Naya Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Champaign

This was disappointing. I wanted so badly to love this place, but it just didn’t hold up. I got the paneer pakora and the veg samosa for appetizers. These were actually pretty good! The sauces were nice with the green sauce being particularly delicious and flavorful with a slight spicy kick! Both appetizers had nice flavor and were good with the sauces. To drink, I got the masala chai and the strawberry lassi. The masala chai was fine. It wasn’t the best I’ve had, but I didn’t mind drinking it. I do wish I was given some regular sugar packets instead of Splenda, though. The strawberry lassi was something I wanted to explore since I typically love a mango lassi. The drink was a bit thinner than I expected, but it was pretty good flavor wise. The entrees are what were particularly disappointing. I ordered three entrees: chicken coconut korma, daal tadka, and lamb curry. I ordered the korma and the daal at medium spice and the curry at spicy. There was so little heat spice for all of these. The daal was perhaps the spiciest of the group, but even then, it wasn’t as spicy as I had expected or hoped. Unfortunately, this isn’t what disappointed me the most. While the dishes looked delicious, they completely lacked flavor and were so thin. It was the lack of flavor that was the most shocking. I love daal and always order it when I get Indian food. The daal was the least disappointing of the three, but the flavor was so subtle that it mostly tasted like I was just dipping naan into a thin soup. The lamb curry completely lacked any salt and tasted like nothing. Finally, the chicken coconut korma was sickeningly sweet. It tasted like a dessert, it was so sweet! There were no other flavors to cut through that sweetness. It practically tasted like maple syrup, and I wonder if this is in part from the raisins. I abhor wasting food, but I don’t think I’ll be able to finish the chicken coconut korma. I was only able to take a few bites. I never throw away food, but I just can’t do it. It’s edible, but it is easily the worst dish I’ve had this year. I also ordered one of every dessert on the menu. I haven’t had a chance to try these yet, but I’ve never had bad gulab jamun or kheer before. Granted, this restaurant has proven to surprise me. Overall, the appetizers were good, but the entrees ranged from shockingly bland to sickeningly sweet. From the reviews I had read here and on Smile Politely, I thought that the food would be tasty and have a spicy kick. It’s like they ate at a totally different restaurant because my experience was completely different. I can’t see myself ever ordering...

We visited on move-in day for students about mid-afternoon. While the food was acceptable, the pricing and service were horrendous.

First, I asked about the beer choices. The server told me they had Kingfisher and a few American beers. I asked if the beer was 12 ounces or 16. He told me 16, but when it was served, it clearly stated on the bottle 12 ounces. Not a big problem because I preferred a 12-ounce beer anyway. However, he should know the products he is serving. Once the beer arrived, I had to ask for a glass.

We ordered 2 main entrees, 2 plain naans, a mango lassi, and the Kingfisher. The mango lassi never was served. The entrees were served, and we sat waiting for the rice. Finally, my spouse asked if the rice was going to be served. The server said that that needed to be ordered separately. A lady over our shoulder immediately overrode him and told him to serve some rice. He did, but it was a very minuscule amount for 3 people to share.

Upon returning home, I looked at the menu online and discovered that rice was listed on the menu separately. This seemed very odd to us. We have dined at Indian restaurants on 3 continents and always had rice included with the main entrees. This restaurant seems very much out of step with all other Indian restaurants we have frequented. Our 2 entrees were 18 and 16 dollars, respectively, a rather steep charge for Central Illinois, and their serving size was not abundant.

When we requested the check, the lady appeared with a card reader at the table. This I found annoying. Why should it be assumed that I would use a credit/debit card to pay my bill? Sloopy, lazy assumption. To further annoy me, when I provided cash to pay for my bill, my change was returned "short." Apparently, they made the choice to round up to the next dollar for their convenience or profit! Since when did it become acceptable to make choices about other people's money? Let me be clear, the sixty-something cents I was shorted is not the issue. The issue I have is on principle. Why do they think they are entitled to make decisions about the money owed to me? They absolutely shouldn't!

It's quite obvious that the owners and staff of this restaurant seem to have an "air" and arrogance beyond the level and quality of experience they provide.

My suggestion to others considering dining at this restaurant is to find another option. The food is acceptable at best, and the service and attitude of the staff are...

If you're in the mood to experience culinary disappointment, look no further. This establishment boasts an impressive menu of Indian delicacies, but don't let that fool you into thinking you'll actually leave satisfied.

Prepare yourself for a dining experience that's more akin to a starvation diet. The portions here are so laughably tiny that you'll be left wondering if they've mistaken you for a family of mice. And don't even think about ordering one of their curries unless you enjoy playing a game of "find the rice" on your plate. Oh, but wait, they expect you to share that measly portion of rice with your dining companion, as if they're promoting some bizarre form of communal dining enforced by starvation.

Now, let's talk about the service—or lack thereof. You'd have better luck flagging down a unicorn than getting a waiter's attention at this place. After waiting for what felt like an eternity, we finally managed to catch the eye of a waiter, only to be met with incompetence of the highest order. Asking for more rice should be a simple request, right? Wrong. Our waiter stumbled over their words like a toddler learning to speak and left us more confused than ever, all while failing to deliver the extra rice we desperately needed.

But wait, the circus doesn't end there. When we decided we couldn't endure another moment of this culinary farce and attempted to settle the bill, we were greeted with yet another slap in the face. Not only did it take an eternity for someone to acknowledge our existence, but they had the audacity to present us with the option of tipping a ludicrous 18 or 20 percent. Excuse me? I'm not sure what fantasy world they're living in, but last time I checked, tipping was supposed to be earned, not demanded.

In conclusion, save yourself the frustration, the disappointment, and the insult to your wallet, and steer clear of this restaurant. Unless, of course, you enjoy being treated like a second-class diner and having your hard-earned money swindled from...