Cumin India Restaurant — Restaurant in Hamden

The Good: I have ordered from Cumin several times, I have even recommended their restaurant to several family members because I believe their food is really top-notch albeit expensive.

The Bad: This time however I decided to do pickup instead of delivery because for some reason it wasn’t an option. I got to the restaurant at the beginning of my pickup time, walked inside, and stood behind a gentleman paying for his food at the six feet distance recommended for COVID.

I’d like to mention that as soon as I walked inside (first time I’d ever gone in) every single person sitting inside (it was a large singular group in the middle of the restaurant) of that restaurant stared at me like I didn’t belong there. Every. Single. One. I’ve never experienced such vitriol from strangers. It was like I had interrupted a dinner party I wasn’t invited to.

Anyway.

The man moved and three people who had stood up (from their large table of other friends and family I presume) and were standing to the side swiftly moved to pay for their food like I wasn’t even standing there. One of them had looked me straight in the eye while they did it, too!

To make matters worse the guy checking them out said ‘nere a word to me about it, not an apology or mention. They took five minutes of my time to be rude. In that time someone else from that table group got up, stood near me, and if I hadn’t moved to go to the counter I’m very sure they would’ve skipped me, too.

It was so apparent, from not only the customers inside of the restaurant, that I wasn’t a priority but also the lackluster service given to me at the counter that I’ll NEVER frequent their restaurant again.

The point here: frequent restaurants that give a care about you as the customer because clearly Cumin could give...

If I could call this, the worst culinary experience of my life ever, I would. First and foremost, we were asked to pay for the order even before it arrived stating that it was their closing time — no hospitality or restaurant business has the right to ask for pre payment. Secondly, the manager or the person in charge was straight away disrespectful right from the start to the end. He shoved the food on the table, didn’t even bother to bring them one by one- they brought all the food together and dumped it on the table. Coming to the food, horrible is the word. I would never personally call food horrible but this was the most obnoxious food experience. They just dumped all foods from India on the menu, they do not know what goes in recipe, their menu says something and they bring something else on your table. The meat in the biryani ( which wasn’t biryani but a curry mixed with rice and spice powder) was straight up RAW, uncooked hard meat. The tandoori chicken was nothing “tandoor” but boiled chicken dumped on a bed of vegetables. The Mirch ka salan was nothing to do with Mirch but potatoes in a bland paste like gravy. All in all, would never bother to eat here again or eat Indian food outside after this episode of bad experience. If you do not want to waste your time, your money and spoil your tastebuds and mood- do not visit this restaurant and do not be fooled by their reviews. Nobody at the restaurant is gonna bother about your review anyway, so this is for people who check reviews before trying out a place- DO NOT GO HERE! Save your money and time and go...

I am an Indian food connoisseur and lover! I went there for the lunch buffet and the price was very good also there is a coupon in the Clipper Magazine for 15% off! What a great value. The food was delicious the restaurant was clean the staff was friendly to service was good. And this is one of the cleanest Indian restaurants I have ever been to. Sense of smell and I can smell dirty carpets and I don't like going to a restaurant that has grimy doorways. This restaurant was cleaned everywhere you went the buffet line the seating the carpets and the bathrooms. One day I was trying to find an Indian restaurant in the Meriden Berlin area and I went in and out of three restaurants before finally going to one further away. There is a huge difference in cleanliness and it is stomach turning when a place is dirty. This place I would go back to in a heartbeat and if you like Indian food or if you have never tried Indian food this is the place to go! Try the lunch buffet Monday through Friday. They also offer a lunch buffet on weekends there are additional offerings and the price is just a little bit higher. The chutneys and sauces were delicious and to top it off they serve some fresh naan with your lunch. it was not overly greasy and I appreciate that because too much grease makes me sick! I cannot say that about every Indian restaurant. Sometimes place is loaded down with grease and they did not. Enjoy your meal because if you're looking for some good Indian food in this area I don't think you will find...