Cha'Cha's Indian Curry — Restaurant in Oʻahu

I happened to see the sign for the restaurant and immediately called my friend, who also loves Indian food, and said we have to go. A couple of days later we met up with our kids for dinner. What a treat. We were welcomed by the aromatic smell of Indian spices from the kitchen. The owner was a lovely man and extremely accommodating. Between the 6 of us, we tried the butter chicken, chicken curry, samosa, raita, lemon rice, naan, chai, and mango lassi…along with the vegetables of the day. The food was authentic to the region of the chef, and delicious. The pricing was reasonable, especially compared to other Indian restaurants on Oahu and for the portions. A plate meal is $17 and includes a bowl of curry, a bowl of jasmine rice, and two vegetables (we were offered a choice between 3 dishes- potato and eggplant, curried black eyed peas, and curried cabbage and peas, all of which were tasty. I will have leftovers for a couple of days. I have eaten in Indian restaurants that have a better ambience, but frankly it’s the food that is important, and given the location, I would not expect a fancy restaurant. I am thrilled that we have a restaurant with flavorful, authentic Indian food in the area, I will all be returning and hope that Cha Cha’s stays in business for a...

Having lived next to Chicago's Little India and now residing in the Bay Area, I've been eating a lot of Indian cuisine over the past 15+ years. Like, dal-and-saag-in-some-form-every-week a lot. And as any local knows, much of the islands' best food is found in unassuming locations.

This tiny gem is tucked in the corner of the strip mall that abuts Taqueria El Ranchero and Foodland off California Ave. Its menu is small but mighty, and a few of the most popular items are kept in a steam table. The sweet and kind owner happily offered samples, but I knew what I wanted: lamb curry with sides of dal and aloo gobi (spiced cauliflower and potatoes).

I loved everything, including the piping hot, still slightly crisp complimentary piece of naan. The curry was deeply flavored with warming spices, and I remain baffled at how they managed to keep the lamb so lean and yet so tender. I devoured all of the gravy-soaked rice. A gingery, almost citrusy brightness perked up the dal, and the aloo gobi burst with extra savoriness from bits of fresh tomato.

And even at $17-$20 an entree, the plate lunch format allows for unrivaled flexibility; 99.9% of US Indian restaurants are a la carte only, so this lucky-you-live-Hawai'i alternative...

I'm writing this review to be real for people that actually want to eat good food. I ordered the lamb plate and the portion was terrible. I was given a bunch of rice and a few baby pieces of lamb with curry sauce on top. A half a scoop of veggies 2 choices as well. For $20+ tax it's a rip off. Now I was hoping the flavors would counteract the portion size, but it was a disappointment as well. For this to be indian food it had no flavor or spices. The rice was extremely bland and the lamb curry was suppose to be spicy, but lacked spice and flavor. The veggies were okay at best. I've traveled around the world and ate authentic Indian Food and maybe that's why im not a fan. This was bottom tier at best. I do not want to be rude, but hope this comment could help the business take the next step in progressing. Now I've been to this Vegan Indian restaurant all the time, but wanted to support a new business. If you want tasty Indian Food I recommend you eat at "Maharaja's Foods"! Top tier eating with heavy portions worth every penny. Tasty, spicy, and full of flavors with the world's most kind angel working...