Manna - Cuisine of India

Probably tied for my 2nd favorite South Asian restaurant in OKC! Most of the other reviews are pretty spot on. Manna is located in kind of a dingy strip mall, and its vibe is definitely mom and pop. The decor and ambiance inside are pretty old school and not very impressive. The food took maybe 20-30 minutes to arrive. It seemed like there was only one lady working in the back, so maybe that's why. However, the food was good and probably made fresh just for us, as we were the only ones dining in for most of the time we were there! My friend and I both ordered butter chicken, which came with a big bowl of rice to share, and cheese naan. The butter chicken was flavorful, and mild was perfect -- faintly spicy but not very much so. It was creamy, and it came with a lot of chunks of tender chicken and sauce. The cheese naan wasn't the best I've had, but it was still nice to have! The naan was soft and warm, and the cheese had the consistency of shredded paneer. It wasn't gooey or melty, but it added a nice texture. We paid around $17 each, and my friend and I each took food home. Decent portion sizes!I would be interested in dining here again, maybe ordering take out next time, and trying some more of the dishes on their menu!!

Whoa, can't believe I haven't updated this review since my second visit. This place is INSANE.The food is literally A++.Every other aspect is a solid F------------ (that's 12 minuses).But it's still somehow worth it.I've had curry all over the country and in some of the best places in Europe and Manna has them all beat. I've had Indian friends compare it to their mother's cooking. I had a friend recently go to India and said Manna was distinctly better (though she might not have gone off the beaten path). I've converted dozens of people to Manna who were previously loyal to xyz-okc-indian-place.Let me be plain, Manna has RUINED all other Indian food for me. I used to enjoy Sheesh Mahal and essentially every Indian place, but now they all taste like watered down gruel from an orphanage. I literally CAN'T eat it. That's no knock on Sheesh. They are FAR MORE accessible to newcomers and FAR MORE capable as a business entity. They destroy Manna in EVERY possible way except for... food. And unfortunately, that part is not even close. A step down from Sheesh, you have places like Taj, Gopuram, etc. These places have catered their dishes to casuals and have become a parody of themselves.MANNA DON'T CARE ABOUT CASUALS. MANNA CATERS TO NOBODY.Manna is like a smoking hot chick who knows it and puts forth absolutely zero effort in other areas. Her life motto is obnoxiously "you either love me and hate me," and while an annoying axiom, you know she's right. The place is a disaster, in every conceivable way. The son who takes the orders is quite literally insane and I've heard stories from basically anyone who's come into contact with him that would concern even the most reckless of risktakers. They completely ignore their phone, so you have to drive there, completely disregard the "45 minute" estimate they give you, and drive back 90 minutes later to get your food. 50% of people will be so disturbed by one thing or another, they will never return, horrified by the experience. These are the lucky ones. The other 50% who allow Manna to enter their soul are ruined, addicted, enslaved, for life. Caveat emptor. May the buyer beware.Butter Chicken, Saag Paneer, Chili Chicken, Vegetable Korma are all literally perfect, life-changing dishes. I'm sure there's more, but I can't live without those so never get the chance to experiment by ordering something else.I used to live right next door to this place and I could smell their heavenly spice cloud from my house. The flavor is so explosive, rich, and decadent that I can't eat here more than once every month or two, but it's the only transcendent food experience in the city. It's probably not my objective favorite place in the city, but it is by far the most spiritual experience. You can be the most staunch atheist on the planet and one bite of that Butter Chicken will rocket-launch you on a straight path to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.Looking forward to seeing you at Church.

Food is good. Location is bad. Get it to go. Inside is dirty and dingy. Flies everywhere. The food was good if you can over look how it looks inside

Best Indian food in Oklahoma City. Just like the honey badger, they don't care. Don't know what I mean about the honey badger? Use the Google. Service is not great. Atmosphere is pretty terrible too. They don't care. They make bad ass Indian food and that is all they care about. Order your food to go and enjoy it. Go there and eat in the restaurant just for the experience. Lol.I'm giving them five stars because I, like the honey badger don't care. Great food.

Table had crumbs on it. I cleaned it. Bathroom was dirty, but we tolerated it. Then a cockroach walked across the open floor towards me and I stepped on it. Complained and walked out before the food arrived.

Yum! Mouth is happy and belly full.Manna is a long hours hole in the wall that is all about the food. ...and the food is amazing. The atmosphere, well it is functional. The restaurant has tables and chairs. What more do you need when the food is an entire experience? Once you take a bite you'll be transported and totally present in flavors you're experiencing. Food is made to order so don't expect to be in and out in 10 minutes. Know that your going to have a wait time even on to go orders. Expect it and be patient. Patience is a virtue that brings great rewards. We ordered one spicy and one savory dish. Spicy was Kadahi Chicken which is a more traditional style curry full of cumin with bell pepper and onion. Kadai is a must dish at any Indian restaurant that offers it. Flavors are strong and textures various. This is a dish to take a bit of and let it dance around on your tongue as you swallow and savor. It tasted great on naan and with rice and transported me into the present moment and each flavor i was experiencing. The butter panner is the savory dish and a savory loving pallete will be satisfied with it. Butter is a prominent flavor in this dish and bites are best paired with rice or naan. The texture is smooth almost like a thick savory soup of other dimensional savory flavor. What makes this butter panner stand apart is the prominent butter flavor usually it is more muted and the dish is not as savory. Garlic naan was slightly chared as it should be because it is cooked in a tandoori oven. The garlic was a prominent flavor. Edges were crispy leading to a spongy and soft texture that made for the perfect food shovel. Bonus: Everything came out hot and together which made it more impressive that it was all hot.Some notes: Plates and cutlery were disposable and some other reviewers seem upset at that. I see a family ran place where everything is made form scratch and to keep the food quality up they save time by using disposable utlensils and plates. This I can look past. Service is minimal but it works. You order food and get food when it is ready. No complaints. I don't expect a small family business to run like a chain restaurant. I expect unique and exceptional food and that's what Manna offers. I was able to meditate in the wait time. TV is loud. Did not enjoy that but whatever it did mess with my meditation some.They did not have change, I tip anyway. Use a card, bring exact change or tip. This seems to be a frequent occurrence from other reviews and is not a huge deal just round up and let it go. I did remove 1 star because the cleanliness could be improved significantly. I can look past many nuances such as minimal service, 1 menu, lack of change and disposable dishes. But cleanliness is essential in food service. Tables, walls, bathrooms and kitchens should be kept clean. The lack of cleanliness does leave room for the mind to wander into negative assumptions about a place that makes all its food from scratch to order and that is a true shame. As I've eaten in countless hole in the wall family restaurants I knew by looking at the woman cooking and the fact food was all cooked fresh that the food is likely safe. But as a customer I like to have that confidence from the moment I walk in the door not after making extra conscious observations. The fact I did not have that instant peace of mind leads to the removal of a star.I do think this place is worth trying if you can look past the environmental negatives. You can also order to go or use a delivery service and avoid the negatives all together. Take care and for my fellow foodies I encourage you to not judge all eateries or experiences with the same lense. Each experience is unique and deserves to be observed, anayalzed and experienced with a fresh clear lense. There are countless variables and when we put places in a box we lessen the experience for ourselves.

I really dig their saag paneer. Their Naan is also killer. Didn't give 5 as dining in is not as good as taking out. More attention needs to be paid to the overall ambiance/decor, and there is a lack of upfront hospitality.

Where to begin?The first thing that hits is the deafening silence. Very uncomfortable. A man is sitting at one of the tables, sipping something from a styrofoam cup. He (very unceremoniously) rises from his rusty throne to lead us to our table. "Lead" might be generous, actually. The man serving us is very quiet. Too quiet. He knows something. He drops off our (disposable) tableware and water bottles, then vanishes into a back room. Maybe to finish whatever he was drinking. A hydrated mystery man.The food eventually arrives, delivered by a very nice woman. (Well, nice for Manna. She smiled, so that was something.)The food is hot in both senses of the word. Fellow white people beware. My father and I both have a pretty high spice tolerance and medium was a comfortable spice level. (We're no shrimp but sometimes I don't feel like being prisoner to the porcelain throne.) The Butter Chicken--creamy. The garlic naan--fluffy. The chicken seekh kebab--flavorful, but dry.I am unsure if Manna a dream or a nightmare, but my belly is full and my mouth is happy.Do not expect to be coddled. There is no time for that in Manna. At Manna, they are there to cook and you are there to eat. They are not in the funny business. Get it together.For 37 dollars, it was a worthwhile adventure.

Absolutely incredible food. Great food!Odd atmosphere and service. Very tasty and authentic Indian.

Ordered Chicken Tilki Masala, Butter Chicken, and Garlic Naan. Have waited 1 hour and 15 minutes and am still waiting...Update- Waited another 15 minutes and then was asked what my order was. They said "We will begin cooking it now." My girlfriend and I were both disappointed in our wait time for a take out order. We understand food needs to be cooked, but they also forgot our order twice, and the gentleman taking our order could not even stay awake at the register. Will not be returning without even getting a chance to test the positive reviews regarding the meals:/