Taj Indian restaurant — Restaurant in Da'an District

I have been searching for a good curry in Taipei for a while, and nothing has made me go back yet... until I found this spot.

I really enjoyed the samosa - very balanced and good flavor, not greasy, perfectly cooked with a crispy outside and good aroma and texture within.

We also really liked the tandoori tiger prawns - add a couple of these in a nan plus a bit of onion and some cilantro-mint chutney is the perfect combo.

The butter chicken was perfectly balanced. On the first bite it might seem a little bland, but after a few more bites you get a perfect flavor, not ever overpowering or too rich like a lot of curries are. You always want more, never an overwhelming overfull flavour. It's a flavor you can drink straight from the bowl without getting sick of it.

The nan bread is not exactly authentic. At first I was a bit disappointed by this, but after the first bite all was well in the world... They have made a perfect fusion between nan bread and a Taiwanese flaky scallion pancake. I think I prefer this rendition to an authentic nan. The texture is perfect, and we couldn't help but order additional nan it was so good.

The only thing that could be improved is the rice. It's a sticky Asian rice, not exactly an indian long-grain basmati. But really it's minor and was good as it was.

This place has been here for 20 years! I now know why. I look forward to returning and sampling...

The food and customers are awesome, but some of the Chinese-speaking staff really should be let go.

I have been there twice for their buffet, the cuisine is authentic and impeccable. The variety of curries, nans, and desserts are mesmerizing. This is a place I would definitely go back for their excellent taste.

However, both times, I had terrible experiences with the seating-arrangement staff. The first time I booked the second slot (13:30-15:00) as recommended by the staff. When I arrived they asked me to sit with complete strangers at the same table, while they apparently had spare tables for customers. The second time I specifically asked to sit alone and told them I was open to both meal slots. The staff assigned me to first slot (12:00-13:30), then a few days later asked me to move to the second slot due to a larger group of customers demanded a table for the first slot. I told them I already made other plans and I cannot change the time, and they threatened me with putting myself with other strangers at the same table again. It was not until I complained they did honor their arrangement, recommended by themselves, that I got to keep my original arrangement. This is just terrible management, and quite frankly, an insult and discrimination to single customers.

Overall, perfect food, nice atmosphere, great customer mix, but the local staff is one of the worst...

You can choose the level of spiciness you want for Mutton Biryani and I chose medium spicy (very spicy but still able to finish with drink or water aside). The spices topped on the biryani rice were crispy. The mutton cutlets were tender but be careful because there were still bones on few cutlets. The biryani rice was relatively delicious, hotter than expected, and of Indian spice taste.

Fresh Ice Milk Tea was authentic Indian milk tea, which was milkier and more of a unique taste.

I was going to order a Sagu Kheer but the nice and passionate staff said she would make it complimentary for me. Unfortunately, she also said they were running out of tapioca, so there weren’t any round tapiocas in the bowl, only the scattered ones with the yellowish milk. However, it was still delicious anyway and free, so I did enjoy it.

In conclusion, the Indian traditional ornaments including lights, cookwares, arts, even the dining tables and seats were of high cultural value. The owner was good at Chinese because most of the Indian restaurant owners spoke English to me when I was paying or served. Overall I would give it a...