Nalan Indian Cuisine - Charlotte — Restaurant in Charlotte

If you’ve ever wanted to eat Indian food while simultaneously getting a light cardio workout, welcome to Nalan Indian Cuisine in the Parktowne Village Shopping Center (yep, across from Park Road Shopping Center in the former IndiGrille space). The downward journey starts with a bunch of steep steps, once you conquer those stairs and reach the same level as Easy Like Sunday, your prize is some top-tier Indian food that I’ve had in Charlotte.

Nalan took what used to be a fast-casual Indian spot and flipped it into a full-service restaurant. They’ve got a couple of other locations in Pennsylvania, but this Charlotte one is brand new to the Queen City. The space is classy without being pretentious, with a marble-front check-in counter glowing under a neon sign that reads “The Secret Ingredient is Love,” and walls splashed with a vibrant mural of Charlotte’s skyline and a huge yellow word cloud declaring things like “zestful” and “magical.” I was hosted by the owner, Balaji, who clearly knows what he’s doing.

Here’s how you know the food is legit: the whole time I was there, the place had a steady flow of Indian families and groups eating and chatting. Honestly, my dining partner and I were probably the only non-Indian folks in the room, which in the world of restaurants is basically the foodie bat signal that you’re about to eat something special.

They’re using real tandoori ovens and traditional Indian equipment, and the menu hits every direction of the subcontinent: North, South, East, and West. Some items rotate based on what’s seasonal & popular, but don’t worry, your classic Indian staples aren’t going anywhere. They’ve got a full bar and mango lassi drinks, vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, tandoori specialties, biryanis, and a rotating weekend specials menu.

The staff couldn’t have been more accommodating, and since I’m sensitive to heat, I stuck with mild spice level across the board and the spice level was perfect. Next time, I might even risk my delicate taste buds and go medium.

We started with the Brussel Sprout Pakora. Imagine brussel sprout leaves coated in a spiced chickpea batter, fried golden, and piled high like crispy little flavor clusters. It came with a cool dipping sauce that wasn’t my favorite but balanced the pakora. If you ask for tamarind chutney instead, this dish might just level up.

For entrées, we split the Chicken Korma (mild spice, comes with rice). The curry arrived creamy and rich with tender chunks of chicken, not just a couple of questionable dried chicken pieces drowning in a pool of sauce (photo above). Portion size was just right, great for one person or perfect for two to share with an additional entree.

From the tandoor section, we were recommended to order the Zafrani Mali Kabab. The menu says “tender chicken with saffron, cream, and mild spices,” and they nailed it. The chicken tenders (yes, actual tenders) were juicy, flavorful, and served with a cooling green sauce. If you set these next to fried chicken tenders, I’d pick this dish, and I am a fried chicken tender connoisseur.

We also had naan, because obviously. The Garlic Naan was buttery, soft, and loaded with garlic and herbs. The Cheese Naan? Cheesy in every bite, melty and glorious. No naan went to waste, and both worked overtime as edible spoons to scoop up the Korma sauce.

For dessert, I caved when I saw a nearby table digging into cake. The Death by Chocolate arrived as a rich, layered monster of fudge, frosting, ganache, and chocolate shavings with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Not made in-house, but sourced from a French bakery, which means no sad frozen Sysco cake here.

The only thing I regret not ordering? The Dosa. These giant crispy crepes with chutneys were flying out of the kitchen to every table around me. I’ll fix that on my next visit.

By the end of the meal, I was stuffed, happy, and already planning my return trip. You can tell they put love into every dish, and it shows. Nalan is a great addition to the Charlotte food scene, and it’s about to be one...

We recently visited Nalan Charlotte, and it’s hands down one of the best new Indian restaurants in the city! The ambiance is super cozy — perfect for the holiday season — and the staff made us feel so welcome. We tried a variety of dishes and loved every bite! For appetizers, the Brussels Sprout Pakora was such a unique and delicious twist, and the Mushroom 65 was bursting with flavors. The Lentil Coconut Soup was a total hit with the kids, and the Tandoori Broccoli was perfectly spiced and smoky. For drinks, our kids enjoyed the classic Mango Lassi, while we tried the Mango Mojito and Strawberry Mojito — both were so refreshing! The main courses were just as amazing — Garlic Naan, Cheese Naan, Nalan Special Eggplant Curry (took us right back to that nostalgic home-style Tamil cooking!), Malai Kofta, and Masala Dosa — all cooked to perfection. Desserts were the highlight — Chocolate Dosa and Death by Chocolate are an absolute must-try! Every dish tasted fresh, authentic, and full of flavor. The service was top-notch, and the overall vibe makes it a great spot for families and anyone who loves Indian cuisine. Highly recommend visiting if you’re looking to explore authentic Indian vegetarian flavors...

Came across this gem of a restaurant by accident. It happened to be its opening day and we love Indian food so thought we’d take a chance. Absolutely fantastic! Just like that it’s now our go-to Indian restaurant in Charlotte. We used to travel to Ballantyne for our favorite Indian food, but now have something much closer to home in Myers Park. It has a cozy casual but slightly upscale ambience, very welcoming. We had the chickpea kadai, chicken tikka masala, vegetable samosas, and naan, and it was all outstanding! Perfect spice levels and authentic, rich flavors. Service was impeccable, especially for a new restaurant. Over the years we’ve tried probably 10-15 popular Indian restaurants, and I now put this one in our top 2. Prices are also very reasonable, especially compared to our usual favorites. Only hang up is no alcohol license yet, but the excellent food got us over that real quick. So happy to have this fabulous little restaurant...