Star Of India Taradale

I decided to mix it up tonight and got star of india. It is amazing!! I tried the mild butter chicken which tasted sweet and the chicken was sooo tender it basically fell apart while I ate it. And the naan bread. Ive only tried it once before but absolutely loved it. I would prefer it more hot though like spicy hot :)
You definitely see me in there again

As a newly opened Indian restaurant on the main drag of Taradale village, competing with established Red Chillies across the road and down the way, it will be interesting to see how Star of India fares.
Our greeter forgot to smile, but as she was a young girl, perhaps she just needs further training?
After that, what seemed like the owner took over serving. He was pleasant and accommodating; and the menu had the typical Indian fare. We branched out from our usual Rogan Josh and Butter Chicken and tried Lamb Kadai (diced lamb cooked in special spices and herbs with tomato) and Bhuna Ghost (yes I liked the name: diced lamb in special spices, herbs, onion and tomatoes in thick gravy). I chose Kiwi hot (not Indian hot) and my friend chose medium. We also ordered roti (came deep not pan fried) and onion kulcha (naan stuffed with chopped onion, spices and herbs).
I'd ordered hot forgetting I didn't have sour cream on hand, so had to ask for raita. As a nice touch, we didn't have to pay extra for this.
As I've found normal for Indian restaurants, the main dishes came in metal containers, and the rice was heaped in a bowl. We helped ourselves and the meat was nice and tender, and the heat of the dish didn't mask the taste of my Bhuna Ghost. There was more than enough, although my waxy companion reckons she counted only nine pieces of meat...I did steal a couple of hers though, and they were decent-sized chunks - in both our meals.
Water was complimentary, and the drinks menu was fine, but I found the prices too high - more like high-class restaurant prices - so I stuck with the water. Perhaps there is some business formula when setting drinks prices I'm unaware of, but if the beer or wine was cheaper, I would have bought some. I think it's BYO but you'll have to check both that and the cost of corkage as I can't find it on the menu I brought home.
You cannot order half portions inside, but you can from the takeaway menu. The decor is a bright and inviting orange, the chairs, although common, are large and comfy as.
For $20 each, it was a nice dinner, the owners were nice, and there is a buy 10 mains get one free card available.
Will recommend to my friends.

Creamy thick sauces that go with delicious curries. $12 lunch fills the spot. Dinner dishes are just as filling that you have leftovers! 🤤😋 This is hands down the number one best indian restaurant in Hawke's Bay thus far. The atmosphere, the staff, the presentation, the dishes and of course the prices. This team know how to make your night stress free. I feel that they take quality in making your food the way they would if your were in India. Great job, team!

Excellent food, excellent service everytime. All dishes are gluten-free and can be made dairy-free upon request, which is great! The portions are generous, and the team is always friendly and helpful.

Polite and friendly staff. A warm and welcoming atmosphere. The food was absolutely delicious. We visited from out of town and will remember to stop by again next time.

Absolutely amazing! The place is beautiful and staff are super friendly and the food is deliciousIt’s definitely not like other expensive restaurants and you got very smalI portion for thali (Lunch special which is amazing for one person. am definitely going back.I tired paneer tikka as well the taste was delicious . I definitely recommend to all visit for a once.

My favourite place to get Indian in the Hawkes Bay. We have dined in, ordered takeaways to collect and had food delivered from here. The staff are very friendly and the food is great. When we dined in one of the dishes we ordered was unavailable so the chef made us something special that wasn't on the menu and it was amazing. The food always arrives hot and on time.