Maharani Mess (Closed)

My friend and I ate here for dinner Friday night. The lamb dish and the paneer makhani was delicious, and the garlic naan was soft and fluffy and garlicky (we ended up getting 2 orders). The chicken tikka was flavourful and juicy - even the lime soda which I’d never had before was good! …Read More

好好味，set lunch份量超多，我一個人一半都食唔哂。我個set有羊肉咖哩，芝士雜菜咖哩，雞件，一薄餅，一飯，一薄脆，仲有罐可樂，先$60，唔使加一，飽到嘔。中午無人，不過間野冷氣唔係好夠。…Read More

週末時身體有點不適， 混身感到很重。 心想星期一要吃頓正宗印度咖哩， 讓多種香料來調整一下身體，兼醒醒神! 首選是在蘭桂坊的一家小印度餐館， 我十多年前在中環工作時常常到此午膳。 當年這餐廳外觀簡樸， 環境寧靜。食物質數不俗， 午餐價錢亦很友善。 如今再在中環上班已數月， 想起吃咖哩，當然要去Maharani Mess啦！今天我簡單點了個雞的set lunch。 同事點了羊， 並加了一個Mango Lassi。 我有點咳， 就忍痛不點Lassi了。 另外再加一份我喜歡的palek paneer (菠菜芝士)。味道沒有驚喜， 就是那種你平時會去用膳的館子那種感覺： 沒驚喜， 沒挫敗， 穩穩定定， 該什麼味就什麼味。。。如要批評， 竟然是naan可以再稍加進步。 餐後再order 了masala tea。 喝完便後悔了！ 今天喝了， 明天必然又心思思。。。masala tea 的香味總是會令人念念不忘的。結帳之後， 老闆Zaheer送客至門外。 他說他依然認得我(!) 我說今天餐廳頗為清淨， 他說大廈的大門口裝修中， 頗為影響客人進來意欲。我說這樣影響生意得想想辦法啊! Zaheer只是笑笑， 輕搖一搖頭。 這麼多年Zaheer依然保持著一貫的溫文和笑容。 就像， 他的午餐？ 還是，像他的masala tea .... 令人念念不忘？…Read More

在中環老蘭找到好食，只係HK$60午餐去邊喥揾？Set lunch正宗，只HK$60! 餐中有七道菜, 當有前菜,主菜,印度佐餐醬料飯及roti當中三款咖哩，三個味道都不同，有誠意，絕不是馬虎之作。(本人最怕個d樣樣咖哩都差唔多味的咖哩.) 試過set lunch及點餐牌上食物，savory! 餐牌食物選擇多，價錢大眾化。當中點了兩道咖哩，一雞一雜菜;兩款味道折然不同. Korma雞多汁不辣偏甜，Vege Jalfrezi香辣。幾道菜都食到我們lam lam Lei  !餐廳內陳設簡潔,牆上的電視播放著印度MTV, 很有小本經營的Home feel. 侍應及廚皆為印度人.飲料方面,朋友們點了印式芒果奶昔，我則是點了masala tea.我試過不同餐廳的masala tea，大多重玉桂味。這裡的沒那麼濃玉桂味，但有種餘香。老闆告方之是自家調制方，我每次來必點之飲料。是次點了的菜：Paneer Pakora 印式炸芝士Aloo chat 香料炒著仔chicken korma vegetable jalfreziMango lassiMasala tea印度白飯paratha薄餅好想試"渾"餐牌上的菜!!…Read More

Have been trying quite a number of Indian places lately. Even went for progressive Indian cuisine in bangkok and enjoyed the experience. Must scout out the good indian restos on HKI - don't want to always have to go to BKK to satisfy my cravngs. :)Environment:It's a rather tight, cosy little space. Sits around 25. Reservations highly recommended. The kitchen is located behind a small side door. The kitchen itself is very small. Ventilation is not the best. You'd come out smelling slightly smoky and spicy. Service:Friendly and hospitable. It's interesting how they offer a 'spicy' and 'non-spicy' option for the curries. Food:Not sure how authentic a non-spicy curry is but I went for that option anyway coz I'd rather have a weaker curry than to have a numbed tongue for the whole meal! There is an option of chicken, lamb and vegetable curry. Fish curry was unavailable. Neither C nor I ate lamb so we went for the chicken and vegetarian options. Mango lassi $25 (not included in lunch set)I watched the drink being made at a counter. They used mango syrup and not fresh mangoes. Pity. The drink was therefore a bit too sweet and the consistency a bit too thin and fluid. The tart flavour and thick texture of yoghurt was not prominent, but it was cool and refreshing - real good beverage to have with curry!Vegetable curry with papadaum, onion bhajia, naan, $55 Despite the fact the food is not impressive, for $55 it is really da bomb. You get a bit of everything with the lunch sets. From top left: lentil 'stew' - texture a bit like porridge, nothing special, not spicy, contains coriander...>< --> vegetable curry (cauliflower, peas, beans, carrots) - extremely mild, grainy curry, but the curry was quite thin. I would've liked it a bit thicker so that it doesn't run off my naan so easily. I also expected a more generous portion especially when it's just veggies...:( --> sauteed veg I guess veg can't really go wrong. A couple helpings more next time, please. --> Papadaum - roasted plain lentil wafer My experience with papadaum was not pleasant the previous times I had them because they were too peppery and hence numbed my tastebuds for the rest of the meal, but this one is really good. Well in the sense that it was not choking at all. Just like eating a very thin tortilla. No impact on oral cavity. Crisp, thin, pleasant. :)--> Onion bhajia (thinly sliced onions, deep fried in spiced chick-pea batter) was um....served room temp. which was rather weird because the batter had gone slightly soggy and all the crunch had gone. So you get this unpleasant 'stale oil' taste in your mouth but then you wash it down with curry and naan. Maybe that's how they have it in india as a readily-available snack around the house...or a side? Chicken curry with chicken tikka, basmati rice, naan $55C did not order 'no spice'. The chicken pieces were tender, the curry was slightly watery and quite spicy. Chicken tikka was served at room temp - maybe that's how they serve up chicken tikka as a side dish/starter. Conclusion:Not bad, but the food was not nearly as impressive as the price. I am particularly disappointed about the fact that the food wasn't HOT enough (the naan was only warm at best) and that the set lunches did not come with a drink or soup. However, one doesn't find such bargains often in Central. I believe I will come back, firstly because it's cheap, secondly because you can make reservations in advance, third because the place feels more secluded and special. Oh - should come for their dinners sometime, and order a la carte.…Read More