Punjab Kitchen Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Virginia

It's been a while since I've been able to enjoy an establishment that has been worthy of more than what's available, since I don't see 5 💎. Seriously, it was almost unbelievable, the treasure we found with the purposes of "doing something different". However, our initial visit was the Sunday prior and myself and dinner companion believe in miracles sooooo let's just say what an appropriate occurrence. Our second unplanned visit was this past Sunday and still Fernandes and the team provided a premium dining experience. I know they're open during the week...its just something about being able to enjoy the indulgence on a be easy day😌. I'm certain with the way they flow you'll be able to step away from the busy.ness of your previous moment any day...as I write I realize yet again NO PICS📸...I promise the food when presented is as much a feast for your 👀 as well as your taste buds. Speaking of, the heat level is at your choosing; 1st visit my Shrimp Tikka Masala was Mild/Very as in zero heat{played it safe}; 2nd visit feeling adventurous I dared to go for Mild heat and not just because the dish{Kadahi Chicken} couldn't be prepared any lower😏. The flavor notes are so good that you don't notice the heat right away, but when it shows up 🔥..the Badami Kheer{rice pudding} is an enjoyable balancer. Your entree choice comes with basmati rice, but you can do a different pair-yes the Tawa Roti{wheat based} was right for my excuse to eat with my hands-needless to say I was all in and overall it was NOT a disappointment. You know how you go some place that seems too good to be true and by the second visit its sub par...well that is NOT the case at Punjab. They have so many options for both Vegetarian/Vegan and others to explore. I would like to add that the experience in its entirety from food to service to atmosphere was enough to warrant a 3rd "unplanned" visit😊. Who knows by this time I might just make it to Medium heat. Thanks again to Punjab Kitchen's staff for making my moments to be remembered! ALSO the other explored and enjoyed dishes wereFresh Salad w/a squeeze of lime{no dressing needed}, Veggie Samosas{did have a touch of 🔥}, Navratan Korma{veggies in a rich creamy sauce}, Chana Saag{chick peas in a puree spinach sauce}, Butter Chicken{a popular choice for 1st timers}, Tandoori Roti and a beverage to enjoy...

This restaurant was located at a sweet spot on the our to Baltimore so we stopped here for a late lunch.

The ambience seemed like a takeout restaurant with a bar. We were the only ones there so got seated fast and placed the order in 5 minutes. The menu had prices striked with new prices manually overwritten everywhere. I mean, they could have reprinted the menu altogether if they wanted to increase the prices by so much.

They were out of a few dishes so we got the Samosas, Tandoori Roti and Kadahi Chicken. For $18, they gave us a small bowl of tangy Kadahi Chicken which we finished in no time. Tandoori Roti and Samosas were good - I recommend them. Overall for the pricey bill, we didn't have an experience that justified it.

Oh, and there was a weird staff guy who came out of the women's restroom. Why use it when the men's restroom was perfectly okay??! My husband used it and confirmed nothing was broken.

Would I visit it again? Only if I didn't...

This was, unfortunately, the worst Indian food I've had in my life. There was quite a bit of confusion around the availability of the lunch special for dining in - we tried to order one lunch special and presumably the server misunderstood and put in an order for 2. 10 minutes later he brought out the worst excuse for butter chicken I've ever experienced - we requested spicy but what was brought to the table was a bowl of misery. There were a few small cut chunks of chicken in what I was convinced was Campbell's tomato soup stewed with an ungodly amount of sugar. My mouth is still sweet from it. The samosas were fine but none of the other things that were supposed to come with the lunch special arrived - we both attempted to eat the butter chicken and couldn't stomach more than 2 bites. We left 95 percent of the meal on the table and hastily paid 40 dollars (!!!) for...