Cumin Restaurant - Wicker Park — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

Meals much like life, truly are in this particular circumstance about the destination and not the journey.

On a night like any other, I along with my girlfriend, entered Cumin. We browsed the menu and decided to give it a try. The place was quaint and cute. There weren’t many people inside so we figured it would be a fairly standard meal.

We were wrong.

What was to come was more of an emotional roller coaster than watching Game of Thrones for the first time. We were completely unaware of the ups and downs that soon would behold us in the next hours of our life. Much like Batman, we had dark and light times ahead. For Gotham, is a city that perpetually is enshrouded in darkness but will always hold a slight spark of hope.

We noticed the tables next to us impatiently trying to hail down services, which we brushed off. It should have been foreshadowing for us. We saw to-go orders piling up by the door in trows, but the people inside the spot were searching for whom to place orders and with whom to check out.

We were given some crackers and we placed our orders once our server came around.

He left and disappeared into the kitchen.

The other tables who had been there before us seemed to keep receiving more crackers and no food.

We’d begun to wonder if we entered an Indian food spot covering for an undercover cracker operation.

To save time and minutia, about 30 minutes passed and we had not received food. We did have hope due to some people who were sat before us receiving clean plates. But still no food.

More minutes passed.

Every minute that passed lead to twitches and anxiety due to premonitions of therapy sessions covering neglect in our futures. We both looked at each other and awaited to see if anyone else received food or service.

Minutes of frustration led to seconds of madness. And in those seconds, a quote from the Joker came into mind.

“Madness, as you know, is like gravity, all it takes is a little push.”

We found ourselves debating if we should leave. We turmoiled over all the possible outcomes of leaving versus staying in order to ease our screaming hunger from the depths of our stomachs.

I was reminded of a quote from Alfred Pennyworth, “Endure, Master Wayne. Take it. They'll hate you for it, but that's the point of Batman, he can be the outcast. He can make the choice that no one else can make, the right choice.”

I pondered the right choice. What does that look like? And in my hazy confusion and aguish the clouds seemed to part as a couple minutes passed.

On the brink of insanity, we both on the edges of our seat in a phantom state were awoken by clean white plates presented in front of us.

We knew it was our time.

We had gone through the struggles and risen from the pit like Bruce Wayne and saw the light of day again.

The moments proceeding this were pure bliss. Pure bliss as heaps of rice, Lamb Saag, Garlic Naan and Chicken Tiki Marsala landed in our laps like newborn babies onto a virgins lap.

We were in another world as we ravenously consumed every shred of food in front of us.

Taste buds exploded into pure fountains of joy in our mouths. Tears streaming down our faces in what seemed to be a beautiful mix of euphoria and terror. Every bit of anger and frustration we had from the forty-five minutes prior those moments of food decimation were sweet out through tracks of joy along our foreheads and cheeks.

We were beyond bliss.

We were 11/10 happy. We were Chocolate Boy from Hey Arnold! With a huge sack of chocolate, happy.

Through tears, we blinked and nodded as we both knew. We both knew we were in food heaven.

I sit here days, months, possibly even years after this experience. I only say this due to not understanding space or time since. I don’t know who I am or my purpose. I just know I must return to Cumin. Through the neglect and rejection, the food calls me back. Like the Matrix beckons to Neo. I am being called back. The food knows me. For I am the chosen one for it. I will return. It knows I will return. It is only a...

Tried a dinner here for the first time and enjoyed my meal; but the staff here seemed drained and not extremely welcoming.

The options are fairly standard meaning there aren't any combo dinner platters which would have made my meal choices much more exciting.

The menus lists appetizers, main courses, biryani, and Naan breads 🍞 and rice 🍚 is all sold separately so this will make your complete order more expensive if you dine alone and don't have a dinner companion to share your main course with.

I chose a mango Lassi 🥭 which was extremely thick and delicious, a side order of basmati rice and a spinach and paneer (cheese cube) 🧀 type of meal with curry that was quite filling. Honestly I really wanted to order Naan bread 🍞 and samosas too but all of these items sold separately would be too costly and I wouldn't have been able to finish everything by myself anyway. Portions here were generous and I did take some leftovers home with me.

Atmosphere here us casual and there weren't many tables. Staff didn't offer me more water and they weren't smiling 😕

Maybe their lunch specials are more economical but because the main courses here are pricey it becomes cost prohibitive to choose an appetizer. Perhaps they should consider offering half portions for their main courses for diners who come here alone so we can try more dishes and sample a variety of little plates and...

Cumin is very, very good. I've had takeout/delivery a few times and it has been great. The lamb and vege samosas are delicious.

The lunch special is wonderful- you can try a couple different dishes and even add on some small appetizers, sides a la carte (to the lunch special- it's great!). The lunch box special is like a half order of your choice of 2 different items and is amazing!

I most recently ordered the chicken saag and lamb curry lunch box and added on one of each lamb samosa and vege samosa. I would want to come here for lunch every day if I lived closer.

I haven't had any complaints from food here and I have a delicate stomach. It is a little pricier than other Indian food in the city, but for wicker park- it's similar to most restaurants in the area. This is one of those restaurants that I always meant to try and slept on, but now I will go out of the way to pick up takeout from....