Counter service Indian sweets, snacks, and food eatery. Food represents recipes from various regions in India. Uses dairy (ghee). Gets busy and noisy. Retro paintings decor. Open Mon-Sun 10:30am-10:30pm.
Categories: Lacto, Indian, Fast food, Take-out, BYOB
12 Reviews
First Review by Nick Kyriazi
Contributions +107
Better for vegetarians than vegans - Edit
I really love this place and my wife and I eat there regularly. As of May 2018, all the vegan options are now clearly marked (although probably good to check the board is not 100% accurate). Pretty consistent is the quality. They now accept EFTPOS.
Pros: Very tasty and relatively reasonably priced
Contributions +82
very good - Edit
I've been eating here for years off & on. The place was renovated a few years back & is much nicer now. Big plasma screens on the walls playing Indian movies & music videos. Volume is not too loud. Very popular with Indian families & taxi drivers. Food is fast & cheap. I love the samosas. Also I like the Wed special Aloo Matar. Breads are also good. (2008 review)
2017 update - I ate here a lot in 2017 and 2016. Really like the daily dal specials, e.g. channa dal, makhani, maharani. Also the masala dosa. They did another renovation early 2017, made it a bit classier, got rid of the big TV screens and also the prices went up about 15% I think. Still, it's very good authentic Indian food.
Updated from previous review on 2008-06-21
Pros: cheap
Contributions +2135
tasty dosa - Edit
cash only. Has some vegan options. Great paper malasa dosa. Most items in dessert case and menu are made with dairy and ghee.
Pros: staff understand vegan
Cons: too much ghee
Contributions +170
vegans have some options - Edit
There is dairy in most dishes at Maya Chat House, better known as Maya Masala or Maya Vegetarian, but the printed menu marks vegan dishes with a V (including, strangely, some that come with yogurt). There is also a handwritten list at the counter, so staff can tell you which of that day's curries are dairy-free. If you ask, they can arrange a vegan version of the thali (now $16.90, as at December 2016), which may require doubling up on one or two curries to make up the four. The roti should come without ghee smeared on it, you forgo the raita, and they can replace the dessert with one of two very sugary vegan sweets displayed at the counter. Other than the thali, a good vegan bet is the masala dosa ($12.90 in Dec 2016). The prices recently went up yet again, and it is no longer the bargain it was years ago, but I still look in for the thali when I'm in the area. Maya has an alcohol licence, but vegans should tread carefully with the wine. Oddly for a restaurant that does not serve egg, Maya stocks some pretty ordinary wine brands that clearly state on the back label that they were made using egg or milk, and traces may remain. A shame: Maya could have supported one of the wineries that make a point of being vegan-friendly.
Updated from previous review on 2016-11-26
Pros: authentic Indian food, staff can be helpful with vegan choices
Cons: ever-rising prices, vegan-hostile wines
Contributions +1142
Yummy dinner! - Edit
I went here for dinner. Food was yummy and there were quite a few vegan options with the staff aware of what was vegan. Casual dining. Didn't need to book though was quite busy.
Contributions +189
Great value vegetarian Indian food with vegan options - Edit
Tasty, affordable Indian food with plenty of vegan options including dessert
Pros: Great price, Authentic, tasty food
Cons: Slow service, Limited parking
Contributions +835
Great food - Edit
I shared one of the tasting plates with my boyfriend. He loves Indian and was very impressed. I asked for dairy free and the waitress double checked all the curries. She even changed the dessert to a vegan option which was really nice. Good service and great food.
Pros: Good prices , Great Indian food , Great service
Cons: Cash only
Contributions +48
Maya Restaurant & Sweets - Edit
Very good vegetarian fare, & large selection of indian sweets.
Their pistachio & almond barfi is impossible to resist!
Contributions +70
Great quality Indian diner - Edit
Maya very rarely disappoints. Its curries are flavoursome (and varied) and its dosas are crisp; the vegetable biryani is not to be missed. Getting a thali (mixed plate with curries, pickle/yoghurt (raita), breads, dessert) is probably the most popular order; if you're sharing with a friend, it's cheaper to order from the four daily curries in larger containers, plus rice or naan.
And if Indian sweets are to your taste, or you're looking for a snack (samosa or a variety of chaat), there are plenty to go around.
It can be a bit noisy, but the bollywood video clips only enhance the flavour.
Pros: excellent food
Cons: oily food, noisy
Contributions +146
Tasty food - Edit
This place was recommended to me, so my veggo friends and I checked it out. They had the Thali meal and I tried a paneer doza that was recommended. We all really enjoyed the food, which was very reasonably priced. It is a cafeteria style place, so it doesn't have a great ambiance (in terms of fine dining), but as a casual place for some quick, excellent indian food I would highly recommend it. There is also a big selection of indian sweets. I was pleased to find decent street bike parking outside.
Pros: great food, value for money, quick
Contributions +140
REALTasty, Cheap Indian Food (but not fine dining) - Edit
If you are looking for a great cheap indian vegetarian food this is the place for you. The food is fantastic - a variety of dosas, thalis, samosa and indian sweets. Go in with the right expectations, this is not a venue for fine dining and great service, but it is a great cheap tasty meal. The venue is clean, quite large and can get noisy. But you wont get rushed out and can sit down and enjoy your meal. You order at the counter and get a number and find a table. Food is delivered to your table. There is water to help yourself to and you can bring your own wine (which you serve yourself in plastic cups provided). I highly recommend the dosa. Been to this place many times and never disappointed. Just make sure your not expecting a fine dining venue and you wont be dissapointed.
Pros: Fantastic Dosas, Yummy sweets, Cheap
Cons: No table service, Not fine dining (set expectations)
Contributions +167
Noisy chaos but good vegetarian food - Edit
It took some time to figure out what to do upon entering. You are to go to the counter, which was not obvious (because there were people standing everywhere), place an order and paid for it, they give you a numbered card held by a metal clip-stand to place on whatever table you choose, and then you wait there for the food to be brought to your table. The place was packed, very loud, with currents of people moving everywhere. At one point, a waiter dropped an entire table's metal plates with food leftovers on the floor which was deafening. Just be prepared.
Pros: Good, vegetarian food
Cons: Noisy chaos and turmoil
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