The doors to Minar Palace [1304 Walnut St] have been open for a while now and we've dined in and taken out there a few times. The interior of the new restaurant is a complete 180° from the old hole-in-the wall over by 16th and Sansom Streets. Shiny new paint on the walls, brand spankin' new seating and tables to match, a newly designed menu . . . and styrofoam flatware and plastic utensils??? The new digs has its share of hits and misses.
There's ample seating, maybe for 75 or more, and we've never seen the place completely full while walking by. That might be a result of Minar Palace's customers used to delivery or takeout orders.
Messy's Shahi Paneer, from the menu:
homemade cheese cubes cooked w/bell peppers in a tomato based sauce
This dish was absolutely delicious and is now Messy's Minar Palace stand-by (along with the yummy samosas covered in chickpea and yogurt sauce — an appetizer big enough to share with a few friends). However, Messy grabbed a taste of a friends Malai Kofta (Messy's all time favorite Indian dish) and found that it couldn't hold a candle to Tiffin's.
Messy's sister's meal Saag Alu, from the menu:
Creamed spinach cooked with potatoes
Picky's Chicken Vindaloo, from the menu:
Boneless chicken cooked with morsels of potatoes in a highly spiced sauce
Picky's bouts with the vindaloo since the reopening have been varied. In the restaurant, it's been mediocre. Takeout, on the other hand, has been better. It might be his distaste for the unfinished vibe of the restaurant (hello, styrofoam and plasticware?).
The general feel of the sit-down experience, unfortunately, takes away from the meal a great deal. During the day, there is no table service — you order at the counter and bring a tray back to your table, cafeteria style. At night, there is table service but not much else is changed. Opting for the call ahead takeout (or delivery if you don't want to preemptively work off some calories) will allow you to eat on some real plates with real utensils and drink out of real cups. We also felt like our serving sizes were bigger with the takeout. You can think back to their hole-in-the-wall digs at 16th and Sansom Streets from a few years back when others would scoff at ordering from such a dive (and we'd smirk back).
Messy ***1/2
Picky ** 1/2
The final word: Good solid takeout, but where are the good solid plates and forks?
Minar Palace
1304 Walnut St
215.546.9443
Mon - Fri: 11.30am - 9pm
Sat: 11.30am - 7pm
Menu .pdf | flash
