Indian Food

I have looked through the archives, but I'm having trouble finding an Indian restaurant to go to where the spices are complex and food tastes freshly made. I've read your opinions on places, but can't find enough specifics! So, care to elaborate, anyone? Zim? Mike G? VI?

This info is probably already here- I just can't find it

Hi bnowell724! I'm a relative newcomer to the board, but welcome to LTH Forum! Can you tell us what Indian places have disappointed you in the past?

thanks chgoeditor:) Being kinda new to chicago, I haven't tried any yet. But I have had really good Indian elsewhere that tasted super fresh and expertly seasoned. What I usually get, though, is nasty stuff that tastes like it came out of a bag/can and has been sitting around for a few days, know what I mean? In fact, I didn't even know there was good Indian food for a long time, until I tried some that wasn't crap.

I'm in the West Loop, with no car and a toddler, so it's a really long bus ride to alot of the places. I don't want to travel all that way and be disappointed.

India House (59 W. Grand?) is really good. I've been there a number of times for the lunch buffet and it gets better every time. Went once for dinner and it was equally good, but pricey for Indian food. I have yet to take my toddler, as it is a little on the "fancy" side.

I have had many nice dinners at Klay Oven, 414 N. Orleans, not far from the Merchandise Mart.

chef

For the West Loop, I would recommend Kabab Corner at 760 W Jackson (near Halsted). It is one of a few cabbie joints near the Loop (The others being north of Chicago on Orleans). Thus it's pretty informal. I've eaten lunch there on a number of occasions and have always been satisifed.

I'll second India House, though I can't vouch for the buffet, as I've only been there for dinner a la carte. I am a huge palak paneer fan, and this was the best version of that dish that I have had anywhere, due to the expert (IMHO) spicing. I can't tell you what exactly made the spicing so good, but it struck me as carefully layered vs. one-note in nature. That said, the prices there are a bit higher and the atmosphere a bit fancier than you may want with a toddler in tow. Please report back on any places you enjoy!

thanks for the replies, and being so nice! I know nothing about Indian food, except when it tastes fresh and is made with care.

Are cabbie joints usually places that specialize in grilled meats on sticks? If not, what are they?I'm looking for a sit down and order type place- not expensive, but pleasant. And one with good kulfi(those are the syrup balls, right?)

Josephine wrote:I'll second India House, though I can't vouch for the buffet, as I've only been there for dinner a la carte. I am a huge palak paneer fan, and this was the best version of that dish that I have had anywhere, due to the expert (IMHO) spicing.

Is palak paneer supposed to look like sewage? Or does that mean its bad? I like it too, but I have a feeling that the times I've had it it has been not that great.

Also, any other specifics about India House? How are the samosa? I've only once had them where they were awesome. They were just fried, and the pastry was very pale and smooth, with specks of(i think) cardamom in it. The potato filling was a beautiful bright yellow and green, with a velvety texture and flavor. The lamb tasted very moist and spicy as well as flavorful. One of those times where I had no idea they could be like this.

Chapati is something I only recently learned about, because I lived with an Indian family for a week and the lady-Venus- would be making them ALL the time. So now I prefer them to naan. How are they?

bnowell724 wrote:Are cabbie joints usually places that specialize in grilled meats on sticks? If not, what are they?I'm looking for a sit down and order type place- not expensive, but pleasant. And one with good kulfi(those are the syrup balls, right?)

Not just in grilled meats - just meat-oriented dishes in general, often
very oily (and more spicy than the more Americanized Indian
restaurants).

And Kulfi is the Indian version of ice-cream. No really good versions
of it anywhere in Chicago IMHO - the best is probably at Chowpatti
in Arlington Heights.

The "syrup balls" youre talking about are probably Gulab Jamun. Most
buffets have them for dessert.

c8w

Tiffin on Devon Avenue...super..

also the spice store just one black west...Patel..you will be amazed

Took eight children and a girlfriend up to devon on pres. day mondy...buffet was excellent...complex , rich curries, sauces, condiments.

you will not be dissappointed.

To me, Indian buffets are just like Chinese buffets--glop on a steam table. One place you won't find a buffet, but will enjoy freshly cooked, flavorful dishes is Hema's Kitchen. I've dined all around Devon Avenue, eaten Indian food in London and New York and have yet to find a place I like better.

Hema's Kitchen
6406 N Oakley Ave, Chicago, 60645 - (773) 338-1627
2411 N Clark St, Chicago, 60614 - (773) 529-1705

Well, I don't consider myself an expert on Indian food by any means, despite my top billing in the initial post on this thread, but I do think I'm a little further along the same path as you, Bnowell, first reaching the point of dissatisfaction with buffets, educational and convenient though they are when you're first starting with an unfamiliar cuisine, then feeling there must be more, different, better-- but groping toward how to find it.

First off, although it's impossible to argue with the basic principle that food that sits in a steam tray for an hour will lose both flavor (of some spices, at least) and texture, I would not dismiss all buffets, especially if you are talking about sticking to downtown, where they predominate. India House is a good example of a place that has such traffic at lunchtime that I suspect the freshness of most of the food compares reasonably well with that in a restaurant where it's cooked to order. Anyway, I found that flavors were generally quite bright and fresh-seeming there. I've mostly pruned the list of buffets I visit, sticking mainly to places where 1) they offer unusual things I don't see elsewhere and 2) they're good with my kids, but I still visit (usually with kids, not solo) both of the Indian Gardens in the city and Himalayan in Niles, for instance. (I'd say #1 is definitely less true of Indian Gardens, but it's reliable overall.) I also visited Gaylord once on the weekend and found the buffet substantially more lavish and impressive than it had ever been during weekday lunch visits, with grilled meats and such. That might be an option.

I've never actually tried any of the cabbie places downtown, but here's Cathy2's very vivid post on Kababish (and equally good followup by Vital Info), which gives you an idea of what to expect.

As for Devon, there are many posts on some of the more interesting non-buffet spots (a group which, in my opinion, does NOT include Hema's, but to each his own), with posts by way better informed people than me like c8w, Zim, and Sazerac:

Khan BBQ
Hyderabad House
Ghareeb Nawaz
Kababish of London/Hyderabad House
Slamming Bhabi's Kitchen, mentioning some others

I think these are the only places mentioned which don't have an address either in the threads linked to or above in this one:

Gaylord India Restaurant
678 N. Clark St., Chicago
Tel: (312) 664-1700

Indian Garden
247 E Ontario St # 2, Chicago, 60611
(312) 280-4910

Indian Garden
2546 W Devon Ave, Chicago, 60659
(773) 338-2929

I ate at Indian Garden on Ontario for the first time recently, and was pleasantly surprised. My friend and I went there for lunch, and in addition to the buffet, they bring out a fresh platter of tandori chicken and naan to each table, so you're getting these dishes hot out of the kitchen like they're meant to be eaten.

Despite having worked in the River North neighborhood for years (but not since 2000), I'd never seen India House until about two weeks ago. I'll definitely have to check it out.

On Devon (home to many of the city's Indian restaurants, in case you hadn't already realized that), I usually bring people to Tiffin (2536 W. Devon Ave.) if they haven't previously eaten much Indian food, or are likely to be turned off by places that look like dives. It's more of an upscale restaurant than other places on Devon, and is usually crowded on weekends with both Indian and non-Indian diners. It's a dependable recommendation, though I'm sure there are gems on Devon which are better. (I have a friend who used to swear by Mohti Mahal on Devon, but I haven't eaten there in years.)

Did the place on Hubbard across from Shaw's close? (I can't remember the name, and a Metromix search turned up nothing.) When it first opened, I thought they were doing some very tasty dishes, though I had more mixed experiences the last time or two that I was there, and that was a few years ago.

Finally, Vermilion is a Latin-Indian fusion restaurant at 10 W. Hubbard. I've only been there once, and it was on Valentine's Day a year ago, so I would call it only an average experience, but I would give it another shot. Some dining critics have singled it out as noteworthy. It's certainly not authentic Indian, but you'll find recognizable flavors at a price point higher than what you'd pay at 99% of all Indian restaurants

Hope this helps...please tell us what you end up trying and liking!

bnowell724, welcome to LTHForum!

MikeG has already linked to most of the relevant threads, so at the risk of some redundancy here's a compliation of links FWIW:

I like the dal and palak (and even dal palak!) dishes including either with meat at Ghareeb Nawaz. Here you will find a number of homestyle dishes (although some like the matka gosht may be avoidable). The biriyani there has always been great. The chapatis/rotis may be quite different (from homemade versions) depending on the person's region of origin. Hyderabad House has similar and good food, though a comparatively very limited menu and is a 'cabbie joint'

The Chicken boti at Khan BBQ is well regarded.

More of a 'restaurant', Sabri Nehari is okay, their nehari good. I also liked their brain masala, although overall I found the food rather rich and overspiced (not just 'hot').
There's also Chopal with good sarson ka saag (mustard greens and spinach)
Here's a previous quest for Indian foodon Devon that ended at Tiffin.

For fair S. Indian food there's Udupi Palace and Mysore Woodlands

Hema's and Bhabi's Kitchens have been debateable – I've never been encouraged enough to go either.

For sweets, including gulab jamun ("dough balls in syrup" ), or better still IMO, kala jamun, try Ambala, though there's also Tahoora (and Sukhadia for snacks)

There are good off Devon places (though probably not discussed much here) and even suburban options. Within Chicago limits I've heard good things about India House (and posters above reinforce)

There's always the DIY option


Many of these places serve 'Indo/Pak' food, not just Indian, but no point drawing a line on account of a political border…
***
Q: Is palak paneer supposed to look like sewage?
A: Depends on the sewage I suppose. Palak paneer is essentially creamed spinach with pieces of paneer.
***

Keep us posted on your experiences!

Paul SL wrote: One place you won't find a buffet, but will enjoy freshly cooked, flavorful dishes is Hema's Kitchen.

I've looked up Hema's before on here and CH, and it seems like it was really good at some point, but now most people hate it because of poor service and food.

buffalo gal wrote:also the spice store just one black west...Patel..you will be amazed

Wherever I go will be with someone coming from out of town who really likes Indian food, and the spice store sounds like fun. That and the bakeries and atmosphere(from what I've heard- never been) are making me lean towards going to somewhere on Devon.

Mike G wrote:I do think I'm a little further along the same path as you, Bnowell, first reaching the point of dissatisfaction with buffets, educational and convenient though they are when you're first starting with an unfamiliar cuisine, then feeling there must be more, different, better-- but groping toward how to find it

Yeah, I do feel like the best comes cooked to order, because more attention is being paid to each order. In general, do you feel that it's hard to find a non-buffet place where everything is good? It's hard to find posts about an Indian restaurant that most people agree is really good across the board. Some of the kabob places sound really good, but aren't the kind of place I'm looking for right now.

sazerac- thanks for the info on Ghareeb Nawaz! It's sounding the most promising so far, since it's on devon and the food looks good in the pics. I like the way the place looks, too.
Watching an Indian woman cook for a week while I lived with her made me really want to learn to do it myself. Haven't gotten around to trying it yet, though. The lady was a Jain Hindu. Do you know much about their cuisine? I know it is vegetarian.

I have been checking all the links everyone posted, and they are soo helpful and informative. Thanks everyone!

Ghareeb Nawaz is good overall, but not necessarily the best in its class or for any particular dish. While some dishes may not be good, overall it is a great value. Ordering wisely you can leave very satisfied. A further note of caution, since you mention Gujarati food – the chapati or roti (at GN and most places) is very different from the Gujarati roti (or rotli; pronounced rote+lee). The ones you will get are much thicker than the thin soft light as air puffy Gujarati rotlis. (Although recently I saw some ladies churning out good looking chapatis).
As c8w mentioned recently, it's unfortunate that with the large Gujarati population there aren't any places known that serve good Gujarati meals. Sukhadia has snacky items – I've liked the theplas with methi (fenugreek) when fresh. While on this topic - I have liked the Nirav brand "Homemade Chunda Pickle" (really Chundo; pronounced choo (to rhyme with shoe) + 'n + though). (picture here) – much better than any other commercial brands to my taste. This is a mildly hot and sweet 'pickle' with grated mango. I've only seen the large bottles at Patel bros.

There was a talk on Jain food recently and pdaane mentioned Village hut (maybe he or someone can advise on this place). I'm curious about the thali because freshly prepared Gujarati food can be a wonderful (in spite of being vegetarian* )


*I recall seeing somewhere that they serve non-vegetarian food, which made the authenticity of the Gujarati food from the same kitchen suspect and so I haven't tried it. I can't find that link now, so I maybe I'm totally off. Still reviews elsewhere seem to be mixed, though it seems one may get a discount certificate at restaurant.com.

I'm not really sure how to answer this question - because I'm not really sure I know what you are looking for really - I do hope though that the threads the others have linked too do give some specifics. I'm not sure I could say that there is a sit down place which I could say is good across the board (As was mentioned in the thread where folks spoke about their "go to" places), except maybe hyderabad house, but then they only cook a few dishes

The one experience you've mentioned is eating homecooked food from a jain woman. I don't know a ton about the jain community, but what I do know seems to indicate that most jains come from gujerat. Unfortunately, I don't think I've ever had good gujerati food in a restaurant - and to be honest something about the use of sugar in the vegetable dishes is not to my liking (did the woman you ate with do this?)

I am guessing that there are probably good gujerati catering places out there, given the large community, but I don't know of these.

Probably where I would go somehwat close to you is kababish on orleans - though the majority of the dishes have been sitting - its a steam table place - however unlike a lot of buffets this is food that is oriented towards desi tastes as all their customers wouldn't have it any other way. And the fresh chapati make me happy.

bnowell724

My wife and I are big fans of Tiffin (2536 W. Devon Ave).
Flavor can be a subjective thing, but I find Tiffin's food flavorful and fresh.
I like their Malai Kofta, their tandoori shrimp and their samosas.
On the down side:
Their service can be poor at times and they can be a little pricey.
Give it a try. A night out with an average meal is better than a night at home with leftovers.

Hi,

Just want to chime in on behalf of India House, at which I tried the lunch buffet for the first time with a friend last week. There was excellent variety of entrees and everything was extremely fresh and tasty, not to mention attractive. I was too full for dessert, but I think they did have gulab jamun. Not positive, though.

Also, I don't think anyone has mentioned Raj Darbar. I have never eaten in the restaurant itself, which is in Lincoln Park, but I have had delivery from there plenty of times, starting back when I lived in the West Loop (which is why I mention it now). I am not sure if you are looking for delivery also, since you seem focused on a sit-down restaurant, but since you mentioned you have a toddler, I thought this was worth bringing up.

Raj Darbar isn't the best Indian food in town, but most dishes I've sampled have been good or better than good, and nicely spiced. When you're craving Indian and getting out to a restaurant isn't practical, Raj Darbar is a good option.

Raj Darbar
660 N Halsted Street
Chicago, IL - 60614
Phone:(312) 348-1010

The Chicken boti at Khan BBQ is well regarded.

Also the chapli kabab IMHO. However this is mostly a "kabab place", which
the OP apparently doesnt want to go to?

More of a 'restaurant', Sabri Nehari is okay, their nehari good. I also liked their brain masala, although overall I found the food rather rich and overspiced (not just 'hot').

Surprisingly nobody has yet mentioned Usmaniya, which is still my
personal "go to" spot on Devon. And Iam apparently not the only
one, since they are doing well enough to expand to a massive
spot across the street. It opened last week, BTW - I happened to
wander in last Friday eveningish, and it was their "Grand Opening".
Thus I couldnt order what I wanted to (goat biryani to go).. but
instead had to make do with eating Chicken Biryani, Chole, Naan,
and a pretty damn good Nehari in a buffet-style meal there, gratis
Apparently there was free food for everyone for the Grand Opening,
from "after prayers" (ie about 1:30 ish) to about 9pm-ish, I think.
And it was pretty good too - a fair crowd, so the food was replinished
quite often, not just sitting in a steam table setting.

Anyway. Usmaniya, above - also a restaurant, not just a cabbie
joint, and the best non-vegetarian Indo-Pak food on Devon overall,
IMHO

There's also Chopal with good sarson ka saag (mustard greens and spinach)

Iam not a vegetarian, and so have not tried their sarson ka saag But
I can confirm that they have the best chili chicken in the city, and their
chaap is well spoken of. Good place overall IMHO.

Overall, if I was taking someone someplace, it would probably come
down to Usmaniya or Chopal. But of course thats just me - heavily
non-vegetarian, and happy to eat very rich (and often oily) meaty
dishes. Considering the mention of Jain food, the OP may well be
at the opposite end of hte spectrum - in which case a much better
balance of meat and veggies would be neccessary. If that is the
case, IMHO, none of the above (nor even the cabbie joints, or
Ghareeb Nawaz etc) would fit the bill - are all heavily meal-oriented
places where most vegetarian items can sometimes be a bit of
an afterthought. (Hyderabad House mentioned above, for example,
will often have *no* vegetarian food of any kind available - you
would be stuck with only rotis, plain white rice and dessert if
you happened to be vegetarian


c8w

zim wrote:The one experience you've mentioned is eating homecooked food from a jain woman. I don't know a ton about the jain community, but what I do know seems to indicate that most jains come from gujerat. Unfortunately, I don't think I've ever had good gujerati food in a restaurant - and to be honest something about the use of sugar in the vegetable dishes is not to my liking (did the woman you ate with do this?)

I am guessing that there are probably good gujerati catering places out there, given the large community, but I don't know of these.
.

Well, there are Jains and Jains Many are originally from Gujarat, its true,
though there is a big populatino in Bombay too. Orthodox Jains are
not *just* vegetarian -t hey also dont eat any "root vegetables". That
is, they are not supposed to eat Carrots, Eggplant, Tubers etc either!
Of course, with changing times, a few Jains now do, and are merely
"vegetarian" (heck, some even eat meat nowadays) - but originally
even Ginger and Potatoes are a no-no. Rotis, khichdis, rajma, moong,
some veggies, papdi etc are the most common foods. (And there
are several kinds of rotis - just plain rotis, rotlis, rotlas, bhakris,
phulkas etc). When I visit Jain friends... well, I have trouble eating,
cos Iam heavily meat-oriented in my diet to start with But I do love
the aamrus-puri they make every time I visit - a sort of thickened
mango-juice (thickened with milk/cream I think), and kept very very
cold if possible. Eaten with fresh, straight-out-of-the-fryer fluffy
and really hot pooris. You break off pieces of the hot pooris, and
use it like a spoon to scoop up the cold mango "rus". Very good
it is.

Things like bhakris, rotlas etc, you can eat with vegetables and
they are very good. Then there are theplas, dhoklas, tons of
different kinds of chutneys etc. Its a very large variety, even
if one would expect it not to be (given that its vegetarian food,
with seemingly half the vegetables off-limits as well).

c8w

I'm really getting an education here! I appreciate all the suggestions, and I looked them all up in the archives It's not getting any easier to decide though. Guess I'll just have to jump in there, try somewhere and see what I think compared to what everybody else does.

sazerac,
I had forgotten what pickle was until I saw that picture. The Jain family that was here had that exact same kind, along with some lemon pickle. I really liked the lemon pickle on chapati. Their chapati were kinda thick but still light tasting. I thought they were very good.


c8w,
I'm definately not looking for a meat focused place, because I don't eat alot of it, and my friend is kinda vegetarian. She doesn't know much about Indian food at all, so she won't be very discriminating. I think a balanced place would be best, maybe even a veg place. I think I like more creamy dishes, so that would be Indian, not pakistani, right?

Speaking of Jains, could you tell me what this strange dessert I tried was? It was cooked in a pot, and it tasted like the lady(Venus) had cooked ghee and flour together, like a roux, with sugar and some spices, and added some chopped up almonds to it. It was like a paste, and it filled up the pot. It was really good, but kinda seemed like it wasn't finished, even though it was.

The Jains I knew for a week were not too strict. They didn't eat meat or eggs, but ate a lot of potatoes and everything else.

bnowell724 wrote:Speaking of Jains, could you tell me what this strange dessert I tried was? It was cooked in a pot, and it tasted like the lady(Venus) had cooked ghee and flour together, like a roux, with sugar and some spices, and added some chopped up almonds to it. It was like a paste, and it filled up the pot. It was really good, but kinda seemed like it wasn't finished, even though it was.

Sounds like Atte ka Halwa which is a halwa made with whole wheat flour (atta; same kind used for chapattis, this is usually slightly coarser ground than is typically sold in the US). Another similar homemade halwa would use semolina (sooji) instead. These are more or less common throughout India.

A Gujarati dessert I'm partial to is shrikhand, which is made by draining completely the whey from yogurt, till it is the consistency of cream cheese and sweetening with sugar and flavouring with cardamom powder and saffron, garnished with slivered almonds.

debo wrote:Raj Darbar
660 N Halsted Street
Chicago, IL - 60614
Phone:(312) 348-1010

FYI: Raj Darbar is at 2660 N. Halsted, not 660.

I concur that the food is adequate if you live in Lincoln Park and need an Indian fix (esp. by delivery). But, as far as Indian food in Chicago goes, it's a bit on the expensive side for what you get.

IMO, if you live in West Loop, you should be looking to India House or Indian Garden rather than Raj Darbar.

sazerac,
I've actually done that with yogurt before, to make a healthy cake icing for my daughter.

Kabob Corner is probably the closest that you will find in the West Loop. But FYI it is not just Indian Cuisine but also Pakistani and Middle Eastern.

It is pretty cheap also and they have a Lunch and Dinner Buffet. Both are under $9. I would not say that Kabob Corner is fine dining but you can't beat the prices.

Of all the Indian Restaurants that I have been to, I think India House has the nicest ambiance (located in River North).

However, my favorite Indian place is Gandhi India. I always get the Chicken Makhani when I am there, with a side of Naan to dip in the sauce.

where is this gandhi india place?

It is 2601 West Devon Avenue. You can view their menu at http://chicago.restaurantplace.com/rest ... estId=1119

Griffin and I had reason to be downtown this week for dinner, and we tried India House on Grand on Tuesday night. This is somewhat upscale Indian in the old Zinfindel space.

We started with lamb samosas. They were freshly fried and crispy with a wonderful spicy and moist ground lamb filling. They also came with a tray of chutneys. (two for $5)

Also, a mahkni sauce and some bites of naan came gratis as we were seated.

For the entrees we got Palak Gohst (Lamb and Spinach) and a crab curry.
(also plain naan ($3) and saffron rice ($6) and a mango lassi).

We concur that the palak was simply excellent. Very buttery but also with some nice unidentifiable spicing. Served in a kadhai, there was also a good bit of lamb (boneless chunks) which was for the most part tender (Griffin got a few chewy pieces). For 14ish dollars for this entree, it was a nice amount of boneless meat, especially compared to similar entrees we've had on Devon.

The crab curry was quite spicy and the curry was a red sauce. Also served in a kadhai, the crab was not lump crabmeat, but it was definitely real crab. This was my first seafood based indian dish, it was a nice twist, although the crab was a tad fishy and overcooked. (I think this dish was $22)

The lassi ($5) was served in a 10-12 oz tulip glass and was a nice offset to the spicy crab. The saffron rice was nutty and oily, with cumin seeds, and quite delicious.

All in all, a fine meal but pricey. With a restaurant.com gift certificate it was a little more reasonable. The price point is pretty high ($14-23 for entrees) and of course you have to purchase the rice and naan too. The cuisine is not noticibly more inspired than dishes on Devon (i.e. India House isn't trying to be a Marigold) but the quality was there along with white tablecloth ambiance.

This is a decent Indian destination downtown and we will be back to try the buffet. However but its not likely to derail us from frequent trips to Devon.

India House
59 W Grand Ave, Chicago, 60610