Cheeni — Restaurant in Durham

I never write reviews, but this was truly a horrible and stand out occasion that bears reviewing.

First off, I’ve been to Cheeni twice before this last time, both times it was great, save for maybe slightly cold waitstaff. Whatever, I prefer a hands off waitstaff anyway, truth be told. This last Sunday however, almost everything was so off that I won’t be going back. We arrived after having made a reservation and since been there before I knew the drill with the monkey card left out to order. Unfortunately we waited for someone to even walk by to tell them we had no monkey card in our box. No biggie, it happens. We ordered our starters and drinks, then mains.

What happened next still baffles me. First, one starter arrived, the seasonal dips, which were actually quite good. Then came the cabbage medallions which were 2 sad, soggy, tiny slices of cabbage that clearly had been steamed then tried to be rescued with a grill. They were soggy and pretty tasteless, and for $14, I mean cmon, cabbage is cheap as hell, why just 2 tiny cuts from a cabbage? Then 20 min later or so, the mango lassis finally show up. Zero complaints, I like them, just know they are very floral, so if you aren’t into that, just don’t even try. Finally they come out asking if we are sharing, which we hastily reply yes, and they flop down what can only be described as the nastiest piece of fish I’ve ever tasted. (fish curry) Overcooked massively, salted so badly it made my eyes burn, and not to mention it’s the saddest little end piece of a fish. Sitting in some sauce with a dumb little circle of rice. That’s all. $30 this fish was. We sent it back after nearly vomiting after tasting it. It honestly tasted like it had gone bad too. I ordered the fish moilee instead, which I was sure would be great- I had it months ago and it was. In the meantime my partner’s overcooked lamb chops arrive with crunchy undercooked rice that was literally inedible. We let the waitstaff know all of this, and they thanked us for the feedback because they were training a new cook. Ok, that’s fine, but Jesus, you are letting someone completely unqualified (clearly) cook for customers paying a lot of money for a great experience.

The kicker was when the second fish arrived, it was equally small, but literally the center was cold, I picked it up with my fork and it wouldn’t even tear in half. My partner and I laughed at this point, returned the dish and asked them very politely and demurely for the check saying needed to just go at this point. The waitstaff turned completely to ice, wouldn’t look at us and eventually literally threw the check on our table and stormed away. So we were blamed for the poor food quality ultimately, which is honestly the #1 reason we won’t be back.

Just save your money for a better spot with better customer service and great food time and time again. There are too many good spots now in Durham to go back...

My wife and I have now been to Cheenie 6 times and it just keeps getting better: which says allot since we already thought it’s the best Indian restaurant in the triangle! And honestly, now I think it’s one of the best restaurants, period! It’s a family run business and Preeta and her daughter Amy, couldn’t be better hosts. The service from the entire staff is impeccable, but the food is off the charts. There are items on this unique menu you won’t find at other Indian restaurants. ie, my favorite appetizer is Bitter Gourd with Mushrooms. And it’s not an easy choice, since there are at least 6 or 7 appetizers that are delicious. In fact, one night it was so difficult, I just ordered a meal of 4 appetizers! My favorite main course is the Whole fish. It’s a Branzino. Cooked perfectly. As good a piece of fish as you’ll find anywhere. They also have traditional Indian dishes, they taste better than any you’ve had elsewhere. I highly recommend the South Indian Vegetable Kurma and the Aloo Gobi. The menu never stays static. The Aloo Gobi was recently added, along with a delicious appetizer of minced lamb wrapped in collard greens. If you haven’t been to Cheenie, you’re really missing a great culinary experience.

Tonight was the third time my wife and I have been to Cheeni, and, as usual, it was outstanding! As good as, if not better than any Indian restaurant in the Triangle. Cheeni is not your “cookie cutter” Indian restaurant where the menu is the same as hundreds of other places. It is a unique, imaginative menu with amazing tasting dishes you may have never heard of before but are damn glad you found it. It is true Indian home cooking. As far as favorites, the Mushroom and Bitter Gourd Sabzi may be the best appetizer I’ve ever had in any restaurant: and our friend Lucy, who joined us tonight, agreed! The Tamatar and Bindi Daal Tadka is a wonderful vegan option. My wife absolutely loved the Dani Chicken and I can tell you the Whole Fish (Branzino) is one of the best pieces of fish I’ve ever had.

There’s a wide variety of choices for any and all dietary requirements.

The service is excellent; and Preeta, the James Beard Chef, and her daughter Amy have created a home away from home for those of us who love...

My partner and I attended a cooking class last night at Cheeni to learn how to cook Biryani and Raitas hosted by Amy and taught by Preeti herself. First I have to say that the hospitality exhibited by these two was astonishing. They made each of us feel like we were home. We chose to have a few cocktails. The drinks Amy is mixing are great. Not at all overpowering, but deceptively strong. Proceed with caution! Yes this is a good thing! Preeti then got right into it. She started off with a little background of herself, then a brief explanation of Biryani and Indian food in general. She then started cooking, and man.... did she cook! She took us step by step through the process of creating this magical dish. Explaining how to extract the most flavors out of the mostly simple fresh ingredients. Teaching us about herbs and spices, both familiar and foreign to most Americans. I'm still stuck on Black Cardamom, and I would tell you about K** Water, but we had to take a blood oath and swear not to share that secret. (You will have to take a class for yourself to find out) Throughout the process of building the dish Preeti invited us to smell, taste, touch and most importantly stir the ingredients, each one with a story, or technique, or tip on how and why. At one point I got a chance to taste the masala and it nearly brought a tear to my eyes. Finally, the cooking was done, and Amy's cocktails had me feelin Alllllllllright! It was time to eat! The nine of us in the class sat at one of the large tables while Preeti and Amy served us the Biryani and Raitas. We tried two types of biryani and 3 types of raitas and they were all amazing. I will admit, i was a bit apprehensive about trying the jackfruit, but i actually like it. Overall, this was not just a cooking class, it was a whole experience and an amazing one at that. I have so much respect for Preeti as a person and CHEF after this experience, she is truly a wonderful person and I congratulate her on her success. I cannot wait to have the full dining out experience at Cheeni and try the whole left side of the menu...... OK.... nobody believes that, ill try it all! Thank you Amy and Preeti for a wonderful...