Indian@Hunter Restaurant — Restaurant in Cessnock

PLEASE: DO NOT GO HERE!

No RSA procedures. No Covid plan. Food was inedible at best.

I don't like leaving negative feedback. I really don't, but I really have to. People deserve to be warned. I personally have an extensive experience working in Hospitality in various levels of service over 6 years. I know hospitality is hard. I've always tried to keep an open mind and and I've worked in some very fancy and very ...odd places myself - but this place is BAD. Maybe the worst food vendor (can you call it a restruant?) I've ever been to.

We paid and left before properly eating the food we received and went to Oportos nearby because we just wanted to eat something that wouldn't mean the remainder of our honeymoon was spent over a toilet. We always really look forward to Indian restruants and heard a few good murmurs about this one. We thought it could be a diamond in the rough because it's in a run down old weatherboard building next to a noisy and busy road. My first impressions were not good but my wife insisted I have faith and give it a go. I maintain you can usually tell a restaurant is good or bad by the effort in the presentation of the shop. People who put effort in to one thing they do like say, cooking, usually put more effort into everything around that thing. People who put in no effort show no care for presentation.

We had to ask for water after receiving wine (left unopened on the table with glasses for us) and empty water glasses.

The chicken in the Mango Cashew Curry seemed to have the distinct taste of being microwave reheated and didn't seem safe to eat. The paneer masala was completely flavorless (is that even possible?) with the exception of only black pepper all over it. The garlic naan (we usually love this) was hardly edible and the rice was... Maybe safe to eat? It was completely uninspired and bland. Hey, sometimes that's rice. No issues there. It's too accompany the dishes. The main thing is we didn't feel it was safe to eat the food. I don't really know, and I maybe never will, but better not to chance this one.

To the owners: I'm sorry to leave a poor review but please please please shut your shop up and get a consultant before reopening. People here deserve good food and a decent experience. My wife felt sick after having some of your food ( I refused to eat it after a small taste) and we cancelled other bookings for later in the night for a couple's massage. Not only is this an example of how bad hospitality can damage the tourism industry, but it also put a dampener on the tail end of...

My adoring wife and my fine self dined here for our anniversary dinner. The anniversary of our first date, not of our marriage. That anniversary is in March. It was a Monday evening. The date, not the dinner. That was a Tuesday evening. The dinner, that is. It was magical, truly magical. The first date, I mean, not the dinner. The dinner was amazing, dont get me wrong! But how could a dinner, no matter how delicious, compare to the moment you meet the love of your life? Although, the flavours of the onion bhaji dancing on my tongue did come pretty close to falling in love! A bit of mint sauce on top, and, my oh my, I am all a flutter. They even came served with a wedge of tomato. Brilliant! The curries were also good.

The waitress was spectacular. She was personable, funny and attentive. She had a sixth sense for our ordering needs, anticipating our moves one step ahead. She knew we would need naan even when we believed we would not. Unfortunately, we didn't get het name, but my wife said her eyebrows are "on fleek". I dont know what that means, but I agree that the brows looked great! A top notch asset, that waitress, give her more hours! And a raise!

However, the waitress had to leave because her shift was over. But the amazing did not stop there. Oh no no no! Because then we were served by the chef herself. Like royalty. She admired my gorgeous wife's tattoos. She was right to do so. My wife is stunning. Some have said like a real life Norman Lindsay girl. But I don't think any of them had tattoos.

Also, the walls are painted a divine bright red. Which we enjoyed tremendously. The food is delicious. And the bathrooms are well maintained. My wife enjoyed them so much, she went twice! The prices are more than reasonable. For the food, not the toilet. Though it was free to use the toilets, so that isn't a bad deal at all! Particularly with the wife going twice!

Anyway I should probably wrap up this review. My wife is waiting for me outside the resturant while I have been writing this review! Oops. Lucky there isn't a review page for us husbands, am I right boys?!

After trying once we will be regular!

Yours...

April 2021 - Was disappointed as my family decided to have Indian food & on our way to hotel during Easter break saw your restaurant so we popped in the waiter at the counter told us we can seat in last row from the back as there was no one sitting so we sat & place our food order. As the meal was being prepared about 15 mins later some other customers started to come in & the same waiter/customer service lady comes & tells us to move as we have more guest since you are 3 move move to another another funny table which was not of our likes as it was huge round table compared to normal square table so we said we prefer to seat here as we are here. Then we are told that this was reserved & was to our surprise no one tells us when she is the one who told us to take that seat, nor any reserved sign as well. So embarrassingly as it now getting crowded i asked for manager & she was very rude not understanding or taking to her own staff what happened kept arguing we did not tell you to move & why do you want to seat on 6 table when you guys are only 3 when i am like your staff are the one to told us to seat there as restaurant was already crowded now you tell us walk away just you happen to have larger crowd to earn more that's how i saw this humiliation. What wrong had we done to be embarrassed as if we did wrong when it was your management error & mistake. Thank god we got our refund & walked away but just so...