Cafe Tadka

We tried a few dishes on our first visit and all of them were delicious! The veggie samosas were HUGE and filled with perfectly seasoned vegetables. The crust was buttery and crispy and it was served hot with a cilantro chutney and a sweet and tangy tamarind sauce. The chicken lollipops were yummy! The meat was tender and juicy with a hint of crisp around the edges. It was covered in a savory slightly sweet and spicy chili sauce with green onions and sesame seeds. The paneer curry is served with a small bowl of basmati rice and the curry has onions and peppers in it. The curry was rich and flavorful and the medium spice had some good heat but wasn't overpowering. Lots of fat chunks of soft and toothsome paneer inside! The international dosa was good, chock full of red onions, cilantro and seasoning and it had garbanzo beans inside. I thought the menu said it had potatoes inside but there were none. It's served with a small bowl of lentil soup and 2 chutneys (coconut and curry). While this was good and filling, I don't think I'd order it again bc I like my dosas crispier and the filling wasn't the same as described in the menu.Portions of everything were generous for the price point. Their chai tea was delicious! We got it iced since it was blazing hot outside. We tried the banana semolina dessert and it was good, not too sweet. I wished it had a sauce or ice cream but I'm just being a fat kid. It has a soft wet consistency of crumbly semolina with a hint of banana and sugar and a few nuts and raisins. A but like halwa but not as sweet. I'd skip ordering this again. Inside of the cafe is very basic. A few tables and chairs. Not much in terms of ambiance but the service is good. There is A/C but it's still a little hot inside when the kitchen is cooking up the food. It's a good spot to go eat yummy food and not break the bank but not really a place for a special occasion or date night.

"The streets are where food and culture dance together." - UnknownEarlier this year, we heard about chef Ganesh Shrestha's departure from one of our favorite Indian restaurants, Spice Up. We were excited to hear about his opening of Tadka Indian Restaurant in the McCully Shopping Center, as his menu offers North to South Indian regional cuisines. However, we haven't made it to the McCully Shopping Center restaurant yet because we were gearing up for our culinary cruise in East Asia, where we ate at gourmet to family to street food establishments. We were fortunate to experience authentic Indian cuisine in Singapore, which further piqued our appetite when we returned home. However, during a recent urban hike, we visited Chef Shrestha's sister restaurant, Cafe Tadka, at the 808 Center. This small, clean cafe only seats 12 inside and four people outside. Upon entry, we were greeted by a lovely female server, who we asked if this was sit-down dining or order-at-the-counter service because others were eating from disposable tableware. She motioned to us to sit anywhere in the air-conditioned restaurant and brought us menus. Compared to its McCully site, the menu is limited but concentrates on popular street foods. FOOD:-Panjabi Samosa Chaat: crispy pastry stuffed with spiced potato and peas topped with yogurt, tamarind, mint, and chana masala (chickpea curry), garnished with onion and jalapeño chili. This colorful, multi-textural, and tasty street food snack hit our tastebuds with spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors. I could imagine drinking an icy cold beer or a glass of red wine with this snack, but we were taking a lunch break during our urban hike and felt we'd be better off keeping hydrated with water. The spice level of this samosa chaat was enough to put a slight tingle on my lips, but I'm sure the yogurt in the chaat helped to mellow the jalapeños. $9.99-Chicken Lollipops: batter-coated chicken tossed with tomato, garlic, and chili sauce. Cafe Tadka's meaty chicken wing appetizer hit the spot for my fried food-loving husband. Although the sauce made the fried battered chicken wings a bit soggy, there was still a bit of crunchy mouthfeel. The savory and sticky sauce made these wings more delectable or, as they say, "finger-licking good." My husband ate 4 of the five wings while sharing the samosa chaat. 5/$6.99-Vegetable Dum Biryani: although traditional dum biryani is prepared with a mix of meat, vegetables, and basmati, we chose the vegetarian alternative. Dum biryani refers to the slow-cooking and layered process, which yields a richer and more complex rice dish, whereas "normal" biryani cooks the meat separately from the rice and combines the ingredients after cooking. I don't have astute tastebuds to discern the entire difference in flavors or textures of dum versus normal biryani, especially when it is just vegetables and rice. Still, this biryani was fluffy and seasoned yet subtly flavored. $13.99-Mango Lassi: this thick and creamy yogurt-based beverage was refreshing and not too sweet. The beverage's fresh mango flavor was accented with cardamom, but I wished the beverage had been served more chilled as I saved drinking this beverage as a dessert. Mango lassi is perfect for cooling down on hot summer days. $5.50When we ate at Cafe Tadka, our original order included the Chef Special Dosa. Still, unfortunately, their heating element for making dosa wasn't working correctly, so we didn't get to try it. There is just one chef behind the counter and one server, so although you'll get delicious food straight out of the kitchen, please be patient. We'll return soon!

I haven't been the main Tadka location so it was nice to try this more quick serve concept with Indian street food. I ordered the Panjabi samosa chaat, chicken lollipop, chicken dum biryani, and classic dosa (Indian crepe). They also gave me banana sira to try. It was a lot of food but I wanted to try a wide selection of things and welcome leftovers! The food was flavorful, spicy and different from the Indian food I'm used to. The chicken lollipops are not spicy, very mild despite the red color. Sort of like char siu. Chaat on the other hand is spicy and is like a deconstructed samosa which I liked a lot and could be a meal itself. The dosa came with two sauces and lentil soup. It was plain tasting so not my favorite. Maybe the other dosa are better, I just wanted to try the classic one for my first time. Biryani is a little spicy but good to have something overall than is plainer to eat in between or with the spicier dishes. The chicken was moist and they gave a good amount. Sira reminds me of bread pudding with raisins in it but with a denser texture.This is mainly a takeout place with a few tables. If you do eat there, they give you paper plates to eat on so keep that in mind for the experience. Maybe not someplace to take on a first date haha. The staff is friendly, open to explain the menu, and give suggestions. Cafe Tadka brings something different to the 808 Center and Honolulu so give them a try!

Tadka Indian Cuisine's smaller and more casual sister restaurant, this relatively new cafe still serves up fantastic Indian flavors and is a stand out on Oahu. The best part is they've brought dosas - something we'd been seriously missing. We tried two - the Chef's special and the classic. Both were very similar but we'd go with the Chef's next time. The Panjabi samosa chaat was just fantastic - like a sauced up smashed samosa. Do not hesitate on this one; probably the best thing we ate here. We'll be back; repeatedly.

Cafe Tadka offers an experience akin to another local favorite, Spice Up Indian Restaurant, but with a few notable differences. Notably, Cafe Tadka does not offer free water, only bottled, which could be a slight inconvenience for some diners. The setup appears to be more oriented towards takeout rather than dine-in, though seating is available for those who prefer to eat onsite.During my visit, we decided to try the chef's special dosa, which was a standout. It was packed with flavor, expertly prepared, and truly showcased the culinary skills of the kitchen. The food overall was quite tasty and makes Cafe Tadka a worthy addition to Honolulu's culinary scene.For those looking for delicious Indian cuisine, whether to go or to sit down and enjoy in a more casual setting, Cafe Tadka does not disappoint. It's a good choice for anyone in the area craving flavorful, well-prepared Indian dishes.

My coworker loves Spice Up and Tadka. We recently went to Tadka together. When this place was set to open, we were excited to try it. We ordered the chicken biryani, chili paneer, and chicken momo. The owner lady also offered us a chef special dosa. While it wasn't what I was expecting (I only tried the chicken momo at Tadka before), all the food was very flavorful. My favorite was actually the dosa. It is marketed as an Indian crepe which is really what it was. Imagine samosa filling in a crepe. The tomato sauce with it was very good! I even poured it on our chicken biryani. The chili paneer was interesting. It reminded me more of a sweet sour pork but instead of pork, it was a potato. I'd come back but my coworker and I stressed to the owner to please bring naan to this menu. It's not the same without it!As for drinks, I think this place is marketed as more of a to-go place. There were only bottles or cans for drinks. No free water. Maybe you can bring your own? I'm not sure. But it's probably more of a grab and go place. I think it would be nice if it was more of a Panda Express concept (bunch of entrees and you can choose what you want with a side of rice or naan). Overall, I'd say 4.5 stars for the food we tried but I'll round up to give them the benefit of being a newer spot. I enjoyed everything but I wish there was a bigger menu. The waitress and owner were very friendly. The food came out quick which is a plus when you're strapped for time or you just want to take out. Also everything is on a paper plate with disposable utensils since this place is pretty small.

I often get a hankering for a dosa. Cafe Tadka is the place for that. Friendly service and great street food. We had the classic and chef special dosa as well as the Punjabi samosa chaat. To drink some chai tea and lassi. It is a clean small space with seating for about 16. Check them out!

Dosa, dahi puri, and samosa chaat were excellent. I wish they had pav bhaji and chole bhature on the menu.

Amazing service , delicious samosa chat.Chai was exactly like home made .I will definitely recommend it and try it.Will like to visit again in future

This place is a gem. I truly hope it doesn't close as it hasn't been open the past couple of months.