A shopping mall in Easton, Pennsylvania, is home to an Indian restaurant serving everything from butter chicken and malai kofta to masala dosa and Mumbai-style street food.
Bharat Bistro Indian Cuisine sits inside Palmer Park Mall, but it has its own outside entrance. You can stop in for lunch or dinner without walking through the shopping center.
The menu brings together North Indian curries, South Indian specialties, vegetarian dishes, and Indo-Chinese favorites. Garlic naan, pani puri, lamb shank, and chicken tikka masala are just a few of the options.
The unexpected location is part of the appeal, but the variety of food and attention from the staff give diners plenty of reasons to return.
A Curry Spot Inside Palmer Park Mall
Bharat Bistro Indian Cuisine sits at 118 Palmer Park Mall in Easton, Pennsylvania. It is a full Indian restaurant tucked into a familiar Lehigh Valley shopping center, which surprises plenty of first-timers.
Easton is a short drive from Allentown and Bethlehem. That makes the restaurant easy to reach for most people in the region, and the mall setting means parking is simple.
Here is a handy tip. The restaurant has its own outside entrance, so you can walk straight in from the parking lot.
You never have to wander past store windows to find your dinner.
The Google rating is 4.9 stars, based on about 1,000 reviews. Numbers like that are hard to earn, especially for a place many people discover by accident.
I find the location part of the fun. You might come for errands and leave with a container of curry.
The real reason people talk about this spot is the food, though. The menu covers rich North Indian curries, crispy South Indian dishes, and street snacks, all under one roof.
Curry is a good place to start, since it built the restaurant’s name.
Creamy Classics That Built the Reputation
Chicken tikka masala is the curry many Americans try first, and it shows up on the Bharat Bistro menu. It is a mild, tomato and cream style dish that welcomes beginners.
Korma is another gentle choice. The restaurant serves chicken korma and lamb korma, both cooked in a smooth, nutty style sauce that does not lean too spicy.
Paneer lovers have options too. Paneer makhani, also called shahi paneer or paneer butter masala depending on the style, uses soft Indian cheese in a buttery tomato gravy.
Chicken makhani follows the same comfort path with chicken instead.
Why do these dishes matter so much? They are the curries people order again and again, so a kitchen has to get them right every time.
I would start here on a first visit, especially with someone new to Indian food. One diner wrote that it was only their second time eating Indian food, and the korma won them over.
Once you are comfortable, the menu gets bolder. The next stop is the spicier, chunkier curries cooked in a kadhai pan.
Kadhai, Handi, and Bolder Flavors
Bell peppers and onion chunks are what you will spot first in kadhai paneer. The dish is named for the wok-like pan it is cooked in, and it brings more texture than the creamy curries.
Bharat Bistro also serves handi chicken. A handi is a deep pot, and the name points to the slow, simmered way this kind of curry is traditionally made.
Spice is something you can ask about. Staff help diners pick a heat level, and medium is a smart middle ground if you are unsure.
A quick word of advice helps here. If you want real fire, say so clearly, and maybe say it twice.
One guest asked for spicy kadhai paneer and found it milder than expected.
Kafreal paneer is another option worth knowing about. It has roots in Goan cooking and usually uses a green herb and spice blend.
These curries show the range of the kitchen. They also pair well with bread, which turns out to be its own small adventure at this restaurant.
Vegetarian Plates That Steal Attention
Meat is completely optional at Bharat Bistro, and the vegetarian dishes get just as much love. Malai kofta comes up often when people talk about this place.
Kofta are soft dumplings, often made with paneer and potato, served in a rich gravy. The restaurant also offers Shaam Savera, a special kofta dish where paneer and spinach balls sit in sauce.
The name means evening and morning, a nod to the green and white layers.
Dal makhani is another favorite. It is a slow-cooked lentil dish with a creamy finish, and it pairs well with rice or naan.
There is also dal with double tadka. Tadka means spices sizzled in hot oil and poured on top, and double means the dish gets that treatment twice.
One diner even pointed out that the restaurant works well for vegans and non-vegans at the same table. That is handy for mixed groups.
Chole bhatura, a chickpea curry with puffy fried bread, rounds out the list. It is filling, so plan to share.
Lamb Shank and Other Showpiece Mains
Lamb shank is one of the more eye-catching plates you can order here. A shank is a meaty cut from the lower leg, and it is usually cooked slowly until tender.
Diners have singled out this dish as a highlight of their meal. It is a good choice for someone who wants something hearty and a little special.
Tandoori chicken is another classic. The tandoor is a clay oven, and chicken cooked in it is marinated in yogurt and spices first.
Seafood fans can look for chilli fish. It belongs to the Indo-Chinese side of the menu, with a sauce that mixes heat and tang.
Biryani is here too. The restaurant serves vegetable biryani, a layered rice dish cooked with spices and vegetables.
My plan for a group would be simple. Order one showpiece main, one creamy curry, and one vegetable dish, then share everything.
Groups often go home with leftovers, which is never bad news. And speaking of sharing, the bread basket deserves its own spotlight.
Naan, Roti, and the Art of Scooping
Curry without bread feels a little unfinished, and Bharat Bistro gives you several ways to scoop. Garlic naan is the one people mention most.
Naan is a soft, puffy flatbread baked in a hot tandoor oven. The garlic version gets a topping of garlic, which pairs nicely with creamy sauces.
Roti is the simpler cousin. It is a thinner whole wheat bread, great for soaking up every last bit of sauce.
Then there is lachcha paratha. This bread is layered and flaky, almost like a spiral of thin sheets, and it adds some crunch to the table.
A small tip makes ordering easier. Get one soft bread and one flaky bread, so everyone can compare.
Papadum also shows up at the table. It is a thin, crispy lentil wafer, and diners describe it as crunchy and flavorful.
Bread may seem like a side, but it changes how a curry meal feels. Still, some of the most fun bites on this menu come before the curry even arrives, in the snack section.
Street Snacks Worth Starting With
Pani puri might be the most playful thing on the table. These are small hollow crispy shells that you fill with spiced water and fillings, then eat in one bite.
It is a popular street food in India, and it is one of the most talked-about starters at Bharat Bistro. Diners describe it as fresh and crisp.
Vada pav is another big one. It is a spiced potato fritter tucked into a soft bun, often called the Mumbai burger.
Samosas come in both chicken and vegetable versions. These triangle pastries are stuffed and fried, which makes them easy to share.
Aloo tikki chaat is worth a look too. It mixes potato patties with chutneys and toppings for a sweet, tangy, crunchy bite.
Pakora, pav bhaji, and crispy gobi also appear. Pav bhaji is a buttery vegetable mash served with rolls.
One family even thought the Chicken Bun Kabab looked like tacos. Snacks like these make the meal feel casual, and they set up the south Indian crepe that comes next.
A South Indian Detour With Masala Dosa
Most curry houses in the area lean toward North Indian food. Bharat Bistro adds a South Indian twist with masala dosa, and people notice.
A dosa is a thin, crispy crepe made from fermented rice and lentil batter. The masala version is filled with spiced potato.
It usually arrives large and rolled, and diners have called it huge. It comes with sambar, a lentil and vegetable soup, plus chutney for dipping.
One visitor who stopped by after a trip to the Crayola Experience loved the dosa and chutney. They felt the sambar could be stronger, and the restaurant replied that it would work on it.
I like that kind of honest back and forth. It shows a kitchen that listens.
The menu even crosses borders. Indo-Chinese dishes like chicken noodles and chicken fried rice blend Indian spices with Chinese cooking styles.
That mix is great for picky eaters or kids who want something familiar. Food is only half the story, though, since the dining room got a fresh look too.
A Renovated Room With Indian Music
Colors are one of the first things diners mention about the dining room. The restaurant has been renovated, and guests describe the decor as Indian themed and bright.
Seating gets praise for being comfortable. That matters when you are sitting through several shared dishes.
Indian music plays in the background. Several diners said it helped them relax during the meal.
Even the restroom has fans. One guest went out of their way to compliment the renovated women’s restroom, which is a nice surprise in a mall setting.
Some guests describe the feel as upscale. Yet it still works for families, birthdays, and casual lunches.
Drinks fit the mood too. Mango lassi, a sweet yogurt drink, and masala chai, a spiced milk tea, both appear on the table.
One fair note helps with planning. A takeout customer once faced a long wait when large groups arrived, so dining in or calling ahead during busy times makes sense.
The room sets the stage, but the people working in it may be the biggest surprise.
Friendly Faces and Birthday Surprises
Names come up a lot when people describe this restaurant. Servers like Joseph and Ekkam often get thanked by name for helping guests choose dishes.
That help is useful if the menu feels long. Staff can guide you toward the right curry and the right spice level.
The owners stay close to the dining room too. Co-owner Maria has stopped by tables to check on guests, and an owner has explained dishes to curious diners.
Birthdays get special treatment. One family celebrating a sister’s birthday received a small cake at no charge, along with a birthday song.
Kids are welcome. A server once kept a young girl entertained so her parents could finish their meal in peace.
Plan your visit with the schedule in mind. The restaurant opens at 11:30 in the morning and stays open into the evening, but it closes on Tuesdays.
Good curry can bring people in once. Warm service is what keeps a Lehigh Valley restaurant full, and here the two clearly go hand in hand, all inside a mall many people only visit for errands.
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