: Somewhat overpriced for the portions (maybe different for dine-in). The owners somewhat rude, especially if you want to change anything and is not looking to please unless you are placing a large/bulk order. Restaurant Pros: Easy parking (though somewhat disorganized), reasonably Clean, Will not charge tax if you pay with cash (which I guess could be a con-depending on your point of view) Restaurant Cons: Ok Decor, hot and sticky, owner/waiter is not very curtious/friendly, smells like a south Indian kitchen. My intention is not to bash or to glorify this place. It is an unbiased account of my experience here over the past 2 yrs. First & foremost, this place is not the typical Indian food that Americans are used to. They specialize in south Indian home cooking and my review based on my background (south-India till age 12 and America after) and my love of south-Indian home cooking. If youve never had south Indian cooking, I urge you to go with an open mind. South Indian dishes tend to me spicier/hotter and not as creamy as north Indian dishes and you cannot compare between the two different styles
A
A Private User
For all of you that wrote a rating here and said that it was bad, you were probably not of indian descent or mallu. If you want your typical indian food that is americanized for your taste please dont come here. THey are not known for chicken tikka masala. That is just heavy cream and chicken. Being of indian descent and Malu hence the name of the restaurant, they serve food typical of going home to your mamas home cooking. Next time you go in you can get Kerala Beef Fry, Fish curry, kappa, lamb or chicken biriyani, aviyal, sambar, thoren, Shrimp Varutharcha curry. They are not known for sit in service, but for take out. Service is slow because the food is not prepared ahead of time like chinese food or your typical north indian restuarant aka taste of india where the curry is prepared like 2-3 weeks in advance. They make everything fresh. So if your looking for good SOUTH INDIAN FOOD that is like what you will get in india, then come here and get it for take out.
QU
Quitt Lyingg
Read the one star reviews before coming here (there are a staggering 17 of them!) The good reviews look suspicious to me; I find it hard to believe that real customers wrote them. Mallu Cafe serves old reheated food. It tasted awful but we ate it anyway because we were so hungry. It made us sick. The restaurant is dark, dirty, and dingy. The workers are rude and lazy. The beef cutlet was not beef but something else that tasted off. The garlic naan was hard. The chicken fried rice had four tiny pieces of chicken and was mostly hard flavorless rice. The curry tasted like stinky spices. The vegetarian dishes were not fresh at all. Mallu Cafe should be shut down by the board of health.
VI
Vishnu Sekhar
Mostly I opt for take outs from this restaurant and the ambiance is not that great to have a dinner or lunch. So I recommend take outs. Coming to the food, Biriyani is awesome. You will really feel the aroma of Biriyani and one of the best Biriyani ever had in US. This is typical Kerala biriyani and dont expect a spicy hot biriyani its kind of sweeter but you will get in large quantity and taste is awesome. Other things I tried from the restaurant are Beef ulathiyathu and parotta. Parotta was not that great but beef was rocking. I was tasting beef after 6 years and it felt really tasty. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who love Kerala dishes.
IM
Ima adesi
I have been to almost all Indian restaurants in Philly area and this is among one the best (there are very few best restaurants). The definition of best varies depending on where and in what environment you grew. If you want real, spicy and delicious indian food then this is the place for you. But you want westernized versions of Indian food (which is available in most Indian restaurants) then this place may not be for you. I am from North India and I loved the food even though the main cuisine here is from south and more specifically Kerala. About décor, I think there is scope for improvement and I hope that they do some improvements.
JU
Justin Justice
We decided to try Mallu Cafe again after having a dreadful first experience. The second time was even worse! I would expect infinitely better food and service even from any street vendor in a third world country like Bangladesh. Avoid Mallu Cafe at all costs unless you like having what looks and tastes like rat feces in your rotting, rancid "food"! The service was slower than a dead snail. The prices were too high even if the food was good, which it was nowhere near close to being. The only positive was that the employees were friendly and smiling, but I can get that almost anywhere else for free.
A
A Private User
I am tempted to give this, my favorite restaurant, a low rating to keep it quiet. God knows they do not need the business from people outside the Mallu community, it is incredibly busy here, chiefly for take out, because people who like a fancy dining experience choose to dine elsewhere. For me it is all about the cooking, and I find the place very friendly and always worth the trip. So people! Feel free to stay away, people in the know will continue to take advantage of the amazing cuisine here.
AN
Anish Philip
->The food is excellent. ->Everything is made Kerala Style / South Indian style. ->This is not a place for you if you prefer steak / american food / North Indian food. ->Let me repeat, if Kappa, Avial..... etc, is not for your taste buds, this place is not for you. ->Food is prepared on order, and thus service can be slow. ->People generally go for take-out rather than dine-in. ->The food just makes me come back for more
VI
Vivek Shenoy
Reached there at 8:18 pm and had to park at an angle as there were other cars that were not parked correctly. Entered the restaurant and inquired with the person at the desk (owner?) if it was OK to park the way it was currently parked. He rudely said "we are not open" and that was the end of conversation. He still has the door wide open and none of the tables occupied. I will never ever go back to this place.
A
A Private User
Not sure why people didnt like this place. We had a good experience. The shrimp mango curry was quite good, as was the avial. The ambience is pretty minimal, but that didnt bother us. Manager a little brusque at first, but he lightened up when we told him how much we were enjoying the food. Have a chat with the chef if possible, very friendly Goan guy.
A
A Private User
Five-star reviews from the owner are not relevant, Suhas. You also wrote a few five-star reviews earlier. Your service is slow, your food is garbage, and your prices are high. I like the folksy charm of your store and staff, but that is about it. I now have even less respect for your establishment because you post phony reviews for yourself.