Pearl Indian Food

Let me start by saying, I am so sad I moved out of delivery radius from this restaurant. It is SCRUMPTIOUS. I would order a couple times per month from them, always the chicken curry and samosa (appetizer) combo. It comes with naan and basmati rice as well as an assortment of sauces. Every component of this is tasty, even down to how the rice is done. I tend to stick with a perfect dish once I’ve found it, but having tried other friends’ orders from here, nothing has disappointed.
I should also mention they have always been wonderful with delivery, truly prompt and friendly.

Good value for money on the 50%off lunch special. I had lamb and a side of nan. The ambiance is not that welcoming but don’t be discouraged because they have pretty decent food.
The green sauce seems a little thin in texture but flavorful.

My boyfriend and I went for dinner last weekend at Pearl. We were the only mixed race couple in the restaurant (he’s Black and I’m White). Almost as soon as my boyfriend sat down, the restaurant owner/​manager, an older man in his 50s, shooed him into the table and asked him to move his chair in. It was absurd and rude as the restaurant was almost empty and there was plenty of room to walk around his chair. There were also White customers who had their chairs out the same distance which the manager did not speak to the same way.
Following this, all service and food orders were directed at me. He did not once look at, engage or acknowledge my boyfriend’s presence. We agreed to tip the female waitress who had brought us appetizers, but not the manager as his racist demeanor was appalling and unacceptable.
As soon as he took our payment, he rushed back to the table to demand rudely where his tip was. We told him we weren’t done paying, then we got up and gave the tip to the female waitress and left.
I left sickened by his treatment of my boyfriend. It is 2015 Brooklyn, and your restaurant is in the middle of a predominantly Black neighborhood. Either treat your customers with respect and human decency, or get out. I will never eat there again.

Waited more than 25min for a takeout one order of Chicken Makhani and one order of samosa. Enough said. Food is decent.

Dinner special came with rice, a samosa, naan and the main course (I chose tikka masala). Samosa was delicious and I’ve got lunch for tomorrow for a great price.

Reliably the best Indian food in the neighborhood — tasty and flavorful. Of course, my review is probably inflated because the rest of the Indian in Crown Heights is pretty awful.
The several dishes I’ve ordered have been tasty, buttery (or ghee-​y, I guess), and well seasoned. A couple of times, I’ve ordered food and it was under salted. But usually this is not a problem.
I don’t recommend eating in. Not only is there always a TV on, service is pushy and terrible. However, they do have an eat-​in-​only lunch special that’s 50% off your meal, so if you’re broke, it’s maybe worth it. If you’re willing to get frustrated.

LIKES:
Had a good experience. Ordered chicken korma and mixed grill with pineapple juice and 2 mango juice. Food was delicious. Made fast and inexpensive. Bill was about $ 45.
DISLIKES:
Walking through the door the décor gave a cheap indian restaurant feel. And I didn’t like that the waiter wasn’t informed about his tip rather it went into the cash register.
I’d eat there again.

The food that I order from Pearl Indian Food (and I order ALL of the benchmark dishes), is the best that I’ve had in Brooklyn. Food is freshly prepared, flavorful, and delivered piping hot! It’s never wimpy, runny sauces like some other chains. The food is just EXCELLENT, all around. Bravo, and keep up the good work!

Tried the chicken korma and it was delicious! Shaved almonds on top of the curry and the khandari naan has coconut inside which was a great addition to my meal! The flavors and portions were outstanding for a 50% off lunch special. I must go back soon! Highly, highly recommended.

A great escape from all the frantic…
I live in the neighborhood and enjoy coming here for two reasons. The food is great and the atmosphere is super calm.
So many restaurants here are loud and bustling but this one moves pleasantly slowly. Owner is calm and quiet.
A lovely tasty momentary escape.

I used to live RIGHT BY HERE and never went, but now that I’m in The Slope, I order from this place all the time.
Its a.) amazing that they’ll drive around the park to come to my door and b.) they always delivery with a smile. Sometimes it takes forever but still, it’s super great.
I love the samosas — they’re just the right amt of spicy, and somehow not greasy, and they put some kinda magical seasoning on top that makes them addicting as hell. The naan is great too.
I always go for the super special appetizer and entrée option, since it’s cheap and I get my beloved samosas. Anything tikka here is delicious, and the mutter mushroom thingie is great.
I tried to order from another place and was grumpy the whole night because their samosas couldn’t hold a candle to Pearl’s.
Anyhow for sure use their takeout — but be prepared to wait a long time. 45 minutes is usually the minimum. However, its always worth it.

Chilled atmosphere (spent almost 2 hours in here talking) and good food at an average price point. Definitely recommend.

AVOID. tasteless food
First off, I lived in India for 15 years, so this is a review from someone who knows what indian food is supposed to taste like.
All 3 of my items were COMPLETELY devoid of any flavor.
The seek kebab was dry and crumbly, def not fresh. Zero flavor.
The chicken tikka was rubbery enough to fix my bike tires with. Zero flavor.
The Daal Makhani has never been near any makhan. Insipid and burnt tasting, another clue that it has been reheated many times.
The food was the pits. I hope they read this review and do something, instead of going to usual route of Indian restaurants in the US — «they’ll eat anything» attitude.

My dine-​in experience at Pearl Indian on my last occasion was horrible. The one and only waiter acted as if I was bothering him by patronizing the establishment. Nevertheless, I ordered the Chicken Tikka-​Masala with a side order of Garlic Naan.
There was one other customer there and already eating as I waited for my food to be prepared. When my food arrived, I asked the (rude) waiter if I could have some more mint chutney. He said «sure». That’s when things went down the drain.
I watched this lil nasty waiter (Mohammed), go to the other patron’s table, clear it, take off this guy’s USED mint chutney before entering the kitchen area, and place it on a clean plate to serve to me. I was furious! When I confronted him about it. He denied it. However, I know exactly what I saw. Plus, you could clearly see naan crumbs in the USED mint chutney. I was beyond floored.
All in all, the food is just ok, it’s too expensive, the waiter is rude, and they give you other people’s sauces. Eat at your own risk. I will NEVER eat here again.

What’s wrong with people? Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights is such a sacred area. It boasts some of the best pizza, mexican and Caribbean food in the neighborhood. And if you walk over to Washington you can find some great Italian. There is also well done Cajun food around.
Then why is the Indian so bad around this neighborhood and why are people giving shitty, average places four stars. This food is bad. Period. Like Bombay Masala down the road, this place also indulges in adding copious amounts of butter and tomato to everything and hopefully the people who don’t know any better, will come back for more. Honestly, you are better of finding a recipe on the internet and cooking at home.
I don’t really blame these guys though. This bastardization of Indian Food is everywhere. But, then don’t pretend to be «Authentic» Indian food. Make yourself a Chinese Take-​Out joint and just admit that the stuff you make is not authentic and that you are catering to «An American Idea Of Indian Food» rather than Indian food. And, while you’re at it, slash your damn prices. You’re fooling nobody by charging 12 dollars for an entrée when you are just slapping together tasteless chicken with tomato sauce and curry powder. That’s not how Indian Food works.

I was devastated when I heard got the news that my favorite Indian Restaurant, «India House» on the intersection of Court street and Atlantic avenue closed down. It has been four years and I am still searching for a worthy replacement.
I often drive by but this was my first time coming here. My expectation was not very high as I had my sight set on another Indian restaurant in Astoria that I wanted to patronize. My Lovely wife allowed fatigue to influence her to stay Local and so we walked through the door.
Immediately on entering the sweet aroma of curry seduced my nostrils and gave my taste buds a deep tissue massage.
I smirked, trying to conceal my smile that slowly raised it’s head. I flirted with the idea that this may be my new hidden gem but quickly dismissed the thought.
I went to wash my hands and noticed that the restroom is so clean that you can practically eat off the floors. Another plus which made me lower my guard some more.
What my server lacked in personality was more than compensated for in the Amazing food. To her credit she probably had a long work day and was tired as I got there close to closing time.
I think we order all but four things on the menu. Will I be back? YES!
Will I recommend my friends? I Definitely will.
When will I be back? This week for sure.

I’m across the street at the Mexican restaurant abut it looks really cute from here. I heard it’s good. Stop reading and go eat. Stop watching Gilmore girls on netflix and get some tandoori chicken or simosas.

I had a positive review of this place when it first opened, but it has gone downhill big-​time in the last year.
The good:
— Samosas. Some of the best samosas I’ve had. They come garnished with a delicious, spicy chick pea side. If you like samosas, you can eat these all day.
— Malai kofta, and anything that comes with a cream sauce. It’s very oily and heavy, but if that’s what you want, these guys do it right.
— Lentil-​based stuff is still edible.
The bad:
— These guys used to be positive outliers in terms of the freshness and variety of vegetables in the vegetable dishes. Perhaps as a cost-​saving measure, this is no longer the case.
— Jalfrazi, veg curry type dishes are now very bad. Very few types of vegetables, the tomato onion sauce tastes like it’s made with ketchup.
— Spinach curries are blended with oil and cooked to the point of absurdity. You could drink them, there’s no texture at all.
— Raita is seasoned only with sugar, lassis are nothing more than a blend of whole milk and whole fat yogurt. No seasoning at all. Salty lassi isn’t even salty.
— Chutneys look and taste like they have more food coloring than seasoning.
— Meat dishes have only meat, maybe onions if you’re lucky. Don’t expect to find a vegetable in them.
The last time, we ordered three entrees and received only one serving of chutneys and one of the complimentary desserts. The chutneys and desserts come in 1oz dixie cups.
I’m guessing these guys have had to cut costs since the place opened, given that it is still empty most nights. It’s become a big disappointment. I just don’t understand why we can’t have a decent Indian restaurant in Brooklyn.

I totally enjoyed the food and was pleasantly surprised. This cute lil neighbor spot is full of authentic and flavorful dishes. We can for lunch and I was thankful we did because it was 50% off!!!
We tried several things and all where great. just be careful of the dishes marked spicy… they are not lying:) I almost dropped sweat onto my naan!
A must stop by spot if you in the area and feeling like good Indian food!!!

Easily some of the best Indian food in Brooklyn. Yes, I KNOW. Hard to believe… amiright? We were a little suspicious. The name, for example. «Pearl Indian Food». Everyone knows Chinese chefs have been taking over the taqueria business. Maybe this was a foray into Indian-​Chinese restaurants? And the menu has some, what some may call, bizarre items. Who ever heard of Angel Hair fettuccine or Shrimp Lingueni (sic) at an Indian restaurant? Well, the food is fantabulous.
The bad news? The décor is somewhat of an eyesore; looks cheap. Also, I believe the reviews that the service is poor and slow, but every restaurant has growing pains. Finally, the prices are unrealistically high. I’m not one to fret over high prices when I enjoy a meal, but even I felt a little tang of «ouch», which means this will be a major turn-​off with other people in the neighborhood. They will have to lower their prices or else change the décor to match their price point, otherwise, they may not be here for very long.
Appetizer
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Samosa: A
One of the best samosas I’ve ever had. The outside shell was crispy. Not even a hint of old oil, staleness or soggyness. Filling was fresh and vibrant. Scrumptious with mint chutney.
Ragri Petes: B+
Two potato patties and the bottom is some kind of grain I can’t identify. The potato patties are fried and spiced quite nicely with pepper, mustard seed, and some other spices i can’t identify. Maybe hing. The whole thing is great. Make sure you have enough chutney — great with mint chutney!
Gobi Manchurian: A+
Doesn’t sound good, but it’s one of my favorite appetizers ever. Cauliflower fried in batter in a semi-​sweet sauce (I usually hate sweet sauce!). It’s to cauliflower as KFC is to chicken.
Ka-​Chori: A–
Flour flat pastries (I wouldn’t call them puffs as the menu does) stuffed with yummy lentils on a bed of chutney and chickpeas. Delicious vegetarian appetizer.
Seekh Kabab: A+
This dish was invented by a chef of an Indian prince who had serious tooth pain. He was told to create a meat dish that the prince could eat without pain or else face execution. Hence, this is a VERY soft meat dish. If you’re familiar with middle eastern food, think of a Kafta Kebob with savory Indian spices
Vegetable Pakora: A+
I’m always massively disappointed by pakoras in NYC, but these are perfect! The Garam flour is fresh and zesty. The pakoras are not overly oily; they still have crunch to them. There’s a high crispy outside to vegetable ratio. Blends perfectly well with, and is the perfect vehicle for, mint or tamarind chutney.
Dal Soup: A
Spicy and tangy. Definitely more complex than your average Dal soup.
Chicken Soup: A+
I’ve always admired Indian chicken soup. The spices may be foreign to the palette, but its base is unmistakable. This soup is heavy on the fat, very light on the salt (it’s unsalted, in fact).
Chicken Wings Bffalo (sic): C
Slathered with sugary American BBQ sauce. Ick.
Tandoori
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Chicken: A+
This might have been the best tandoori chicken I’ve ever had. The meat was very soft and juicy. The tandoori flavor was very strong (many tandoori chickens I’ve had were dry and didn’t have a particularly strong tandoori flavor). The dish comes with a lot of «soft vegetable stuff» which probably helps keep the chicken moist and juicy.
Chicken
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Chicken Tikka Masala: A+
Chicken was succulent and the masala sauce is one of the few masala sauces I’ve had where you can tell it’s a «tomato cream» sauce, rather than a «cream sauce».
Lamb
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Lamb Korma: B+
The korma sauce itself wasn’t the creamiest korma I’ve ever had, and they put pineapple in it (I’m not overly fond of pineapple in food b/​c it’s too sweet for my tastes). Still an excellent buttery entrée.
Rogan Josh: A
Very well spiced. If you like an aromatic rogan josh, you’ll love it. Aromatic and rich. Excellent meat-​to-​sauce ratio. Sauce has character: chunkyness (I’ve had soupy rogan josh in the past and it’s always a bummer).
Acjaru Lamb: B+
You won’t *see* the pickles; they’ve been cooked down or minced. I was hesitant since I’m not a huge pickle fan, but it was great: spicy and tangy. More salty than I’m used to, but otherwise great. Lamb was soft and had just the right amount of fat.
Chicken
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Chicken Saag: A
Very succulent and tender chicken. Saag was a LITTLE bland which gives it a more creamed spinach than saag feeling. Still worth an A rating!
Beverages
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Mango Lassi: B+
Above average.
Side Order
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Mint Chutney: A–
I wish it were just a tad hotter, but the flavor is fantastic.
Dessert
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Gulab Jamun: A–
Doughnut balls were excellent but not the best I’ve had. They might have been a tad old. I can’t tell (perhaps I should’ve warmed them up). They were *very* generous with the honey syrup, whch was very appreciated!
Kheer: B–
Not as creamy as other kheer I’ve have. Me