Surmai — Restaurant in Sunnyvale

During my short visit to the US, I recently had the pleasure of dining at Surmai in Sunnyvale, San Jose, with my family to explore the flavors of Maharashtriyan cuisine. The experience was delightful and certainly worth sharing.

We began our meal with the Kolmbi fry (prawns) as a starter. They were well-cooked, fresh, and had a satisfying crunch. However, I felt that a bit more spice would have enhanced the authenticity of the dish, making it more aligned with traditional Maharashtriyan flavors.

For the main course, we chose the Surmai thali, chicken masala, and chapathi. The quality of the food was impressive; everything tasted fresh and expertly prepared. The rice roti was soft and absolutely delicious, perfectly complementing the other dishes. The chicken masala was a standout—simply outstanding! The Surmai fish was also remarkably fresh, contributing to an overall enjoyable meal.

In terms of value for money, Surmai excels. The portions are generous, and the quality of the ingredients justifies the pricing. My only suggestion would be for the restaurant to offer a spicier option or to prepare dishes with a bit more heat, which would elevate the authenticity of the Maharashtriyan experience.

On the operational side, there was ample parking available, making it convenient for diners. I must mention that the customer service was good compared to the generally lower standards we often encounter in the US. While it wasn't a dealbreaker, there is room for improvement to further enhance the overall dining experience.

In conclusion, our visit to Surmai was quite positive. With a few adjustments to the spice levels and customer service, this restaurant could truly shine as a go-to spot for Maharashtriyan cuisine in the area. I look forward to returning for...

STALE FOOD and BULLYING STAFF for single female diner

Came after seeing the stellar reviews. I was seated at a side table which was very shaky. I pointed this out and they tried to wedge a paper which did not work. . The surmai thali arrived in less than 5 minutes after I sat down and the curry was lukewarm, the fish fry was cold and the roti was falling apart. They refused to move me to a bigger table despite the restaurant being quite empty as it was around 6.30pm , but after there was gravy all over my Thali due to the shaky table they agreed. The fish in the curry was less than an inch long - complete rip off! The surmai fry tasted stale and one of the pieces had a very sour and bad taste to it. The server initially agreed to switch that piece seeing that I had only take one bite (the piece was intact otherwise), but then he bought a more senior manager. I explained the bad taste and it was served cold she insisted that it was from the same fish, raised her voice to say "NO I will not change" and walked off. She thinks I was trying to get a free piece, when in fact I had only taken bite and the server had already agreed to exchange! The prawn kolambi was good, but the surmai thali was pathetic! $53 felt like a complete waste of money. If you happen to be a woman who is dining alone, AVOID THIS PLACE! I have never encountered such disrespectful service and bad food in all years of dining out. The manager does not honour what the server says, and besides that I could hear some stressed out yelling in the kitchen. I noticed mostly families and couples here- so single...

Had cravings for mutton curry so came here for the mutton masala. The heat level is a little higher than average, but I’m fine with it. My friend ordered the egg curry which is equally spicy so she had to get the yogurt to tone down the heat for her to enjoy the egg curry. Initially it appears that there are quite a good amount of mutton in the masala but as I started digging into it and eating, I see that the actual meat barely make up 2 pieces of meat and the remaining were mostly bones. I brought that to the attention of the staff and they brought me a little side dish of meat. I concluded that the person who cuts the meat most likely does not care if there is any meat attached to the bone, but simply chopped everything into pieces to be used. Anyway, the taste of the mutton masala is good, but nothing out of the ordinary. The meat is neither tender nor tough. I appreciate that the staff gave me extra pieces of meat since most of the supposedly goat’s meat were bones. My friend pointed out to me that the restaurant and the restroom is clean, which is true as there was no food odor lingering in the premises. I probably will not visit the restaurant again even though the taste is good as the serving portions is small and the quality of the meat isn’t the best. There is also a lack of vegetarian options. But I can see that it is definitely the place for authentic Indian food judging from the patrons. I chose to try it with high expectations of the mutton masala. There is room for improvement…maybe switch to using tender boneless...