Tabla Indian Restaurant Richmond — Restaurant in Richmond

Recently, while craving Indian food and knowing that Richmond had just opened a new restaurant, the Fat Man and his wife headed to Tabla Modern Indian restaurant. Tabla has six locations throughout the United States, and its mission is to introduce the incredibly delicious tastes of India to the community.

We started with the Masala Fries. These were prepared with fries tossed in a spicy masala seasoning. The fries were out of a bag but cooked perfectly, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The seasoning was light and offered some salt and flavor in the background, but I did not get much from the spicy heat. Served with ketchup, which the sweet went well with fries seasoning.

We then sampled the Chicken Tikka Pizza, made with spicy chicken tikka and melted cheese on a crispy crust. The chicken had good flavor and seasoning, but it was not spicy. Some pieces were dry while others were juicy, but all were tender. The vegetables were crunchy and fresh, the green peppers being delicious. The cheese was melted well and offered a gooey texture. The sauce lacked much flavor and creaminess, which I am used to in a Tikka sauce. The naan bread was moister and chewier than I expected; a crunch in the crust would have offered the dish a new texture.

We then split the Tabla's Homestyle with Lamb cooked medium. This dish is made with a traditional sauce with a homestyle touch, featuring a balance of spices, onions, and tomatoes. The jasmine rice was cooked well and added texture to the dish. The cumin hits immediately and punches your tongue with a slight sweetness, then the heat follows. Their medium level is on the higher end, but not completely unbearable. The lamb was the star of the show. It was cooked perfectly, tender, juicy, and seasoned on point.

We had Garlic Naan, also. The naan was crunchy and had a nice garlic kick. It was fresh with good flavors.

Tabla has a big menu with fusion options including traditional Indian dishes, sides and starters, Asian cuisine, pizza, and desserts. They are located inside an Indian grocery. The Fat Man says that Tabla Modern Indian restaurant is Fat Man Approved...

One of the very few low rated reviews I have ever posted and for good reasons. The food is exactly as I expected - it seems like the restaurant is just an afterthought extension of their grocery store to generate more income without a proper plan. Not sure if they have a trained chef because the meals appear to be haphazardly put together as you would at home after a long day with the spice packets they sell but worse. Got the hot and sour soup and you have to add protein which comes as extra charge. It does not list a size but you get the sauce cup equivalent for 8 dollars. It’s swimming in grease. The chicken tikka masala- umm they charge extra to add the protein of choice which is the chicken, so for the listed price, you don’t get chicken unless you add that on for extra cost. The sauce is broken and swimming with a pool of grease on top and portion is small for what they are charging. Finally, the make your own bowl had undercooked cold rice as the base and packed with cheap toppings like onions and whatever else they can find to fill it up. The lady also forgot to put the bowl in the takeout bag so had to drive back to get it. You are better off going to the other Indian restaurant in town or the ones in Lexington for a decent meal. Even a meal from the Chinese takeout place is better than this restaurant’s dishes could ever be. The bar is so low that you’ll see “good” reviews on here for the low quality of food you get. I want a refund and I am glad to finally have the courage to post an honest review because I am tired of letting it go whenever I get bad meals from...

This place is awesome! The owner is a stellar guy that seriously cares about what he's doing. This guy opened an Indian grocery and an ACTUALLY good Indian restaurant in the same space, in Richmond. I am very happy.

I went into the grocery for a large block of paneer before the restaurant opened. I appreciate the banter I got with the owner talking about how we just moved here and I was having to make Paneer Makhani at home because I couldn't get it here. I won't be making it at home anymore!

The food is incredible! The spices are right for what you ordered, even if you don't have a traditional Indian-sounding name on your ticket. The naan was fantastic. The rice was perfect. If I had to criticize anything at all, it would be that we ordered pickup thru the website and it my wife and I got different spice levels. It would have been nice for them to have been labeled with a quick Sharpie marker so we knew. Also, not a criticism, but a suggestion from me would be to not order the dressed papad appetizers as a pickup or delivery item. Im sure its great on a hot plate directly from the kitchen, but in a box for pickup the papads do get a bit soggy. Still delicious, tho.

This is our family's Indian restaurant now. I hope this review gets...