Punjabi Palace — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Fair Experience — Has Potential but Needs Improvements

I recently visited this Punjabi restaurant with a group of friends, and overall, I would describe the experience as fair — with a mix of positives and areas that definitely need improvement.

Starting with the location, it’s very convenient and easy to access. From the outside, the restaurant has a welcoming appearance, and once inside, the ambiance is pleasant. The place is clean, well-lit, and the background music adds a nice touch, creating a relaxing vibe that suits a casual dining experience.

Upon entering, we were greeted at the counter, but I must say that the staff interaction could have been better. While some team members were okay, one particular gentleman near the till didn’t even bother to smile or acknowledge customers as they walked in. A warm welcome goes a long way in hospitality, and I hope this is something the management will address moving forward.

We were a group and placed our entire order at once under a single ticket, and I appreciate that the food arrived in a reasonable timeframe, which is always a good sign of an organized kitchen.

Now, coming to the food, which is always the heart of any dining experience: • Butter Chicken: The portion size was generous and value for money. The chicken pieces were well-cooked, and the curry had a creamy consistency. However, it lacked the rich, layered flavor and depth I associate with a truly authentic butter chicken. While it wasn’t bad by any means, I believe it could be elevated further in terms of taste and seasoning. I would rate it a 3 out of 5. • Korma: The korma had good flavor and was enjoyable. Again, portion sizes were satisfying and in line with the price. Among the dishes we tried, this was one of the better ones. • Chicken Biryani: Unfortunately, this was the most disappointing part of our meal. We had ordered two servings of chicken biryani, expecting an authentic dish full of spices and aroma. However, what we received resembled more of a fried rice than a traditional biryani. It lacked the distinctive biryani flavor, aroma, and texture. To be very honest, I would rate it 1 out of 5. I sincerely hope the chefs and management reconsider their approach to this dish, as biryani is a signature item in any Indian menu and should reflect authenticity and care in preparation. Please do look into this 🙏. • Naan Bread: The naan was fresh, soft, and served in good portion. It arrived on time and was exactly as expected — no complaints here.

All in all, I had a decent experience. While there were some highlights, particularly the korma and naan, there were also noticeable gaps in both service and food quality that need attention — especially when it comes to consistency and authenticity. I am a genuine lover of Indian cuisine, and I really want to see this place succeed because it has great potential. With a few improvements, I believe this could become a go-to spot for Indian food lovers in the area.

Wishing the team all the best and looking forward to seeing how things evolve on...

Last night, myself, my wife and 4 year old daughter went to Punjabi Palace for dinner. We have been a frequent customer because the food and service has always been good there.

Yesterday however we had a horrible experience. We arrived at around 9:15pm and ordered Malai Kofta(with complimentary rice), Garlic & Cheese Naan and Punjabi Naan.

After eating rice and malai kofta, my daughter felt nauseous and vomited. At first I thought, the rice might have been stuck in her throat. We gave her water and she felt okay. We told the waitress that we'll clean the mess.

5 minutes later, my daughter vomited again but this time it was very heavy. She brought up every bit of dinner she had eaten. That is when I realized that there is something wrong with the food.

While all this was going on, the manager told the waitress to ask me to clean the place. She came back to me with a wet towel asking if I can clean the place, to which I replied, yes, I'll do it, just let me finish my dinner. She said okay and left. Within 1 minute, she came back again on the behest of the manager and asked me to clean the place again. I asked her if she wants me to stop my dinner, clean the place and then finish my dinner. To which, she replied, "Yes". She further told me that there are customers coming in. Bear in mind that this is 10pm and dining in this restaurant closes at 9:30pm. Apart from us, there were only a couple of people there who were almost finished and getting ready to leave. There was no one coming in.

I stopped my dinner, cleaned the place and went straight to the reception to clear the bill and leave. At the reception, my wife told the manager, "Your history of hospitality has been very good but this time it was shocking for us". To which the manager replied, "This is not a hospital". I told him, "Mate my wife is talking about hospitality not hospital", to which, he said the same thing, "yes I understood, this is not a hospital".

My wife tried to explain that there must be something wrong with the rice or curry to which they told that lots of people have eaten today and no one felt anything wrong with the food. Well none of the customers were child.

Lastly I asked, "Do you make everyone clean the floor while they are trying to have dinner and have already offerred to cleaning the mess afterwards and are already trying to get out of such embarassing situation irrespective of their race or colour ? To which they replied, "Yes, the cabs charge $150 if you vomit".

I told them, "Well, I thought I came to a restaurant. Is this place a cab ?"

No answer from them and then I left.

I am reporting this to the...

We had a group of 50 who dinned at Punjabi Palace in their upstairs room last week as part of a conference social.

The team at Punjabi Palace were great in the lead up to the event, helping us with menu choices espcially when it came to dietary needs, and were very responsive to emails. The team also sent us pics of the room and gave us detailed information about accessibility so we could make a decision from afar (we are Melbourne based).

On the night itself, the staff were so friendly and patient with all our drinks orders which needed to be done individually, and the service for the meal was fantastic too. The staff clearly labelled the main meals for any dietary requirements and helped make the night run very smoothly.

The food itself was so tasty as well, everyone left feeling very full and well fed and the price per head was very reasonable ! Some of the local based members of our conference said they would be back for sure!!

I just want to add two notes (that have not impacted the rating because both were more down to us); one that the private room can get a little noisey, but that was mainly down to a very excitable group we had in there and once the food arrived, it was much quieter because everyone was enjoying the food! The other is that the upstairs room may not be the best for people with accessibility needs. Saying that Punjabi were very clear with us and as mentioned sent photos so we knew if it was suitable for our needs, so it wasn't an issue for our evening. If you are eating downstairs it was step free access and would not be a problem, but check with the team as they were very helpful in letting us know what was possible.

I would recommend Punjabi Palace to anyone going to Brisbane and any locals too and look forward to going again when I am back in...