How this restaurant has remained in business while others far better have come and gone is beyond me. This is mediocre Indian food, at best. Make the hike up to Devon. Once you do, you'll see why this place isn't worth it, even as a delivery or take out option when you're too exhausted to cook.
Review Source:I went there with my Indian friend for dinner before going to Old Town School of Music. I got a fish curry and he got something else. We were both VERY disappointed with our food.
You could not have Indian food that is more Americanized than this. Both of our dishes were extremely sweet and had barely any spices in it. There's something wrong if you get bland food at an Indian restaurant. We both asked to make our food hot. Um.. either the server mixed up his instructions or what we got is the hottest they can make their food, which wasn't hot at all. My friend was furious  - and rightly so, since he's Indian and he thinks they misrepresented Indian food.
We will certainly never go back to this restaurant nor encourage our friends to do so. If you want real Indian food, go to someplace on Devon. Anything has to be better than this place.
Went there for a late afternoon lunch. We ordered chicken and lamb curries (though they don't call them curries, but you get the idea).
Very good. Prices reasonable. Nice, clean dining room in great area. Don't go out of your way, but definitely recommended if you're in the area and up for some Indian.
Ordered delivery a few nights ago. I got butter chicken,garlic naan, and vegetable samosas (I didn't really want the samoas but I heard they were good and I was trying to hit the delivery minimum.) The Butter chicken was excellent but not as spicy as I wanted. Â Next time I'll put "medium" in the comments--what I got tasted like a "mild." Garlic naan was good as were the samosas. Delivery took only half an hour and the food arrived hot. Would be five stars if rice wasn't extra. Who doesn't eat rice with their Indian food?? Despite that I will definitely be ordering from here again.
Review Source:YUM. I don't know why this place doesn't have higher reviews. Yes, it is a bit pricier but I honestly think it's better than some places in Devon I've been to. It's clean, service is nothing to complain about, equipped with Indian beers, better atmosphere than most Indian places I've been to, and the food is excellent.
The first time I went it was a week night and there was probably one other table in the restaurant which concerned me a bit.. But we ordered two Indian beers, vegetable samosas, butter naan, rice, butter chicken, and I believe the murg tikki masala. As you guys read, they give you a little crunchy naan like thing (I have no idea what it is) and a few chutneys. Those are good, although one of them is unbelievably salty.
All of the dishes that we ordered were really good, but the star was the butter chicken. AMAZING. I never knew I can enjoy Indian food this much. The murg tikki masala was yummy too but the butter chicken was just so buttery and savory.
I craved the butter chicken after that so much I had to go back! That time I tried the lamb pasanda or palak and butter chicken. The lamb was good, although it was like dark green in color and definitely didn't look appetizing. But again. THE BUTTER CHICKEN WON.
Oh and I also tried this mango martini (I know, martini at an Indian place? I dont know) but it was surprisingly pretty good. It was definitely different from anything I tried before, heavy with mango flavor (which tasted like fresh mango) with cinnamon powder on top.
I love Essence of India! Their food is always top notch. I usually order take out, and their delivery is always super fast. I have dined in though and the restaurant is very cozy. Service is always excellent. The downside....can be a bit noisy when crowded, but well worth it for the food. Also four stars because it is a bit pricey.
Review Source:I order delivery at least once a week from Essence, sometimes 3 times a week. I am hard core Indian foodie having lived in India for the first 25 years of my life and have to eat it 3 times a week.
This is the one of the best S of Devon other than my Gaylord, Cumin , Indian Grill, Tandoor further South  in the city. The achar lamb, Bhuna chicaken are my favorites, very flavorfull and authentic. The other Indian restauratns in Lakeview are all fake Indian.
I love this place. I ate here for the first time when I was pregnant and have craved it ever since. The flavors and spices are perfect. So much flavor and not the watered down taste you get at some Indian places. I do think the naan could be better but since I live a paleo lifestyle I'm not to worried about it. Like any Indian place the desserts are very strange but who goes to an Indian joint for dessert? The buttered chicken is the best I've had!
Review Source:I'm obsessed! Tonight was my first time and I'm happy to say, I'm hooked. I have had Indian cuisine a few times with girl friends, but didn't really know what to order. I called to place a pickup order and the girl helped me choose the veggie korma and the saag chaman. I was afraid of "cottage cheese", but it's more like the texture of feta. The sauces that they provided on the side were yummy too. I suggest medium spicy! Honestly a party of two would be very happy and extremely full with a garlic naan to lap up the veggie korma with. I promise it will not disappoint. So long sushi cravings, hello Essence of India!
Review Source:After trying a few Indian restaurants on Devon when I was a student at Loyola I was surprisingly sorely disappointed. After recently moving to Ravenswood, I happened across Essence of India and thought I'd give it a go. I arrived around 7:45 on a Monday night and there was literally NO ONE in the restaurant... the wait staff was just hanging out by the bar waiting for someone to come in. This was a little awkward (and typically a bad sign!), but I was determined to have some delicious Indian food. The waiter was very friendly and gave us a few moments to look over the menu. I've tried a wide variety of Indian food, so I was comfortable with trying out one of their "Lamb Essence" dishes, the Josh Rogan. My dad, on the other hand, was freaking out because he couldn't find his go-to Indian dish, Lamb Madras. I asked the waiter if they had something similar on the menu, to which he gave a prompt no to. After my dad hemming and hawing of the menu for another 10 minutes, the waiter came back and said they'd make the Lamb Madras for my dad. That took me by surprise, and I was happy that they were so accommodating.
The food took about 20 minutes to come out, which I take to be a good sign meaning that it's somewhat, if not completely, made to order. While we waited we were served Indian "chips" and a variety of chutneys. Their mango/jalapeno salsa was quite spicy, but it was balanced out by the mint and sweeter chutney. I enjoyed these as you could tell they were homemade and fresh.
When the entrees came out I was pretty pleased with the dish. It had a nice spice to it when ordered medium, and it built up as I was working my way through. A few pieces of the lamb were tough/fatty, but some of the pieces were extremely succulent and melted in my mouth--the way lamb should be! I finished about two thirds of my dish and was absolutely stuffed. You could definitely get two entrees and share between three people with 1 or 2 sides of rice (which unfortunately you must order separately).
Considering this restaurant is dangerously close to my apartment, I will definitely be back and up for trying some of their other entrees.
We've been to quite a few Indian restaurants throughout the city and still look back to this as our favorite. The atmosphere isn't stellar but if you get to sit outside, it's quite nice. The tables can also be a bit small for all you order, so don't be afraid to put some of the table decorations on the floor.
All the dishes I've had have been wonderful. i love their sauces. In fact, that's one thing other places just can't seem to match up to. The naan is always a pleasure, as well. Overall, love Essence and always love coming back!
When you walk into a restaurant to pick up your to-go order, and the owner is sitting in one of the back tables eating Subway, you're probably not in for the best meal of your life.
So, we dug into our food with low expectations and were not disappointed. Â I ordered the buttered chicken and the meal came luke-warm (we live 1 block away; it didn't get that cold on our walk home), the sauce was quite sweet, and the actual chicken was absolutely disgusting - I'm not sure what part of the chicken I was eating. Super fatty pieces as well. Â Also had some garlic naan, which was covered in garlic yet didn't taste very garlic-y at all...weird.
Another reviewer was right - with Devon Ave not too far away, it's much better to take the trip north than settle for this place.
Or, do like the owner and get some Subway instead.
This is the essence of something all right, but it ain't India... I can't be the first one to make this joke.
A friend took me there last night and confirmed everything I've always felt. While Essence of India is clean and pleasant enough, it's definitely not fresh. How can I tell it's not fresh? Well, it was flavorless and not really moist in texture; all the ingredients were separated (with some spices clumped on top to mask the tastelessness); and... It came out in a jiffy. Usually it's just plain bland (even when you request "spicy"), but last night it gave me stomach problems. And not in the way you expect from a decent Indian meal.
With Devon right up north, why would you waste your time here? This place is the only thing that's survived as long as the Daily on Lincoln, and I can't figure out why. Surely the fine people of Lincoln Square have more discriminating palates than this!
Tonight, 4/2/12, I ordered Indian Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Biryani and Garlic Naan at 6:24pm on a Monday night. I paid about $30. Â Not cheap. It is about 60 degrees outside and clear skies. At 7:30pm the food arrived (I live 1/2 mile from Essence) and it was cold. Â
The tandoori chicken, 2 pieces (a leg/thigh and a wing/breast, about half of a very small chicken) arrived wadded up in a crumpled up sheet of aluminum foil. The naan also came in a crumpled up piece of foil. Â They looked like balls of aluminum foil en route to the recycling bin. Â Both of these I will generously call tepid in temperature. Â They tasted fine, but were cold and packaged like I was eating leftovers of someone else's dinner.
The biryani came in a typical round plastic take-out container. The chicken was greasy and fatty and the rice was not very flavorful. This dish was totally cold.
You fail, Essence of India.
--
Authors Note: I called the restaurant to let them know the food arrived cold. Â I was told that the food leaves the restaurant hot but that the driver had 2 or 3 deliveries before mine. Â I was then thanked for my feedback and told I could get a free Tandoori Chicken next time I placed an order. Â As if there will be a next time....
Should be a 3.5 review....come on yelp give us half stars! Â Essence would have been an easy 4 star restaurant if the following happened.
1. Â My server seemed angry at the world. Â Not sure what his problem is, but he brought it to work today.
2. Â Why don't we just assume that I want rice with my dish. Â Last time I checked rice won't break the bank.
Other than that, this is a clean restaurant in a great neighborhood that stands up to any of the other Indian options you will find in the city. Â
If you have any suggestions for 5 star Indian let me know.
VItals:
1 Beer
Garlic Naan
Vegetable Samosa
Malai Kofta
White Rice
$27.50
I would give Essence of India 5 stars in a heartbeat if I could get past the cost. Â It is our absolute favorite Indian restaurant in Chicago. Â Murg tikka masala, add mushrooms. Garlic naan. Samosas. Mmm. God. I always, always plan to eat my leftovers for lunch the next day. Â And I always, always eat them around 2AM instead.
The prices are also higher than any other Indian joint I've encountered in the year we've lived here. Â $14 and NO RICE?? Â WHA? Â Sadly, the other Indian places in our neighborhood can't compete, so I guess it's worth it. Â We keep paying.
Primo location on Lincoln, lovely interior - a wonderful start before we even sat down.
We started with samosas - quite good. I recommend using the sauces they bring out - the green and red ones are perfect complements.
Next Round: I went with the tandoori catfish (Why? When have you had tandoori catfish? Never, my friend! This dish sparked a conversation as to whether catfish were native to North America and I was, in fact, dining on a true global fusion dish). Anyway, tasty. I like fish. If you don't, you... probably won't like this dish. In that case, I recommend what Fiance got - the butter chicken.
Butter chicken? I know - I thought it sounded a little dumb, but it is FANTASTIC. The sauce was amazing! Seriously, I dumped it all over my dish and then lapped up the remainder with naan. This is, no contest, what I will be ordering next time I'm here. Don't let the color of the sauce fool you - it's bright red and kind of looks like it would taste like liquid fire, but it's pleasantly sweet. Do it.
We both washed our meals down with Indian beers. Go local, y'all.
Been a long time since I had some Indian food so I happend to find this place. Â And I love the Essence of India. Â The Butter Chicken blew me away. Think of a great mild Thai curry - add yogurt and the typical red spice that you see in many Indian dishes. Add chicken and basmati rice and it's a home run.
I also tried the tandoori chicken salad (just because I was jonesing for some tandoori chicken but wasn't too hungry. It was excellent too.
Service is good here but come early. This place in a Friday / Saturday night seems to get packed quickly. Prices are a little high esp as compared to Devon street and stay away from the Indian chi tea (awful).
All in all, great place to get your Indian fix without going to Devon.
I like it! But I'm biased because I love restaurant that allow you to personalize your own level of spiciness.
I love that everything is attune with their "essence of India" theme, with their list of imported Indian lagers and their wall art and decor. (The salt and pepper shakers are cute!)
We had the garlic samosas, butter chicken and the lamb palak--plenty of food to share with some left over! The spicy lamb and savory butter chicken were pretty memorable, but I think my favorite thing... was the free dipping sauces. The cilantro/mint one that tastes kind of like chimmichurri is to DIE for.
The food is really good... maybe not super authentic but really fucking good. Then I got a job here, and realized why... everything has heavy whipping cream in it... making it super rich. But who cares when its this damn good!
Tikka Masal, Butter Chicken and Saag Chaman, keema naan, and lamb biryani.... are the best options.
I gained too much weight on my delivery shifts!
I still love you Satya!
I was a total skeptic before I actually ate here. Indian food outside of Devon tends to be overpriced and not great tasting. But now I'm a believer!
Food is great and service is prompt. It's more formal than most Indian places (not stuffy but you tend to see people on dates rather than families coming in for meals) and more expensive than what you'll find on Devon but I like to think of it as a convenience charge for not having to take 2 buses north.
They charge extra for rice, which I hate so much. So much. Do you really expect me to eat my butter chicken with a spoon or something? It's like charging extra for tortillas when you order fajitas. The cost to you is negligible and it's basically a part of the meal anyway.
I can rant about Indian restaurants charging for rice all day.
Anyway, you'll pay more to eat here than you would at most places on Devon but the food is comparable and (for me, at least) the location is easier to get to. I've done takeout too and the food was ready quickly and packaged nicely to get home.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! That would be for the Mango Spice Martini. Outrageously addictive too, I want a pitcher of 'em, or better yet, can I swim in a pool of this stuff?! I'd drown happy.
Left the 5th star off because I really don't think they need to charge so much. I get it, you have to pay rent on a Lincoln/Wilson corner, but $11 for the vegetable dishes? Boo.
However, I will say that I really enjoy the spices that they put in the food and they seemed to fix the portion sizing, it was getting a bit skimpy a few years back. Happy that seems to have been taken care of.
I'm a sucker for their Chana Masala, which I have to say is my favorite in Chicago. It's my go-to dish I always order, and nothing on Devon can compare to this one. I get it with the saffron rice. Sure, that turns it into a $20 dish, but I will say that yes, it's worth it. Plus, you'll have leftovers. Shared with the Baigan Bharta (smoked, pureed eggplant with tomato and onion), Â and the Onion Kulcha (it's oniony happiness!) it was really the perfect meal.
While it's not cheap, and not a fan of the television that's in their now, it is good Indian eats in Lincoln Square. And check out their cocktails; you won't be sorry.
A completely enjoyable experience all the way around. Â We were with a group of 10, and honestly I can't think of a better way to dine. Â We got to try a multitude of dishes, all delicious. Â
Butter Chicken? Â yes please! If you enjoy rice dishes, may I recommend the Biriyani with chicken? Â Also available with other meats or none if that's the way you roll.
Reasonably priced, and proof that a place doesn't have to be super fancy to provide you with a wonderful dining experience.
I love Indian food! Â Thus, I wanted to give Essence of India a shot due to it proximity to where I live. Â
We visited for dinner on a Saturday evening. Â The atmosphere was very comfortable and homey. Â My wife and I were constantly drawn to the one TV in the restaurant that was showing Indian Music Videos and Bollywood advertisements. Â We order the vegetable samosas, garlic naan, peshwari naan, tandoori chicken, and murg tikka masala. Â Yes, it was way too much food for two people (especially with the 2 order of naan), but I wanted to try a few different things. Â Besides...we were celebrating my birthday a day late. Â The samosas were excellent, and I love the garlic naan. Â I did not really care for the peshwari naan, which sounded like it was going to be amazing. Â The tandoori chicken was perfect and the murg tikka masala was delicious.
Overall, a solid dining experience with good service and wonderful food.
You know those essence waters that has a hit of fruitiness but ultimately no real flavor? That is what Essence of India was to real Indian food, a hint of what could possibly be Indian food, but essentially no real flavor. All in all a massive disappointment, unfortunately.
I went in on a weekend so they had a lunch buffet available. Having frequented many Indian buffets lately I was accustomed to standards such as chicken tikka masala, palak paneer, and lamb curry being available, however at Essence of India these very popular items were missing from the line up. The veggie samosas looked like little potato pancakes instead of a stuffed pastry. They were hard, from perhaps being out too long, and flavorless. The naan was burned. The one highlight was the tandoori chicken which was moist and flavorful.
Ultimately the tandoori chicken couldn't even save this meal. I paid and left and went to Devon Avenue to satisfy my Indian craving as this was a let down.
Once upon a time, my gals and I were gathering once a week for food, booze and TV shows.
And gossip. LOTS of gossip.
Then, life happened. Winter settled down, Isa dislocated her shoulder, Mimi had a massive job interview to prepare, Monica and Jen - papers to write, and me, well, I was freer than I had been in years but left alone with my gourmet dinners, my bottles of wine, and Netflix.
You can shed a tear.
After 6 months of this regimen, we decided that it was enough.
Essence of India came up to spicy up our first get together of the year.
And you know what?!?!?!
The guys were invited......
Not totally a four star in my books (a tad too expensive, a vindaloo dish not-so-spicy, a forgetful waitress) but since the menu is expansive and the naans delicious, I round it up. No BYOB, but fairly priced wine and beer (and a nice cocktail list), busy on a Friday night but not overtly so, no fixed gratuity for groups, easy parking. If you have vegetarians in your life Indian is the best option out there. And when you also have a spice fiend who couldn't handle the heat in your life she can easily find mild dishes to indulge with the rest of the group.
Winner.
Finally, I cannot end this review without mentioning our new ecological cause, born in a moment of drunken exhilaration. I invite all of you to embrace it, without question please:
"Maple trees are animals too. Maple Syrup is Murder"
Order your tee-shirt NOW.
Yes, it is Americanized, yes, it is expensive. Â It is also more convenient than Devon for a Southern Uptown girl. Â Also the meat is less creepy than the the mystery meat you may find in more authentic restaurant's dishes. Â Yes, I am a white girl from Nebraska; get off my case.
I have not eaten in the restaurant. Â I have had delivery once and take out another. Â The first occasion was delivery and the food came hot and fast (heh). Â My Samosas were a little dried out but everything else was fine. Â I asked for spicy and really got spicy. Â Love that. Â The second occasion was take out. Â The guy on the phone asked for my phone number and this must have brought up previous orders because he asked if I wanted everything spicy this time, too. Â That was kinda nice.
I will have to eat in sometime and check out the atmosphere. Â The staff seemed friendly enough.
I have to say... I was plesantly surprised! My husband and I were meeting some friends at Spyner's just around the corner but needed to grab some dinner first. We wandered the Square but he didn't want German... wandered away from the square and saw this place.
Is it the best Indian food I've ever had? Absolutely not... that spot is reserved for Hema's Kitchen... and I've eaten in my fair share of Indian places. But this is closer to my house than Devon and delicious so I will be returning.
We had the shrimp appetizer... Yum. The shrimp were on the small side but flavorful. We also ordered the chicken murg and lamb vindaloo. The chicken was moist and lamb was tender... can't complain. We ordered our food as spicy as they can make it and weren't all that impressed with the heat... but our tollerance is significantly higher than the average person.
When I want AWESOME Indian food, I'll trek out to Devon. When I want something in the area, I'll head here.
Um, yuck.
I've walked by this place several times. Indian food is my favorite, and I figured I'd better try the one that's closest to my house in case a craving hits.
Well, I'd rather crave. The service was terrible. The watier was incredibly rude. The food was worse than the service. The "chicken" was the most fatty meat I have ever eaten. The sauces were not good, and the dishes had very little taste.
Save yourself the money and the stomach ache. There are many much, much better Indian restaurants in the city.
I ventured to Essence of India this past Saturday with a friend after I expressed my craving for Indian food. We arrived around 1:45, unsure if the buffet was still running, but to our luck, it was! We were greeted immediately and asked if we needed anything. We ordered naan and plated up. Even though I almost choked on a tiny bone in the curried chicken, it was all delicious. Unlike Hema's (which I still also really like), the food was spicy enough to make it Indian food, it wasnt so spicy I wanted to cut my own tongue out. I thought the fare was really great and the samosa I had was huge. I didn't feel rushed, and I didn't have to wait an hour for the check either.
In addition, the bathrooms are incredibly clean, which is really important for an indian buffet, if you know what i'm sayin.
I should also say that there was a guy just hangin out reading a newspaper, leisurely enjoying his indian cuisine. Not sure if the guy was a regular, but it was great that he wasn't rushed or anything.
Had dinner for 4 last night...just wasn't impressed. Location was good, ambience was nice enough.
Our waitress seemed disinterested, didn't really want to help us (we weren't that experienced with Indian cuisine). My dish was HOT (even had other people try it) when I ordered mild...the dishes were so/so. Nothing stellar. Presentation was bland. My dish was cracked. The desserts were borderline gross, bad texture, strange tastes.
Our entrees came basically in bowls with no rice, so when we ordered the rice (extra) our entrees came out to like $17. And, the rice was undercooked. And the waitress acted like we were inconveniencing her for ordering some rice to go with the "lamb floating in bowl" entree. Hello! Obviously we don't know what's going on, you are the server, recommend we order rice with the dishes and that 2 people can split it!
Just not that impressed. Maybe with a more informative server we would had a better time....but for $130 for 4 people, I think we could've gone elsewhere and had a better time...
BUFFET
Essence of India has one of the best Sunday buffets I've ever buffed.
For the size of restaraunt, the selection is perfect. Â There's enough there to get plenty of dishes you enjoy, but small enough that you can try everything. Â I lament I am unable to expound the gastronomic virtues of each dish, so you'll forgive me if I advise you plainly: Â The food tastes fantastic.
NON BUFFET
Its a touch pricier than I had expected, but you can't begrudge cost when the food and service are so good. Â The girlfriend and I ordered separate "essences" and each shared an order of rice.
SERVICE
Truly excellent. Â Unlike a number of places in the city, these people seem genuinely happy to see you. Â The staff are polite and understand that not everyone has a PhD in Indian food. Â They'll explain everything and make suggestions without making you feel like an outsider.
An altogether satisfying experience. Â Be sure to save room for a mango lassi for desert. :)
After running by this place nearly every week on my way to Montrose beach for my marathon training, or to take my dog Max-a-Million to the dog park, my girlfriend and I were really excited about going to the Essence of India for dinner. Â We went on a Saturday night and the decor was really nice, and the service was adequate, however the quality of the food was horrible (and I don't consider myself to be a picky eater).
I ordered a lamb dish with a spinach sauce, and the quality of the lamb was horrible. Â The pieces of lamb were cut into small bite-size chunks, however it was loaded with fat and gristle, I couldn't even eat the pieces. Â Disappointed with my dish, I would have been fine with not ordering the lamb again, however I was shocked yet again when I went to reheat my left-overs the next day. Â When I opened the dish, I found a small white textured item in my food. Â I'm not sure what it was, and I really don't want to jump to any conclusions but the white item certainly did not look like a piece of rice. Â Needless to say, I ended up feeding the left overs to my garbage disposal since I was too frightened by the food to eat it myself, or even feed it to my trusty dog, Max-a-Million.
If you choose to go to the Essence of India, please take my advice, and stick with the chicken.
Again, having just moved here from a minor midwestern city, I am not impressed with Essence of India- mainly for the price.
I have had buffet Indian food for much, much, less, and yet it dominated Essence in quality. Â I have a feeling that much better quality Indian food can be found in the Devon Avenue area (about 10 mintes from this location).
That having been said, if you're interested in an expensive Indian meal with fabulous service, Essence is the place for you. Â The ambiance/surroundings are perfect, and the service is fast and attentive.
Enjoy Essence of India!
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