Pakvaan — Restaurant in Edison

Ok here it goes, I ordered dhokla, and a thali which consisted of tomato curry, vegetable curry, Kadhi(yogurt based watery soup), some coconut laddu, kichdi types something and pickles. I ate the dhokla which was ok, but wasn’t nothing special. I had better dhoklas at various restaurants in NYC. But the thali omg such a disappointment…l was so hungry after work and was looking forward to eat this. I had tear in my eyes, a little cuz the food was blend as f. No flavor, everything tested old which is a big no no for me. The vegetable curry was so dry, none of the vegetable in it tasted distinctly tasty, imagine your sabzi reheated in a microwave after 5/6 days. That’s how it tasted. I wanted to call the restaurant and tell them this but my poor husband said it’s ok maybe we are not used to Gujarati food. Thankfully he had bought masala dosa from Sri Dosa Place, and we went back that place for the remainder of my time at NJ. I am not the one to leave a bad review but this is a place I want to warn people. If you aren’t Gujarati or like their unique blandness, well try at your own risk. I would rather spend my hard earned money at a place I know will serve me fresh food. I will pay extra for fresh good food. Oh god, still can feel the taste of the kadhi, tasted like someone threw up and I’m drinking the dilated...

The vada pav was the highlight of our lunch order at Pakvaan and it is reasonably good.

We came here with much expectation based on the reviews but unless you're truly sold to this establishment - it has not much to offer that's worth it - flavor wise, concoction wise, nor price wise.

The dahi puri is okay - and from the photo you will see that it lacks the typical garnish and seasoning sadly.

The dabeli was decent but you have Hot Breads next door - theirs is significantly better - this location serves amongst the best dabeli in the US IMO (at least from a few years ago when I last had it).

The pav bhaji was passable but didn't really seem freshly cooked.

The absolute disasters were the aloo paratha; too dry and seemed like frozen - clearly not made by someone who knew how to. The milkshakes (vanilla) were too milky and lacked the thickness of a proper shake. For the prices charged these were atrocious.

Surprisingly, the food goes even lower - the Bombay sandwich is a joke. If you need to experience a real one, then the trip to Little Sicily 2 outside Philadelphia is well with the drive. Just don't eat a couple of meals before you plan it 😉

Service is counter-serve and otherwise non-existent. Even the folks talking the orders behind the table seemed way too many and...

Just visited Pakvaan Desi Spice in Edison and honestly… wow. I don’t usually leave reviews, but this place deserves all the love.

From the first bite, it felt like I was back home in India. The methi gota was perfectly crisp and full of flavor, just like what my mom used to make. The vada pav and pav bhaji were amazing too—spicy, comforting, and cooked with such authenticity. You can taste the care in every bite.

We also tried their thalis, and they were generous, fresh, and packed with variety. The Punjabi sabzis, warm naan, and all the sides were just perfect. My whole family was so happy—we kept saying how it reminded us of meals we used to have back home.

The staff were super kind and welcoming, and the whole place has this warm, homely vibe. It’s rare to find a spot that feels this real, this connected to the food we grew up with.

Can’t wait to go back. If you’re missing real Indian food, Pakvaan Desi Spice...