Amber Indian Express — Restaurant in Wilkes-Barre

Amber Indian Express, located on 78 South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre offers excellent authentic Indian cuisine in a clean, comfortable setting.

We arrived between 6:15 and 6:30 on a Saturday evening, with only a few other patrons sitting at a single table; however, within 20 minutes, the place was almost filled to capacity. The influx of customers could have been related to moviegoers emptying out after a show down the road, or some stragglers from an earlier St. Patrick’s Day parade. Nevertheless, the place transformed from a quiet venue to a cacophony of conversations.

For starters, we ordered the Vegetable Samosa, crisp pastry stuffed with mashed potatoes (seasoned most likely with cumin powder, turmeric and ginger) and peas, housed in a flaky pastry and served with a mint cilantro chutney and tamarind chutney dipping sauces. The spices were balanced perfectly and made for a great appetizer.

Next was the Chicken Tikka Masala, with tender, boneless chicken pieces broiled in a tandoor and submerged in a lightly cream sauce, enriched with green spices and tomatoes.The dish was ordered with medium heat. It wasn’t very hot, but the tomato flavor was really pronounced and gratifying.

The Chilly Chicken was anything but chilly. It consisted of boneless chicken cooked in tomato and onion sauce, with green chilies and Indian spices. Feeling brave, I ordered mine spicy, and although it packed a lot of heat, it wasn’t too overwhelming, and I was able to complete the satisfying meal. Both chicken dishes were served over perfectly cooked basmati rice.

The downside of the experience was the service. Although the staff was very friendly, it took a long time before someone came and took our order, and although the establishment has a BYOB policy, we were never offered anything to drink, such as soda, tea, or a mango lassi, which is a mango and yogurt drink. However, free water was plentiful, and we were satisfied with that. As I said above, the place filled quickly, which may have caught the staff off guard. Because the place filled up fast, many people were finished with their meals at about the same time. The customers, perhaps impatient (and rightfully so), had to approach the gentleman at the register and pay for their food without properly receiving a check.

Still, with half of the restaurant emptying out at approximately the same time, more people were coming in, so business must be good. Maybe more staff members are needed on a Saturday night, or else the staff needs to adapt accordingly.

Overall, Amber Indian Express is recommended for a great meal and an exotic change of pace. The place has a lunch buffet, and also offers takeout. Perhaps it would be ideal for a dinner-and-movie night, but just be aware that prompt service may not occur, especially if it’s after the show during...

I ordered a takeout just for 2 desserts. The female who answered the phone said “ we close soon so I’ll take the order if you can be here within 5 mins for the pickup.” I told the girl I actually was right across the street and I’d be right there. No worries” I come in & then waiting almost 10 minutes for the dessert , no problem right? I understand that food takes time. I’m waiting patiently. She gives me the desserts, I look in the bag and I noticed its nothing like what the description claims, “ Rasmalai; Homemade fresh cheese patties in sweetened milk served cold garnished with pistachios.” It was not in milk, it was just frozen broken not even full patties thrown in a container. The worker did not mention “ hey they’re frozen can I get you something else instead ?” I would’ve been understanding but she just threw them in the bag thinking I wouldn’t have noticed.. they were rock hard so I couldn’t even eat them. I called back to tell her and to explain.. and she rushed me off the phone and offered a refund then proceeded to hang up while I was in a mid sentence. Over all really disappointed, waiting to see if the refund was actually processed. Photos uploaded with this show how there’s no milk in the container as well as the dessert is broken patties. Therefore, I will not be coming back to...

The food was so delicious, and there were so many different options to choose from. The waitress always came by to check in on us for anything we need while ensuring our glasses had plenty of water. The portions were large and they even served the chicken fresh out of the tandoor on a sizzling metal plate. The cubes from the chicken tikka kebab and ginger chicken were surprisingly big, and they provided a bowl of rice for the curries. I also ordered Indian tea, which is sweetened and has a nice warm flavor from the cardamom. However, they were unable to accommodate for food allergens and could not cook the meals without ginger. It limited some of my family’s options from the menu. In addition, they accidentally made the fish curry too spicy when my mother asked for mild. It was tasty, but the heat was overwhelming for her and we could not finish it. I also could not find the food score anywhere to judge their cleanliness, which is required to be displayed in a visible and obvious place for customers. Despite the small mistakes, the experience here was great and I do plan on returning. I look forward to trying new and different foods...