Maya Tandoori: Authentic Indian Curries and Kababs

Maya Tandoori is a second-floor establishment, located beyond a narrow staircase above the less-expensive, more-casual Maya Sweets (a pure vegetarian restaurant). The owners and the staff are the same, but Maya Tandoori caters to a predominantly non-vegetarian crowd, serving up tasty tandoor-cooked meats, seafood and hearty selection of veg and non-veg curries. The dining room is refined and intimate -- but noisy -- and there’s a small outdoor terrace overlooking the brightly lit street below.

Maya Tandoori’s menu is an extensive affair with a range of favourites and lesser-known delights from the north and central Indian provinces. If it seems all too baffling, the banquet menus ($29 and $35) provide a phenomenal amount of food and a great deal of variety.

The ever-popular vegie samosas come with a cracking tamarind sauce and the spice-dusted onion and spinach bhaji (fritters) are a crunchy delight. The kababs (a generic Indian term for grilled or roasted meats) are superbly moist and flavourful. Try the murg malai kabab (tandoor-roasted, yoghurt-marinated chicken stuffed with cheese), the chutney fish tikka and the Hariyali mint chop (lamb cutlets marinated with mint and coriander). Maya’s tandoori chicken is some of the best in the city – smoky, spicy, and tender  –  it is known as “the king of kababs”.

Curries include a Punjabi-style goat masala and the signature lamb shank korma with fall-off-the-bone meat and a rich, sweet and creamy cashew gravy. The excellent chicken Chettinad is a spicy, peppery Tamil dish with mustard seeds and coconut sauce. Also on offer is a tasty Hyderabadi lamb biryani with whole spices and a side of raita (yoghurt sauce), and an exceptional saag paneer (cottage cheese pieces in fresh spinach puree). 

Warm, flaky breads arrive fresh from the tandoor, and while there are a couple of desserts on the menu, it’s just as easy to finish the meal with sugary morsels and hot chai from the esteemed Maya Sweets downstairs.

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