text: I am Indian and have eaten at several of the Indian restaurants in the valley Yes I recognize that Indian restaurants in Phoenix generally suck So with that in mind Royal Taj is the second best Indian restaurant in the valley Guru Palace is In another city with quality Indian restaurants this restaurant would get to starts but for Phoenix it is the best It is a true Indian Punjabi restaurant that makes great Malai Kofta Chicken Tikka Masala Palak Paneer Boti Kebob and Tandoori chicken They serve their tandoori dishes on sizzling clay plates which even nice restaurants like Dehli Palace Tempe University and Rural does not donnThat being said the restaurant is not without it is flaws It is located in an abandoned strip mall that can feel unsafe at times with strange people walking around In addition the restaurant had a bad odor the other night The service needs improvement There is essentially one server for the entire restaurant the wife of the cook She is very sweet but does not speak English well but she understands English perfectly The lamb is a little dry I would stick to their curries nnWith all of this being said it is the second best Indian restaurant in the valley A lot of the socalled Indian restaurants like Tandoori Times are really Pakastani restaurants which is a different style of cuisine that specializes in more grilled items but uses less spices and sauces It is also not a South Indian restaurant posing as a north Indian restaurant