Desi Chowrastha — Restaurant in Naperville

Unlike the sign of trees in a desert or the warbling of gushing water is a pleasant sign for the tired and the thirsty, the smell of oil tainted with spices wafting a mile away, not needing you to read business signs, is a clever idea that fell into place on its own without too much effort from the business. It might be the reason that I noticed some people abandoning their cars to God's care and rushing on foot to one set of doors. You enter a different world in Naperville when you pass the doors. The crowd that is milling about is as full of intent as the traffic on a South Asian Road, with about the same levels of disdain for order and structure. There are signs and then there are feebler signs hung from the ceiling. But as I found out to my discomfort some of these signs are just a concession to the land where this establishment wants rake in the moolah. You could be waiting in a certain line, only to see folks rushing over to the yonder end of the cashier's desk and getting their pickup orders handed over to them even as you are waiting for the little girls to provide an adequate level of service. I had to wave my hands to get the attention of one of the girls who had as much resolve as a South Asian politico has in ignoring their constituency. Then as luck would have it another one said she would help me by asking someone to assist me. I found out service also includes lip service. This gave enough time to the smaller lady behind me to yell her name and have her package handed over to her. I got to tell you, all of the people who intentionally spoiled the idea of a queue or a waiting line for pick up actually had something that started with a smile and ended with a smirk as they left with their packages. So did I get my packet, of course I did even if it meant one of those girls might have been annoyed with me politely waiting for my turn. Ahh... That brings me to the food. The victuals coming out of their kitchen have solidly attached themselves to the middle. The solid center of the Google ratings on one hand and they are likely to hug to your midriff faster than one of their customers can run in. Do I say something about another order from...

Chowrasta, a popular destination for many, turned out to be an incredibly disappointing experience for my wife, our friend, and his wife when we visited on January 4th. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that this place was far from what we had hoped for. The overwhelming crowd made it nearly impossible to navigate, and we quickly realized that there were no tables available for dine-in service. Instead, we found ourselves standing in a long line, waiting to place our orders at the counter, which was frustrating and added to the chaos of the atmosphere.

Once we finally managed to order our food, the service we received was shockingly poor. It felt as though the staff were overwhelmed and unable to manage the influx of customers, leading to long wait times and a complete lack of attentiveness. When our food finally arrived, we were met with a level of quality that was simply unacceptable. The non-vegetarian items, in particular, were all prepared with the same bland spices and were deep-fried to the point of being unappetizing. There was no distinction in flavor among the dishes, leaving us all feeling underwhelmed and dissatisfied.

To make matters worse, the cleanliness of the establishment was alarming. The seats and chairs were covered in unsightly stains from water, soft drinks, and what appeared to be curry spills. It was clear that the place was not being properly maintained, which only added to our discomfort. Adding to our dismay was the sight of the cleaning staff, who were wandering around without proper footwear, merely wearing slippers in the frigid temperature of minus 10 degrees Celsius. This lack of professionalism heightened our concerns about hygiene and safety.

Overall, our visit to Chowrasta was an experience we would rather forget. It was our first time there, and we can confidently say it will also be our last. Based on what we encountered, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this place to anyone. There are certainly better options out there that offer a more enjoyable...

A Mixed Bag at Desi Chowrastha: Some Hits & A Big Miss! 🍜 I recently visited Desi Chowrastha and had a real rollercoaster of an experience! 🎢 Some dishes were fantastic, while others unfortunately fell flat.

The Good Stuff! 👍

We started with the Pani Puri, which was delicious and a great way to kick off the meal. 😋 But the real star of the show was the Mysore Bonda! They were perfectly crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and tasted absolutely amazing. 🙌 The peanut and allam (ginger) chutneys served with them were the perfect companions and elevated the dish even more. I would go back just for these!

The Almost-Perfect Frankie ✅

Next, we tried the Egg Frankie. It was pretty good and satisfying overall. It was just a little bit on the salty side for my taste 🤔, but eating it with the sauce and the side of chips definitely helped balance it out. A solid choice!

The Big Disappointment 😩

Unfortunately, things went downhill with the main course. We ordered the Egg Noodles, and to put it bluntly, they were a disaster. The dish was completely bland, with no salt, no spices, and just no flavor at all. 👎

We politely let the staff know, and they were kind enough to remake it for us. We were hopeful, but the second batch was exactly the same. It was so disappointing that we told them we couldn't even take it home with us.

A Note on Service ⭐

Here’s a positive point: as we were leaving, the staff called us back and gave us a refund for the noodles. We really appreciated that gesture! It shows they care about their customers' experience, even when the food doesn't hit the mark.

Final Thoughts 🏁

Overall, my advice for Desi Chowrastha is to stick to the appetizers and snacks! The Pani Puri and Mysore Bonda are clear winners. ❤️ However, based on my experience, I'd strongly suggest you skip the Egg Noodles. While the staff handled our complaint well, the dish itself was a...