Motiraj Restaurant — Restaurant in Sunderland

I have been going to the Motiraj for over 20 years and always promoted to everyone how it's the best.... Well NOT anymore. I ordered a takeaway from the restaurant about 2 weeks ago (like I have done for many years), but this time the food wasn't great. I sent the restaurant a kindly worded email to explaon and feedback my disappointment (in case there was a new chef etc. I received a lovely email back from Shafy giving his apologies along with a good will gesture of a refund, which I accepted as £50 is a lot of money.

SHAFY'S REPLY: Hi Deborah I’m extremely sorry for this experience with the food you picked up from motiraj. You are a very valuable customer of ours and I will have a strong conversation with the staff tonight regarding this. The only excuse I can give the kitchen staff is that it was very busy last night more than a normal Saturday evening. I will refund your money or do a full takeaway again when you like. Sorry once again Shafy

About a week later I ordered another takeaway from here online, but to my shock I received an email stating that my order was unsuccessful. I called the restaurant and spoke to Mr Islam the "Owner/Manager" who said my ordered was rejected because I complained the week before. He then extremely rudely told me never to order or book with his restaurant again, and the reason.....because I had accepted a refund!!!! I explained to him that in 20 years I had never complained and then even when I do it was more feedback than a complaint, I couldn't have worded by email any nicer. He is the most rudest, obnoxious, and nasty restaurant owner I have ever met. I feel so sorry for his staff, if he talks to loyal customers like that, then God only knows how he speaks to the poor staff, who are lovely, polite, and hardworking people. If I was you, I would go elsewhere and avoid thus...

Just went with a few people whilst working here on business and the group was generally disappointed. Having eaten in various Indian restaurants around the UK and India, I feel like this ranks as being below average but charges as much as the more 'up market' spots I've dined at. £3 for a small portion of rice that seemed as though it had been heated up In a microwave and £7:50 (!!!!!) for 2 eggs in a spicy sauce. I thought that this was a mistake so asked one of the guys (grey goatee) if correct- he confirmed that this was right. He then returned, said "I don't mean to be rude", then proceeded to be rude and patronising saying things like "that pint of beer costs me less than 50p.... I charge £4". I simply said that it seemed unreasonable that my egg curry was more expensive than my main (veg Rogan, ps all of the veg was way overcooked). When I tried responding to the comment about beer, the guy walked away?! Very odd. One of the guys who had a lamb main said that it was bland and another who ate the chicken bhuna said the same and that there wasn't enough meat. Other than the rude guy, the rest were friendly and very attentive. Shame...

If I could give one less star then I would. So last night my mother, her potential business partners and I decided to try somewhere new. The food that was brought out was cold, I ordered king prawn curry and I have not been able to get out of bed, nonstop throwing up since getting home. Two of our nahn breads were burnt to a crisp, so I asked for two fresh ones, which the waiter had absolutely no problem with. We proceed to pay the bill and my mother tells the manager that she doesn’t believe we should pay for the Nahns, but she has no problem paying the rest of the bill. Anyway the manager/owner decides to come to my table shouting “so you’re not paying the bill”. Which she absolutely did not say, I told him that I agreed and absolutely refused to pay for burnt food. He then goes on to call her a liar, in front of everyone. And absolutely refused to back down, he was so forceful and aggressive and I could see how belittled and intimidated my mother was, it was as though she was backed into a corner. Bang out of order. I will be telling everyone I know who eats here about out...