Essence of India in Lincoln Square

Since I have been meaning to post on this for about a month, there are surely some details that I am forgetting. We really enjoy Indian cuisine, but have limited experience. Nancy and I had a wonderful dinner at Essence of India. While it is usually very crowded, the bitter cold Sunday evening when we went, allowed us to have a nice (and long) conversation with the extremely friendly owner, Satya Das. Satya explained that he has not yet applied for a liquor license, but even when he does, they will be BYO friendly if you want to bring a nice bottle. Currently there is no corkage. The chef was the former chef at Bukhara for many years.

The restaurant is a handsome, very warm and inviting space. It also has very nice tableware. Satya told us that he went back to India to purchase things for the restaurant.

We started with papadum, a very thin wafer-like chip made of seasoned lentil flour. It was accompanied by three condiments for dipping, a wonderful cilantro sauce, a very good tamarind sauce, and pickled mango, which we found too salty.

We chose a vegetarian, a lamb, and a chicken dish to share. The Vegetarian Korma was our favorite dish (corn, potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, and cottage cheese in a delectable curry). The Rogan Josh was also really good. We had their signature dish, Chicken Malal Kabob. The chicken is marinated in lemon juice, garlic, ginger, and cream cheese and is very tender and flavorful. Buttered naan was outstanding.

We finished the very enjoyable dinner with some great, rich, dark roast coffee. Everything was very boldly seasoned, but no real heat to speak of, so I never opened the white I brought. I opened a 2001 Martinelli Bondi Home Ranch Pinot Noir, which is a big, bold Pinot which held its own with the deeply flavored sauces.

It is a little more expensive than some storefront places, but it is a good value for the quality, service, space, and high-rent location in Lincoln Square.

Essence of India
4601 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60625
773.506.0002

Some Indian folks here at work said that the food wasn't spicy enough for their tastes, but the time I had the buffet I found the food quite satisfying, and very fresh for being served in steam tables. If I still lived in that 'hood I'd go there often.

Essence of India is one of the few non-fusion Indian restaurants in the city south of Devon and north of downtown. It's the closest decent Indian to me by a longshot and because of that I probably do takeout from them once a month or so. I've been through much of the menu and I've got a pretty good handle on the place now.

Much of what they make is a shrug to me. Chicken dishes are dominated by chunks of boneless white meat and most of the vegetable dishes are one-note. They'll amp up the heat if you ask them, and that adds a second note. Again, a bit of a shrug. It's expensive and satisfies a craving from time to time, but it's just a shrug. (Also they have a huge up-charge for raita which I almost find insulting).

There are a number of things they do well:
--Spinach dishes generally have a nice balance of flavor. If you're willing to put up with the boneless white meat chicken the saag murgh isn't bad, but I prefer the saag chaman (paneer?).
--Naan is very good, in general.
--The stuff from the tandoor isn't bad.
--The lamb biryani is my favorite thing on the menu. The rice is flavorful and it's punctuated with generous tender, fatty hunks of lamb shoulder.
--The one thing that keeps me coming back is their simple green chutney. The owner says it's mint, but there's a lot more going on in there: minty, herby, hot and sweet. I always ask for extra. It's an extraordinary condiment.

Best,
Michael

I think I'm in basic agreement when I say there are things they do quite well, and others not so much. For quite a while, I was put off by Essence of India. I love lentils, and I would get the blandest of lentils from EOI. But we'd go back because it's close, and eventually we found the part of the menu we should have been ordering from, and now we really like it. I'll try to remember to re-post next time we order so I can give some more explicit recommendations.

ryanwc wrote:I love lentils, and I would get the blandest of lentils from EOI. But we'd go back because it's close, and eventually we found the part of the menu we should have been ordering from, and now we really like it. I'll try to remember to re-post next time we order so I can give some more explicit recommendations.

Sounds like we're in the same boat about the place. And yes, I should have added: never order the lentils.

I would suggest that folks in search of Indian south of Devon could venture about 1/2 a mile northwest of EOI to Paprika. Certainly more flavorful, and parking is much easier .

Here is the thread:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8872&p=80299&hilit=paprika#p80299

Paprika
2547 w Lawrence ave
Chicago,IL
773.338.4906

Snax wrote:I would suggest that folks in search of Indian south of Devon could venture about 1/2 a mile northwest of EOI to Paprika. Certainly more flavorful, and parking is much easier .

I've not found much success with the food at Paprika. Paprika actually delivers to me, yet I still drive to EOI. It would be helpful if you'd contribute to the Paprika thread and let me know what you like about the place. I'd be game for giving it another try.

eatchicago wrote:

Snax wrote:I would suggest that folks in search of Indian south of Devon could venture about 1/2 a mile northwest of EOI to Paprika. Certainly more flavorful, and parking is much easier .

I've not found much success with the food at Paprika. Paprika actually delivers to me, yet I still drive to EOI. It would be helpful if you'd contribute to the Paprika thread and let me know what you like about the place. I'd be game for giving it another try.

I find both Paprika and Essence of India OK in a pinch, but my wife refuses to allow me to order from Paprika because, as she rightly points out, the bread totally sucks. Essence of India does have good bread.

Kennyz wrote:I find both Paprika and Essence of India OK in a pinch, but my wife refuses to allow me to order from Paprika because, as she rightly points out, the bread totally sucks. Essence of India does have good bread.

"Totally sucks" is kind. I'll stop there.

eatchicago wrote:

Kennyz wrote:I find both Paprika and Essence of India OK in a pinch, but my wife refuses to allow me to order from Paprika because, as she rightly points out, the bread totally sucks. Essence of India does have good bread.

"Totally sucks" is kind. I'll stop there.

I don't understand what you guys don't like about pita bread.

Oh, wait, it's supposed to be naan?

Also in the area (and less expensive than EOI) is Little India on Bryn Mawr. I tend to order a limited number of items - chicken boti, naan, channa masala, veg. biryani, rogan josh or lamb vindaloo- and I've never had a bad meal yet. Is it life altering? no, but they do deliver for a small fee and I consider the naan to be quite good.
Little India
1109 W Bryn Mawr (right by the Red Line Stop)
Chicago 60660
773-728-7012

Essence of India now offers delivery, and after ordering through grubhub I had my piping hot food in 25 minutes. Forgot the advice in this thread and got the lentils, which are as tasteless and watery as one might suspect from posts above. The spinach and the naan were both very good though, also as expected from posts above.