Zayka Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Raleigh

To Keshav Kaliaa

I had an extremely disappointing experience at this restaurant, and I feel compelled to give it a 0 rating. The way the owner and staff treated us was unacceptable, and I would strongly discourage anyone from dining here.

Last night, I placed an order for dinner, including Gobhi Manchurian, Chicken Tikka, Chef's Special Chicken Curry, and bread. To my dismay, the food was of poor quality. The cauliflower in the Gobhi Manchurian was rotten and emitted a foul odor. It seemed as though they were hoping customers wouldn't notice. The taste was utterly unpleasant. The Chicken Tikka was overwhelmingly spicy due to an excessive amount of black pepper, and the portion size was insufficient with unappealing presentation. This prompted me to call the restaurant right away.

Unfortunately, the front desk attendant showed no remorse for my concerns. When I attempted to explain the situation, she nonchalantly asked me to bring back the food containers and promised to replace the appetizers with different ones. As I was leaving, I sampled the Chef's Special Chicken Curry, which turned out to be the worst of all. The chicken was tough and rubbery, lacking any tenderness or flavor. I made the decision to return the entire food order to the restaurant and requested a refund, as my trust in their establishment had been completely shattered, and I didn't want my evening to be ruined.

Engaging in extensive discussions with the front desk staff and servers proved fruitless, until eventually, the head chef (who might have been the owner or partner) emerged from the kitchen, seemingly under the influence of alcohol. His behavior took a hostile turn as he resorted to verbally abusing both myself and my friend. He rudely demanded that we leave the premises. Feeling unsafe and uncertain, I had no choice but to involve the authorities by contacting the police.

Upon realizing that the police were on their way, the restaurant staff abruptly vacated the premises, closing down the establishment. As they departed, the individual who had been abusive even went so far as to make obscene gestures towards me multiple times. The police provided me with guidance on the necessary steps to take, which I fully intend to follow through with tomorrow. However, I wanted to share my honest review here to ensure that others are aware of the rude behavior exhibited by this restaurant and its staff. Their complete disregard for customer satisfaction and hospitality is deeply concerning. I have been a resident of this area for over a decade and have never encountered such a horrific experience before.

I also attempted to contact the owner, Keshav Kaliaa, but he consistently avoided speaking with me, instead focusing his attention on the staff over the phone. I sincerely hope that he takes this matter seriously and holds accountable the individual who engaged in misconduct, verbal abuse, and refused to...

Food here is great, however the attitude of the staff leaves much to be desired when you don’t fit what they think is worth their time.

Came in for a late lunch with two others and we split the butter chicken with two orders of naan each. When we came in, we were gestured toward a booth by the door by a server. Another server came over after she and the other two were talking by the register and asked if we were ready to order. No menus. No water poured.

We’d been here before and knew what we wanted so we were able to order. I’m not sure if we were recognized because we have this order each time we come, but there was a standoffishness to her demeanor.

I’m a server at a fine dining restaurant and I recognized exactly what was happening in this exchange. My group and I had been assessed as not worth the staff’s time. This was further punctuated by the fact they focused a lot of attention on the preparation of a party in a private room, but couldn’t be bothered to check to refill waters nor if our food was satisfactory. 2 bite rule, guys. C’mon. That’s basic server 101 and takes not even 30 seconds to achieve. I write from experience not ignorance.

I also go during dead hours. My ticket is never high but I always tipped high. Ignoring a table based on your assumption and assessment of them is very wrong. I write this review hoping that the staff can figure out that it’s not how you’re supposed to conduct yourself. The next one top or two top that splits an entree could be a business owner or could be planning a wedding reception in 6 months. I may not be that person specifically, but you never know.

You need to do better. Food was great. Service was ripe with elitism and poor attitudes. It’s because of that, that I won’t be returning nor will you recommend this place to those that I know. If you’re going, I hope your experience is better with service. Food...

Murky daal, murky customer experience. Ordered simple daal and roti for take-out. Picked up order without issue only to later find that the container was only 1/2 full. Further, the daal was watery and tasteless. When called regarding the issue, I was offered a "complimentary daal" to be picked up. I requested they deliver. 1 hour later, the Manager, Dolly (who I later find is actually not the Manager but helps with delivery) brings the daal to my home. She presented herself professionally, took responsibility and stated "we missed the mark." But, then she returns to my home (past 10:30 pm now!) to pick up the old daal to show to the Chef. When asked how is she going to correct this situation/experience, she offers a refund and a call back the next day by noon w/ feedback from the Chef. No call back, no refund. I call 1 week later to check in regarding the feedback, I am then routed to call the Owner. Owner Kashev acknowledges that the daal was not made to their quality standards and the container (which he has still kept in the refrigerator - eek!) was in fact not filled appropriately either. When asked why did he not call me the next day with an explanation or apology, he responds he was too busy. When asked about the refund that was offered by his "manager", he asks me if I "genuinely" felt it was needed now. Further, he says his system cannot do refunds, you may return to pick up your check. I decline the check as I perceived that he "genuinely" felt it was not warranted since they were able to remake it (he says he made it himself the second time). All I wanted was an apology, for them to follow through on their statements, and know that in the future quality will be assured. Zayka and their management missed the mark several times - I gave them ample opportunity to correct the simple mistake and each time...