Neelam Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Berkeley Heights

We were first timers recently but certainly not last timers.

Heads up, there is parking in the back and even an entrance in the back. The door in the back is just a solid white door with no glass or any way to see in but trust me it takes you into the restaurant

For apps we had the pakora basket. It came with a samosa and beetroot tikki as well. The samosa was great and the beetroot tikki had promise but was a little free with the fennel seeds. The spinach pakora - please just offer me this by the basketful! The rest of the pakora (caulflower, onion and potato) were good but after a few we had our share of besan.

Also to start was the lasooni gobhi 65. Our son is selectively spice-averse so we asked for the sauce on the side. The cauliflower was fried in what seemed like a thinner besan (chickpea) batter and was red. While it was piping hot, I did not find it too crispy and the sauce in the bowl on the side lacked that garlic oomph. No worries at least the kid loved it.

The Paneer Tikka was next. This is where the flavor resides! One of the best paneer tikkas we have had. Edges slightly crisp and flavor still intact with a soft paneer. No cheating with the torch like some restaurants do. Star of the night.

Vegetable Jalfrezi - Packed with fresh veggies, savory flavor and not cut with potatoes. This is was blanketed with the tandoori roti we ordered.

We will be back, and next time I am heading straight to the same mains we ordered. The food comes out hot and fast,...

After watching a review on Youtube I went to Neelam Indian restaurant in Berkley Heights, NJ. with high expectations. I ordered vegetable samosas, Chicken Tikka Masala ( Just like in the video), rice and Naan bread. Vegetable samosas had all the flavor one could expect from food frozen at a factory many miles away. The Chicken Tikka Masala that a Reviewer on YouTube raved about was NOT what I had -- it was substandard at best. I will give the reviewer the benefit of the doubt and assume he was honest and served something edible. The sauce on the chicken was a sweet (sugary sweet) slightly Indian spiced ketchup of sorts that would cause a riot in Bombay. The chicken itself somewhat overcooked. The rice and bread were fine but far from enjoyable. The service was very good as was the water I was given. The food was a step above trash -- but not a leap. Many reviews are posted by owners, their families, friends, etc. I have NO relationship with this eatery in any way, shape or form - positive or negative - and really wanted to like it. Granted not every dish served, every time will be a masterpiece. However, given the prices that restaurants are charging, I expect the food to be edible. To be fair, my standard for quality is that if it were free -- would I eat it or perhaps take it home to someone? Sorry, but the answer for Neelam...

This is an amazing little place. When I went I, I was skeptical of the quality and seating. Once I started to talk to the people, then I came to know how good and accomodative they are. We went ahead and placed our order. The prices are a mix. The price of some items is more than other restaurants, but some or less. So it balances out. But where this restaurant edges, a lot of others are in quality of food, service they provide. Tried a lot of veg items, and the taste is amazing. Kids initially did not want to try, but once they did, they really liked it, and we had to place an order for additional dishes. If you are a total vegetarian like me, who does not even eat eggs or items made with eggs, then you need to let them know, as they use the same oil to fry fish, chicken and veg pakodas. Once we told them we were veg, which is the first thing i do, the restaurant guys were very honest in letting me know, which I appreciated. So technically, which is deep fried. But the rest of the dishes are all ok and tasted amazingly. But the most important part is the people who work there. They are extremely good. I have given 4 stars for the environment because the seating space/table is a little tight for 4. But this is a little hidden cameo that...