Oye Punjabi is a small Indian restaurant found in the Dunhua area of Taipei which packs a punch when it comes to authentic Indian flavours and spices.
Like all the best Indian restaurants found in this city, it’s run by Indian expats who have a desire to share their beloved cuisine with the rest of the world.
Oye Punjabi only has enough room for 20 diners or so but we luckily booked ahead to ensure a seat. The staff are very attentive, and will ensure you have a good variety of dishes and will even choose a suitable level of spiciness for you.
Their menu is by no means huge, but there’s a good range of curries, kebabs, vegetables, sides and rice/bread.
To start, we chose the Machli Tikka, a tandoori fish marinade with chilli, cumin & coriander.
The fish was flake-in-the-mouth soft and the marinade was a beautiful mix of spices. It was very spicy, but in a good way. Good job we ordered a Mango Lassi to keep the heat at bay! Silky smooth and very mango-ey.
I was extremely happy to see they had a couple of Dal dishes too, as I love lentils, and Indian restaurants always seem to do them justice. The Yellow Dal Tadka was everything I hoped for. Warm and comforting, the lentils were soft but not overcooked. I could have just eaten a huge bowl of this, but we had a curry to get through.
Many of the curries here are fish-based, and since we had this as a starter, we chose the Butter Chicken Curry. It was creamy and aromatic, and the Garlic Naan we chose was probably the best naan bread I’ve had in Taipei. I sometimes find them too crispy and thin here, but this one was soft and perfect for dunking.
One of the side dishes which Oye Punjabi has quite a reputation for are their Samosas. Although they’re quite expensive, costing NT$180 for two pieces, you’ll understand why once they’re served.
Probably the largest samosas we’ve ever had, they looked more like Cornish Pasties! Filled with potato and vegetables, and with a thick pastry-like skin, they were delicious.
Apart from Lassi drinks, Oye Punjabi has only one type of beer, but has a number of whiskey’s you can purchase by glass – they even cater to alcoholics, as these can be purchased by the bottle?!
I wouldn’t say Oye Punjabi is the cheapest restaurant in the world, with most main course dishes costing between NT$310 and NT$380. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal however, and we will be returning to try some of the side dishes next time (along with another helping of their delicious daals).
Pros
- Attentive service
- Authentic Indian dishes
Cons
- Quite Expensive
Price: $$$
Level of English: Excellent (English on menu)
Traveller Tips
Ringing ahead is advised. The owner does speak good English so it shouldn’t be an issue
Oye Punjabi Location
Closest MRT: Zhongxiao Dunhua (blue line – exit 2)
Located Nearby
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