Mela Indian Restaurant — Restaurant in Indianapolis

Excellent and highly recommended new Indian restaurant in the Franklin Township/Beech Grove area. Lots of options, and plenty for vegetarians and vegans as well. Papadum and a green cilantro chutney is given as a free app (think chips & salsa at a Mexican joint). For an appetizer, my wife and I shared the allu tikka chat, which is 2 fried, spiced potato patties on a bed of chana masala, along with some very tasty chutney; more than enough for 2 people. For my main entrée, I picked the Vegetable Korma which came loaded with tons of veggies and beans (cauliflower, potatoes, peas, peppers, zucchini, onions, paneer, chana). Everything was cooked perfectly and piping hot and fresh. I'd have to say that this is one of the better kormas I've had around Indy, or anywhere for that matter. My wife got the Chana Saag, which is a spiced pureed spinach/greens gravy along with garbanzo beans, tomatoes, and potatoes. Again, very fresh and hot, and delicious. The chickpeas were cooked quite well, and were soft just like they should be. The basmati rice was cooked with cumin seed and possibly a hint of other aromatic spices to enhance its flavor a bit. The garlic naan was fantastic. Had a little bit of browning/charring but was still soft and chewy. For dessert, we got the gulab jamun. Temperature was hot, which I prefer, the syrup was light and had great aromatics, and they also threw in some coconut shreds which added a nice element.

The restaurant itself is quite new and looks great. The décor is comfortable and inviting, and the entire place was extremely clean. Great atmosphere all around. They did a great job turning an old Sears building into this. The bar area is spectacular and they have a ton of high quality liquor and spirits.

Overall, we highly highly enjoyed our visit to Mela. It wasn't very busy but it certainly deserves to be, and I'm sure it will be picking up speed soon. A wonderful addition to...

The food was pretty good, however, I probably won't return. There are much better options nearby to choose from. My main complaint is that when I ordered my food spicy, they looked at me and said, "Oh.. Americans don't usually like spicy. Maybe you should get medium instead." I laughed and said, "No. It's fine. I eat spicy food all the time. I want spicy." They said, "Okay" and proceeded to make our order. Now, let me preface, my wife is the type of person who finds ketchup a little spicy. She has a pretty low threshold overall. Sometimes I can't tell if something that says, "Spicy" is actually spicy or not so I let her try it to gauge it for me. She then affirms whether or not what I'm eating is actually spicy. She ordered hers mild and they obliged. When we got our order, I noted that the there wasn't a lot of food in the bag considering we had just spent ~$45. I figured this place was probably just a little more costly and the food quality might reflect that. Upon arriving at home and beginning our meal, I noted that there was almost no spice to my food at all. I asked my wife to try it to confirm my suspicion. She agreed. It simply wasn't spicy. Fortunately, I had some sriracha to douse it with, but, I don't go to an Indian place and order 'spicy' so I can bring it home and throw hot sauce on it. Aside from that, the food had good flavor. Neither the quantity nor the quality wasn't really befitting a $17 entree and our rice definitely seemed a bit mushy/overcooked. Perhaps it was instant rice? It wasn't bad, just very very mediocre. All in all, I'd go here again if it were the only place to get a good curry or tikka masala in the area but it's not. There are much cheaper and much better options very close by.

TL;DR - Food was okay, servings were small, refused to make my food spicy because, "Americans...

My recent visit to Mela Restaurant left me thoroughly dissatisfied, and I feel compelled to share my unfortunate experience. Despite my anticipation of enjoying authentic Indian cuisine, my encounter with the establishment was marred by numerous disappointments.

First and foremost, the quality of the food fell far short of the restaurant's claims. What was promised as an exquisite culinary experience turned out to be anything but. The flavors lacked depth, and the dishes failed to impress.

Equally disappointing was the demeanor of the staff. Far from being welcoming and accommodating, they appeared disinterested and indifferent to the needs of the patrons. To add insult to injury, I encountered an unsettling issue with the payment process. Not only did the restaurant refuse to accept Indian credit cards, but they also subjected me to unnecessary inconvenience and delay. Moreover, upon opting for alternative payment methods, I was shocked to find that the staff arbitrarily inflated the bill, charging more than the actual amount.

As a visitor to Indianapolis, I had hoped for a taste of home comforts at Mela Restaurant. Instead, I was met with a stark reminder of the challenges and frustrations that often accompany dining experiences in India.

My earnest plea to the owner of Mela Restaurant is to implement necessary improvements promptly. Prioritize customer satisfaction by employing courteous staff and ensuring transparent and fair billing practices. After all, the happiness and contentment of your patrons should always remain paramount.

In conclusion, my encounter with Mela Restaurant was far from satisfactory, and I sincerely hope that necessary measures will be taken to rectify the...