Billu's Indian Eatery

2.3 Not Recommended

Food  3      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  2     

I came here with a medium sized group of 10, having made a booking a few days earlier, which wasn't necessary was the venue was empty when we arrived at 6:30pm, and for the duration of our meal.

The first sign of trouble was the staff, who could not for the life of them, decide on how to put a couple of tables together (This is even after we booked, which would make you think they'd have tables ready!) The tables were unstable and spilt the overflowing water glasses when someone leant on them.

The staff were nonchalant in their service, and seemed more focused on a small TV.

The food was very average, combined with requests for more water and rice forgotten while the staff were more concerned with talking among themselves. It shouldn't have been hard when we were the only people there!

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this restaurant - The idea of going out to eat is a culinary experience you don't get when cooking at home. On all aspects, Billus failed.

Sep 19, 2011 

1.8 Not Recommended

Food  2      Ambience  1      Service  1      Value  3     

Ordered 5 dishes, a lamb curry, goat biryani, plain naan, half tandoori chicken, eggplant dish.

All of the dishes were overly salted except for naan. Returned the lamb curry and biryani due it to being far too salty to eat. My mouth stung after eating both of those dishes. They brought us out replacements, they were still fairly salty. This made it very difficult to enjoy my meal. Both dishes were left untouched.

Service was absolutely disgusting. Walked into the restaurant, the lone waitress did not even smile or greet us. As I was unfamiliar with Indian cuisine, I enquired about some of the dishes. The waitress was rude and blunt. She offered no explanation for the dishes. Empty restaurant should've been an indication!

There was no "atmosphere". Television blared unpleasant scenes of a girl giving birth, which made it even harder to eat the already disgusting food. I will never come back to this restaurant.

Apr 27, 2011 

3.8 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  2      Service  1      Value  8     

I have been to Billus more than 20 times now just because its the closest to our place. The food is very inconsistent, sometimes the taste is good and has a punch, and sometimes its undercooked. After so many visits, this is my final verdict:
The only 2 dishes that are mostly good in taste are bhindi masala and dosa. Other dishes are inconsistent and very very oily. Even the dishes in thali are oily and tasteless.

The service used to be good earlier when these 2 big guys used to be in the front staff. Now the service is awful from a young girl. She mostly has a long face and 'I don't give a damn' attitude. She won't even put your plate down, you have to take it from her yourself. The last time we went, there was a party going on upstairs. So we were served raw capsicum and onions in our paneer curry which was totally unacceptable.

The paneer was like they just pulled it out of packet and dipped in recycled curry and served. I could see oil floating in all the dishes. Only good thing was the gobhi stuffed parantha. Enough is enough, I am not going back to this restaurant again. I prefer Curry house in thornleigh anytime any month any year.

Aug 10, 2010 

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  7      Value  9     

We're fans of the Billus@Harris Park from way back, we always go the thali plates. However, being residents of Westleigh, we thought we'd give the Epping venue a try one night after work on Wednesday. The restaurant was virtually empty when we dined, with just another two diners and a family of 3 eating in the restaurant. Though there seemed to be a few take aways going on. We ordered the non-veg thali, the veg dosa and a chicken dish for entree (I think it was a mali something....).

Hubby really enjoyed the chicken entree (I didn't mind it but felt the flavours were not as complex). Loved the thali, the butter chicken curry was my fave as it was not too sweet and had a lovely cardamom flavour throughout. Really enjoyed the dosa as well, I thought the veg filling and accompanying "dips" was beautifully spiced. At just over $35 for two, the value was fantastic.

Apr 30, 2010 

7.3 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  8      Value  8     

I'm not sure why this restaurant has such a low rating, because my partner and I are now avid fans. The first time we tried the place was on Christmas day, when everything was closed. The cheese and garlic naans are to die for, while the pappadums came with a mediocre mint yoghurt dip.

My partner had the Chicken Tikka Misala while I went with the vegetarian palak paneer (spinach and cottage cheese). He fed me bits of the naan dipped in the delicious tikka sauce, but I spent that night and the next day absolutely sick because we didn't realise there were ground cashews in the sauce (I'm allergic to most nuts).

Other than that experience, each time has been absolutely wonderful, with very good choices picked out for us by the waiters. Each meal had entrees, mains and desserts, but never cost us more than $40 in total for us both.

Apr 04, 2010 

3.3 Below Average

Food  2      Ambience  2      Service  4      Value  5     

Food was so hopeless that I decided to eat in subway instead. It is probably the one restaurant in Sydney that recycles food. i.e. if I don't touch the sambar/aloo in the dosa, some one else gets it, not sure why they can't/won't improve.

Feb 27, 2010 

6.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  6      Value  7     

Decent food at reasonable prices. They serve one of the better chicken biryanis I have had here.

Jan 15, 2010 

7.3 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  6      Value  8     

So hard to find consistent reviews on Eatability! I had my doubts before we went last night, based on the low overall score and patchy reviews here, but our family of 5 were pleasantly surprised. The 5 mains and the entree were all fine. Servings were a bit bigger than average, and all the flavours were distinctive and precise. A big tick for the food! Atmosphere was nice and the bill was another pleasant surprise (just over $20 per head, and we were all full).

But the service was patchy. For the most part just too cool and uninvolved, although effective. But I hate that thing in some Indian restaurants where they hold a plate out in front of you and expect you to take it and place it yourself, the whole "you're just a customer here and I won't stoop to serve you, and I definitely won't walk around the other side of the table for you" kind of thing. This guy even asked my wife to take her plate from him, rather than walk around a small table and put it in place, like a waiter should. Grrr! Oh, for a classless society!

Oct 26, 2009 

6.8 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  6      Value  8     

I have had only great food at Billu's so I'm not sure why there have been so many bad reviews. Perhaps, they are inconsistent. The only problem I found with the place is one surly waiter who cleaned dust off plates by blowing on them and cleaned our cutlery on his trousers. Interesting.

Sep 14, 2009 

4.3 Below Average

Food  4      Ambience  6      Service  3      Value  4     

Even though Billu's has been in this fields, it probably still doesn't know how to treat its customers. I know most of the people flock to it but there is no taste in its food. The papdi chat is so thick, looks more like a mathi. The service staff is really unfriendly. They always have a long face specially the once in the epping location.

Aug 12, 2009