What longtime Atlantans knew as Kailash Parbat has been thoughtfully reimagined as Desi Tadka Indian Restaurant, a homegrown brand with deeper culinary ambition and a full-service bar.
Decatur’s Patel Plaza has long served as a cultural anchor for Atlanta’s South Asian community. Take the stairs to the second-floor shopping area, walk under a whimsical canopy of colorful umbrellas, and you will be guided by the soft aroma of cardamom, cloves—and now sizzling tandoori meats to arrive at this popular spot. What longtime Atlantans knew as Kailash Parbat has been thoughtfully reimagined as Desi Tadka Indian Restaurant, a homegrown brand with deeper culinary ambition—and yes, a full-service bar.
Co-founders Jay Shah, Kruti Shah, Sunil Patel, Kairavi Shah, and Ravi Shah, along with branding lead Jai Raval, made the strategic decision to move away from the Mumbai-based franchise and build an identity that reflects the evolving South Asian palate in metro Atlanta. So, they opened the reimagined Desi Tadka in fall 2024.
For the regulars who mourned the end of Kailash Parbat: don’t. Desi Tadka keeps the heart of the old space but speaks more confidently to Atlanta’s tastes today. The décor remains familiar, but the menu stretches beyond the vegetarian comfort foods that the regulars have long associated with the space. Chef Ashish Patil, a veteran of Pune’s Ritz-Carlton, now leads the kitchen, and his influence is immediately noticeable.
The energy of Desi Tadka hits before the menu does. A live pani puri cart grabs your attention as soon as you enter the dining room—it provides just the kind of interactive fun that sparks nostalgia and Instagram stories in equal measure. The bar pours chili guava mocktails that arrive smoking—much like Bollywood special effects. Served in a rounded goblet with a chilirimmed edge, the drink is tart and thick—reminiscent of a guava-forward Bloody Mary—spirited in effect without the spirits.
The menu features street food specialties, north Indian favorites, and a few Indo-Chinese items. The dahi puri is a strong start: the crispy round puri is meticulously filled with cooling yogurt and a mindful balance of spices, then crowned with sev, cilantro, pomegranate seeds, and even a touch of beet for color and earthiness. It’s playful and textural, the kind of street snack that disappears faster than you intend.
The classic paneer tikka stands out for its simplicity done right: six tandoor-charred cubes with a crisp exterior, served with sliced onions and a bright green cilantro-yogurt chutney. If this is the dish you measure Indian restaurants by (we all have one), Desi Tadka clears the bar.
Not everything lands perfectly, though: the lamb chops were well-seasoned but overcooked, a miss that felt more technical than conceptual.
The new and expanded omnivorous menu means you can now go all-in on classics like chicken tikka masala, which arrives with diced chicken breast coated in a thick, grainy tomato gravy with just the right heat. Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani is a winner: fragrant, colorful grains of rice layered with bone-in chicken that falls apart at the touch of a spoon, served with raita to cool the spiciness.
Vegetarians have lots to choose from as well. An order of the classic North Indian chhole bhature delivers a spicy chickpea curry alongside fluffy, soft bhature that hits the sweet spot between crisp and chewy. Meanwhile, malai kofta swims in a decadently creamy sauce that’s heavy, yes, but indulgence is the point.
Sides are a mixed bag. Garlic naan leans towards flat and greasy, whereas the Schezwan hakka noodles bring the nostalgic comfort of Indo-Chinese cuisine— more Maggi masala-meets-peppery heat than true In- do-Chinese hakka, but satisfying nonetheless.
If you have room—and you should leave some—rasmalai is a standout dessert. Light, velvety dumplings arrive in a copper bowl, sprinkled with crushed almonds and rose petals, sweet but not cloying. In contrast, warm gajar halwa reads grainy with khoya, though still tasty.
For a chai connoisseur like myself, the masala chai here is lean and tannic with not enough spice, but one hopes that’s an easy fix with time and calibration.
For years, Patel Plaza has been the go-to shopping center for South Asian groceries, sweets, shopping, and fast-casual dining. Desi Tadka feels like the next chapter of Patel Plaza dining—still community-rooted, but more expansive in flavors, offerings, and ambiance. Adding non-vegetarian dishes opens the doors to a broader non-Desi audience, and the up-coming bar license will only deepen its appeal. With weekend lunch buffets starting at $18.99 and being offered at three locations, including one in Alabama, Desi Tadka is positioning itself not just as a neighborhood staple but as a brand with staying power.
Looking around, one can already see the diverse groups of diners that span generations, palates, and cultures—groups that typically favor ambiance, alcohol, and non-vegetarian menus when going out for special occasions. American pop and Bollywood beats play in the background as multicultural friends toast with Indian beer and wine.
The menu at Desi Tadka strikes the right balance between nostalgic favorites like chhole bhature and paneer tikka that satisfy Desi comfort cravings, and recognizable staples such as chicken tikka masala and biryani that American diners gravitate toward. Add in fun and interactive elements like the pani puri station and theatrical mocktails, and suddenly even first-timers are engaged in the experience. Whether it’s a family celebration, office outing, or friends’ night out, there’s enough variety here—vegetarian, non-vegetarian, mild, spicy, traditional, and boldly new—that no one feels left out, and everyone finds a go-to dish worth returning for.
Sucheta Rawal is an award-winning food and travel writer who has traveled to over 120 countries across seven continents, experiencing the world through her palate. She inspires people to travel more meaningfully and sustainably through her nonprofit, Go Eat Give, and her books, Beato Goes To. Find her on social @SuchetaRawal.