Malai Marke Indian Cuisine

Took my mom here last Saturday night.
Food was good… Not spectacular, but average as usual! We both had the murgh makhani (butter chicken) though the waiter tried to discourage us from getting the same thing and push us toward lamb? Nahh man. I know what I like.
The thing that bothered me was that in the restaurant they charge you $ 3 for plain rice with your entrée (you have to order it). But with takeout/​delivery the rice comes included. Same portions.
What the hell is that??? So from now on I’ll make sure I get delivery… That’s free too! Cheaper to eat at home.

Babu Ji maxed out so we needed a back up dinner spot. Came here on a Friday night with some friends. They have a huge menu with the very unique dishes along with the traditional north Indian curry’s. It might sound weird, but the Pumpkin Sabji was delicious! You should definitely eat this next time you dine here.
I would definitely recommend this place. The staff is very helpful and we had a great dinner.
Dishes we enjoyed-​channa sag, pumpkin sabji, channa masala, coconut rice, samosa, tandoori chicken, lamb chop, garlic naan
Yum yum! Thanks to the Unilocal reviews
Note: Make sure you tell them how you want your lamb cooked or they will kill it… again!

Very solid Indian food at this slightly upscale eatery. The mood is less Christmas light and more fashionable artisan light with dark wood tables and a cozy ambiance. Service is very fast and professional and the menu is pretty huge. The tandoori kebabs are exceptional, probably my favorite dish as they are dry, yet somehow moist and succulent inside with great seasoning and light spice. The samosas were good, but not exceptional, and a bit crispy and dry in the shell though the batter and veggies inside were tasty. The lamb curries were super flavorful, both the almond flavored one and the spicier briyani. The chicken tikka masala, typically the dish you judge an Indian restaurant from, is nice and buttery, with chicken breast incredibly tender and moist as it should be. Even the naan bread was flavorful and delicious, and perfect for mopping up the extra sauce.

A hidden gem in the east village. Had the chicken tilkka masala and the saag paneer on the lunch special. Wow. Amazing food and exceptional service at a great price.

Babu Ji had a 1.5−2 hr wait. I was craving Indian food all day and had to have it for dinner. I pulled out my phone to search for another option and Malai Marke was close by. I’m glad I went.
My friend and I ordered the lamb rogan rosh, malai marke paneer, and coconut rice to share. The rogan josh was delicious and had great flavor. We asked for slightly spicy and it turned out mild, but I’m ok with that. I don’t usually order paneer, but this dish was a pleasant surprise. It was in a delicious, creamy tomato sauce. The rice was so good. I wish I could eat rice like this for every meal.
The prices are slightly high but the quality and taste was excellent. I will keep this restaurant in mind, the next time I’m craving Indian food.

Savoring great food is like losing yourself in a piece of music. Or in a work of art. Or far more meaningful.
This review is for the lunch special. This is the second time I have had it, the first time was their Malai Kofta, and now, the Saag (palak) Paneer. Since the awesomeness persisted, I decided to pen down my joy.
1. The spinach was in a smooth curry form (as is supposed to be, even the most ordinary restaurant in India would have the smooth curry), and not finely chopped (as is served in a lot of restaurants in US).
2. Longer version: You don’t have the scour the curry searching for paneer pieces, be happy when you find one, and then break this tiny piece further so that the paneer lasts all through the meal.
Shorter version: The good news is that the number of paneer pieces in the curry is far more than 2 – 3. Also bigger pieces. And softer.
3. The dal (makhani) that accompanies the lunch special is as close to being «authentic» as it can get.
4. Nothing in the food reminded me of canned tomatoes.
The place (regular menu) is a bit expensive as compared to the other Indian places in East Village. But I would happily pay the few extra bucks for the authenticity and experience. And the lunch special isn’t that pricey.

Solid choice for Indian food in the East Village, which I’ve been severely lacking for a while. We came with a large party for a weekday lunch and had no issues getting seated right away.
First off, the lunch special is awesome. Perhaps not as cheap as some of the other takeout-​heavy Indian joints in the area, but Malai Marke definitely adds quality and quantity. For $ 12, you get an entrée, rice, naan, cabbage, and dal, which ended up being a huge amount of food.
I went with the Coondapur Kori, a coconut chicken curry. It was creamy and fragrant, with just the right touch of coconut (definitely not overpowering). The plain naan was also extremely fresh and fantastic with our curries; I think we went through 3 baskets of it throughout the course of the meal. I personally loved the cabbage since I’m huge on veggies, but to all of you carnivores out there, you won’t be missing much.
Definitely adding Malai Marke into my rotation of favorite lunch spots. Can’t wait to see what dinner is like!

I have wanted to try this place for a long time and high hopes for it based on pictures and other people’s experiences. I was disappointed with my experience and will not be going back.
I had three dishes:
1) Lamb Madras: This dish is the #1 reason I am giving them a lack luster review. This dish was TERRIBLE. It was extremely gamy in taste and smell. It literally was like some old grisly mutton. It was so bad I felt it was inedible. This dish would get ZERO stars. My dining companion asked them if the meat was halal and they said yes. This meat was really horrendous. I regret not sending it back.
2) Sag Paneer: Usual sag, pretty good, large chunks of paneer and the best dish I had that night (coming from a big meat eater that is saying something).
3) Chicken Vindaloo: Very standard. The sauce although hot in spice was very thin, had not real substance to the sauce. VERY VERY average, nothing great.
Paid $ 75 not including tip for those three dishes. RICE is EXTRA by the way so keep that in mind.
I like a festive atmosphere but this place was extremely loud.
Overall sub par– underwhelming, poor proteins and overpriced. PASS ON IT.

Overall, a great experience here. I decided to try this out given the stellar reviews and it didn’t disappoint.
Ambience is nice — great for a date night or a small group. It would be a bit small for a larger group.
The menu offers a ton of variety. Saag paneer was memorable and the chicken dishes we sampled were all really tasty. Garlic naan is the way to go.
Service was memorable, too. The staff was friendly, and very attentive.
I’d come back if I’m in the area!

Overpriced and underwhelming. Dishes start at $ 15 or $ 16 and they don’t come with rice or naan. That’s right. Rice is price separately and starts at $ 6 for plain.
Chicken Tikka and Lamb Madras were not particularly tasty or memorable. Compared to restaurants a few doors down on the same street, this placed has nothing to offer. You can spend the same $ 15 and get a full 3 course meal anywhere along 6^th. Don’t eat here.

Really delicious Indian food– we came here on a weekend afternoon and they had a 12.00 lunch special–
Was served with lentils and cabbage and their fragrant fluffy rice.
I had the chicken curry with coconut and my friend had the lamb with spinach dish and they were both very delicious but the chicken curry was clearly the winner!

$ 18.50 for a lamb pasanda but none of the dishes comes with rice. You have to buy rice separate. Or this is what I have been told twice by the waiter. I asked twice to make sure because I couldn’t believe my ears. I find this very strange as I have never been in a restaurant, buy a meal and it only comes with the stew/​curry but no rice or something to eat the stew. Normally, Indian restaurant give rice. You know pen/​ink, bread /​butter, rice and stew. Somethings just go together. When all other Indian restaurant is way cheaper, you just cannot offer someone curry to drink with no rice as an accompaniment. I find it weird selling only half a meal for such price.
The lamb pasanda and naan (bought separate since no rice was given) was good. Nothing exceptional. The Ras Malai seems «out from the tin» consistency– thick and messy. Service was good.

Came here after weeks of craving indian food. I split the chicken tiki masala and Malai Marke Paneer with a friend. We also ordered a side of plain rice and garlic naan. The chicken was pretty dry, so I wasn’t a huge fan of that dish. The paneer was delicious, although I felt the flavors were a little dull and could use some more kick. It was more than enough food for 2, and kinda regretted getting 2 dishes.
Service was good and attentive. Some downsides were, the dining room is pretty crowded, so getting to the bathroom is a journey in itself, and the rice costs extra.

My coworker and I stopped in to Malai Marke this past week and had a lovely dinner to celebrate Diwali. We ordered samosas to start, nan as a side; she ordered the Shrimp Vindaloo and I ordered the Chicken Xucuti — a super delicious tomato cream based curry. We also ordered a side of peas and rice.
Overall? The food is served with generous portions and the service was fantastic. My water glass was constantly refilled and we were checked on numerous times. We were given little Diwali sweets on the house, which was really lovely. The ambiance was a little loud, which is why I took off a star, but I know that can’t always be predicted. It was also perhaps a tad bit expensive. I’d come back again though for the food and lovely service!

My go-​to indian spot! I love this place! The malai kofta and chicken tikka is on point here. I also recently tried veggie manchurian off their asian-​fusion part on their menu and it was delicious. It kinda sucks that you have to order the rice from here separately though.
The staff here is really friendly and accomodating. The ambience is lively. Definitely coming back.

Great food and very good service! What else is there to say? The room is clean, dark and modern (as opposed to many of the old school curry houses on East 6^th with their Christmas Tree lights and shabby décor) and we’ve had two very comfortable and delicious meals in the restaurant. During the warm summer months however, we do take out. I’ve ordered online a couple of times now and it’s very convenient. The food travels quite nicely back to our apartment in Long Island City and it’s totally worth it!
Highly Recommended. Give it a try!

Dining solo is always a little awkward/​lonely. On my first night back in the city, I stopped in by myself for a quick snack before heading home. The service not only made me feel very welcomed, but also less conscious at the fact that I was eating alone. The staffs were beyond attentive and friendly — what a nice welcome back to the city!
I was given a huge basket of their complimentary house made chips with sweet chutney immediately after placing my order. It was the perfect appetizing start — the chips were crunchy, nutty, and beyond delicious! One big basket all for myself — what a treat!
I wish I can say the same about the chicken lollipops I ordered. I understand that the chicken lollipops are made from the leftover small drumsticks after they carve off the meat — but the ones I received were literally bones. The sauces it came in lacked flavors — I see lots of onion, greens, chili peppers, and garlic in the mix — but none of their flavor profile was distinguishable. It was an oily, tasteless glob.
Overall — perhaps I didn’t order the right item but with its wonderful service, I am willing to return to give it another try.

I haven’t had Indian food in months just because it’s so heavy (ignore my ice cream shop check ins). Finally caved and had pretty high expectations based on great reviews. It was last Wednesday about 8pm and there was no wait. The restaurant is pretty narrow and dimmed with soft lights. Minimal décor but I liked the hanging pots arrangement on the wall. Appropriate date spot. Unfortunately, I wasn’t wow’ed by this place like many others were.
We ordered samosas to start. These were pretty good and served piping hot. Nice crisp and flaky exterior with potatoes and peas inside that were seasoned nicely.
I ordered the lamb pasanda as my entrée. The lamb was a bit tough and the ‘creamy nutty sauce’ was underwhelming. It was indeed very creamy but so, so bland. I’ve had excellent lamb pasanda before (MasalaWala) so I was pretty disappointed. Ah well. The garlic naan we ordered to share was excellent, though. So crisp but fluffy and fragrant.
Ultimately, it was just OK. Probably will not be back. Oh yea, they charge for rice. What?

A party of three, we had a lovely meal here. The flavors are interesting and the food is very well prepared. The ambiance and the décor is gorgeous and our service was friendly and on the mark.
Yet part of me says I won’t be back.
Here’s why. There are lots of ways to run a successful restaurant and cater to your guests. For starters, charging for rice? There’s a new one me. I’ve eaten Indian a lot of places around the globe. When the waiter said, «would you like rice,» I was like… did he really ask that just now? Don’t recall being charged $ 3.00 for a small container of white rice. How about price things accordingly and provide rice with is a basic staple of this cuisine. And $ 20 for my red fish curry… it was good, but the fish was pedestrian and I’m betting it came frozen in a box. Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. So $ 10 for a large beer. OK, I get it. The naan at $ 4.75 was OK but nothing to write home about.
Lots of Indian choices in this neighborhood, and I’ve dined at a few of them. Thinking I should have followed the lead of some of my Unilocal pals on this one. There’s something odd going on here. The talent is clearly in the kitchen, not in the management. Whoever thought they were going to be wise charging for things like rice is seriously kidding themselves.

I’m so picky with Indian food, especially in the US where there are so many options of where to eat. On my last trip into the city a few months back I found myself at Malai Marke for dinner (let’s be honest, I had dinner about four times that night– this is New York, afterall).
I wandered in here rather early as this was the second of all the dinners and immediately ordered their Chennai goat curry. Good customer service and a clean and relaxing ambiance kept me chilled and occupied until the goat curry was served to me. Once I dug in, I was in heaven. There is something about those restaurants in the East Village that makes me end up here every time I’m in New York and ravenous!
I also enjoyed a cold Kingfisher with my dinner and this made me become very anxious for my upcoming India trip a couple of months later. I have had many goat curries, but this was certainly one of the top. Thanks for an enjoyable meal, Malai Marke! I will definitely be back!