Grand Malabar Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Morrisville

Our group was very excited to try Grand Malabar for authentic Kerala food, but the experience unfortunately fell short of expectations. We ordered Shrimp 65, Trivandrum Chicken Fry, Chicken Kizhi Parotta, Goat Varutharacha Kari, Egg Roast, Chicken Briyani, and Kal Appam.

The starters were particularly surprising — both the Shrimp 65 and Trivandrum Chicken Fry seemed to be prepared in a bhaji-style batter rather than the traditional spiced marination, which took away from their authenticity. The parathas were quite hard instead of being soft and flaky, while the Chicken Kizhi Parotta was only average. The Egg Roast was overpowered by coconut oil, both in aroma and flavor, making it difficult to enjoy.

The chicken biryani lacked the distinct flavors and depth one expects from Kerala-style biryani, and was rather disappointing. Finally, the kal appam had a very strong fermented taste, almost bitter, which overshadowed the dish.

As someone who has been enjoying and seeking out Kerala cuisine (like Ente Keralam, Kumarakom, Kappa Chakka Kandhari, Chef Pillai etc to name a few) for over two decades, I had hoped for an authentic and satisfying experience. I truly believe Kerala food has so much to offer, and I hope the restaurant can refine its recipes to better reflect...

So I am big fan of Biryani and Hyderabadi food. We wanted to try this new restaurant and some Kerala. I was not feeling adventurous to try authentic Kerala food so we ordered Samosa chat for starters. The channa had a different flavor, simple but still the spice level was just right compared to the standard North Indian style which is sweet and sour. I heard the parata was fresh made so ordered it, its was crispy and layered like you get in Hyderabad so loved it. It went well with Dal tadka. I know it’s vegetarian but its was simple and surprisingly tasty like home made pappu. Ginger chicken fry a must try. I like the thick gravy again just enough pepper spice. Different than other places where they spice it with chilli powder. The best part is the Goat Biryani. I know biryani, nothing beats the Hyderabad Dum Biryani. This biryani is one the best tasting ones I ever had. The rice is not the typical long grain it was small and flavorful and goat was tender. Yes it had raisins and other stuff but you will be impressed. Now that I know this place is clean, good service and has amazing food. Next trip will try the...

Arrived today 1:48 pm for lunch on the recommendation of a Malayali colleague. The sign on the door said lunch was served until 3:00 pm. A small sign said wait to be seated. A large table was empty, needing only to be cleaned. An man told us to wait, that he needed to clean the table. The five of us waited a few minutes. A woman approached a minute later and said, "We're closing at three and we cannot prepare food. We've already served all the orders. We have a lot of orders so it would take a long time to prepare meals from the start. We close at 3:00 pm." My Malayali family will most definitely NEVER return. Unacceptable. Horrible service. Optional hours. God's Own Country would be ashamed of this lack of hospitality. Stay away. Far, far, away. How humiliating and annoying! Imagine encountering a dining room full of Malayalees eating with a sign on the door that advertises open hours to 3:00 pm, sending a family of five away at 1:50 pm on Onam weekend. Yeah, that was us. Don't be like us. Go...