Gol Bowl — Restaurant in Maplewood

Indian vegetarian reviewing here. Some items are good, while some are disappointing. I had very high expectations based on the reviews and because it's a new restaurant. Here's what i liked or not liked so much: Chana masala: tasty Bhindi masala: average, same spice mix, tomato, onion masala as the chana masala so didn't get the variety i was looking for. Muligatawny soup: the description stated that it has coconut milk and tomato. I could taste neither. Instead, it was bland toor dal (yellow pigeon pea paste) with some cilantro. I've had muligatawny in a tonne of places and this was plain daal, and not soup. You can see the picture I've posted - it's not at all like what you'd find if you googled the dish. The server said that's how they make the soup - all I'm asking is that the description in the menu matches the item which it did not. This was the biggest disappointment which turned me off. Other items weren't so heartbreaking. Flaky paratha - this wasn't fresh. Seemed more like frozen store bought paratha with some butter. But it wasn't fresh. You can tell from the texture. It was chewy and not flaky. Pani Puri - i have very high standards for pani puri, and I wasn't expecting much. But the least I expect is strong fresh pudina taste. This one felt like it was old or made from concentrate. Overall, I wish they allowed us to customise the spice levels like other indian restaurants do, because most items tasted bland. I'm not asking for crazy spice levels because my spice tolerance is somewhat low. But without a burst of flavors, most dishes are not appealing.

I hope the restaurant takes this review in the right spirit without getting super defensive. They have a lot of potential as the entrees are actually good, and there is a lot of expectation from the customers....

Pretty good! There are many kinds of food to choose from. I have tried Indian curry several times, and the taste is very rich and fragrant with rice. I often have some sauces for my appetizers. One of the sauces has a special taste, fresh like the smell of grass. I don’t know if this kind of sauce is common in Indian food, but I think it‘s very unique. Some of the food here is also mixed with the option of Chinese food, which is very suitable for me. The first time I tried Mango Lassi was in this restaurant. The drink was so yummy! Besides, The service of this restaurant is the warmest! I really like the waiters here. Shreya and Pari are both very good waiters. Shreya is very enthusiastic, Pari always smiles, and they will always care about my needs. When I first came here, there was also a girl named Arya to serve me. She was very nice and gentle. The store manager is also very calm, and I like to chat with them. The atmosphere is good. There is a small lamp on each table, and there are many slow-paced Indian songs. I think it will be very relaxing to come here at night, so I often...

I noticed this restaurant on my drive home from work. My heart nearly exploded with excitement and anticipation! I love good Indian and Nepalese food and this location is close to my work. Made a point to stop in the following day and found out they had just opened the day prior. We tried the biryani and saag paneer with the paratha. We were SO impressed with the flavors!! We got spice levels of 7 & 8 as we enjoy heat and the heat and spice did not over power the flavors. Portions were plentiful. I’m excited to see how they decorate and add to the menu (keema curry & naan please). Dhanyavaad!!

**the only photo I took was...