Maya Vegetarian Chat House

cash only. Has some vegan options. Great paper malasa dosa. Most items in dessert case and menu are made with dairy and ghee.

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

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.

Tasty, affordable Indian food with plenty of vegan options including dessert

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.

Very good vegetarian fare, & large selection of indian sweets.
Their pistachio & almond barfi is impossible to resist!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.