The year was 2020. Over a meal of our usual takeaway curry order, an idea was cooked up: “What if we ordered this exact same order at every single Indian restaurant in Dunedin?” We all know that different Indian restaurants have different
definitions of mild, medium, and hot, but we also wondered if they varied in flavour profile. And of course, who better to judge authentic Indian cuisine than two Pākehā?
Two years and twenty-one restaurants later, we’ve done it. Places have come and
gone. Curries have been eaten and meticulously rated. We even travelled to
Mosgiel… twice. Instead of telling all and hurting the feelings of last place, we’ve
narrowed it down to our Top 10, though it’s worth noting, all 10 scored above a 7/10 – making this countdown the best of the best.
The Order
To keep it consistent, we got the same order every time. Naancy would order Medium
Chicken Vindaloo, and Aloowis would order Mild Palak Paneer. We always got naan
(often garlic), and occasionally had samosas and onion bhajis. But we’re here to talk
about curry. Chicken vindaloo is often considered the spicy option at your classic Indian take-away, usually found in chicken, lamb, or vegetarian form in NZ. For Naancy, a good vindaloo has a nice thick tomato-based sauce that has a depth of flavour, isn’t watery, and packs a good spice kick. Palak paneer is a vegetarian curry consisting of pureed spinach and paneer (a type of fresh cheese, sort of like if cottage cheese and halloumi had a baby). For Aloowis, a good palak paneer isn’t watery or over-pureed, has great ginger and garlic flavours, and features paneer that isn’t too squeaky with a nice subtle cheesiness.
The Top 10
10. Mela Eatery
Indo-Nepalese cuisine in a fun, small setting. The seating options were cramped,
which probably wasn’t helped by the fact we had ordered a LOT of food dining in
with friends. The vindaloo here was very good. It was tomatoey, with a good spice
level without being watery. If there was one critique, it would be that it was slightly too salty. The palak paneer tasted almost like gingery, savoury shortbread. The paneer itself was extremely soft and melted away into the curry. It should be noted that this place was, in fact, the last restaurant we visited on our twenty-one-stop expedition.
Energy: Abundant.
Overall Rating: 7/10
How sick of curry were we by this point? Naancy still ordered medium chicken
vindaloo, so not at all!!
9. The Maharajas
The student BYO classic. Free curry if it’s your birthday (awesome), and the potential
for an encounter with local legend Dave. The vindaloo here had one of the best
medium spice levels, but not as much flavour behind it as other places. Great
start, but less of a follow through. The palak paneer was delicious, but the cheese
wasn’t the cheesiest. But never fear... read on and look out for our naan bread
review.
Energy: Vast.
Overall Rating: 7/10
No. of Daves sighted: Zero :(
8. Divya Palace
This spot is nestled in the site of an old petrol station, and features fancy branded take-away containers which fit a surprising amount of curry in them. The vindaloo here according to our comments was: “WOW, soooo spicy” — the hottest of all sampled. The flavour balance once getting over the spice was wonderful, just a little too watery. The palak paneer here was the cheesiest of the bunch. Like the vindaloo, there was a big ol’ spice kick (but only the mild kind for this IBS sufferer).
Energy: Spicy.
Overall Rating: 7/10
Did it smell like old petrol?: No, thank goodness.
7. Indian Maharani
Going to Green Island is like stepping back in time. Indian Maharani is your
quintessential small-town Indian takeaway, with red decor and rectangular takeaway
containers. The vindaloo here was salty, not quite enough heat, but nice. Yet, there was a good balance between salt and tomato and also a little citrus flavour in there which gave it a peppery feel. The palak paneer was an excellent mild, with still very
complex flavours, especially in terms of salt levels. The texture was one of the best
on this list.
Energy: Quaint.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
No. of kilometres from Central Lib: 9.8km (by car).
6. Tandooree Garden
We were really impressed with their vegetarian options, and the staff were delightful.
The vindaloo was quite tomatoey, but not in a bad way (this time). It did seem a little
watery without actually being watery. A very nice spice level though. The paneer in the palak paneer tasted like actual cheese, which was bizarre but not unwelcome.
Energy: Fish N Chip Shop, but Indian Takeaway.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
No. of kilometres to the dinosaur slide: 0.95km (by foot).
5. Taste of Tandoor
Where we sat it felt like we were eating in a tent. A strange building? Definitely!
Would go there again for the tent experience alone. The vindaloo had very nice
chicken, the texture felt real and not rubbery. Sadly not very spicy though, and too
tomatoey. The palak paneer was fairly mild as far as milds go, but aside from that it
was an enjoyable experience.
Energy: Whimsical.
Overall Rating: 8/10
No. of windows: So many windows.
4. Little India
If you’re wanting a ‘bourgeoisie, impress your date’ kind of meal, Little India has you
sorted. Definitely go for the dine-in experience, as you will be well looked after by the
staff. The vindaloo had very little tomato flavour, but there was a depth of other flavour here that meant you didn’t miss it. The palak paneer was BRIGHT GREEN. Nowhere else did a palak look so green. The flavour was complex, sophisticated, and the the paneer tasted very fresh. This curry was also voted a “Little India favourite”, so I felt like I was in very safe hands. Truly the most gourmet of all the curries we’ve had.
Energy: Epicurean.
Overall Rating: 9/10
How little is it?: Relative to the country of India, very little.
3. Too Indian Cuisine
Our South Dunedin favourite. The vindaloo was very very good!! Great spice,
good tomato flavour, nice chicken. Everything you need from a medium chicken
vindaloo. Going back through our comments, the review for palak paneer was
simply “so good it felt like breathing” — we’ll just leave it at that.
Energy: Genuine.
Overall Rating: 9.5/5
Too Indian? No, it was just the right amount of Indian.
2. Indian Spice (NEV)
A classic for flatters living in the Valley of the North East, and for good reason! The
vindaloo had great flavour: a little too tomatoey, but a lovely hot spice for medium.
The palak paneer was the goldilocks of curries — everything was balanced just right.
Energy: Cosy.
Overall Rating: 9.5/5
No. of times we revisited this place while still doing this review: 3.
1. India Gate
The shop is small, but the taste is BIG. So big, it made our top spot. The flavour
balance of the vindaloo was wonderful, not just tomato and not no tomato. Quite
salty, but a good heat level and the sauce was very smooth. The palak paneer had
beautiful consistency and ended up being a very spinachy curry. The flavours were
just the right punch and the cheese was prepared perfectly. We had an incredibly
joyous time here, which was made all the more sweet because the movie we saw
afterwards at Rialto was deeply depressing.
Energy: Precisely what it needs to be.
Overall Rating: 10/10
India Gate? More like India Passage to our bellies (as well as our hearts).
Special Mentions
Most entertaining online menu: The Maharajas.
Best chicken: Taste of Tandoor. Definitely the most texturally pleasing.
Best paneer: Too Indian Cuisine. The slices were HUGE.
Best naan: The Maharajas. Buttery, chef’s kiss, straight-from-the-oven goodness.
Hands down the best naan of the whole experience. Don’t go anywhere else for your naan.
Free Stuff: Krishna in Mosgiel gave us free poppadoms.
Most liminal space: Chili Dhaba. A little shop located inside the Forbury Racetrack
at St. Kilda, of all places. Big points for sick menu design and branding though, and lovely staff.
Tasted the least like curry, but still a pleasant experience: Peppers in Musselburgh served a Palak Paneer that tasted straight up like the Verde pasta from Etrusco.