Kashkan Dhaba - Essence of fine dining — Restaurant in Dallas

Food was great, but we got sick

If you once knew this place as Mumbai Grill, don't worry. Your favorite Indian shop still sells Indian food! All the plates you once knew appear to still be on the menu and they are now branded as Zaika Indian Kitchen.

Buyer beware: For what used to cost me $50 (food+tip) now cost me $75 (food+tip). The portion sizes look like they've also halved.

Used to get nearly a half hen of Tandoori chicken (4 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings), now just 4 pieces (drumsticks and thighs). So half the Tandoori Chicken. The Biryani used to easily feed 4, with a little leftovers, now barely feeds 2. Also, I found a bunch of mini bones (or maybe uncooked rice?) in the Biryani. Nothing like noshing on some rice and get an occasional crunch that makes my teeth shriek. The Mango Lassi used to be 20 oz, now 12 oz. The butter chicken used to be 24 oz, now it's 12 oz.

So, not only am I paying 50% more, I'm getting 50% less. I understand they are trying to make up for the remodeling they recently did, but the location is NOT streetside, so really they should have kept the investment to a min in order to keep margins. They will soon find out that lights and flyers are the best way to get the word out or else they will just fade into oblivion.

I really want to give this restaurant good stars. I've been a long-time customer of Mumbai Grill and had been going there for years!

However, my BF and I were sick for 3 days after eating here. We normally cook from home and I had been saving up to enjoy this all week. So, it wasn't hard to spot from where the illness could have come. The kitchen really needs to make sure they are up to standards for sanitation. I know our Gov't is all about deregulation and if this is the result, I'd rather just stay home.

Combine the price hike, the diminishing quantity, the lackluster quality, I'm hard pressed to give this place more than 2 stars.

The ONLY reason this store will get a second chance with me is because I've been a long-time and loyal customer of the Mumbai Grill it once was. I may be chasing a dream when I say I'm hopeful my next visit...

We used to eat at the Mumbai Grill frequently, and the food there was great. When we saw a new Indian restaurant in the same space, we decided to give it a try.

We came to Zaika for the lunch buffet on a Saturday around 11:30. The buffet had just opened, we were the first customers and the food was freshly made.

This was the most disappointing Indian restaurant experience I've had in a long time.

1. Nothing tasted good. Some dishes (mutter paneer, chicken curry, daal makni) were so mild as to be flavorless. Though there were many dishes on the buffet, one did not taste much different from another. The sauce of the curries were as thin as water. The biryani had pockets of unincorporated/unmixed dry spices.

2. The chicken was overcooked and dry in every dish. The tandoori chicken was almost inedibly dry. The chicken in the chicken curry was stringy.

3. The selection of dishes was very meat-focused, and there were no vegetable-as-the-star dishes (no okra, eggplant, cauliflower, potato, navaratan korma). Even the chicken and goat dishes hardly had any vegetables in them. The mutter paneer was very light on peas.

4. The decor and ambiance was non-existent. Both my spouse and I felt as though the place had finished construction yesterday, but it's been open for a few months now.

The five-star reviews for this place are confusing. Perhaps the quality has declined precipitously since they opened. We...

A Mixed Bag: Good Service, Questionable Biryani

I recently had lunch at Zaika. The service was excellent, with friendly staff and prompt attention. They also offered complimentary, unlimited papad with chutneys and water, which was a nice touch.

While the Gobbi Manchuria was quite good, the biryanis were a bit disappointing. The Lamb Dum Biryani, in particular, was more like a pulav, lacking the depth of flavor and aroma typically associated with a true dum biryani. It was also underseasoned.

If you're a South Indian visiting a North Indian restaurant, it might be wise to stick to the safer options like roti and curry. The biryanis, unfortunately, didn't live up to expectations.

Overall, the restaurant offers good service and decent food, but the biryani enthusiasts might want to explore...