Zaika — Restaurant in Bondurant

I'm from the UK so I grew up eating Indian food all the time, especially western Indian food like Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken, etc all my life so I like to think I've got a good palate for this kind of thing. Curry afterall is widely considered our unofficial national dish and we have more Indian restaurants than any other kind. However that's what makes reviewing a place like this so challenging as it's hard not to colour my review based on my experiences back home.

So with that in mind, I'd like to start by saying the food here is good, and although perhaps not quite as good as back home, it's certainly good for the area which has lost many of its best Indian restaurants over the last few years.

Still, there's no doubt there's room for improvement. The menu is very small compared to what I'm used to, and some items are priced far too highly for what they are. Curry should be served with white rice as a complimentary component, with specialty rices like pilau or fried rice being offered as an optional upsell. Roti is cheap also, and shouldn't really be more than a dollar each when purchased along side an entrée. The appetisers, although tasty (I'm very fond of the paneer pakora) are also very expensive and in many cases simply too much. My appetiser shouldn't be the same price as my entrée. Shrink them if necessary and then offer sharing entrées for larger groups interested in that sort of thing.

The restaurant is small, very clean, service is good, though there appears to be some level of communication barrier which is fine but can make the ordering experience a little more stressful for those who need to ask questions or make adjustments so consider that if it applies to you.

I'd also like to see calorific information sign posted on the menu for those that want it to make informed nutrition decisions and I'd like to see either coke zero or pepsi zero sugar on the fountain drink machine as not everyone is a fan of diet soda (I can't drink full sugar soda).

Lastly I'd like to see better spice options. I like things very hot and although tasty everything I've ordered has been relatively mild despite asking for it to be very hot and very spicy. I appreciate they don't want things to be sent back but when I assure you I can handle the heat. I would like you to bring the heat. So overall I think the place is good. The staff are kind and the flavours while in need of some refinement are very good. Prices could use some work but aren't a deal breaker. Communication can be a challenge but isn't insurmountable. I will likely return again in the future so I hope some of my suggestions are...

This was our first visit but we will ABSOLUTELY be back. Heard wonderful things and thought we'd be adventurous. We cannot handle spice, so we were a little nervous. We were also fully unfamiliar with Indian food other than what we'd heard, so this was a new experience.

We ordered at the counter and has several questions about what certain dishes were, how they were prepared, and what to expect from a spice level. The girl who took our order was patient and thorough in her explanation, which we appreciated greatly. She said that everything is prepared at a mild spice level but can be increased, but we opted for mild. We ordered the butter chicken, the tandoori chicken, an order of rice, plain naan, and fountain drinks.

It was busy the night we visited (a family of around 20 people took up half of the restaurant), so they said it would be a 30-40 minute wait. We knew the food was cooked to order and is authentic, and it was a busy weekend night, so we had no concern waiting.

The food came quickly despite being busy. The butter chicken was lovely. The chicken was prepared perfectly: tender and flavorful with the slightest hint of spice. The sauce was creamy and delicious without having an overwhelmingly tomato flavor. The rice was cooked just right and the naan was lovely. If I had any critique of the food it would be that the naan was possibly rolled or stretched slightly too thin at the middle, leaving it quite crispy. Nearer the edges were soft and pliable. Not a complaint in the slightest, just a personal preference.

The tandoori chicken came out last. Several full chicken legs, covered in a deep red sauce. Deep, complex flavors. However, Zaika's definition of "mild" and ours are somewhat different. 😂 Not a criticism, but the chicken was slightly spicier than I expected and much spicier than my wife expected. The flavor was incredible, but the heat was too much for our underdeveloped palates. Next visit, we'll ask for no spice to make sure we can both enjoy to the fullest extent.

Following dinner, the owner and head chef came to the table to chat. We congratulated her on the 24-hour change to their hours and she let us know about the plans for the Zaika Express food truck. She offered to make us something not on the menu if we ask on our next visit, which was incredibly generous. She even gave us a sample container of something else on the menu to take home (something with potatoes and soy beans--I feel terrible not knowing what it's called!). She was so sweet and made us feel like family.

It was a wonderful experience for an on-a-whim dinner, and we cannot wait to visit again...

I tried so hard to love this place due to how close it is from my house, but I really can't justify the pricing at this establishment. I've been here at least 3 separate times, and their chicken has always been dry with no flavor. The 2nd time, the curry was super watery. They also charge separately for the rice (rice is always included at other close by Indian restaurants). I'd recommend others to try the other Indian restaurants in Ankeny or DSM, they will have better quality food for lower price.

edit - First, I never said you are required to give out free rice, it's an observation I'm pointing out to fellow customers that may not know rice is usually included in other restaurants nearby and that you do things differently (just made the correction in my original post by adding close by). Second, I have done all of my orders as takeout. While I do agree I could have called and given feedback, I'm already home at that point and it would be a complete waste of my time to go back to get the dishes fixed. I think if you pride yourself and price your items with quality ingredients and preparations, I don't know how you are able to let watery curry and/or dry chicken out the kitchen, into a container, then into a bag, and out the door multiple times. I'm sharing the feedback here to let you and others know, it can be a hit or a miss. Lastly, I have not named any competing businesses specifically. It's a comment I'm making to let others know that there are other options for better quality/less price in my honest opinion/experience. I think I should be able to let others know about that especially when most are cost conscious. I wish you guys the best, but I still stand by my review which is that I can't justify spending the additional money for...