February 2010 update: Indian Chef and Veggie Express have both closed. Tandoori Chef has been under new ownership for the last 3 years, and we did a recent re-visit here.
Indian Chef (In International Food Warehouse)
370 Essex St # A, Lodi, NJ
(201) 587-1087
Indian Food is often criticised for being too overly spicy, but I think that’s somewhat of a generalization. Certainly, there are a lot of spices involved in Indian Cuisine, but its possible to temper what spices you use and still have great Indian dishes that do not overwhelm the quality of the ingredients. One of the places that has mastered that philosophy is Indian Chef, in the International Food Warehouse in Lodi.
A view of the Dining Room from within International Food Warehouse.
Urad Vada
Fried appetizer sampler with Pakora, Vedai, Samosas
Spring Dhosa
Kati Rolls, with lamb and egg
Indian Chef’s Tandoor oven, viewable from the ordering window.
Chicken Tandoori, one of the best preparations I have ever had.
Mixed Tandoori Kebab Platter.
Chicken Malai Kebab. Marinated overnight in yogurt, it was incedibly juicy and moist.
Curry Area
A trio of curries. Chicken Tikka, A Vegetable Pakora Curry (Below) and Egg/Eggplant Curry (Right)
Tandoori Chef
258 Main St, Hackensack, NJ
(201) 457-0057
After their success in opening Indian Chef, the owners, Deepak Singh and Vishu Sethi, decided to ressurect the closed Dragonel/Dhaaba space on Main Street in Hackensack. The two restaurants are joined by a connecting hallway and it shares waitstaff. However, they have two separate kitchens. Tandoori Chef could be said to be a larger, formalized version of Indian Chef, focusing on Tandoor Halal meat dishes and traditional Punjabi cuisine, whereas Veggie Express is an inexpensive vegetarian restaurant focusing on Dhosas, Chaat and Tandoor breads. Either way, they are great Indian restaurants to visit, depending on your mood and dietary preferences.
Tandoori Chef dining room.
Chicken Biryani
Chef’s Tandoori Platter
Malai Kofta
Garlic Naan
Rice Pudding
Veggie Express
258 Main St, Hackensack, NJ
(201) 457-1557
Urad Vadai
Iddly Chaat
Bhel Puri
Rose Lassi
Paper Dhosa
Sambhar Soup (Goes with Dhosa)
Paper Masala Dhosa, barrel view
Paper Masala Dhosa (Cut Open) with Tomato and Coconut Chutneys
Chile/Tomato Utthapam
Lemon Rice
Kadi Pakora Chawal, Dumplings in Yogurt Sauce
Vegetable Curry
Chola Bhatura, a type of spicy Punjabi Chickpea Curry, served with Puffy Bread (Below)
Kashmiri Paratha with Potatoes, Nuts and Raisins
Gobi Paratha with Spiced Cauliflower
Gulab Jamun (Dessert Item)
Off The Broiler 
its soooo diliceus ireally looooooove it to je najboje u svijeu!!! i say that on bosnian that it is the best thing in the world yum!!!!!!!!
[…] ownership for 3 years. Tandoori Chef used to be part of the same restaurant group as the now closed Indian Chef in the International Food Warehouse in Lodi, but has since undergone significant changes, including the re-branding of the cafe space that it […]