Quick photo of lunch today …the daily special as advertised on signboard outside —- chicken tikka masala with rice and naan bread; not shown in photo here, also ordered off of menu the ‘small plate’ of crispy vegetable samosa which was served with dish of several condiments that nicely complemented their flavor.
Ate indoors at traditional dining room table; service excellent and very welcoming/cordial. Portions fairly priced & quite ample. Delicious lunch…very glad I stopped there to eat.
We have enjoyed their menu several times but while the menu items we try are delicious consistently we feel the portions are two small.
I agree, the food is really great but the cost is kinda ridiculous for the amount you get, at least for dinners. Maybe lunch is more reasonable.
We didn’t see any difference at lunch. When we went for lunch with two other couples, sharing six menu items and ordering an add’l 2 apps during the meal, we still left hungry.
Well, i guess this is a possible explanation as to the why part of it… i give it quality of ingredients and spice expense… and i guess preparation time, but that is a little bit of a stretch. Plating is certainly not a big deal - just toss it into one of those standard-yet-SMALL copper serving pots.
I had to look to compare some prices for Chicken Tikka Masala:
Neelam Middleton - $13.95
Tandoor e India - Ocean - $15.95
Moghul Edison - $16.50
Bombay River - $20 (that is from doordash as their website does not list prices).
The order of prices to me kinda lines up with my experience of quality… but $20 for that little cooper pot is truly excessive. There have been times where i got maybe 6 small pieces of chicken in there.
I appreciate the comparison you made and completely agree in that order. Which is why we drive to Iselin NJ for Indian fare more times than Middletown. Large portions, larger selection, eat like a local and the sweet shops for take home.
The price at Royal Curry in Matawan (Marketplace II) is $12.99.
I have had their biryanis and kulfi but that was some time ago.
