Pepper Palace Philly — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Baby’s Indian Kitchen is a hidden gem for Southern Indian cuisine. This fantastic takeout spot also offers Indo-Chinese dishes, and they do it perfectly. The food here beats every South Indian restaurant in Philly and brings the authentic flavors of Kerala to you.

Thanks to @shautireviews on Instagram for introducing me to this amazing place!

If you’re looking for a quick bite, they have hot items like rolls, cutlets, and Indian-style flaky patties. You can also order entrées and enjoy authentic filter coffee or masala chai while you wait.

Many people were picking up catering trays, and I now know why after tasting their food. Here’s what we tried:

• Dragon Chicken: Flash fried chicken with onions and peppers in a spicy and sweet garlic sauce. • Chicken Schezwan Fried Rice: Spicy fried rice with a savory sauce. • Beef Roll: Shredded beef with Indian sauce and veggies in a roll. • Mutton Roast: Perfectly rich mutton curry, just like homemade! • Garlic Naan: Thick, fluffy, and loaded with garlic. • Kerala Chicken Biryani: Savory chicken curry layered with rice, my second favorite dish. • Filter Coffee: Sweet but not too sweet, just like we love. • Fruit Custard: A sweet ending with fruits in custard.

I can’t wait to go back and try...

Ambience: 2.5/5 Presentation: 2.5/5 Taste: 3/5 Service: 2/5 Hygiene: 2.5/5

Pepper Palace Philly is a South Indian restaurant serving Kerala cuisine. My first order from them was in mid June, when they were almost new. I had ordered half tray of Thalassery Chicken Dum Biryani and of Malabar Chicken Dum Biryani for pickup. The lady who took my order was rude and rushed me on the phone, not giving proper response on what their special for the day was, but still I made order hearing good reviews about them. The biryani was flavorful, the meat was juicy, and the portions were generous with plenty of chicken and rice.

When I tried them again last week, the experience was very different. This time I had ordered the Malabar Chicken Dum Biryani and Malabar Mutton Dum Biryani, but both were disappointing. The biryani tasted drier, the portions were smaller, and there was noticeably less meat. It feels like the quality has dropped, and I have heard the similar stories from friends and colleagues who bought from them. The food can be good, but its inconsistent, which makes it hard to rely on them especially on orders for gatherings. I would check recent experiences from people before buying...

Disappointed with the Quality – Not What We Expected We ordered a full tray of chicken biryani and a half tray of kappa biryani from this restaurant for a birthday party, and unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. When we opened the kappa biryani, it was extremely salty – so much so that most of our guests couldn’t eat it. The chicken biryani was also dry, and the chicken pieces were hard and overcooked.

I called the restaurant to share our feedback and spoke with the chef. When I mentioned how salty the kappa biryani was, he seemed surprised and insisted they had used the "normal" amount of salt. When we repeated that it was too salty to eat, his only suggestion was to “order with less salt next time,” which felt dismissive and unhelpful.

This isn’t the first time we’ve been disappointed. My wife also ordered from here for my birthday previously, and the food quality wasn’t great then either. We've food from Pepper Palace before and it was good, and we were hoping to have some good food...