Essence of India
Essence of India
Chicken Vindaloo
Vegetable biriyani
Corner storefront.
a man sitting at a table in a restaurant
Gosht korma
Goan Lamb
Paneer Khurchan Non-Vegetarian Sampler From The Tandoori Ove Bread Assortment
a bowl of tomato soup with a whisk in it
Garlic naan
Masala Bloody Mary
Vegetable plate
Lamb Biryani, Vegetable Khorma on the left but sharing the foreground with a Dal Makhani
Korma
Free to start
food
food, curry
Papadum with Chutneys
Coconut Curry Shrimp, Daal Turka, Poori
Curry Coconut Shrimp
Daal Turka
soup, food, chowder, soups and chowder
food, curry
Stacey S.
Aug 29, 2024
I don't recall giving one star ever. Well maybe to a tailor that ripped me off. It pains me to give this review since they are very nice. On the positive side the atmosphere is chill and relaxing But... How the heck has this place been around so long? And why are there such good reviews? No offense but are Chicagoans willing to settle when it comes to Indian food and I am spoiled by the amazing array of really good Indian cuisine in NYC??Seriously. It was sadly the worst Indian and one of the worst meals I have had. To start... how go you mess up fried appetizers? Doughy and soggy and CHEWY vegetarian platter. Not to mention a hair in one of them, but I digress. Maybe the naan will be ok? It LOOKED like it might be crispy. Wrong! Doughy and just a smattering of garlic. To their credit the vegetable Korma itself wasn't bad. BUT, I specifically asked if there was cauliflower and broccoli in it. "yes" he said Well, I saw a LITTLE broccoli, but zero cauliflower and the potatoes were undercooked. My boyfriend put his 2 cents in. The samosas were Soggy with oil, the batter was terrible, the oil was old, and parts were overcooked and tough. The mango chutney with pickled vegetables was just mango JAM. Zero pickled anything. Naan was Not toasty. Tasted liked jarred chopped garlic.So very sorry. They ARE very nice. I hope to motivate them to find freshness to add to their menu and save those of you expecting a really good meal from disappointment and expense.
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Isaac J.
Nov 22, 2023
This was a cute little spot with a low energy sort of vibe. In other words, not great if you are wanting to have a conversation above a whisper level, but absolutely great if you are wanting to people watch and eve's drop in the awkward first date happening across the room. The server was super friendly and gave me a few recommendations; I got the gosht korma, garlic naan, and vegetable biriyani. The gosht korma was genuinely some of the best food I've had in a while - slow cooked lamb swimming in a sweet saffron, raisin, and almond sauce. Yum! Nothing special about the naan. The biriyani had tons of extra yakhni in it, which is my favorite, but was a little bland other than that. Also, none of the curries come with rice, which makes this much more expensive than most other Indian restaurants.
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Helen H.
Aug 30, 2023
Delicious Indian food that hits the spot. We came right when it opened for lunch on Saturday so there was no wait. We ordered the Goan Lamb, chicken vindaloo, 1 order of butter naan, 1 order of rice, and the Masala Bloody Mary. I was pleasantly surprised that the lamb and chicken meat were excellent. They were tender and not dry. There was a good amount in it too. It was my first time trying goan lamb specifically because the menu said it was spicy. The server asked for the spiciness level. For the spicy lovers out there, medium heat isn't hot enough. Next time, I'll be asking for a bit spicier than medium. The chicken vindaloo was a more tomato-based vindaloo. Both dishes were delicious. I was a little disappointed in the Masala Bloody Mary. I thought I would be able to pick out the the Indian spices, but I guess my taste buds weren't refined enough. Otherwise, it was felt like a standard Bloody Mary. I would definitely come back to fulfill my Indian food cravings. I just wish the rice was included with the entrees as needed.
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Briana L.
May 25, 2023
Our Favorite Indian restaurant in Lincoln Square. Cozy space and wonderful service. Bread assortment is a must - we get it every time. Get 4 varieties of #naan & #roti Non-vetegatian sampler comes with a variety of meats, including tandori chicken and shrimp & kebabs House specialty paneer khurchan has generous portions of paneer cheese with peppers & tomato sauceAlways get too full to have dessert, but 1 of these days... Tip - if you pay cash, save 5%.
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Emmy B.
Mar 3, 2024
My boyfriend and I walked by this restaurant about a week ago and remarked on how great the food smelled. We came here last night and had the most delicious meal! I got the vegetable korma, which is divine, and I will update later what boyfriend got because I am blanking right now. We also shared an Elephant Ride cocktail which was also amazing and very unique. The staff was very friendly as well. Will definitely be coming back!
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Ryan B.
Mar 21, 2024
Some of the worst Indian food my wife and I have ever eaten. Bordering on inedible. The Saag chaman just tastes like cinnamon. The Tikka Masala is weirdly sweet.
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Monica A.
May 26, 2023
Awesome food and the service is exceptional. I think is a family restaurant, very cute and accommodating. They recommended some great dishes, portions were large and very tasty . Will definitely go back.
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Annie S.
May 23, 2021
Very happy with our experience here! I read all the recent Yelp reviews which were really good, so I was excited to try this place. It seems like they do a big takeout business and eating inside was pleasant. We came on a Thursday night around 6pm and had no problem getting a table. There was indoor and outdoor seating and all the tables that came in after us chose to eat outside. Parking in this area was SO easy.The menu is very extensive - you could spend a lot of time deciding. We ordered:- Butter Chicken - Tandoori chicken simmered in tomato sauce, butter and spices, $12.95. This was so good, there were little pieces of chicken and the sauce was almost sweet. I've never had a butter chicken like this before and it was perfect to dip in naan. I didn't want to waste a drop of it!- Gobhi Gulastan - Cauliflower and potatoes cooked with herbs and ginger, 10.95-Shrimp Biriyani - Traditional Indian rice dish made with vegetables, herbs and your choice of meat. We had someone eating with us that doesn't like a lot of spice, and they made this on the lowest spicy end as possible. I love spicy, and it was spicy!-Onion Kulcha - Flour bread stuffed with onions, $2.95. This was my favorite of the breads. You can taste the cut bits of onion in it.-Garlic Naan - Naan topped with garlic, $2.95
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Neha A.
Jan 2, 2023
Had a nice meal from this restaurant last month! We ordered Murg Lajwab which was fantastic! Mutter Paneer was also tasty. The spinach with chick peas was mediocre. The naan was tasty and plain rice did its job. The price is fairly affordable for Indian. Would order again for the Murg Lajwab!
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Mariah R.
May 17, 2024
I'm in Chicago for the weekend for a workshop and I stumbled upon this Indian restaurant. I am a serious Indian food lover. This place blew me away. The food is excellent, very authentic, the service is top notch and the ambience is simply charming. if you're in the area, you must stop by. Will not be disappointed.
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