I am so excited to finally have a good Indian restaurant in town. I really hope this closure is…read moretemporary and they reopen again. If you haven't, try the Aloo Tikki Chaat and Amritsari Fish appetizers.

Tried their weekend buffet. I was particularly excited about this buffet since they're the only…read moreIndian buffet in town where chai is included. The food was pretty good for buffet style. None of the curries were at all spicy, but they were adequately seasoned with other spices. It seemed like a smaller selection than other Indian buffets I've tried, but I still felt like there was enough variety, and I kind of liked that I got to have a little more of each dish. I thought they had an especially good kachumber salad, and the desserts were fantastic. The kulfi was so creamy and had an amazing flavour with subtle cardamom (at least I think it was cardamom). The chai ran out soon after I arrived and before I had the chance to get any. I didn't say anything at first, figuring they'd replace it soon. When I went to get a second plate 12 minutes later, still no chai, but I heard someone else say something to one of the staff, and he said it was coming. I finished my second plate and got dessert, and when someone came to take my plates away, I could hear other tables complaining about the lack of chai, so I again asked about the chai and was told it was coming "soon". 40 minutes after I got my first plate (so at least 40 minutes after it ran out), and roughly 25 minutes after the first person asked, we finally got more chai. But they had run out of teacups (I got the last one), so others had to put their chai in the small dessert bowls and were complaining that it was too hot to hold. After all that, at least it was good chai, very gingery. I also think they ran out of kheer; there was a sign for it, but just a full single-serve bowl of kheer left on the counter with no serving utensil; I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be the last bit of it or if it was someone's bowl that they'd served themselves and just left at the bar. Besides just the chai situation, the service in general was not very attentive. The host stand would go unattended for long periods of time, so some customers would seat themselves. It took a while for anyone to bring me water after I was seated, and it was never refilled. No one cleared my plates until after I'd finished three rounds. The host also just wasn't very friendly or pleasant. I don't know if I'd come back... For comparison, the other Indian lunch buffet I go to in town is Taste of India, and I think the food here was better and closer to "authentic", but Taste of India is just run better and the people there always seem to be happy to have you.

Really liked it. I believe it's mostly, if not all, vegan. I know they were experimenting with some…read moreitems with dairy a while ago but I did not notice any non-vegan items while I was there, so not sure if that's still a thing. Anyway, it is a little out of the way. It's walkable from downtown but not really in the downtown core. Pretty quiet when I was there, but the atmosphere felt approachable. Some of the chairs were like school desk chairs (adult-sized, of course) that I haven't seen since I was in primary school which was kind of funny. The guy at the counter was cheerful and friendly. They looked like they had run out of some of the hot savory items by Saturday mid-afternoon, but there was still a wide variety of sweets. I believe the current owners are Indian, and you see some of those flavours featured. I got: Samosa handpie: Good, not mind-blowing, but good. Nice flavours. If you like a flaky crust, this is not it, but I liked the rustic pastry crust. Pistachio cardamom donut: Loved it. Before I moved to Bloomington, there were a few bakeries that offered vegan-GF cake donuts that I loved, and this was the first thing I've gotten here that reminded me of that. Pleasant texture and strong cardamom flavour, not too sweet. I think these are baked donuts, so they're a little different from regular fried donuts, but in a good way IMO. Rose dream latte: Milk with rose syrup topped with coconut whip and nuts, no espresso. Tasted great, but more of a dessert drink than I was expecting. The coconut whip was quite thick. The concept could probably use some refinement, because the whip was too thick and rigid to drink without a straw, but the nut pieces were too big to go through a straw, and so I couldn't figure out the best way to drink it. From what I understand, there are some longtime fans of this place who feel like the quality has dropped since the most recent change in ownership, but as someone who had never been here before, I really had a good experience. I get why people would be upset when something changes, but if you are considering trying this place for the first time, I wouldn't be too put off by the negativity around the change in ownership. There's no other place specialized in vegan baking in Bloomington, so I think it's good to support what they are continuing to do here, and even though I am partial to vegan food I wouldn't say that if it wasn't also GOOD. They also had some refreshingly unique options for baked goods.

Rainbow Bakery sits off of 4th street west of the IU campus. It's all vegan, and we had a chance to…read morestop by and get two donuts and a cookie. The inside is cute and whimsical. The owners, a Sikh family, gave us their cardamom donut for free. The samosa hand pies were out. I would rate it 4/5. The decor was nice, and the owners were friendly. We were told that the staff is limited, and the owners themselves are thinking of selling this location and hoping to restart it in Greenwood, where they currently live and actually drive down to Bloomington every day. The matcha latte was fine. Everything was fine but not great. The vegan chocolate chip cookie was good, but could've used more chocolate chips.

So much fun sitting on the floor! The food was yummy and all for a reasonable price! Will be going…read moreback.

I wasn't planning on coming here for lunch (I was walking l to the Indian buffet less than a block…read moreaway), but I noticed the sign out front that said 'Lunch Buffet Mon-Fri)' so I decided to change my plans. Boy, am I glad that I did! There are 2 distinct seating areas. Near the window there is the traditional Turkish sit-on-the-floor area. Towards the back are conventional tables (no booths). What the sign in front failed to mention is that when you order from the lunch buffet ($15), you also get to choose 1 item off the appetizer as well. (If you want to see what was on the buffet the day that I went, look at the attached pictures. There is also a photo of the appetizer menu.) This is a family-run business and service is extra friendly and fast. Note: If you pay with cash, there is a 5% discount.

Sooo yummy! My parents and I had a light dinner following a trip to Heartwork, and loved the red…read morelentil soup, the Greek salads, the butternut squash, and the tiramisu. Good grief was the tiramisu good! I will be back just for that. Our servers were also wonderful and so personable, especially the host who sat us. Quite grateful to live in a town with yummy Afghan food.

Even though I used to be a regular customer, I had not dined there in several years, so it was good…read moreto see that the food remains excellent, just like i remember it. However -- I was quite surprised, even shocked, that they charged a 3.5% surcharge to use my credit card (using cash would not have incurred such a charge) !!! This is the FIRST TIME I have encountered such a charge in the USA. Also, there was no warning in advance. Given how unusual this is (and I stress, *unique* in my experience numerous dining experiences), the waitstaff could at the very least tell you about such a charge *before* you give them your credit card and they run it through! (I wonder, is this even legal?) An extremely unpleasant experience, and because I had guests with me, I did not want to quibble on the spot. BUT REST ASSURED: UNLESS SAMIRA CHANGES ITS POLICY I WILL NOT BE GOING BACK THERE.

One of Bloomington's best-known restaurants, and thankfully even on a Game Day we didn't have to…read morewait for a table. Food came out fast too. They are of course famous for the dumplings, and everything on the dumpling sampler was excellent. The momos were every bit as good as I've had in Toronto's Little Tibet, with a tender skin and a lot of flavor. They also had some more plump dumplings with cabbage and potato, which are a lot like pierogi! All very satisfying. The fried rice was well-made and appropriately spiced for a 2/5. You could taste the oil in each grain, and the beef was cooked nicely. My only complaint would be that I think they used frozen green beans.

I really like Little Tibet! I have tried all sorts of stuff from the menu and I think the dumplings…read moreand the Thai are the best choices. Their vegetarian dumplings are all tasty but each is a little different. I've only tried the steamed so far because I really like the tenderness of the steamed version. The dumplings come with soy sauce and chili sauce for dipping, which are not optional - you need to dip them for the best experience. The chili sauce isn't too hot, so you can and should be generous with it. The Tibetan tea is interesting - it's a smooth milk tea, kind of like a milder version of Indian chai, but it does have its own unique taste that I can't totally put my finger. Other drinks are all good too, thought some aren't exactly as you might expect. The iced Indian tea is a little milky for my taste but the hot version is stronger. The Thai iced coffee is great but it's less sweet than the usual ones (not inherently good or bad, just depends on your preference). The mango lassi tasted closer to mango juice, but it was really refreshing. All of the food is kind of different from the usual restaurant style food from the various cuisines represented on the menu; it feels more like home cooking, so more subtle flavours, less salty and a little lighter, but very wholesome and hearty. The hotter spice level comes from a chili paste they add, and I recommend getting at least a level 2 (level 1 is no spice), because the chili paste also flavours the dish and level 2 is still pretty mild. The people are very kind and I love the calming atmosphere. I have seen them get busy in the evening on weekends, but usually you can count on being able to get a table.

My first experience with Indian food in Bloomington. Friendly staff. Food was great and plenty…read morespicy for me as regular. I was most surprised by the portions. Plenty food for two

I thought it was really good! You might not expect it from the outside, but the interior of the…read morerestaurant is pretty classy. I was there for dinner on a weeknight, and while there were a few takeout/delivery orders that came through, I was the only dine-in customer, and the man who served me was extremely courteous. I ordered their vegetable malai kofta, plain naan, and Indian tea. I'm pretty sure what I was kadhi kofta instead of malai kofta; the gravy tasted like tangy savoury kadhi rather than creamy malai gravy. I'm not upset about the mistake because this is actually what I would've ordered, but I didn't see it on the paper menu. Anyway, the dish was very flavourful and the medium hot was actually medium hot - no watered down spice level here! Good naan, soft and charred in the right places. The food was reasonably priced and portioned generously. Cumin rice was included with the entree. The Indian tea (chai) was strong, and I felt like the tea itself was actually of good quality, but it was served sweetened and it was too sweet for me. I prefer chai unsweetened but don't mind some tasteful sweetness, but theirs was really strong. It was also pretty small, almost cutting chai size, and didn't come out until I was almost done eating. The tea wasn't expensive, but not so inexpensive that I was expecting it to be so small. Definitely would visit again. The hours are a little weird - they open at 2:30 pm and close between 1 am-2:30 am depending on the night. It would be nice if they were open at normal lunch time, but on the bright side, they're open during the mid-afternoon window when most restaurants close between lunch and dinner and stay open late when most everything else still open is fast food.

A great spot for sushi, ramen, or udon! It's usually busy due to its proximity to campus, but we…read morewere greeted warmly, and our food arrived quickly. The service was excellent. Our server was incredibly kind and attentive. The sushi was outstanding, making this one of my top favorites in Bloomington.

Found my new love ! Their sushi rolls are over the top !! Bond Girl is like a regular California…read moreroll on steroids!! they won me over with a sliver of shrimp and avocado over the top of stuffed crab filled roll then drizzled with a special sauce

Party of four. Saturday night after NK. Place was packed with a line, but we arrived at the last…read moretable for four. We expected medium chaos, and were happily surprised. Orders were mainstream, Malai Kofta, Mushroom Saag, Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka. A side order of vegetable pakora was really good. The Malai Kofta, usually a brown curry with kofta balls, was instead, an orange curry; my partner said it was fine, if different than most we've tried. My Mushroom Saag was five stars. The other diners like their offerings. Food came quickly, an amazing feat given the sheer traffic and line waiting. And there came the only rub. They were a bit insistent about getting our plates and flipping our table. Didn't feel good. No, we weren't dawdling, just getting rushed. Bad idea, and cost them a star. We're happy they've improved from our prior experiences. They were once our go-to Indian Food in Bloomington, then fell from grace. They're improving. They need to take a chill pill, however. Grace under pressure is a desirable skill.

Probably the best Indian restaurant in town. Ocean is the…read moresecond best (and then India Garden) but I heard about their recent health scare so keeping away from that. Anyway, the servers here are polite, nice, quick and willing to help recommend menu items. The service is quick. Pricing is reasonable. They don't intimidate you to tip which is refreshing, I've noticed that all the Indian restaurants in town are like that (unlike Taste of India). Restaurant is in downtown so amazing location/many windows. Their samosa, and chole bhature are delicious!

We had a really good meal here overall. We ordered the butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, garlic…read morenaan, vegetable samosas, and a mango lassi--and everything was delicious. The sauces were rich and flavorful, the naan was perfect for dipping, and the samosas were a great starter. The mango lassi was especially good and super filling--almost like a dessert. The biggest downside was the service. It was pretty slow and not very attentive. We had to wait a bit to get our check and didn't get checked on very often through the meal. There also wasn't much chicken inside of the dishes. That said, the food definitely makes it worth it.

Met my parents at Taste of India for a Saturday afternoon birthday lunch and this place was packed!…read moreIt's a small space and they do have patio seating but it was a chilly, rainy March day in Indiana so not really patio weather, which forced everyone inside. The buffet was out, so we all chose that option. $14 if paying with cash or $15 if paying by credit card - a great price for a buffet. There were lots of options. Everything from your standard India dishes (chicken tiki masala, biryani) to some specialties. Included with the meal was mango lassi and chai, although the chai wasn't my favorite. There is also naan on the buffet and a variety of desserts. I really enjoyed my meal! Tip - parking in Bloomington is always challenging but they do have a small parking lot and we lucked out and got a spot.