The Punjab Indian & Himalayan Cuisine — Restaurant in Johnston

Snuggled away in the foothills of Johnston lies an amazing place for Himalayan and Indian cuisine. With a pepper for the “J”, The Punjab calls to you from the road. Come in! Sit down! Relax with meeeee! Eat some of the best Indian food of your life. Not joking. We’re going to do this review in reverse because in my opinion we’re saving the absolute best for last. It will be worth the wait, I promise. Time Machine ignition……go. We left full and smiling as we waked out to our car. We had just finished two (yes two) incredible desserts. My wife who is chocolate lava cake fanatic HAD to lay claim to that choice, while she passed on her knowledge of Carrot Hawla to me and suggested I get that for myself. I have to admit, a carrot based dessert would never be my first choice but this was like nothing I had ever tasted. Rich, creamy, savory and sweet with just enough cooked pistachio texture to keep it interesting. Truly a very unique treat. The lava cake was smaller but don’t let that deter you from getting it. Warm and gooey, chocolatey and delicious, with 2 scoops of ice cream to accompany it, made this the perfect choice.

On to the entrees. We had the Veggie Korma and Palak Paneer. Now this the main event and it had every right to hold the championship belt. The Veggie Korma came out super fresh, garnished in steam. It smelled awesome! You know when you want to just dive right in but your brain tells you to chill because you KNOW you’ll burn your tongue? Welp. Dove - in. Tongue - tingley. Regrets - none. The veggies were cooked very well and there were plenty of them, which is always a plus. Now, can I try and describe the Palak Paneer as accurately as possible? Well imagine little pillows of cheese tucked into some of the most velvety green tastiness you’ve ever seen. The only thing more iconic than Punjab’s velvety green paneer goodness might be Scarlett O’Hara’s green velvet curtain dress from Gone With the Wind. So there.

Now where it all began for me. Where I became a believer, a fan, a die hard follower of this restaurant. “But Dan, didn’t you say that we’re going backwards with this review? Isn’t this the appetizers? Like, the first things you ordered?” YES, YES, a hundred times YES!!! We chose the Punjab Veggie Platter first because we figured it would give us a chance to take a flavor trip through some different options. And let me just say, you’re trippin’ if this trip doesn’t pack some much needed flavor and variety in your life. It had a little bit of everything from cauliflower to potato based magic morsels. Oh man. Oh man. Oh man. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. The Paneer Johl Momo. 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 They’re steamed dumplings filled with cheese and onion and magic and dreams and wishes and straight A’s on your report card and memories of your first kiss and seeing the stars at night when you’re out in the countryside with no light pollution and seeing the new tulips just poking their lil’ heads out in early spring……all of that. Plus it comes delicately bathed in a spicy rich light sauce that will alter your reality (for the better) with every single bite, sip, and dip. This was possibly one of the best appetizers I have had ever. Like EVER ever. Seriously.

And now we find ourselves at the very beginning. This place is spectacular. From the wood floors, bar, and furniture, to the cool motorcycle wine rack. The decorations and atmosphere are very cozy and welcoming and the staff is elite. They were working like a well oiled machine from the time we sat down until the moment they all wished us a fond farewell (and I mean ALL! Even the kitchen staff said goodbye, waived, and said “Thank You!”) This place is a MUST TRY!! Or a MUST RETURN FOR MORE!! Or a OH EM GEE HOW DID I NOT COME HERE SOONER???? Without a doubt 5 out of 5, or 10 out of 10, or however your scale slides. The Pun🌶️ab...

I'm about to hit you with some truth. The Punjab in Johnston RI is the best Indian restaurant in all of Rhode Island.

Drops the mic, and macho struts off the stage

I consider myself an Indian Cuisine junkie, and I've tried all the heavy hitters and flashy wannabes. This place doesn't get the hype as some of the other well known Indian restaurants and that, my fellow yelpers, is a culinary crime. As it stands, this is THE diamond in the rough when it comes navigating the lackluster choices in Rhode Island's Indian food game. You don't need to read any further, just grab your wallet and go now. Trust me. What's that? You say that you don't like Indian Food? Well that's because you haven't had The Punjab. Your experience has been tainted by the underwhelming and bland imitators in lil Rhody.

When you get right down to the flavor, nothing beats The Punjab. Nothing. When I walk through the door a wafting aroma kisses me like a loving family member and I'm instantly transported to a faraway haven of intense spices, deep flavors, and exotic delicacies. I'm also usually greeted by Jay, the owner and purveyor of this fine establishment. The man is an absolute riot and makes every visit a pleasure. If you've never had Indian food before, just let him be your personal guide as he takes you on a magical flavor ride that will be sweet, spicy, and probably end with a cool refreshing cup of Ras Malai.

The Punjab offers take out, but you really wanna dine in for the full experience. The appetizers, soups, and salads are wonderful. The Lamb Samosa and the Coconut Soup in particular are impossibly yummy comfort foods that will make your belly gleefully purr like a plump Tabby Cat.

The menu is diverse and each entree is packed with DEEP spiced flavors. Don't be that person that just gets Chicken Tikka Masala. Yeah you, the same person who gets Chicken Pad Thai at every Thai Restaurant and never deviates. Stop that! Get adventurous and try something different! Try their delicious vegetarian Malai Kofta which never fails to blow my mind. Explore the menu and find a new favorite meal. If you can't handle spicy just order your dish mild. Even at Medium spice you'll begin to feel the heat. Within a few bites perspiration forms and dangerously clings to your brow as your body tries to handle the immense flavor overload. If you're a true purest you'll want it spicy. There is no wrong way to consume this majestic feast. The only wrong way is to not go at all.

If you love Indian food make The Punjab your next Friday or Saturday night dinner plans. It's off the beaten path and doesn't have the snooty panache of being on The East Side or the glitz and glamour of Federal Hill, but these dishes are a MUST TRY. The Punjab is 100% worth seeking out. I've been here half a dozen times or so. This isn't some one n' done chew and screw review. I've sampled everything from the Desi Salad to the Mango Lassi. I really just go wild and try something new every time. Jay and his staff never disappoints. There is a wonderful passion and some incredible flavors at The Punjab. Do yourself and your loved one a favor...eat here. When you pay your bill you will gladly fork over your week's hard earned wages for the pleasurable food coma experience that was just delivered to you. It's the biggest Indian flavor you're gonna find here in the smallest state...

Here is my detailed review. We went for an ala carte late lunch on new year's day. There was no complimentary papad which is obvious to expect with the ala carte and the very high prices. Firstly the samosa's, the filling had a slight over dose of ginger which is unusual. Then potato and peas filling was not having any flavor, probably it was a pretty old filling from the freezer. Then we had the channa samosa chaat. There was no mint chutney or tamarind chutney on the chat, there was no onion and coriander garnish. It was just couple of samosa's crushed and some channa masala added on top. Then came the worst part. We ordered Panner tikka kebab for a steep price of $16. This does not include any side of rice or naan. This was the worst preparation of a panner tikka kebab. Few cubes of plain panneer was tossed up with green peppers and onion served on a hot plate. This is NOT Panneer Tikka Kebab in any part of world. Then I asked for One order of Roti and one order of Naan. That guy interpreted the Naan as Garlic Naan and Roti as Chappathi. In what world?? Both of them are a dollar more, probably thats why !!.. The best part was the explanation he gave, which showed that he is part arrogant and part idiot, a dangerous combination. We had a chicken dish, which was the only decent thing in taste. I said medium spice but it was most certainly high spiced. The food is overpriced for the location. I would avoid unless it is the last Indian...