Indian Bistro — Restaurant in Topeka

This was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. We drove all the way from Manhattan to try Indian food, only to be met with unprofessional service and poor treatment. The food was average at best (the biryani, in particular, was disappointing), but the service made it much worse.

When we arrived, the restaurant was completely empty—no other diners were present. We requested a table away from the kitchen for more comfort, but the waitress refused, claiming it was reserved. Oddly, no one came to occupy that table the entire time we were there. As a group with a child, we preferred a table rather than a booth to easily share dishes, but our request was met with resistance.

My daughter ordered a lemonade, which arrived watery and tasteless. I politely asked the young server to inform the manager, hoping they would offer an apology and replace it. Instead, no one addressed the issue, nor was it replaced. Ultimately, we had to ask for it to be removed from the bill.

We were sharing dishes to try a variety of items, but they only provided forks, and we had to request knives. When we asked for napkins, they brought only two for our group of five. Small portions of yogurt were served with the biryani—clearly inadequate for a group—and we received minimal sauce, having to ask repeatedly for more.

Each request was met with visible irritation from the staff, as if our presence was unwelcome. It was an uncomfortable and unpleasant experience from start to finish. We will never return and cannot recommend this restaurant for dine-in. If you’re set on trying their food, takeout might be a better option, but staying to eat there is not worth it. It was clear they didn’t want us there, and it showed.

additionally, Before heading back to Manhattan, we needed to use the washroom. Unfortunately, it was not clean—there was toilet paper on the floor, and the door lock was broken, forcing me to ask a friend to stand guard. This lack of cleanliness and maintenance only added to our...

Since the Monsoon has slowly sunk into sloppily prepared dishes, clumsy Samosas and ketchup laden veggies after changing hands, I have given the Bistro a second chance. I applaud their Aloo Gobhi and find the only way they could make it any better would be the addition of fresh ginger strips.

Sadly, the chicken kabob still doesn't offer the classic finish of deep red I have come to know and love. There is no satisfying coating that dances with a myriad of spice and mystery. Just another wonderful Indian dish dumbed down for the immature American palette. Such a shame, as I believe they could deliver the masterpiece I crave.

That being said, the artistry of pastry surrounding their appropriately sized Samosas is second to none. The vegetable filling is superb, but is spiced as it should be with the perfect amount of heat and some may find it too hot. That being said, it is easily cooled with a sip of Lassi, I prefer Mango.

One thing that is lacking in our area, and across the country for that matter, are Indian sweets. Once you experience them, you will never forget them and the craving of them leaves one yearning for the kind of treat only the people of India have mastered. I think it would be to their advantage to have a little sweets shop as part of the restaurant, much like Perkins has for American pies. I understand that most of these delectable sweets are reserved for special days such as Holi, but there is an untapped market that could send them soaring. Perhaps one day I will find my dear coconut sweets and jalebi at a sweets counter. Until then, I will gratefully slurp up The...

I thought the curries were really flavorful and delicious. I felt that the spice levels were accurate and not overly mild or overly hot. I like my food with spice, and many times, I feel that restaurants shy away from spice to avoid complaints. Not so here – medium means medium and spicy means spicy.

However, in comparison to the eight other Indian restaurants we’ve patronized in the Midwest, the portion of rice accompanying our meals was very stingy. It was way too little to share between two people and be enough for our curries, and the “large” refill we requested – which was an additional charge – was the same size as the initial serving. It was good we ordered that size. If we had ordered a “small,” we would’ve had to order a third refill!

We wish there would have been more transparency about the amount of rice and the fact that refills cost extra money. There was no prior notice anywhere on the menu. The amount of rice has never been an issue at other Indian restaurants we’ve been to; refills are usually free, or the initial serving is more than enough to finish the curry with.

We also ordered some naan with the meal, and they were good for the most part, but they were overcooked on the bottom to the point of tasting bitter and burnt. We realize that it is normal for naan to have some char marks, but the bitter taste was a bit too much. You know it’s burnt when you can’t taste the garlic. Fortunately, service was extremely fast, and we were very...