Palace Of Asia — Restaurant in Hamilton Township

We dined at Palace of Asia (Lawrenceville) to celebrate the birthday of a friend. We had a terrible experience as the manager of this restaurant is extremely rude. We had several bad experiences while dealing with the manager:

The restrooms were not functional. When one my friends went to use the restroom, the manager didn't let her use the restroom saying it was clogged, and instead asked her if it was an emergency. She naturally became uncomfortable and returned without using the restroom. When she went again after 45 minutes (it really was an emergency now), the manager rebuffed her again. Professional behavior would have entailed the manager informing all guests of this problem with the restaurant. In fact, if we had been informed of this constraint beforehand, we would not even have set foot inside this restaurant. Moreover, one seriously doubts how often the facilities in this restaurant are cleaned or serviced, as all the restrooms - the mens room, the ladies room, and the staff restroom - by the manager's own admission were clogged. We are planning to file a formal complaint with NJ Department of Health since functioning restrooms are required at every restaurant. The attitude of the manager was horrible: he could have been apologetic rather than being aggressive.

We had purchased a gift card for Palace of Asia from Costco and the manager refused to accept it. According to the manager, we dint get the “actual” gift card (we had brought a card with a barcode but apparently that wasn’t enough), even though we showed him the receipt along with the gift card. When we politely told him that this is a technical issue between Costco and his restaurant, and the customer shouldn’t be held responsible, he yelled at us and said “I have been this doing business for 40 years”. The whole problem is his extremely rude behavior. We were polite and respectful, even though it was not our fault. There was no need for him to be aggressive. At the end, he made a phone call and then accepted our gift card — he could have just tried whatever he did at the end without yelling at us. We were not trying to deceive them — it was just a mere technical issue between the restaurant and Costco. Needless to say, the birthday celebrations were already ruined. We felt so bad after leaving the restaurant that we called the restaurant to give feedback. The manager hung up the phone in the middle of the conversation!

There are plenty other restaurants where you are treated respectfully — we will never recommend this place to anyone else, ever. There are several other reviews below that have raised the same issue. Avoid dealing with such a disrespectful manager, who even after being in business for 40 years does not know how to talk to customers.

Edit: The restaurant has responded to my message. As was stated in initial complain, we had paid the $79.99 to get the Costco gift card. We had shown the receipt to the manager. Even if it was mistake by the Costco cashier that they did not change the card to actual gift certificates, it is between Costco and the restaurant owners. How can a customer be held responsible for this mistake? The restaurant chose to publicize at Costco and if the cashier made a mistake, it is not a customers' fault. It is shameful that they are accusing us that "Of course, we had to report to Costco your trying to use it as 2 gift certificates you apparently, never bought." We had rightfully paid the money. The restaurant has conveniently deflected the blame for both the restrooms and for the accounting error -- learn to acknowledge mistake and respect others. It is very unprofessional to treat customers like this and it is clear to us that there is no point in dining with Palace of Asia. There were 6 of us at the restaurant and we will let everyone know how disrespectful the management is at...

Last night, my friends and I decided to have dinner at the Palace of Asia, and it turned out to be a delightful experience. At first, we were a bit skeptical as the restaurant appeared closed due to the drawn curtains and dim lighting. However, upon closer inspection, we noticed the "open" sign tucked away in one corner, which belonged to the restaurant. We decided to give it a try, and we were pleasantly surprised.

As soon as we entered, we were warmly welcomed by Anu, who not only remembered our previous visit, which was over eight months ago, but also recalled the table we had chosen back then. This personal touch instantly made us feel valued and appreciated, and we knew we were in for a treat.

We opted for a comfortable booth and brought along a bottle of wine to complement our meal. The appetizers we ordered, including Paneer Tikka, Mix Pakora, and Hara Bara Kabab, were all delicious and served as a great start to our dining experience. The main course was even more impressive, with the Veg Makhani and Dal Tadka paired with Garlic Naan being the highlights. The flavors were rich and authentic, and we thoroughly enjoyed every bite. To top it all off, we indulged in a serving of vanilla ice cream, which provided a satisfying conclusion to our meal.

One minor drawback was the slightly loud background music, which made conversation a bit challenging at times. Additionally, the restaurant seemed to have very few guests, most likely due to the dark exterior that gave the impression of being closed. It's a shame because the quality of food and the hospitality we experienced were top-notch.

Overall, our evening at the Palace of Asia was fantastic. The warm and friendly service, combined with the excellent food, made it a memorable dining experience. Despite the initial confusion about the restaurant's status, we were pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome and personalized attention we received. If you're looking for a place that offers great hospitality and delicious Indian cuisine, the Palace of Asia is definitely...

I have only visited Palace of Asia once and that was for a takeout meal. Indian restaurants in the Central Jersey area seem sparse, especially outside of Princeton. In an effort to find delectable Indian food that was within closer driving range, I have been trying a number of different restaurants in the Hamilton-Ewing-Lawrenceville area (nothing in Trenton, to speak of) and this is the first one I actually like.

The restaurant itself is nestled in a nondescript strip mall, but once you walk inside you will see that it is well-maintained, clean, and quite beautiful to gaze at. There was someone to greet me at the host stand and immediately tend to me needs.

*Note: 540 Lawrence Square Boulevard South is the ACTUAL address, not the other one google maps has defined on Lawrenceville Road. If you use streetview, you'll notice that there's nothing there.--And if you take nothing else from this review, take that.

I ordered Kulcha and Chicken Curry, preferring to stick with the comfortable and the familiar on a first outing. I'm pretty sure my order was mixed up and that I received some combination of Tandoori, given the veggies in the dish and the tender lamb. It was tasty, regardless. Sure, I like to get what I order, but I'm also aware that people make honest mistakes--and that becomes a real possibility when two people of the same name order food at the same time, which was the case with my order.

Nevertheless, I rate the food and the service, for takeout, a 5. I no longer feel compelled to run to Princeton when I have that not-so-rare craving for Indian food. Try it out and see what you think.

If you need information about the "authenticity" of the food, I'm not sure I can help you there. I'm not a food critic; I just know when something tastes good and...