Pro tip: Peruse the menu for the new Rani Mahal restaurant in Wellesley before you go: The dozens and dozens…and dozens of items on the menu can be overwhelming. Lucky for us, we visited the new occupant at 27 Grove St. for the first time with two companions much more well versed than we in the sort of Indian and Nepali cuisine served in the former Amarin of Thailand space.
One other pro tip: Rani Mahal didn’t have an alcohol license as of mid-September, but you can bring your own. Our resourceful mates were already on that by the time we arrived, and had a family member make a special delivery. Then there the matter of a corkscrew, which one of the restaurant employees went above and beyond to resolve, and the red wine was poured ahead of dinner. (The staff was friendly and attentive throughout our Friday night meal.)
But back to the dinner menu, which starts with soups and appetizers, then expands into the “Nepali Corner” featuring items such as momos, noodles, and chili, and then onto northern Indian favorites like biryani, kadhai, and tandoori. There’s a kids’ menu, too, and of course lots of options for vegan and vegetarian patrons.
The menu clearly notes which dishes are vegetarian, vegan, and/or gluten-free, which is key as the menu is vast and asking about each dish would be time consuming.
We divided and conquered the menu, then shared what we ordered, as is the style.
The servers started us off with complimentary, snacky Papadum (a crispy cracker-like flatbread), served with three dipping sauces.
We then moved on to a generous starter serving of chicken momo, a tasty appetizer that each of us could up the flavor of to our liking with various sauces, some spicier than others. Not that the dumplings didn’t have a kick of their own to start with, even though we ordered them mild.
We also ordered bhatura, a puffy bread that had us reminiscing about fair food and the wonders of fried dough. Bread was popular in our corner of the restaurant, where the party next to us dove deep into the naan menu, which includes varieties stuffed with cottage cheese, potatoes, and onion.
We went all over the map with our entree choices (and our spicy level). These included an order of goat biryani, leading to discussion of where to find goat meat in the area (note that the goat meat in this dish was served bone-in). We found our bowl of kabuli chana to be prepared well, with the chickpeas clearly soaked ahead of time to ensure they went down easily. The dishes we ordered medium-spicy arrived that way, while the more adventurous members of our party upped the ante and were satisfied with the level of heat.
Mani Rahal’s kitchen was able to serve the saag paneer, a mix of paneer cheese chunks with spinach and mustard leaves, without tomatoes, as requested, to accomodate a dietary restriction. The tandoori salmon included three ample cuts, and while a little salty for one diner’s liking, the fish was fresh and flavorful.
Entrees we ordered ranged in price from about $20-$25, while our appetizers all cost under $20.
We had a good portion of food left over to divvy up and bring home for the next day.
From our table near the front of the 60-seat restaurant (good for people watching), we were tempted by the glimmering setup for a buffet offering down the road. Looks like the perfect way to to try out a wide variety of menu items at one go.
Rani Mahal has close to a dozen items on its desert menu, including several gluten-free options, but with the restaurant being on the same block as Truly’s, Truly’s won out for our nightcap, and the soft serve didn’t disappoint.
Rani Mahal is owned by Ram Dhital, who is no stranger to the local restaurant business, with other establishments in Newton Centre, Jamaica Plain, and West Roxbury.
Learn about other local dining options on our Wellesley restaurants page, sponsored by black & blue Steak and Crab, located at 65 Central St., Wellesley Square.
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Every item helps a Wellesley family put food on the table. If you’re shopping at Roche Bros on these dates, please consider picking up a few extra items and dropping them off with volunteers at the National Charity League’s table on your way out.
