Published October 24, 2022

On a chilly Wednesday evening, my boyfriend and I decided to visit a new restaurant for dinner. I was craving Indian food, but didn’t want to drive all the way to my favorite Montclair restaurant. A quick Google search revealed that a newer Indian restaurant opened in Wayne. We decided to take the drive to try Paheli Indian Cuisine.

Paheli Indian Cuisine sat within the Preakness Shopping Center, on the curve of the building closest to the Hamburg Turnpike. It’s close to the Chinese Restaurant and next to the European Wax Center. There is ample parking in this shopping center and two ways to get into the parking lot from Hamburg Turnpike.

We parked close to the restaurant and crossed the road. We could see through the large glass windows that one other couple sat within the small restaurant.

Paheli Indian Cuisine Interior

We stepped through the front doors and into the dining room. An aisle between the tables led to the hostess stand at the back of the room, and to the closed off kitchen. One host, who was also the waiter, told us we could sit at the two-top table against the front window or at the four-top table behind the current customers.

I chose the four-top table so we would have more room. I sat with my back to the kitchen and looked out on the small dining room.

The room sat about 30 people. Booth seating lined the wall on the right-hand side of the room (from where I was). The room branched out in an L-shape, hiding another four top table in the back. Decorative artwork and jars of spices colored the walls on this side of the room.

The wall to my left had a long mirror. Above it hung a vibrant canvas artwork of spices. Decorative textured paints lined the wall. Yellow and orange garlands hung down from the ceiling. The space felt clean and thoughtfully designed.

Paheli Indian Cuisine Menu

Our table was preset with silver placemats, silverware, and plates. The waiter / host brought us thickly bound menus with a minimalist logo stamped in the center.

I reviewed Paheli’s menu online prior to arriving. Just like their online menu, their physical menu had 4 black laminated pages with gold writing. Each section was categorized by soups and salad, starters (separated by vegetarian and non-vegetarian options), tandoori, entrees (veg and non-veg), biryani, breads, and drinks. We also received a 1-sided specials menu.

My boyfriend read the specials menu and picked his entree instantly. I spent about 10 minutes reading every page of the menu and debating what I should order. Our waiter was helpful with answering my questions. He clarified that the section I was looking at was not for entrees (and in fact, opened up many more appetizer options that I would love to go back and try). I asked him for his recommendation — the special’s entree or the chicken tikka masala? He recommended I order the special’s entree, so that’s what I did.

We placed our appetizers. As we waited, a new couple came in and sat at the two-top table against the window. A woman came in and ordered several entrees for takeout, as I do not think Paheli delivers. Another woman stopped in to ask for directions. The couple in front of us finished and paid for their meal, allowing the couple at the two top table to move to the larger table.

Appetizers

Assorted Manchurian | $12.95

I never heard of Manchurian before. A quick Google search told me it was assorted chicken, prawns, cauliflower, and more, chopped, fried, and then coated in a soy-style sauce. I was excited to try this dish.

A beautiful blue plate of assorted Manchurian arrived. My boyfriend scooped us each a portion to try. The exterior was crisp. Slicing into it revealed broccoli and cauliflower florets! 10 pieces in total filled the plate, and with the batter coating the vegetable, it made for a filling portion.

The sauce was sweet and tangy, with a hint of the soy sauce flavor. Luckily it was not spicy for me, even though the menu said it was a chili sauce. I loved the flavor and the fried batter.

Potli Samosa Chaat | $7.95

On Phaeli’s menu, they offer Samosa or Potli Samosa Chaat. I have learned that the Potli Samosa look like little bags — similar to the golden bag appetizer that was at the former Khao Tip (now, Thai Corner Bistro).

When we ordered this appetizer, we learned that Paheli was out of the Potli Samosa, but that they could do the regular Samosa and add the chutney and yogurt sauce. We agreed, and the appetizer arrived shortly after our Manchurian.

I thought this was a good-sized appetizer. There were at least 8 samosa for us to share. The top of the bowl was layered with (what I believe is) Sev — crunchy noodles made from chickpea flour paste.

This dish was spicy for me, but not unbearable. As described on the menu — the base of this dish is the “spicy chole (Ragada)” — which, according to my research, is a spiced gravy made with chickpeas. A swirl of yogurt bordered the edge of the bowl.

Overall, I enjoyed the textures in this appetizer. The Samosa was crisp and filled with spiced potatoes and peas. The sauce and yogurt were thick, and the chickpeas were an added texture, plus the crispy Sev on top.

Entrees

A father and daughter came in and sat diagonal to me in the booth seating. I’m assuming the owners came out and said hello to several regular customers, including the father and daughter. The elder gentleman sat once in the booth closest to the hostess stand and made a few phone calls. The elder woman spoke with customers about their family before going to the back of the restaurant, which gave me the impression that they were the owners.

My boyfriend’s entree arrived first, and our waiter assured me my entree was almost done. We were in no rush, so I didn’t mind waiting.

Mutton Dum Biryani | $27.95

According to my research, the “dum” in this entree refers to the style of cooking, in which the ingredients are layered in a handleless pot, sealed, and baked. This makes sense, as my boyfriend noted when eating this dish, that the goat meat was all the way on the bottom of the bowl, rather than the top.

This entree also came with a thin yogurt sauce. It had circular crunchies on the top, which I am unsure if they are the same as the Sev we had on our appetizers or something different.

This dish had Basmati rice, saffron, mint, and fried onions, but the yogurt sauce added an extra element.

Shahi Korma | $22.95

I was thrilled when my entree arrived in a bowl with a large portion of sauce. I wanted an entree that was sauced based, so I could dip the Naan in it.

My entree came with chicken, though shrimp and lamb were also available. The chicken was tender and seasoned, and came in cubes in the bottom of my bowl.

I was served a side of rice, which the waiter said he would refill if I needed. According to my receipt, this dish was “mild” — which I was happy about. It was not spicy at all and had a fantastic flavor. As shared on the menu, this gray had royal cashews, onions, yogurt, and a saffron creamy signature gravy. 

The gravy was slightly sweet and had cashew pieces. The rest of the ingredients were blended to create the rich sauce, which was exactly what I wanted for my entree.

Garlic Naan | $4.95

We couldn’t order entrees without a side of Naan. I love garlic, so I wanted the garlic Naan, which was my preference of the two we tried.

I liked that the Naan was already cut, as that made it easier to share.

Goat Cheese Naan | $5.95

The goat cheese Naan had a thin layer of goat cheese in the middle, which gave you a tangy bite.

My boyfriend enjoyed the goat cheese naan with his entree, while I thought the garlic naan was tasty with mine.

Dessert

We both had a decent portion of our entrees remaining, so we wrapped them to take home. I wanted to try Paheli’s dessert before we left, and my boyfriend and I aligned on the Gulab Jamun Creme Brûlée.

Unfortunately, they were sold out of the Creme Brûlée, but the waiter recommended we try the Gulab Jamun. Since his recommendation for my entree was perfect, we trusted his opinion. He asked if we wanted vanilla ice cream on top. Since I wasn’t sure what this dish would taste like anyway, I said yes.

Gulab Jamun | $5.95

A beautiful glass dish arrived with four deeply colored, circular balls, which I assumed was the Gulab Jamun. A big scoop of vanilla ice cream sat on top, with a sprinkle of cashews.

The fried balls are milk/cheese based, cooked slowly to form a dough. The bottom of our dish was a sweet simple syrup. Our waiter told us that the addition of ice cream is not traditional, but that they offer it anyway.

I thought the ice cream helped cut the sweetness of the simple syrup. I enjoyed the warm, dense texture of the Gulab Jamun, and I thought the portion was perfect to finish the meal with something sweet.

My Recommendation

I would give our visit to Paheli Indian Cuisine a 10/10 for the following:

• Decor and Design

  • Paheli is a small restaurant that is bright, colorful, and polished. I loved the cultural details like the jars of spices, artwork, and garland that brighten the space. The tables and place settings felt thoughtful and organized, which made for a clean and polished space. The menu was well-branded and I loved that they offered sub-text descriptions of their dishes for folks like me who are not familiar with Indian cuisine.

• Service

  • Our waiter was knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. He checked in frequently throughout our meal, answered our questions, and provided great service.

• Food

  • Paheli delivers fresh and delicious dishes. Their menu offers something for everyone, including veg and non-veg dishes, spicy and milder options, and familiar classics like Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala. I was glad that we explored new dishes and I learned more about the ingredients and preparation of this cuisine. I will definitely return to Paheli Indian Cuisine in the future to explore more of their menu.

Have you been to Paheli Indian Cuisine?

Tell me about your favorite dish in a comment below. If you’re looking for other New Jersey restaurants to try, click here to browse all of my New Jersey restaurant reviews.