Zaika Indian Express — Restaurant in Denver

Oh what a wonderful diamond to have stumbled upon! I was in the area for something else one night and thought, "Hmm, Indian food does sound good!" So serendipitous indeed!

Upon entering, the sweet smell of melding spices hits you right away and while reviewing the menu (I ordered to-go) you can't imagine that anything tastes sub par. I decided on the Chicken Kerala Curry with Garlic naan. While I sat and awaited my order the owner kindly made conversation and made me feel incredibly welcome. It's obvious that each dish is made with love, their secret ingredient.

While waiting, I was able to try just one samosa. I thought about placing a full order, at first, but assumed it would be too much food. If there is one takeaway from this review - ORDER THE SAMOSAS!!!!!! These were, by far, the best I've ever had. The outside pastry, which sets the stage for the entire bite, was HEAVENLY! Instead of something doughy, it was buttery and flaky. I literally could have eaten the pastry alone. But no! I was then blessed with a filling to rival all samosa fillings - perfectly spiced, colorful, plentiful and delicious! Heed my words - ORDER THE SAMOSAS!!! I would have taken a photo, but I only got one, and was stopping for no one.

After getting home with my order, and just when I thought the samosa would be the crescendo of my meal, I tasted the Kerala curry and ate the first bite with my eyes closed (I've learned that that's the body's way of enhancing your sense of taste - it attempts to dull the other senses). While the chicken was beautifully tender, the curry was drinkably delectable. Just imagine a perfectly spiced curry (mild for me) but enhanced exponentially by just enough coconut milk to sing.

The curry was so enchanting that I almost forgot the garlic naan awaiting me... As for the naan, well, a picture speaks 1,000 mouthwatering words. In short, this would be a showstopper at the Gilroy Garlic Fastival.

I'm incredibly thrilled that Zaika is less than 1 mile away and open late, because on those evenings where nothing sounds good, Zaika's offerings will ALWAYS...

I've tried a bunch of the local Indian restaurants in the Denver area but at the time of this review (11/26/16) this one is hands down the best.

TL;DRL: Fast, polite service and truly excellent food. Definitely going to be ordering from here again and again.

So the atmosphere here is more fast casual than anything else, and the staff are all super helpful and responsive. You will get your food pretty quickly, it was at most a ten-minute wait for us. But the food is the real focus of this place, and it's excellent. My table got the Kale Aur Baingan, Dal Tarka, the Paneer Saag and the Somosas. The eggplant in the Baingan was especially notable, it was roasted and cubed with peppers and herbs instead of pureed, which honestly won me over because I'm not a huge fan of the weird food-processed-eggplant style. The whole dish was smokey, rich and delicious. The Dal Tarka was good, much brighter than I'm used to in a Dal dish, probably on account of the focus on green onions and herbs. The Saag was rich and creamy, but not overwhelming or heavy, and basically was everything I could have wanted from Saag. Oh and we LOVED the Somosas, honestly I think they're the best I've ever had. I don't know how they got these to be so magical, but they're crispy and fluffy and you should treat yourself.

I'll end with a little observation about rice. Most people don't think too critically about foundational parts of meals like rice, which is usually considered dish infrastructure and therefore not worth mentioning. But when people get details like rice right you know you're in for a good meal, and even the rice here is prepared and spiced perfectly. Just another detail that contributes a lot to the overall quality of the food here.

So if you like Indian, do yourself a favor and eat here as...

First time trying Indian food and this place came across when looking for a good spot to go. It was late night, on a Sunday so the fact that they were even still open was awesome in itself. Walking in, the decor is light and bright, very welcoming and you can choose the option to sit for done in, or order to go. The staff was very friendly and warm as I walked in with my friend. We chose to eat in and right away had menus with so many different options to choose from. From the menu, you could see what was vegan/ dairy free/ gluten free/ and nut free, making it super easy for someone like me, with many food intolerances, to make an informed decision without having to wonder what may or may not be in a dish. I chose the chicken curry with a level 3 spice with the level 4 sauce on the side just in case. My friend ordered the Lamb Tikka Masala with a level 2 spice. The dishes came quick, and were served with basmati rice on the side so we could use as much or as little as we wanted. Mine was delicious! I even added some of the level 4 sauce they provided for an extra kick. And it was perfect! Meat was very tender, rice was not over done, and the curry flavor itself was not super heavy but just enough. I tried my friend's masala and it was thicker with a more tomato tasting profile which was equally as delicious but a tad too heavy for me that late. We both ate every last drop with no remorse about our food coma we entered into. This place is definitely worth a try, the staff, food, and atmosphere overall really made this dining experience 5 stars as a whole. I can't wait to try something else from there next time! We...