Dhamaka Indian Restaurant | Vancouver — Restaurant in Vancouver

I ordered from Dhamaka Indian Restaurant via Uber and had an overall great experience, rating it 5 stars. The food was flavorful, well-cooked, and satisfying. Below is my rating and review for each item I ordered, listed from my favorite to least favorite:

1.Andhra Chicken Fry Piece Biryani (Regular) – 5/5 This biryani was absolutely delicious! The distinct flavors of curry leaves, green chilies, and perfectly cooked chicken made it stand out. Compared to Andhra-style fried chicken biryanis from other restaurants, this one excelled, especially with its rich and flavorful masala. The portion size was generous, and there were enough chicken pieces. I will definitely be ordering this again.

Egg Roast Biryani (tray) – 5/5 We ordered the tray meant for three people, and the portion size was perfect. The number of eggs was sufficient, and the masala was incredibly tasty. There were no negatives to mention—it was an excellent dish. Highly recommend it!

Real Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani (tray) – 4/5 This was another flavorful biryani with a good portion of rice. However, the chicken pieces were quite small and not enough for the portion size. We requested mild spice, and it was prepared accordingly. Taste-wise, it was great, but I am deducting one star due to the limited amount of chicken.

Raju Gari Chicken Biryani (Regular) – 3/5 The portion size for both rice and chicken was good, but the fried chicken made the dish feel overly oily. The taste of fried oil was overpowering and affected the overall flavor. It wasn’t bad, but it’s not something I would order again.

5.Temper Paneer Biryani (Regular) – 3/5 Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. The flavors of the rice and the masala didn’t complement each other well. It just wasn’t to my taste. I wouldn’t order this or any other "Temper Biryani" again, as it doesn’t suit my palate.

Sides:

Salan – 5/5: Great taste, well-prepared.

Raita – Mixed Experience: We received four boxes—two were delicious, but the other two were overly salty. Not sure what happened there.

Overall Experience:

Despite some dishes not being to my taste, the quality of the rice and meat was excellent, and the food was well-cooked. I will definitely be ordering again to try more biryanis from their menu, along with my new favorites: Andhra Fried Chicken Biryani and Egg Roast Biryani!

Highly recommended for South...

June 02, 2025 After a long and tiresome day, I picked up Kadhai Paneer and two Rumali Rotis expecting a vegetarian meal—as clearly stated in my order. When I got home and started eating (about an hour later), I was shocked to find a piece of chicken in the curry. As a vegetarian, this was extremely upsetting and unacceptable.

I immediately called the restaurant. The lady I spoke with was polite and said if i could send her the picture on that number which i did. She said she'd check with her manager and call me back. She did, and apologized, offering to replace the dish. I declined politely (as much furious as i was on the inside, i understand that was not her fault) because I no longer felt safe eating a curry from this kitchen and instead requested a refund, which she agreed to process. So far, so good.

However, I was then called again, this time to be told that after reviewing camera footage, we can confirm that chicken was not added to the dish, it was only Paneer cubes. Now i never said that the Chef would add chicken deliberately, OBVIOUSLY. My guess was they probably used the same cookpan/gravy or Ladle that they used while making a chicken dish. Anywho it is your responsibility as a restaurant to not mix vegan/vegetarian with meat.

While they said they weren’t calling me a liar, the implication was clear—and deeply insulting. I was essentially told, “We’ll refund you, but we don’t think you’re telling the truth.”

Let me be very clear: I have no reason to lie about something like this or have that kind of time as a matter of fact. To suggest that I somehow planted meat in my own food and fabricated this situation at 10PM in the night is ridiculous and highly disrespectful.

While I appreciate the refund, the way this situation was handled—especially the follow-up call that questioned my honesty—ensures that I or any of my friends & family will not be returning. This kind of oversight and response is simply not acceptable from a food service when it comes to dietary restrictions and...

I drove from Surrey to Vancouver to try Dhamaka Indian Cuisine but was left deeply disappointed by the lack of hospitality. When I entered, three tables were empty, and there was no one waiting inside or outside. Despite this, no one acknowledged me for over five minutes.

I approached the cashier and requested a table for two. She curtly asked if I had a reservation. I mentioned that I had checked online, and there was no indication that reservations were mandatory. Her response was that I either needed a reservation or had to wait for "minimum hours" despite the empty tables. She justified this by saying she had four upcoming bookings, prioritizing people who weren’t even present over a customer standing right in front of her.

This experience was both frustrating and disrespectful. The lack of customer service and the dismissive attitude were shocking. Thankfully, I discovered Tandoori Oven on Main Street, where I was greeted warmly, served with respect, and enjoyed amazing food.

Dhamaka’s disregard for walk-in customers is shameful. It’s unfortunate that such a highly anticipated visit turned into a disappointing experience. However, I’m glad it led me to discover a much better dining option very...