Its a best takeout place for South Indian Kerala style. Not a good dine in place as this is not considered as a family dining but a quickie.Best takeout food and cheap.
(5)
Hal S.
I got Chicken Varutharacha Curry and Appam bread, and would highly recommend that combination because the bread (really like a pancake) can be used to eat the plentiiful delicious gravy. The chicken was fresh and good and went great in the sauce, but there wasn't a ton of chicken either. You are looking at maybe 7 pieces of chicken with bones that can fit in the palm of a woman's hand. With tax it came to $12, so the price was "OK". I came at 8:30 and it's supposed to close at 9, so they wouldn't let me dine in, since they said that they were closing "before 9". That doesn't bother me that much, it basically means that they don't get a tip and I don't fill myself before biking back home with the food. So I would say that the quality is great, the pancakes (namely, Appam) is great, the gravy is great. I have heard mixed reviews about the meat, but mine was good but on the small side for what I want. Two doors down is a South Indian grocery where you can get Masala Chai imported from India. It is good with milk, but it seems less herbal and more regular tea-like than STASH brand chai.
(4)
Neethu C.
Awesone restuarant..ordered chicken biriyani...satisfied my taste buds like anything..will go back again to try other dishes..:)
(4)
Alex X.
Somerton, NE Philly The food is good so u need to order two hours in advance becus everyone is also ordering. Authentic South Indian- KERALA food is my favorite Indian food. Don't take me to center city or u will make me cry. Take me to Northeast Philly or Edison NJ when it comes to Indian food...I only want my favorite. I know my Indian food...no need to be Indian. Lol Side dear diary note: So I was thinking about favorite foods. What do we need? I know I need my Kerala food place weekly. I know I need a breakfast joint that opens early and easy to get to. I know I don't want any chain food but it's hard becus they are unhealthily ubiquitous!!! Then I need a fast Red meat or iron place, which I have access to two. But I need a better one which I haven't found yet. I need my pho place, but u can't rely on one becus they have this problem of not being reliable to be open. I need my hot soup place. I need my hipster weirdo food place. Im still looking for an easy to reach salad place. I need my chicken banh mi place but it kind of having to go thru all the traffic opposite of the highway sux. My wings and nonalcoholic chill bar place. My chill with the girls place. Why do you think shows have this one favorite joint they always film at? convenience. You are always on the go, so you gotta get pickier than ever about food, foodie.
(5)
Sheila L.
So this is not a place to sit down and eat. They have sitting, but a poor atmosphere. However, its excellent for takeout! We ordered Chicken Varatharcha Curry, which is a coconut curry. I asked for them to make it extra spicy. And it was both spicy and absolutely delicious -- tastes exactly like the way my mom makes it at home. We also ordered the Shrimp biriyani, which was very moist and spicy as well, and had nice plump shrimp. I will definitely be coming back here again.
(5)
Ted L.
I have mix experience at this place so giving 3 stars. If you call and the kid pickup then you are in luck if the old man pickup who speak crypted english then you are out of luck. I called in for fish biryani and got response no one hour so I asked it will be ready one hour you mean he said what do you want I was like fish biryani so I again asked for fish biryani and he said yes yes one hour anc he hung up. I knew something was wrong so after 45mins I called back to check on my order and old man picked up again. So I asked is my fish biryani ready he said no fish biryani I am like I want to check on my biryani order he okok let me check he comes back and tell me no biryani I was like you said it will be ready in one hr. After a pause he says no fish biryani he hung up. I guess he was busy and did not care
(3)
Sid K.
This place really is the tsar bomba of all Indian restaurants in town. It really is authentic indian RESTAURANT food. Just the way you go to a good old time pub here and order finger food; you can go to this place and expect them to cook food that woul be served to you in a popular restaurant in India. As an aside this is run by a south Indian person - so the things to order are the coconut gravy based dishes and the dosas. But I've heard he is pretty good with the north Indian/Mughal-ai dishes as well - the tikka masala, the biryani, the palak paneer etc. The south Indian food will be a revalation to you. coconutty gravies that you might like or not like - I like some of them not some of them. I'm an Indian, I've been a foodie all my life - this is spicy good Indian restaurant food. I'm not a snob - if you like your whitish creamy Indian gravies then by all means ENJOY - but you owe it to yourself to try this food. Ps - the dosas are awesome. EDIT: Cannot really recommend this place any more. On a recent visit, the food was uneatable - The chicken was not really fresh, so much so that I left the large piece of chicken after taking a few bites. Maybe it was a strange day, maybe it was a mistake, a lunar eclipse, the solar equinox.... but.... really.... I wont be going here again. I loved you Mallu cafe... then you kicked me where it really, really hurt... :(
(1)
Andy G.
Eaten for the second time at Mallu. I have tried the chicken tika masala and the tandoori chicken. So far, the food is very good. I have eaten at many Indian restaurants in Philly and this place is winning so far. Can't wait for my next meal there.
(4)
Christine A.
Everything here is authentically Kerala (South-west India) delicious. All their biriyanis are exceptionally good, but if you're looking for something a little different, try the Chicken Tikka Biriyani. All their food is great. I've never dined in. The multiple times I've gone there to pick-up my order, the atmosphere/ambiance is acceptable for a hole-in-the-wall place (think corner chinese take-out spot). Eating there would guarantee straight-off-the-stove delciousness. This will continue to be a staple to my take-out locations.
(5)
Howard B.
I'm relatively new to Indian food, but I'm hooked! Not having had a 5 star Indian meal, or even some good, home-made Indian cuisine, I certainly don't know if I'm qualified to write a great review of the spice and seasoning, the presentation, or the authenticity. I do, however, know what I like! The short of it is : Food was good. We had Chicken Tikka Masala and Saag Paneer, the two dishes I always order to 'test the water'. Good portion, plenty of chicken and good flavor in the Tikka. Saag was also tasty. Also had some Naan and lots of rice, both very good. Not a place I would want to sit and eat, but for takeout it was good. If you have a craving, live close by, and aren't looking for 'awesome', Mallu Cafe will fill the bill. FYI, we went on a snowy, icy night...so other reviews say order ahead of time. We got our food quickly, but it was a slow Sunday night and that may not always be the case. I had been ordering from Rasavaat in Krewstown Center, but they closed. This food was cheaper and almost as good. I've done takeout from Zaika a few times, but Mallu is better, both in portion size and flavor (for me). About a week ago We ordered from Spice Garden at Bustleton and Lott, and again, Mallu was better, but priced comparatively. I think it's a given that from now on Mallu will be my Go-To takeout Indian joint, but it won't stop me from trying out other spots in the area as opportunity presents itself.
(3)
Whiterock R.
stuff like Fish curry, thoran, mor, beef fry etc. Pretty cheap too. chicken 65 (or fry) is too sweet for my taste. Biriyani is good but is usually reheated in your stryofoam container. It usually starts melting due to all the hot oil.
(4)
Sank G.
Tiny takeout places do have the best food occasionally. I first tried Mallu Cafe at a friend's house warming party. They had ordered a catered affair and I really liked the Chiken Tikka Biryani. I loved the aroma, the plentiful chicken in the biryani and the interplay of flavors. Recently on the way back from JFK, I called and ordered two chicken biryani, a mango and fish curry and some naan. There was so much food that we had leftovers for two more meals. The mango and fish curry was really unique to me since I had never had it before. Pieces of cooked green mango interspersed with morsels of fish in a coconut gravy definitely hit the spot. When we got there, our food wasn't ready so we stopped at the grocery store next door. The owner came looking for us with all our food packed and it was still pretty warm when we had it 30 mins later. Loved the fact that they are concerned about providing the freshest food possible. I will definitely be back After having the biryani a couple of times - this might be my favorite biryani place on the east coast. Go there now and thank me later.
(4)
Shilpa B.
Warning: you will eat a lot, and you will go into a food coma after eating here. Everything I tried was rich and delicious. Fish fry, lamb, chicken, goat, turmeric-yogurt, paratha, YUM. Wish this place were easier to get to from the city without a car!
(5)
Raj Y.
I had been to Philly on a business trip and after having stayed here for 2 weeks, my wife and I really wanted to have some authentic kerala food. Yelp and other sites suggested this malayalee restaurant. The great reviews fueled our desire to have food from here. I called them and they said they close only late. It was a 30 min drive from downtown; we got there on a Saturday evening at about 530pm or so. We didn't find any street parking, but found parking space in front of the restaurant. Parked the car and walked in and the owner with big attitude said that is not the parking place and they want the space to load their catered order in their truck. I was okay with that at the time. However. we told that we came to dine-in and wanted to order food. He had a lot of attitude and he didn't care that we came to eat and said that we have to wait for 30-45 minutes. We were okay to wait. Soon, some young guy came out of the kitchen and the owner turned to him and tells him about having to seat us. He said its not possible today. They just did not want to seat us that evening and said that they have a big church order and cant do anything at this time. The food may be great; but they just don't know how to treat and take care of customers. For them, catering was more important and hence refused to seat us. They did not even apologize for not able to seat us. They probably could have handled us better. I mentioned these to some of my Philly friends and they suggested that its better to get to-go orders rather than sitting there and they agreed that he does have attitude, but the food is tasty (according to them)
(1)
Sam R.
Awesome food, had been here for the first time. I'm a big fan of Kerala food. Don't miss Kerala parotta (flaky wheat bread), also kerala fish curry. Food is not expensive and quantity is great :)
(5)
Rohan G.
We used to live around this place, and used to order from here all the time. It is maybe the biggest thing that we miss about our old neighborhood. The name is appropriate: "Mallu" is the word used for people from the southern coastal state of Kerala, and this cuisine is very well done here. It is not your typical chicken tikka garbage, but unique to the region and true in authenticity. The fact that it is a great value is also a plus. I have never eaten in, only taken out, as there dining room is minimal to say the least. Service can be slow, but it is worth the wait. Just call an hour ahead of time. If you want a truly UNIQUE Indian takeout experience, this is it.
(5)
Sami A.
Chicken briyani from this place is outstanding...very very close to what it taste like in the briyani back home. One of the very very few restaurants in US that has such a quality briyani. Must try for every desi.... Dont go to Edison....try this once then you would stop going to Edison for Briyanis!!! I'm serious!!! Pro: Great FOOD (specially BRIYANI) and Price Cons: average ambiance and service.
(4)
Small Town G.
Authentic Kerala (one of the states in India) cuisine. We tried three dishes- chili chicken, goat curry, and chicken biryani. All were very good. Portion size was generous. Prices were moderate compared to other Indian restaurants. Goat was a bit on the tough side but that is the style. Mostly a takeout/catering business, restaurant is very spartan.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Parking : Street Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
India is the birth place of Chicken Tikka Masala and Curries. Indian foods are prepared with a blend of finely mixed spices quite popular across the region. The spices develop the rich taste in Indian food enough to boggle your mind. The ever-increasing fan base of Indian food around the New York city is steadily increasing because of the large number of Indians who traveled to the land of dreams. The Indians also brought their very own vibrant, colorful, and aromatic authentic dishes for the people in the West. While most of the Indian population is Vegetarian, Indian food is great for people who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food option. If you are a Meat lover, don't get disappointed yet. Indian food also boasts of some popular non-vegetarian dishes too. Few examples are the famous Butter Chicken, Mutton Biryani and Tandoori Chicken are enough to satisfy your taste buds.
Indian food has gained reputation all over the world especially in the United States. You can find many places serving the appetizing Indian food across all major cities in the US. India is a diverse country with different food culture originated from different parts of the country. While the Northern region boasts tandoori dishes and korma offering royal taste, the Western Ghats offers sea foods that is made in naturally sweet tender coconut milk. The South Indian food servers a quality of different dishes made from rice accompanied with spicy chutneys, curries and famous sambhar. Also, the Indian sweets are a delight to relish. If you ever want to have a burst of sugar syrup in mouth, don't forget to try few Bengali Sweets. Be it spicy, tangy, or sweet flavor, you can find everything in the Indian cuisine. Be assured that the melody of spices will surely bring delight to you.
Biju J.
Its a best takeout place for South Indian Kerala style. Not a good dine in place as this is not considered as a family dining but a quickie.Best takeout food and cheap.
(5)Hal S.
I got Chicken Varutharacha Curry and Appam bread, and would highly recommend that combination because the bread (really like a pancake) can be used to eat the plentiiful delicious gravy. The chicken was fresh and good and went great in the sauce, but there wasn't a ton of chicken either. You are looking at maybe 7 pieces of chicken with bones that can fit in the palm of a woman's hand. With tax it came to $12, so the price was "OK". I came at 8:30 and it's supposed to close at 9, so they wouldn't let me dine in, since they said that they were closing "before 9". That doesn't bother me that much, it basically means that they don't get a tip and I don't fill myself before biking back home with the food. So I would say that the quality is great, the pancakes (namely, Appam) is great, the gravy is great. I have heard mixed reviews about the meat, but mine was good but on the small side for what I want. Two doors down is a South Indian grocery where you can get Masala Chai imported from India. It is good with milk, but it seems less herbal and more regular tea-like than STASH brand chai.
(4)Neethu C.
Awesone restuarant..ordered chicken biriyani...satisfied my taste buds like anything..will go back again to try other dishes..:)
(4)Alex X.
Somerton, NE Philly The food is good so u need to order two hours in advance becus everyone is also ordering. Authentic South Indian- KERALA food is my favorite Indian food. Don't take me to center city or u will make me cry. Take me to Northeast Philly or Edison NJ when it comes to Indian food...I only want my favorite. I know my Indian food...no need to be Indian. Lol Side dear diary note: So I was thinking about favorite foods. What do we need? I know I need my Kerala food place weekly. I know I need a breakfast joint that opens early and easy to get to. I know I don't want any chain food but it's hard becus they are unhealthily ubiquitous!!! Then I need a fast Red meat or iron place, which I have access to two. But I need a better one which I haven't found yet. I need my pho place, but u can't rely on one becus they have this problem of not being reliable to be open. I need my hot soup place. I need my hipster weirdo food place. Im still looking for an easy to reach salad place. I need my chicken banh mi place but it kind of having to go thru all the traffic opposite of the highway sux. My wings and nonalcoholic chill bar place. My chill with the girls place. Why do you think shows have this one favorite joint they always film at? convenience. You are always on the go, so you gotta get pickier than ever about food, foodie.
(5)Sheila L.
So this is not a place to sit down and eat. They have sitting, but a poor atmosphere. However, its excellent for takeout! We ordered Chicken Varatharcha Curry, which is a coconut curry. I asked for them to make it extra spicy. And it was both spicy and absolutely delicious -- tastes exactly like the way my mom makes it at home. We also ordered the Shrimp biriyani, which was very moist and spicy as well, and had nice plump shrimp. I will definitely be coming back here again.
(5)Ted L.
I have mix experience at this place so giving 3 stars. If you call and the kid pickup then you are in luck if the old man pickup who speak crypted english then you are out of luck. I called in for fish biryani and got response no one hour so I asked it will be ready one hour you mean he said what do you want I was like fish biryani so I again asked for fish biryani and he said yes yes one hour anc he hung up. I knew something was wrong so after 45mins I called back to check on my order and old man picked up again. So I asked is my fish biryani ready he said no fish biryani I am like I want to check on my biryani order he okok let me check he comes back and tell me no biryani I was like you said it will be ready in one hr. After a pause he says no fish biryani he hung up. I guess he was busy and did not care
(3)Sid K.
This place really is the tsar bomba of all Indian restaurants in town. It really is authentic indian RESTAURANT food. Just the way you go to a good old time pub here and order finger food; you can go to this place and expect them to cook food that woul be served to you in a popular restaurant in India. As an aside this is run by a south Indian person - so the things to order are the coconut gravy based dishes and the dosas. But I've heard he is pretty good with the north Indian/Mughal-ai dishes as well - the tikka masala, the biryani, the palak paneer etc. The south Indian food will be a revalation to you. coconutty gravies that you might like or not like - I like some of them not some of them. I'm an Indian, I've been a foodie all my life - this is spicy good Indian restaurant food. I'm not a snob - if you like your whitish creamy Indian gravies then by all means ENJOY - but you owe it to yourself to try this food. Ps - the dosas are awesome. EDIT: Cannot really recommend this place any more. On a recent visit, the food was uneatable - The chicken was not really fresh, so much so that I left the large piece of chicken after taking a few bites. Maybe it was a strange day, maybe it was a mistake, a lunar eclipse, the solar equinox.... but.... really.... I wont be going here again. I loved you Mallu cafe... then you kicked me where it really, really hurt... :(
(1)Andy G.
Eaten for the second time at Mallu. I have tried the chicken tika masala and the tandoori chicken. So far, the food is very good. I have eaten at many Indian restaurants in Philly and this place is winning so far. Can't wait for my next meal there.
(4)Christine A.
Everything here is authentically Kerala (South-west India) delicious. All their biriyanis are exceptionally good, but if you're looking for something a little different, try the Chicken Tikka Biriyani. All their food is great. I've never dined in. The multiple times I've gone there to pick-up my order, the atmosphere/ambiance is acceptable for a hole-in-the-wall place (think corner chinese take-out spot). Eating there would guarantee straight-off-the-stove delciousness. This will continue to be a staple to my take-out locations.
(5)Howard B.
I'm relatively new to Indian food, but I'm hooked! Not having had a 5 star Indian meal, or even some good, home-made Indian cuisine, I certainly don't know if I'm qualified to write a great review of the spice and seasoning, the presentation, or the authenticity. I do, however, know what I like! The short of it is : Food was good. We had Chicken Tikka Masala and Saag Paneer, the two dishes I always order to 'test the water'. Good portion, plenty of chicken and good flavor in the Tikka. Saag was also tasty. Also had some Naan and lots of rice, both very good. Not a place I would want to sit and eat, but for takeout it was good. If you have a craving, live close by, and aren't looking for 'awesome', Mallu Cafe will fill the bill. FYI, we went on a snowy, icy night...so other reviews say order ahead of time. We got our food quickly, but it was a slow Sunday night and that may not always be the case. I had been ordering from Rasavaat in Krewstown Center, but they closed. This food was cheaper and almost as good. I've done takeout from Zaika a few times, but Mallu is better, both in portion size and flavor (for me). About a week ago We ordered from Spice Garden at Bustleton and Lott, and again, Mallu was better, but priced comparatively. I think it's a given that from now on Mallu will be my Go-To takeout Indian joint, but it won't stop me from trying out other spots in the area as opportunity presents itself.
(3)Whiterock R.
stuff like Fish curry, thoran, mor, beef fry etc. Pretty cheap too. chicken 65 (or fry) is too sweet for my taste. Biriyani is good but is usually reheated in your stryofoam container. It usually starts melting due to all the hot oil.
(4)Sank G.
Tiny takeout places do have the best food occasionally. I first tried Mallu Cafe at a friend's house warming party. They had ordered a catered affair and I really liked the Chiken Tikka Biryani. I loved the aroma, the plentiful chicken in the biryani and the interplay of flavors. Recently on the way back from JFK, I called and ordered two chicken biryani, a mango and fish curry and some naan. There was so much food that we had leftovers for two more meals. The mango and fish curry was really unique to me since I had never had it before. Pieces of cooked green mango interspersed with morsels of fish in a coconut gravy definitely hit the spot. When we got there, our food wasn't ready so we stopped at the grocery store next door. The owner came looking for us with all our food packed and it was still pretty warm when we had it 30 mins later. Loved the fact that they are concerned about providing the freshest food possible. I will definitely be back After having the biryani a couple of times - this might be my favorite biryani place on the east coast. Go there now and thank me later.
(4)Shilpa B.
Warning: you will eat a lot, and you will go into a food coma after eating here. Everything I tried was rich and delicious. Fish fry, lamb, chicken, goat, turmeric-yogurt, paratha, YUM. Wish this place were easier to get to from the city without a car!
(5)Raj Y.
I had been to Philly on a business trip and after having stayed here for 2 weeks, my wife and I really wanted to have some authentic kerala food. Yelp and other sites suggested this malayalee restaurant. The great reviews fueled our desire to have food from here. I called them and they said they close only late. It was a 30 min drive from downtown; we got there on a Saturday evening at about 530pm or so. We didn't find any street parking, but found parking space in front of the restaurant. Parked the car and walked in and the owner with big attitude said that is not the parking place and they want the space to load their catered order in their truck. I was okay with that at the time. However. we told that we came to dine-in and wanted to order food. He had a lot of attitude and he didn't care that we came to eat and said that we have to wait for 30-45 minutes. We were okay to wait. Soon, some young guy came out of the kitchen and the owner turned to him and tells him about having to seat us. He said its not possible today. They just did not want to seat us that evening and said that they have a big church order and cant do anything at this time. The food may be great; but they just don't know how to treat and take care of customers. For them, catering was more important and hence refused to seat us. They did not even apologize for not able to seat us. They probably could have handled us better. I mentioned these to some of my Philly friends and they suggested that its better to get to-go orders rather than sitting there and they agreed that he does have attitude, but the food is tasty (according to them)
(1)Sam R.
Awesome food, had been here for the first time. I'm a big fan of Kerala food. Don't miss Kerala parotta (flaky wheat bread), also kerala fish curry. Food is not expensive and quantity is great :)
(5)Rohan G.
We used to live around this place, and used to order from here all the time. It is maybe the biggest thing that we miss about our old neighborhood. The name is appropriate: "Mallu" is the word used for people from the southern coastal state of Kerala, and this cuisine is very well done here. It is not your typical chicken tikka garbage, but unique to the region and true in authenticity. The fact that it is a great value is also a plus. I have never eaten in, only taken out, as there dining room is minimal to say the least. Service can be slow, but it is worth the wait. Just call an hour ahead of time. If you want a truly UNIQUE Indian takeout experience, this is it.
(5)Sami A.
Chicken briyani from this place is outstanding...very very close to what it taste like in the briyani back home. One of the very very few restaurants in US that has such a quality briyani. Must try for every desi.... Dont go to Edison....try this once then you would stop going to Edison for Briyanis!!! I'm serious!!! Pro: Great FOOD (specially BRIYANI) and Price Cons: average ambiance and service.
(4)Small Town G.
Authentic Kerala (one of the states in India) cuisine. We tried three dishes- chili chicken, goat curry, and chicken biryani. All were very good. Portion size was generous. Prices were moderate compared to other Indian restaurants. Goat was a bit on the tough side but that is the style. Mostly a takeout/catering business, restaurant is very spartan.
(5)