Mirchi Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Thousand Oaks

Oh, brace yourself for a TASTELESS adventure at this so-called "Indian" restaurant. I still can't fathom how this place manages to cling onto any semblance of reputation. The only logical explanation is that the patrons must be as clueless as the cooks when it comes to authentic Indian cuisine. I suspect the glowing reviews are as genuine as a three-dollar bill, probably crafted by the staff themselves in a desperate attempt to mask their culinary incompetence.

Let's talk about my first trauma-inducing encounter with their so-called "chicken tikka biryani." If only I could un-taste that travesty. I wouldn't even call it a dish; it's more like a sad attempt at assembling random ingredients in a pot. And don't even get me started on their audacious claim to different styles of biryani. I had a chat with their server, who seemed more lost than a tourist in a maze, and apparently, they're not even capable of biryani 101. Yet, they proudly keep this disgrace on the menu, as if to remind everyone of their culinary mishaps.

Considering the chef's blatant confession that they're only proficient at tandoori items, I reluctantly gave their mixed tandoori platter a shot during my second visit. "Raw" would be an upgrade for the slabs of misery they dared to call food. The only seasoning these meats received was probably a spritz of air freshener for the faintest hint of aroma. As for the chewy meat, it's almost like they raided a rubber factory for their ingredients. Oh, and let's not forget the artistic touches of food coloring that turned the platter into a psychedelic disaster.

Now, brace yourself for their pièce de résistance – their audacious pricing. It's like they took lessons from Scrooge McDuck on how to squeeze every last penny out of unsuspecting customers. Honestly, the bill they hand you should come with a complimentary therapist's contact information, because you're going to need it after realizing you paid a small fortune for a plate of despair.

In conclusion, I wouldn't feed this so-called restaurant to my pet rock, even on its hungriest day. Save yourself the agony and spare your taste buds from this culinary catastrophe. It's a shame they can't serve humility and honesty on the menu – those would be the only things worth paying for in this...

We're vegetarian, so we like Indian food because of the variety of menu options available to us. We decided to try Mirchi for a change from our regular spot, and we were blown away! The service was great and the food was so flavorful.

We ordered the vegetarian dinner for two, which comes with an order of 2 samosas, raitha, two vegetarian dinners and 2 desserts. We ordered a dal (lentil) and veggie soup for my 6-year-old son, which he fully slurped away.

I ordered the veggie masala, which is the best masala I've ever tasted. It was spicy, creamy and the tartness of the tomato base all came through equally. What a dish! I assume the the chicken and fish masala dishes would taste equally great.

My wife ordered her go-to Indian dish: the mixed vegetable Korma. It was very good, indeed-spicy and creamy-but we both liked the masala a bit more.

For dessert, we ordered the rice pudding (kheer) and the fried dough balls soaked in syrup (gulab jamun). Both were very good! We also promised my son an order of ice cream if he finished his soup, which he did, so we ordered mango iced cream for him. It was delicious!

I highly recommend a visit to Mirchi for authentic and tasty...

Being a fairly new restaurant to Newbury Park and Indian food I knew that I had to try this place and I was so excited to order from here for takeout. It is nestled in a strip mall so parking is super easy. I was greeted by a gentleman who was so genuine and kind he made me want to come back again and again. Honestly, I can't stop talking about how hospitable the employees are.

While the restaurant was quiet, I had to remember it was not only new, it was also early. I was pleased to find the restaurant to be clean and cozy.

We enjoyed the chicken korma and were happy to find that it consisted entirely of white meat The spice levels were perfectly balanced and met our expectations of not too spicy or not too bland (we ordered a medium spice). We ordered garlic naan (of course), rice, and some samosas.

I would highly recommend this place to anyone wanting to explore...