Café Maharani: A Moilili Treasure

There are good Indian restaurants, there are great Indian restaurants but there is only one Café Maharani a place clearly in a class of its own. Usually bustling from opening at 5PM to closing at 10 PM, seven days a week, it is the sort of place where one can see more than one couple or group of four or five standing by the door being told, ever so politely, that a table might not be available for twenty or thirty minutes.  Sure enough, thirty or forty minutes later, that group or couple will return in spite of the awesome array or eateries in the neighborhood including a pair of Indian restaurants.

Maharani is an Indian word for Queen and their creed is “Fine Indian cuisine in a casual Café setting.” One is impressed the moment s/he steps through the door. Walls painted a dark vibrant red with black accents. Black & White checkerboard floor. Tiffany style uplight sconces & chandelier. Indian art on the walls, art & statues on tables and in niches, exotic appearing tablecloths etched in gold, an incorrigible mix that works provoking an ambience invigorating & comforting in equal measure. Even the huge screen showing Punjabi & Bollywood Dance videos fails to distract from the subdued elegance.

Café Maharani delights from the moment the waiter serves a simple cup of water. Instead of an ordinary glass, one gets an “upside down keyhole shaped water cup of hand smithed copper exterior with smooth machined stainless steel interior,” that fits wonderfully in one’s hand. Their cutlery is a wow including what my dinner companion described as “the perfect soup & serving spoon.”

The menu begins with an assortment of exotic appetizers ranging in price from $1.99 for Papadon, two pieces of spiced lentil wafers, to $5.99 for Eggplant Pakora (lightly marinated eggplant fried and dipped in chef’s special spices), $7.99 for Chicken Pakora, several others in the same price range but the one that snagged my attention and won the approval of my taste buds was the Tandori Chicken Wings for $8.99. Eight to ten chicken wings marinated in yogurt & Indian Spices, barbequed & sprinkled green onions. The taste puts KFC to shame.  If I had a bucket of Tandori Chicken Wings on Sunday my NFL experience would be bliss.

One can order one of three salads or the soup of the day for $4.99. On this visit a delicious Prawn & Tomato soup, w/ Spinach was served piping hot in a nifty soup dish. There are also condiments available for $2.99 such as Raita, or Mango Chutney.

For a main course there is a selection of chicken specialties ranging from $12.99 to $13.99, among them, Chicken Tikke Masala, Pepper Chicken Curry, and Chicken Shahi Korme described as “An ancient royal dish, chicken slowly cooked in creamy ginger cashew nut sauce w/ yogurt, raisins & saffron. There is an equally large selection of seafood specialties as well as vegetarian dishes, though vegetarians ought to ask their server how they are prepared since a few of them include eggs & dairy products.

Mary, forgive me but your lamb ended up on my plate.

Café Maharani has an incredible array of lamb dishes ranging from $15.99 to $18.99. I ordered Lamb Roghan Josh (rich & mild), it arrived sizzling hot, cubed lamb marinated in yogurt and cooked in a mildly spicy cream sauce, a terrific deal for $15.99.

The prices are deceptive in a good way. In truth two to four people can easily share a dish and in fact between two of us, six dishes plus desert and beverages, for a total of $66, left some goodies to be taken home. I enjoyed munching lamb & Saffron Rice Pulau ($4.99) late in the night though my cat knocked me down and scampered away with three pieces of Tandori Chicken.

Café Maharani is famous for its traditional flat bread: Naan. Nearly everyone orders flatbread and throughout our meal most anyone stepping through the door made a comment along the lines of “Naan, yum.” Yum indeed, for $7.99 my friend ordered Kashmiri Naan which was stuffed w/ raisins, cashews, dried pineapple, papaya & banana topped with Coconut Shavings. I was happy enough with the Naan but my friend insisted it was even better smeared with Muttor Paneer, $12.99, a delicious mix of homemade pineer cheese, tomato curry sauce & green peas. And it was!

Lastly there is a delicious brew, Masala Chai, served hot or cold for $2.99 or Indian Iced Tea for a $1.99, or for those who need an American Cola or Un-Cola, they are available for a $1.99. (Note you can BYOB for your alcoholic beverage of choice) And last but certainly not the least, dessert, a tempting array of exotic delights on that night Carrot Halva hit the spot. A delicious carrot puree thickened w/ grain, sweetened, sprinkled w/ raisins, it was fantastic.

All in All Café Maharani is an excellent choice for lunch & dinner and one more reason people are lucky to live in Moilili.

Tags: Moilili, Nighspots, Restaurant Review, Restaurants