Mukka Indian Restaurant Carnegie (Good Old Mukka) — Restaurant in Melbourne

We were keen to try this place as it looked cosy and we are big fans of Indian cuisine. Unfortunately, we left feeling very disappointed.

We were greeted by a friendly waitress who quickly found us a table, which was a nice start. However, the menu was quite confusing, and our experience went downhill from there. After a bit of a wait, our lassis arrived. They came well before the food, though we would have preferred to enjoy them alongside our meal.

The food took over an hour to arrive. There was a mistake with our order, and when we pointed it out, the waitress had to check first and then asked whether we would like to change it to what we had originally ordered, which of course we did. The rice came out a little after the curries, by which time we had already started eating. While we understand it can get busy, we felt that an apology would have been appropriate.

Not once during our wait were we checked on, and we were not offered any additional drinks. When the food finally arrived, it was average at best and certainly not worth the price. The portions were small, the dal was watery, and out of the six pani puri we ordered, only two had any filling in them. We do not mind paying a bit more for a quality meal and good service, but this really did not feel like value for money.

We paid 135 AUD for two people. For that price, there are far better options on Koornang Road. The only positive we can mention is the kind waitress. Sadly, we will not...

I love supporting local businesses and was super keen to try our new (and only) Indian in Carnegie. To start, I love the staff - it's obvious they're learning, but the smiles hide the stress. But the food wasn't the best we've had. The presentation of the entrees was cool, and the pastry on the samosa was yum - but the filling was chunky and didn't pack a punch. My hubby liked the lamb korma for his main, although the roti was a tad oily. I appreciate the chefs making me a butter paneer curry that wasn't on the menu (I.e. paneer in butter chicken sauce), but it felt rushed. All I could taste was butter without any yum Indian flavours you'd usually get in a butter chicken sauce. I think I'll stick to menu items that may have more taste if the chefs prepare them all the time. We were also a tad cold where we sat with the air con and people leaving the door open when they left. As I adore the smiley lady there, this was hard to review too harshly but it definitely wasn't the best Indian food ever in my humble opinion. Would I try it again? Yes as they're new to the area and I really hope they continue...

We recently visited Mukka, a newly opened Indian restaurant in Carnegie, drawn by the opening discount offer and our love for Indian cuisine.

The experience began with drinks — aam panna and a beer — both of which were decent and refreshing. For starters, we ordered the papdi chaat, which, while presented well, was rather average in taste and lacked the bold flavors we were expecting.

The wait for the momos was quite long, over 35 minutes, and unfortunately, they didn’t meet expectations in terms of flavor or texture. The pav bhaji that followed had a very small portion of bhaji, which also seemed undercooked and underseasoned.

On a positive note, the spicy lamb chops were well-seasoned, but they had a bit too much fat, which detracted from the overall enjoyment of the dish. Lastly, the lachha paratha and baingan bharta were the highlights of the meal, flavorful and satisfying.

Overall, while there were a few bright spots, the meal was a bit of a mixed experience. We hope the team at Mukka can address some of these inconsistencies as they settle into their...