Not only is this the best Indian food available in the area, but perhaps also the best restaurant period for its excellent all-around quality. I have been frequenting this establishment regularly over the past few years and can say that it is one of my absolute favorites. The buffet is always superb and the frequent buyer card they give for both lunch and dinner is a huge plus. While the food is fabulous, it can't even compare to the fantastic service that I have received every time I visit. I am always warmly greeted by Dharmendar, whose kind personality and professionalism has never faltered, as well as by his family and coworkers as I am seated almost instantly even when busy. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough and can only hope that both my girlfriend and I will be able to come here for years to come.
Review Source:Behind a rather nondescript and ugly shopfront in Hyde Park Plaza there lurks a tiny gastronomic delight which will please all lovers of Indian food.
I'll be honest and say it that it took me quite a while to return to Shaan, my initial visit for lunch - just a couple of days after they first opened a few years back - proving to be a massive disappointment.
Then some Brit pals of mine kept raving about it, saying it was the best Indian food they had tasted since emigrating across the pond. They nudged and nudged and kept leaving reviews on networking sites remarking just how "bloody delicious" it was.
This past weekend they finally talked me and the missus into darkening Shaan's doorstep to give our taste buds a tickle.
And a damned good tickle it was!
My earlier reservation about the place was immediately dispelled with the first bite of my chosen Chicken Makhani. I didn't go too hot on the restaurant's 'spice register' - just 3 out of 10 - but the creamy sauce had a nice tang about it and the meat was succulent to the point of falling apart on my tongue. My accompanying Garlic Naan was equally delicious. The vegetarian missus was also impressed with her Nav Ratan Korma, her delight signifying that we would most certainly be back.
As if to make that even easier, Shaan offer a dining card which is stamped on each visit. 6 meals and your seventh is free. Not a bad deal at all, likewise the generous 20% discount they give on all chicken dishes on Saturday evenings.
If I have a tiny complaint it's that the service did leave a little bit to be desired. We waited a long time for our appetizers to arrive and had only just started tucking into them when the entrees were suddenly delivered, meaning not only could we not properly enjoy our poppadoms but also that our table was suddenly bereft of space! One of my wife's sides never materialised until she was well into her Korma and they additionally messed up our split checks. However, as the place was heaving with customers - both sat and waiting - I'll give them a bit of leeway and hope for better service next time around.
Long story short; If you like Indian food, give this place a try. I'd be surprised if you come away displeased.
My friends and I started frequenting Shaan after our favorite Indian restaurant in Norwood closed its doors. From the moment we walked in the door we were hooked! The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, the staff is super friendly and attentive, and the food is always tasty. Some may think its a little pricy, but considering the quality and quantity of food you get, I would say the pricing is right on par. I can't say that I have ever had a bad experience with Shaan. Even their takeout is great! I would recommend Shaan to anyone who loves a good Indian meal. Don't forget to ask for a dinner card - if you decide to keep going back, your 7th entree is free!
Review Source:With so many Indian restaurants to choose from in Cincinnati-- Shaan is definitely one I would go to again. Â The non-buffet food is better, but that may be because you can choose to make it more spicy. Â The chicken tikka masala is delicious. Â I've had better naan, but it is still tasty. Â This place is great for both dine-in and carry out. Â Just to note, the place can get crowded.
Review Source:This restaurant is a personal favorite of mine... Extremely friendly service combined with stellar food prompts a fantastic and memorable experience! The owners of this restaurant are very friendly and greet you warmly whenever you go! Â 5 stars, and definitely returning to this great, family friendly restaurant!
Review Source:I have been a fan for a while but just never took the time to write a review. The first time we tried them was for dinner. They have a large menu with a lot of classic Indian dishes. I am a huge fan of lamb so this place rocks my world because they have Lamb vindaloo during their lunch buffet. And for the price it is amazing for a buffet that includes lamb. A group of guys I work with normally go up there for lunch on Fridays. It is always fresh! They pull in crowd it seems like every time we go.
Review Source:Shaan gets three stars because they are just not quite as good as Baba India or Ambar India. You can tell they use frozen vegetable medley in their vegetarian entrees. The naan isn't quite as flavorful as I'd like. Other reviewers seem to disagree, but I just wanted more flavor out of my meal.
It's a bit cheaper, but they cut some corners in ingredients and prep, and it shows. If, heaven forbid, Baba went out of business, I'd come back to Shaan. The food is good. It's just not amazing.
Until I ate at Shaan, I felt that Indian food was Indian food (in Cincinnati, at least). I did have my preferences (Amol on Ludlow was always my go-to), but I wasn't opposed to going to any other Indian restaurant. After eating at Shaan, I really don't want to go anywhere else. Super friendly service, a large menu selection that offered a few different things than the other places, and the best naan I have ever eaten! Definitely going to be my go-to place when I get a craving for Indian cuisine!
Also, this place gets CROWDED! We went around 5PM on a Friday, so we had no issues, but by the time we left there was a line out the door. Just a heads up!
My husband and I recently moved to Hyde Park and were given a recommendation to go to Shaan - and I'm so glad we went. Don't let the fact that it's in a strip mall turn you off - this place is a gem. The food is great but what really stands out is the service. The owner and waiters are soooooo great. They genuinely pay attention to you and make sure that everything is going well. I'm not sure exactly how to describe it but this is a place you want to go back to again and again. I highly recommend Shaan to anyone!
Review Source:Best indian Restaurant in Cincinnati!!!! (maybe World)
Been a loyal Shaan customer for over 1 year. Atleast 1 trip per week getting either the buffet (amazing), Special Chicken Tiki Masala or Chicken Korma. The most delicious Indian food and very generous portions.
Wonderful ownership! I had to move to Dallas, TX for work and am dearly missing my weekly Shaan visit.
5 Stars! Bravo. (Put a location in Dallas please?)
I would recommend Shaan Indian to anyone in the area. Their service is great. The owner would remember me anytime I came in and would always ask me about my day. The food was great and reasonably priced. I asked a friend what they thought of Shaan's cuisine vs traditional Indian and she said that Shaan was her favorite in the area. The onion naan was one of my favorite because it was always stuffed with diced onion! I would recommend this to anyone!
Review Source:We hit up Shaan so often now that the owners recognize us (as they do many of their guests) and almost always stop by to chat for a few moments. Â If only they knew how many food bloggers adore them!
This a great gem of an Indian restaurant in Hyde Park Plaza. Â The service is friendly, the food is consistently yummy and they're always stamping and handing out those frequent-flyer cards, where your entree is free after six visits.
If Baba India is too crowded (and let's face it: Â Baba is ALWAYS crowded), drive the extra mile over to Shaan. Â It's well worth it.
Shaan has the best spinach dishes in town! Â From the very first day I ate here, the staff treated us like old friends without it feeling forced. Â They were obviously grateful for our business and have always made us feel welcome. This is something that is important to me because we have a LOT of options for Indian food in Cincinnati.
The food has been consistently good and they always have a diverse collection of vegetarian friendly dishes on the buffet. The lunch buffet can be somewhat busy at times, but you should be able to find a seat.
I will begin my review by saying nom nom nom. This is officially my go-to Indian place after three visits. Sorry, Baba. I have been here twice for carry out and once to dine-in with my husband.
Besides the one instance where someone forgot to put my naan in my carrry out order (blasphemy!) the service is fine. The servers are friendly and keep your water glasses full. The menu is extensive. I have had the chicken saag, paneer naan, garlic naan, chicken tikki marsala and chicken tandoori. All have been wonderful! Lots of delicious sauces and flavor. The last time I was in the server let me try the mango lassi--it was awesome!
Don't be disheartened by the stripmall location and go check it out.
I don't much care for Indian food, but as far as it goes the food at this place is decent. However, the service has consistently been, cold, uninviting, and downright inappropriate. At first things were subtle enough to ignore: an inattentive waiter here, or a dirty look over a reduced tip during the buffet (It's a buffet!). But things got much worse one crowded night when we were essentially ignored for ten minutes while two empty tables sat unused. We left and went to Baba's instead, which sat us as soon as a booth opened up.
Tonight we decided for whatever reason to give Shaan another chance. Huge mistake. Dinner was fine enough, but afterwards the owner awkwardly asked my girlfriend what name she went by, as she had written a review about our previous experience. On top of that when taking the bill he said thank you sir even though it was clear she was paying. This was highly inappropriate and completely unprofessional, not to mention chauvinistic. Rather than redeeming his restaurant, the owner's impolite behavior has ensured we will never be eating there again.
One last thing during dinner my girlfriend noticed that her chicken tikka massala tasted just a bit off... based on the owner's behavior I don't want to know what the special ingredient was. Avoid this place at all costs. Go to Dusmesh instead. Great service and better food!
I should mention that I am relatively new to Indian food. So far Shaan is the best I have had. The lunch buffet is one of the best values in town.
They have the yellow stuff, the red stuff and the other yellow stuff and it is all sooooo good. Everything on the buffet is well seasoned, slightly spicy, and delicious. From the Nan to the curries, it is all fresh and tasty.
Like I said, I don't have tons of exposure to Indian food. Unfortunately there are probably many like me. I feel that Shaan is a great introduction into the mystifying world that is Indian cuisine.
I could not recommend Shaan more for lunch. It is the perfect break to what is the monotony of the lunch time rush.
Glad to find Cincy has good Indian food! Â Great food, great service, just a great restaurant.
We got there around 7 on a Tuesday night and the place only had a couple people in it. People did come in a couple times to pick up to go orders. Â It's located in a strip mall. I wish the decor was more Indian, it could have just as easily been an Italian restaurant with the pictures of Tuscany on the walls if not for the scent of Indian food. Â So first impressions, not as good as I hoped, but I trusted my other yelpers that the food was worth it!
And it was. Very much so.
We ordered the onion naan, Chicken tandoori, and the paneer mukhani. It was all good. The paneer came with extra sauce to put on the rice, which was very nice. The paneer was also very soft, and clearly very fresh. The chicken tandoori was also quite good.
I've not had onion naan before, as I usually go for garlic naan, but it was very good as well. It wasn't just dusted with dried onion like some places, it was cooked with onion impregnated into the bread. Nice touch.
The owner came by a couple times to see how the meal was going and was very friendly. We had a nice little conversation. He even gave us their frequent visitors card and stamped three for us with the check. He knew every single person that had a to go order by name. Very friendly.
When I get my next Indian craving, I will be back here.
The service here is outstanding. Â This is one of those places you leave with your belly full and your fingers still spicy from all the nibbling, and you just think, I want that owner guy to be my friend. Â Everyone I've met there is attentive, kind, thoughtful, and genuinely friendly. Â You should eat here. Â It'll make your day.
The food is excellent, too, and it's incredibly affordable. Â Our bill here is often about half of what it typically is at other international cuisine type restaurants in the area.
On a recommendation from a friend who loves this pace, the BF and I tried it out. Shaan is very good with lots of wonderful buffet selections. The food is well prepared and seasoned nicely. There is a good assortment of vegetarian and meat based dishes. The price is right, too. This place can get crowded at peak times, so don't be surprised if you have to wait for a table. We've eaten here twice and both times the food has been very tasty and compares well with the Ambar family of restaurants, if not being even better. This place is in a strip mall, but delivers high quality food. The interior is small and pretty basic, but typical of this type of place. I'm happy to dine here anytime.
Review Source:I love Indian food, but my experiences in Cincinnati have mostly been with the local Ambar/Baba/Guru/Akash, etc. line of restaurants. I'm a big fan of those, but this honestly edged them out a bit in my most recent dinner experience.
The space is nothing fancy, but the service is definitely warmer and more personable than other local Indian options. The owner stopped by a couple of times to check on us and seemed to have a lot of pride in his restaurant and really wanted customers to have a great experience.
I shared Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Tikka Saag, and a piece of garlic naan with my friend and it was all delicious. The Saag is slightly richer/creamier than I'm used to, but in a good way, and had large chunks of tender tandoori chicken. The Tikka Masala was flavorful despite being mildly spiced (as requested). And the piece of naan was enormous--definitely share-able--and the aroma of garlic and butter wafting off it is pretty much guaranteed to kick start your salivary glands.
Hoping to go back and enjoy the lunch buffet next time!
It has been a couple of years since I have reviewed Shaan India restaurant. When I wrote my first review, I was new on Yelp (I still don't have a lot of reviews on my repertoire, but I have been to Shaan several times in the past two years) . I must commence my review by saying that Shaan India is my favorite place for dinner in Cincinnati and here's why...
I came across Shaan India two years ago, while I was grocery shopping at Biggs in Hyde park. It is in an nondescript "generic" strip mall next to a pizza place, McDonald's and a weight loss store (isn't it ironic). The restaurant has a very simple, yet welcoming interior, but it makes up for it's simple interiors with warm and friendly service and great tasting food. The restaurant is family owned by a wonderful couple from India, and they will greet you warmly with a smile. There have been several occasions when I have visited there by myself and the friendly owner makes it a point to come to me, talk.. and sometimes even sit next to me and chat if the restaurant is not busy (not usually the case, they are pretty busy) . I have gone there with several of my coworkers and friends and they have all become fans of Shaan India...
Now let me come to the topic of "taste". Shaan India has pretty great tasting Indian food.. They have a great lunch buffet. I would especially recommend the lunch buffet they serve on weekends. The weekend lunch buffet features samosas, fritters(pakoras), BBQ chicken, an assortment of Indian breads, Â three-four chicken dishes and a wide assortment of vegetarian dishes. They are all delicious, fresh and served piping hot. But the star of their weekend buffet is their goat curry. It's authentic, delicious and reminds me of goat curries we make at home in India. For those, who are adventurous foodies and want to try something new, I would definitely recommend the goat curry. Weekend lunch buffet costs around $10. Weekday lunch buffet is around $7.99
They have a dinner a full menu for lunch and dinner. My favorite dish to try there is the Chicken tikka masala, a rich creamy spicy curry with chicken grilled with spices. Definitely recommend it to everyone. Try with with their Garlic Naan... Â I have also had their chicken vindaloo and their lamb korma. They are very good as well. Vegetarians need not be disappointed.. their veggie selections are very delicious as well. I recommend the paneer makhani, lentil soup (dal makhani) and okra (bhindi masala). They also do carry out and your food is ready in 15-20 minutes. Veggie options are around $10 and non-veg options are $12-15. Every entree is served with rice..
Last, but not the least, Shaan India has a lunch and dinner club. When you buy six lunch buffets or six dinners, the seventh one is free. That is a great deal !
In a nutshell, if you love Indian food, or want to try Indian food, then Shaan India is the place for you to try... I can't recommend it enough !!!
Nestled into a Hyde park strip mall, directly adjacent to Jennie Craig's, you'll find the most wonderful Indian restaurant: Shaan. Don't let the venue deceive you, Shaan delivers some impressive northern Indian cuisine, all at an affordable price. Lunch is a tremendous value with a buffet of delicious dishes and desserts. Make sure to swing by on a Saturday and you'll have a chance to sample some goat offerings. The decor is simple, but the flavors are complex. The naan is fresh and the food is satisfying. I can't say enough about this Hyde park gem!!
Review Source:Last Thursday after getting our son's hair cut at a nearby location, my wife and I stopped into Shaan Indian Cuisine for dinner, dragging our almost one year old son with us. We thought we could sneak in a quick dinner, but after sitting down it was quickly evident that the haircut alone had tested his patience and he didn't want to sit in a high chair. We decided to put in a carry out order and enjoy it at home where he could run around freely.
The restaurant itself wasn't too crowded, but it was past seven o'clock. The room is pretty small with booths lining the left and right walls along with a few bigger tables in the middle of the restaurant. At the back is an area for the lunch buffet, which I would like to try sometime, and a counter for paying the bill along with an entry to the kitchen. The staff were all very friendly and had no issue with us changing our order to carry out, which was ready in less than fifteen minutes.
My choice for dinner, chicken vindaloo, should come as no surprise as it is one of my favorite Indian dishes. I love the spiciness of it and found Shaan's heat level four of six to be right on! I could have probably ordered a five but I know that my wife wouldn't have liked it to be that hot and we were sharing our dishes. The chicken and potato mix was good, though I could have used a few more potatoes in my serving.
My wife decided on the chicken tikka masala, another very popular dish. She ordered a two of six on the spice scale since we were going to feed some of it to our son too. The chicken in this dish appeared to have been cooked in a Tandoor oven as it had the trademark pink outside. The taste of this dish was excellent and the tomato, onion, and butter sauce was perfect. I might have liked this dish better than the vindaloo and I loved the vindaloo.
We also had a side of garlic nan ($2.99) that was easily large enough for the both of us and with extra to go with our leftovers the next day. The serving size of both meals we ordered was more than enough and the $10.99 price tag for each seemed fairly priced. Though I've yet to try another Indian restaurant in Cincinnati, it will be hard for them to compare to a wonderful experience at Shaan.
My search for best indian foods in Cincy has ended! Â This place is the best!! Â The owner is friendly and the service is fast. Â Great selections of foods to choose from. Â Of course we had to get the Vegetable Samosas as appetizers. Â They were huge!
For entree I got the Aloo Matar which is Potatoes and Peas mixed in Aromatic spices. Â DELICIOUS!!! Â
Move over Ali Baba!!
New favorite Indian food! Sorry, Baba India.
Not only is the Aloo Choley, Lamb Saag, and Garlic Naan fantastique, but the service was really cool and friendly. I went in early in my errand-running, and there were no customers in the restaurant (it was a bit too early for dinner), but the two waiters sitting in a booth greeted me friendly-like.
The woman behind the counter was beautiful inside and out. She asked it was my first time in, and I told her it was and that I'd heard about it on Yelp. She gave me a frequent diner card and two punches in it. When my food to go was in there, she added a rice pudding and told me what it was--I think it was a "welcome and we hope you come back rice pudding." Let me assure you that free doesn't mean throwaway. That was some tasty rice pudding!
Anyway, I really like the place. The prices are good, the food is excellent, and the service was so warm and friendly. Forget the strip mall exterior and come for the goodness inside.
Came to Shaan for the lunch buffet, which I really enjoyed. Lots of curries to choose from, both traditional like Saag Paneer and specialties which included eggplant. There were equal options for both meat and vegetarian fare. The naan and samosas were fresh and delicious.
The gentleman who served us was friendly and attentive. He asked which of specialties we enjoyed and explained how they rotate new dishes on the buffet so customers can experience a bit of everything. He also never let our water glasses run dry.
The food was good and unique, the service was amazing. I'll be back, Shaan!
Price per person: $10.00
Great place to grab the best Indian food in the Oakley/HydePark area. The lunch buffet is the best, you can't beat that price anywhere (under $8). The staff is super friendly and I always feel welcome. It never feels like I'm rushed to eat and get out so others can come in and pay for over-priced indian (ahem...Ambar/Baba).
Besides that, the buffet selection is always good and if you are not in the mood for that, their regular menu has not disappointed either. They also have a customer reward system where after 6 meals you get the next one free. You can't beat that.
I highly, highly recommend anyone that is in the Oakley or Hyde Park area to stop by the Hyde Park Plaza to try out Shaan for their buffet.
Last summer I wrote that Shaan is terrific and was already verging toward toward five-star territory. Â In the almost full year since, it has gotten even better, if anything. Â We visit at least once a month, and one of the remarkable things about it is its consistent quality. Â And if you get there before noon for the buffet, the food is remarkably fresh-tasting. Â Shaan also has the warmest service of any Indian place in town that we've been to. Â The owner will remember you after just two or three visits and welcome you like an old friend.
In my mind, Shaan has separated itself from the four-star pack and deserves the bump-up. Â It's my favorite place in town to dine for under $10 a person.
For what it's worth, I don't know that the night-time fare is appreciably better than the lunch-time buffet. Â And the only thing I can complain about with Shaan is the rather drab decor, but at these prices and with this excellent food and service it's something I can easily overlook.
P.S. Â I'd love to have a translation of the single two-star Shaan review. Â Aside from its complaint about the buffet's not being replenished "after 1:30 PM," a circumstance I don't have any personal experience with, I find the review to be incoherent. Â It has to be considered an outlier.
I will never go to Baba's as long as Shaan is around. It is SO much better from the food to the staff than Baba's. On our first time there, they gave us some Kheer to try, no cost. The naan is always fresh and hot, and the saag is so flavorful.
While Shaan does not have a liquor menu of any sort, you can bring your own alcoholic beverage of choice. Or skip the alcohol and drink a mango lassi. Those things are delish.
Indian tea is a tiny bit on the sweet side, but the flavor is very good.
The naan is a solid B+ for me.
Curries are tasty. They actually offer heat ratings up to really spicy. That is sometimes hard to find. However, they also offer heat levels all the way down to truly and completely mild as well. They bring out lots of rice, and poppadom which is good. They make a mean vegetable samosa. I wasn't wowed by the chutneys and assorted condiments. Â
They do not appear to offer alcohol, so keep that in mind. They have plenty of vegetarian options. There always seems to be enough left over for lunch the next day, which is nice.
I haven't tried their desserts yet.
The only slightly frustrating issue is that some aspects of the service seemed a little bit slow or lacking for me. It could be a rare thing, but I won't know that until I visit a few more times. I waited to get my Indian tea until after the food arrived. Then, it took a long time to get a refill, and dirty plates sat on the table for some time.
Still, I think it is deserving of all the praise it has received so far.
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