Pearl Indian Restaurant — Restaurant in New York

Since moving to Brooklyn a year ago, I have been looking for a good Indian restaurant similar to those you would find in Jackson Heights, Queens. My search, thankfully, ends with Pearl.

My first time here was a few months ago and I made the mistake of telling the waitress to make my meal extra spicy. I erroneously assumed that their dishes were served with very little heat and on the bland side (like most places I have been to in Manhattan). Not here! My meal was super spicy, to the point that I could not fully appreciate the various flavors between the appetizer, entree, Masala tea and naan. The water was fabulous though!

Yesterday I went back for my second time and ordered the same dishes I had during my first visit. Everything was delicious! The meal had a good amount of heat and the flavors were nicely balanced all throughout. The portions are generous and I gladly brought home my leftovers. During my first visit, I drank so much water that I did not pay attention to how much of my meal I did not eat, which was quite a bit.

It is worth noting that for both visits, the service was excellent and the bathroom was clean.

I will be back soon, hopefully this time...

Ordered take out through ChowNow. The person providing the food over the counter was quick and accommodating. The restaurant itself appeared clean and warm, the packaging of my food was strong, they were clearly doing a brisk take-out business, so good to see/know.

The food unfortunately, wasn't the best. The samosas on this occasion were overcooked 150% (so, dark brown, very hard, and not even slightly flakey), the "thimbles" of sauce were no where near enough for three samosas (FYI, ask for extra). The food (sag aloo, and an eggplant dish) were fine, portion-wise, but honestly both were pretty bland. Needed more salt and flavor in general. The rice was oily, but had good flavor (bay leaves and cardamon pods). The portions / value was really good, but again, the flavor was mediocre.

All in all, I wish I could say that the food was fantastic (especially since a lot of reviews make it seem so), but while it wasn't by any stretch awful, it just wasn't great. I'll give it another go another day, but for a first experience, I personally wasn't impressed. Your milage may vary. If it's convenient to you, it's a fair choice, but I'll still be trying other neighboring...

Had the opportunity of enjoying this establishment for the first time. A early Birthday dinner for my cousin and I. At first I was a little skeptical cause I never ate Indian food . Let me tell you they did not disappoint me at all. I ordered the Red snapper with the vegetable rice. Food came out sizzling hot. When I say it was ooh so good. Lot of veggies on the fish but that was ok. Look I didn’t think about taking pictures. 😂😂😂😂 I was ready to dive in. That’s just what I did. Yes I recommend giving it a try. You and your friends, solo night. Date night or what ever. Just keep in mind it’s not a big establishment but it’s worth the...