Indian Tadka — Restaurant in Sunnyvale

Came here with a large group of friends on a weekday night. We were able to be seated right away. The parking is ample, but most of the stores next door were closed by the time we arrived (around 7:30/8).

We noticed there were other large parties in the restaurant, even one celebrating a birthday with their own cake!

The service was quick. There's water already set out on the table for you, although it tasted a bit off. We got mango lassis and our own dishes.

I got the spicy dosa. It's huge! I'm a fan of crepes, and eating this was so fun. The spice built up; I could still taste the flavors on my tongue and smell it on my fingers for a while after the meal. The mango lassi was sour, slightly sweet, creamy and mellowed the spice out.

My friends got the chicken and lamb on sizzling plates and they smelled heavenly. They had great flavor as well, and came with onions and tomatoes.

One of my friends got the chicken biryani and the portion felt like it could be 3 meals, or 2 at least. It was served TOWERING in a bowl so he wasn't sure how to approach it. I'd ask for a separate bowl on the side.

The menu is extensive and has great prices. I'd...

Tried the chicken lunch special which is offered only for pickup orders - it's a great value and comes with appetizer & dessert as well. We can also upgrade to biryani in lieu of rice; either at same price with some items missing (app? side? not sure) or for a couple of extra bucks instead - highly recommend one of these options.

The chicken 65 was amazing - perfectly juicy, well spiced and set a very high bar in terms of expectations for the rest of the meal. Then the boneless chicken biryani which was next in line easily hopped over that bar ...

Sadly I got caught up in work at this point, and had to reheat the chicken chettinad curry by the time I got around to it. It was fairly tasty, but I'd forgotten this does have bones when ordering it and hence disobeyed my precepts to prefer boneless dishes, also I was too full as well 😅. In short, this was still good just not as impressive as the other two; next time I'll go for CTM instead.

Note that the food is fairly spicy, for those who prefer bland - the biryani should be fine, but you should avoid the C65 & the spicier...

I’ve had biryanis from nearly every restaurant that serves it in Silicon Valley. INDIAN TADKA SERVES THE VERY BEST “SPECIAL CHICKEN DUM BIRYANI” I HAVE EVER HAD. Seriously. ”Special” is right. Unbelievable flavors, fresh and well-balanced, the perfect amount of spice heat. I would say “Indian gourmet” if it can apply to biryani take-out.

I’m not sure if it was because I was with the last customers for the night, but the container was stuffed with four whole pieces of chicken and a whole egg and mounds of rice. I mean, it was like hitting a jackpot or a home run.

I’m going to have it again tonight. I don’t normally submit reviews - my real name is James Troy Wilson, bassist for ReknRoad, just so you know that this review is bonafide and sincere. You can have faith that INDIAN TADKA is worthy of your visit and every penny they ask. This restaurant definitely is one you should experience. It is number one on my list for Indian food, which is tied with number one favorite food on my list. I hope the other restaurants won’t miss...