Incredible India — Restaurant in Indianapolis

I haven’t eaten at a whole lot of Indian Restaurants, but this place has set my standards for one. I came in for dinner on a Saturday night, and surprisingly, it wasn’t that busy (I just hope the business is doing alright) but the food was fantastic.

My party ended up sharing a total of three dishes: Butter Chicken (the restaurant’s recommendation) the Punjabi Kadi Pakora (vegetable fritters in a creamy, tangy, and spicy yogurt sauce) and the Chicken Korma (marinated chunks of chicken in a creamy and earthy sauce) alongside an order of their cheesy naan and hummus appetizer.

Needless to say, we’ll make sure to eat our leftovers :) However, I would caution diners on one thing. This is probably common sense to many people (except me for some reason) but unless you are really good at handling spice, always start mild. Case in point, the Punjabi Kadi Pakora. I ordered it medium, and although eating some naan helped quite a bit at helping me deal with the spiciness, it still burned my throat, something that was probably not helped by the rich seasoning and saltiness of the dish. That being said, it was still delicious. I’d just have to adjust the spiciness a bit.

The butter chicken was also very good, having what I can only assume to be a heavy tomato and cream base that was mildly sweet, aromatic, and a much better balance of spiciness to start out with (we ordered it mild). The only one I thought was mediocre was the Chicken Korma, but that was probably because the flavor of it was a little earthier than I expected. As for the appetizer, it was hands down, some of the best hummus I have ever had. With it having a subtle burst of spice and no shortage of olive oil on top, it was perfectly paired with the hot and gooey naan.

We did also order dessert, and I got the Hum Tum, which was a scoop of vanilla ice cream with fried milk solids and rose syrup. I’ve had this dessert before at a Indian grocery store, and It was just as delicious here as it was when I bought it there. Definitely worth trying if you love warm desserts that are full of sugary and aromatic flavors.

Overall, service was pretty good, and the atmosphere of the place was beautifully clean and modern, albeit much quieter than I was expecting, with the radio above making far more noise than anyone seated at a table (but that was likely because it wasn’t busy, so I can’t speak for what it’s like at peak hours) Prices were very reasonable for meals, but perhaps a little on the pricey end for their desserts. I would definitely...

Having only been there once, I am confident in saying it's my new favorite Indian restaurant in the city. The flavors were SO GOOD. At the time of visit, it has been open for 2 months. Very obviously in a former Bob Evans, but spruced up really nicely. Plenty of parking, convenient location. But none of that is why I like restaurants. It's all about the actual food. And this place was stellar. We got the pani puri as appetizer (meh), and these main courses: kadhai paneer, dal tadka, and baigan bharta. Complete with rice, garlic naan, and onion kulcha. All three main dishes were fantastic! The kadhai was tangy and fresh, the baingan was luxuriously creamy and a little sweet, and the dal had a savory rich depth and was topped with that superb tadka oil infused with the whole spices. All of it was expertly seasoned and had distinct and excellent flavors. I would heartily order any of these again. (Oh, and I've never had a bread side at ANY restaurant that was as good as this onion kulcha. Seriously, the mouthfeel, flavors, scent, warmth - just perfect. But I get the feeling that it is best experienced as a dine-in option, it may not translate as well later as a carry-out or delivery item. Much like a Krispy Kreme donut. OUTSTANDING if gotten fresh out of the kitchen, and merely just GOOD later. I suppose.) So yes, we will be going back. A lot. Recommended.

-- Note to owners/managers: While the food is superb and I gave it 5 stars because of this, here are a couple opportunities for improvement.

The waiter was soft-spoken (hard to hear), and didn't really know the drink options. One of us ordered a gin and tonic (gins are listed on the drink menu), but he said they didn't have any. I saw the full bar, figured it was a lack of training, and suggested he double check. He went and checked, and of course the bartender easily made the drink. So a bit more waitstaff education might be in order. The rice was okay, but just plain. Another party member said for a fine dining Indian place, she expected it to be "fancier". Cooked with cumin seeds or a few peas, topped with coriander, etc. The heat levels were pretty far off from what we ordered. The dal was ordered "medium" but came out not very spicy. The eggplant was ordered "mild+" but was WAY too spicy for my wife to eat (nearly ruined her meal). So extra care could be taken there. This could also be a server experience issue - he may have gotten the two dishes/spice...

Ok if you are in Indianapolis then you probably know this restaurant and if you don’t know and looking to visit then drop all other options!!! This is a gem. Not just food quality, service, ambiance and selection of food options but hospitality and most importantly how the owners here interacted with customers (I am assuming they were owners and if they are not and are just managers then owners are damn lucky), I could see the sense of pride they had in conducting themselves and their restaurant.

First thing first, food!!! The food was delicious but most importantly I could taste it was made from highest quality of ingredients too… we ordered spinach methi chicken and malai kofta and missi roti and keema naan. The chicken melted in my mouth, the earthy flavors of fenugreek leaves and butter flavor of spinach.. malai kofta gravy was made from scratch and had nutty sweet flavor… koftas were crisp outside and buttery n comforting burst of flavors inside… I could taste fresh turmeric- we also had missy roti which was made to its perfection… it was a late night meal else we would have ordered few more dishes to try out. We had enough leftovers for next day and the owner packed us keema naan too. Oh btw no heartburns or acidity in night time… my husband has sensitivity from preservatives and gets acid redux so I have litmus test to say this is by far most authentic Indian restaurant food… you will not be disappointed. Prices are decent too - I am firm believer of you get what u pay for. They include 18% gratuity at the end and I honestly like that. It shows they take care of it’s employees and want a decent earning for them. Presentation- human senses are magical- we eat with mouth but eyes ear nose and skin plays just as critical role. I absolutely loved how they presented their food items, the dinnerware were earthen pot with classy touch, the silverware were extremely good quality, my eyes n nose were just as hungry and we devoured the food. I also took liberty and used my hands in the end coz if you aren’t tempted to eat with your hands and relish the food the way it’s meant to be how on earth all senses will be able to enjoy. I wish we could come to this gem of a place every weekend but we are off to our next destination! Hope u go and enjoy this place just as much as we did. Food 5 stars Ambience 5 stars Affordable 5 stars Quality 5 stars Service 5...