I was hungry, I was tired, and luckily I had friends at Cumin with a table waiting. Isn't that the best? Yes, the tables are a bit cramped, but the friendly, almost doting service and good selection of Indian beer certainly take the edge off. And make sure you have a beer before you start perusin' the menu... it's a novella! After a good 15 minutes of browsing, I finally decided on the chicken malai tikka, and of course, naan. The flavor of my chicken was lovely: smoky and slightly spicy. It was a tad on the dry side, but I cheated by dipping in my friends' various appetizer sauces which turned out to be great fun (and very tasty!). The naan was standard, good even, though I don't think I've ever met a naan I didn't like. True, you'll find the best Indian on a certain northside avenue, but if you find yourself in Wicker Park, Cumin will do in a delicious pinch. read more

Great place to get Indian and Nepalese food in Chicago, and one of the few ones that is actually a pleasure to eat. Most of the good indian restaurants are up on Devon and Nepalese food is hard to come by (there's a Nepalese restaurant in S. Loop and another one in Evanston, but besides that, not sure if there is any other ones outside of Cumin). Food is delicious, I've eaten a fair number of vegetarian dishes here and have been quite impressed at the quality of food. I'd suggest eating the Channa Batura and the Paneer Tikka as they were really good last time I was there. The traditional black eye pea dish from Nepal is something I always get and always enjoy. There was one time I was put off by the service as they gave me and my parents the cold shoulder, but it seems an isolated instance as the other times, the service has been pretty good. read more

Great Indian fare w lovely staff. Free refills on chai tea. The food clearly has more attention in bright flavors than your typical Indian restaurant. read more

Cumin - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place is my favorite Indian Food restaurant in Chicago! I moved here from California and I am so happy to find such a nice place in the middle of Wicker Park. You can smell the delicious dishes from a block away...that's what drew my girlfriend and I to visit this place for the first time. It was very busy (friday night) so I definitely recommend reservations. We ordered the vegetable samosas, chicken tikka massala, and palaak paneer. It was all great. They also have a decent selection of wines and beer. The place is loud but quite enough to be able to carry conversations with your party. It is within walking distance from the Blue line Damen Stop. I definitely recommend this place. read more

I walked by this place all the time and thought 'psshh - if I want Indian food why would I go to Wicker Park?' But over the weekend my stomach said to me, "CURRY.NOW!". My stomach was not going to make it all the way to Devon. So I skipped down the block to Cumin. I was a little bummed they didn't have their lunch buffet because of the Wicker Park Fest but oh well. We ordered the chicken curry, goat dum biryani, veggie appetizer and naan. O-M-G. I'm so infatuated. I just can't stop thinking about my meal. I keep replaying in my head the fragrant smell of caramelized onions, cilantro, spices and goat as I scooped up the goat dum biryani. I literally sat there for a minute just taking in the beautiful fragrance. I don't typically like goat, because of the gamey flavor. But this goat was so well cooked! no gamey flavor! My only complaint is that the biryani didn't have that much goat. Half way through I remembered the yogurt. The yogurt adds another layer of depth and complexity to the flavor that makes it so amazing. let's talk about the curry. the chicken was so tender and moist. there was a time when I only bought Amish chicken (no antibotics/hormones) and the texture of the chicken reminded me of Amish chicken. The savory tomato based curry really hit the spot. The naan was a great compliment soaking up all that yummy curry. *sigh* I have to go back this weekend for their buffet. I can't wait! read more

Word must have gotten out that this place is pretty good, because on a random Wednesday evening, this place was PACKED..and at 8pm too! We had a to wait a bit before getting seated, but we didn't mind, as the bar was a great place to start the night. I do like the wine list here, and was tempted to try one of their cocktails, but stuck to wine. The decor/venue here is pretty cute..and I loved the random indian dance music in the background...the crowd was a mix of everything...but lots of couples. Our servers were friendly, knowledgeable and quick. I ordered the Paneer Tikka masala...which was really good..the paneer was not deep fried and stiff, it was a nice soft paneer which i love. My friend ordered one of the Nepalese dishes, with black eyed peas and that was outstanding...just the right amount of spices...the onion Kulcha was great as well. I really enjoyed it here...and I will be back (as they have sooo many "different" Indian vegetarian entrees to try! The Nepalese dishes didn't have so many vegetarian entrees...a lot of Goat and Chicken dishes, so that was a bit of a bummer... Overall great times, and my friend and I closed down this place at 11..and the staff was great about it, we got so caught up in our conversation, we didnt realize that time was up! Check it out! read more

I went here with some friends and my boyfriend this past weekend for my birthday dinner. It is very chic and clean for being an Indian restaurant; I've only been to places that reek of curry. They also have a really fancy, full service bar, but don't ask for an apple martini. Apparently Indians have an aversion to apple pucker mix, LOL. I had to settle for a cosmo, which was on the weak side. I ordered the chicken tika misala, which was quite scrumptious. It was spicy, but not the spicy you might think. Indian spicy is more savory, with a rich, complex flavor infused with cumin, tumeric, saffron, and other spices which remind me of Christmas. Now on to the negatives of this place. The server only provided one bowl of rice for a table of 5, which only substantiated my negative stereotype of Indians and their frugality. They charge for extra rice? I was not impressed with this at all. Also, the server only gave us 4 pieces of naan. Could he not count? There were 5 people sitting at the table! I've eaten at Indian restaurants before, and they have always provided an endless supply of naan, simply because you need it as an acid buffer for your stomach later on. To wrap things up, Cumin is an exciting dining experience, but I've definitely had better. Its got location (heart of Wicker Park) and an awesome tika misala going for it, but nothing more. The service left something to be desired, and that's really important to me. This place is too nit-picky with their food, charging for things that should be complimentary. If you want a REAL Indian dining experience, go to Devon Ave, not this place! read more

Awesome food- some of the best Indian in Chicago. We continue to come back here. Great for vegetarian options and of course traditional meat dishes. read more

I'm afraid this place is getting too big for its britches. The dishes (at least for takeout) do not come with rice nor naan. So a meal for one with bread and rice and a samosa for an appetizer is almost 40 dollars. I don't think I can justify paying that for a dinner joint I want to pop into from time to time. I've now also waited 45 minutes for a takeout order that was supposed to take 30 minutes, and still don't have my food. If you're going to be the most expensive Indian restaurant in Chicago, at least honor your take out time. read more

Sweet mamma jamma! Finally Indian in the wicker. True, it is that special blend of Indian modified for the American palate, but I left happy and a bit full. Headed off with two friends I came with a slight hesitation, hearing service woes and issues, (um hello peeps, it is fairly brand spankin' new), and food being subpar. Well, the service was good, the food was hellaciously tasty and well with some decent bottles of wine and beer, the company of my friends certainly made the evening pretty fun indeed. We got an early reservation, because apparently I am of geriatric age to many of my friends, thankfully they happily put up with that. There was space to be had when we arrived and luckily we snagged a table by the window on what was a gorgeous day. My friend Jeff and I quickly found a bottle of white we like, while his wife dealt with the non alcoholic variety of beer. The menu is fairly expansive, but you do get a pretty clear sense of what is Nepalese and what is Indian, but really, what we had was all tasty. We balked and picked over several choices for our apps, the chicken momo, about 8 nicely done chicken dumplings with a spiced sauce, with thoughts of spiced mayo but not as creamy. Thumbs up, doing those again. We did an Indian Chaat and got that with a veggie samosa. Think what they write... and then what you get is not what I had in my mind. Chickpeas, with a cool yogurt sauce, diced onions and a tamarind mint chutney sauce. it is good, I liked the flavors, I just wasn't all about it the textures. I don't know what I was thinking, but it wasn't my favorite. The Aaluko Achar was good, think a cold veggie salad, with an Indian style dressing. Lots of textures, lots of flavor, pretty good. Mains I went with good ol' chicken vindaalu, although when I ordered, I asked how hot can you make it? When asked how hot? As hot as you can make it, next time I will ask for them to make me cry. It was spicy. I broke a sweat, but then again, it isn't hard for me to do so, but it was super tasty. Pair that with some tasty naan and I was a very happy man. My friend Jeff got a goat dish, while I was savoring the sweatastic vindaalu, I did manage to dip my naan in to his sauce, a little heat, fantastic flavors. I wish I could remember what the name of his dish was, but if you see goat in bone... chances are you might get a little dish of heaven. My other friend got the Bollywood platter, vegetarian style. I think this is a great idea, four small dishes, four small samplings for those who want a little of everything. Dessert? None was ordered, however for the mother to be a dish of rice pudding was brought out on the house. I am not a fan of anything but chocolate pudding, but the rice pudding had some freakishly good flavor. All in all, I look forward to coming back. I sense some carry out will be had in my near future, but really I totally enjoyed the night. The service is good, still needs some tweaking, but really not bad and I am sure this place will be hoping in no time flat. read more

I've wanted to try Cumin for a long time and finally had an opportunity over the weekend to venture out with some friends for some tasty Indian food. What made me excited is I know that this place is always packed and busy so that has to be a sign of it being good. I made reservations for 7:30pm for a party of 4 that day and they were able to accommodate us which was nice. We came like a few minutes late and they still had our table ready and didn't give it away. Upon seating, three of us were already there and we were waiting for just one more so I told the server to give us a few minutes before ordering. That few minutes turned into at least a half an hour where no one besides a buss boy even approached us. That left a sour taste in my mouth right away since our 4th party member came 5 minutes later and yet no one came up to us. After a half an hour I asked a buss boy to get us a server, and we didn't get a server but we ended up getting the girl who seemed to be the hostess but either way she was super nice. So as you can see, service is a no no here, they really seem understaffed or overwhelmed and they should work on that. But fortunately, the food was pretty amazing and would have me coming back for more and here is what we got. Chicken momo - steamed dumplings of minced chicken seasoned with nepalese spices and herbs, served with himalayan tomato-cashew sauce. This was super yummy and definitely a Nepalese classic, not greasy and all and loved that sauce. Goat chhoela - diced and boneless goat meat marinated in nepalese spices and herbs, grilled in tandoor and flash, cooked with flavorful nepalese spices, served with cumin signature flattened rice. This was okay, definitely moist and not dry but the flavors just weren't for me, I guess I prefer my goat dishes not boneless. Chicken Tikka Masala -spice-marinated diced boneless white meat chicken cooked to perfection in tandoor, simmered in rich creamy tomato sauce. One of my favorite dishes of the night as it was the best version I ever had, not a super large portion but definitely delicious and great to dip all that naan into. Chicken biryani - basmati rice cooked with spice-marinated boneless chicken in indian biryani spice mix. Very yummy version here with carmelized onions on top which I never had before and loved. I would definitely get this dish again. Overall, fantastic food, liked both the Nepalese and Indian dishes, decent prices, decent portions, yummy naan, loved the flavors but the service definitely needs some work. I will definitely be back some day. Oh and the atmosphere is trendy with red walls and cuter than many other Indian places I've been to. read more

Cumin - Yummy Nepalese style dumplings! - Indian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Go to Rangoli! Ordered delivery during the 1/1/14 snow storm only to find out that if you dine in you receive comp rice, but apparently not if you order delivery(??) I'm paying the same amount! Called to check if this was a mistake and was educated on how expensive that would be and that they value quality over quantity. Personally, the quality and especially the quantity at Rangoli is much better. read more

I'm so disappointed that after several years of ordering for delivery from Cumin, they decided to change their delivery boundaries. That's not why I'm reviewing them, because any business is allowed to update their delivery zone; it's how they handle breaking it to the customer... I call, provide my phone number, and confirm my information which they have in their system. The guy says they don't deliver to me, and I mention that I know I usually have to pay a bit more delivery fee. The guy insists they flat out don't deliver to me, and that he doesn't see any prior orders in the computer from me; when I question why they would have my information AT ALL, he just hangs up the phone on me. Really? Who even hangs up on people?! In the end, I'll miss splurging... But I won't beg a business to take my money. read more

I was so excited to get to Cumin on Wednesday night for my 5th GrubWithUs dinner! I got to meet new people, eat some delicious Indian food, and talk about myself. Those are three of my favorite activities. Haha. I was the first to arrive out of the 10 of us strangers. I ordered the Layla cocktail which had lychee in it. It was outstanding. When everyone arrived, we all launched immediately into conversation which was great! Everyone was so friendly and fun. Then the food came out and we were almost silenced by its large quantities!! We had for starters: Chicken Momo Steamed dumplings of minced chicken seasoned with nepalese spices and herbs Vegetable Samosa (THESE WERE ENORMOUS!!!) Potatoes and peas in a mild fragrant spice blend Then, when just the appetizers were enough food, we were hit with this! Entrees: Palak Paneer (my personal fave) Spinach and home-made cottage cheese cooked in indian spices and tomato-curry sauce with a touch of fresh cream Chicken Tikka Masala Spice-marinated diced boneless white meat chicken cooked to perfection in tandoor Lamb Sahi Korma (very mild lamb in a delicious sauce) Boneless lamb deliciously cooked in indian spices and creamy almond-cashew curry sauce Fish Vindaluu (spicy!!!) Filets of catfish and potato cubes cooked in indian spices and hot-tangy sauce They served everything with lots of delicious rice and 7 different styles of Naan. 7!!!!!!! I didn't even know that was possible! Garlic was my fave. We wrapped up the meal with some gulab jamun for dessert. It was a warm donut-y ball deliciously resting in a saffron-rosewater syrup. Simply divine. Cannot WAIT to go back! I enjoyed some of the food the next day because it was served in such abundance! read more

I've been to Cumin 3-4 times now, and can confidently say that it is the best Indian restaurant I've been to. I don't know the cuisine that well, but I know what is tasty. Their samosas have a really rich flavor to them and I absolutely love their chickpea masala and this lentil dish (I can't remember what it's called). Having tried most of the Indian restaurants downtown (India House, India Garden, Clay Oven, Hema's, Kyhber Pass) I'd put Cumin right there with India House way above the others on food, and surpassing all others with the nice decor and overall vibe of the place. And yes I have been up on Devon and will say no thanks to that. read more

Ever since I found Rangoli, I haven't been back to Cumin. Although Cumin is in an ideal location (surrounded by bars), the food is just so mediocre. If you've been to Viceroy of India that's the kind of food you can expect. It's okay, nothing to rave about and definitely nothing to go out of your way for. The staff was accommodating and friendly which is the main reason I'll probably stop in to try their lunch buffet. read more

I anxiously waited for Cumin to open. Every time I walked past, I would read the impending menu and drool. I'd been eating Chutney Joe's for months whenever I was at school/work and it wasn't cutting it. I am way too lazy to go to Little India.. so I figured Cumin would be the boost I needed. I went to Cumin the first time for the buffet. I got there after my friend and wasn't aware that we could just go serve ourselves, as they don't seem to have the menu during lunch? The buffet was pretty full with at least five dishes, I believe, and two desserts. There were also salad options and chutneys. It wasn't super crowded, only us and two other tables at 1pm, but this was BEFORE the Time Out Chicago review. It was pretty delicious and super cheap for 11 dollars. Though I did feel like a glutton and a fat pig but it's a buffet, so who doesn't feel that way. Second time I went for dinner. I got the Lamb Samosas. They were amazing. THe pastry was flaky and tasty and the lamb, god the lamb, it was delicate and spiced right and the chutneys complimented it all perfectly. I also got onion garlic naan and Chicken Biryani because I am white and boring. Despite how boring I am, the food did not disappoint. It was flavorful and delicious. My only issue is that it didn't seem to be enough rice. I didn't have enough to take home after, maybe I am just fat and white and boring, but I really wanted more rice. Next time I will convince my friends not to order a dish that gets rice and see how big the rice is then. I am really concerned about rice. I don't know why. All in all Cumin is pretty great, but the other million reviews written while I was busy not writing this review say that too, so there you go. read more

Fantastic. A lot of places don't take me seriously when I say I like my food extra spicy, but these guys definitely do. Attentive, efficient service, fantastic food, reasonably priced. Plenty of veggie options. Absolutely get a reservation, though. This place is packed, even on weekday evenings. read more

Overall, a great experience! We made reservations for 8:15 on a Wednesday - the place was packed when we walked in, but our table was waiting. A very inviting atmosphere, with a nice warm decor. Although Cumin is Nepali owned and operated, the Indian food we ordered was quite authentic and very tasty. The definition of service with a smile! The owner stopped by to chat, and we had a nice conversation - he followed up with an unexpected entree (paneer chilli fry) on the house... Yum!! A definite recommend. read more

Growing up in New Jersey, I have been exposed to Indian food my entire life, from multiple regions. I must say, I have a secret lust for tumeric and cumin.......so when i see a place named for one of my favorite spices, I must explore! The hardest part of this review, is I really want to give 4.5....but since I can not, I will explain why I chose to round up. I know some will say their spices aren't traditional, and how can you blend...blah blah blah...they are trying to encompass as many palates to stay profitable....and depending on region/tradition/availability/habit people spice differently.....does Giada De Laurentiis and Mario Batali make Ossobuco the same? Not quite.....respect the differences enjoy the variation, eat at your 1) Have had both eat in and delivery---quality and quantity did not vary between the two services 2) THE PEOPLE! They are so wonderful, and always accomadate my "extra spicy" requests...even if they still aren't quite spicy enough ;) 3) The high grade ingredients used like in chicken tikka masala, had succulent chunks of white chicken, trimmed to perfection That being said, please try the mirchi masala naan...wonderful, truly a pleasure for your taste buds. read more

I'm an Indian food virgin and the girlfriend wanted to pop my cherry. So we came to Cumin. Arrived at 1st dinner seating, 5pm. Had the restaurant all to ourselves which makes this all so frustrating. Simple and short, service was a nightmare. Having absolutely no idea what I was eating, I had questions. Waiter wasn't rude, he just didnt understand me. Which makes the dining experience uncomfortable. Rather than be difficult and maybe calling someone else over, I simply just trusted all the things my girlfriend ordered. I saw the waiter twice. Once when he took our order and once when he brought the bill. Horrible. The food was tasty, I enjoyed it but small portions. Since there was a language barrier, he never brought the appetizer we ordered. And since he was MIA, I couldn't bring it to his attention. Normally I would say this dude was having an off night but unfortunately that is not the case. I wanna be able to have a conversation with my server. Especially when Im venturing into the unknown :) I want him to educate me on the culture, elevate my dining experience. Show me and recommend all the wonderful Indian dishes that I've been missing out on. I guess if I was on Devon Ave it comes with the territory. But cmon... This is a new modern hip restaurant in Wicker Park. Unacceptable. Unfortunately this place fell short, waaaay short. $70 tab before tip(2 people), no leftovers, NO THANK YOU. read more

Last weekend, six of us decided to meet in the middle and give Cumin a whirl! Little did I know...I was going to thoroughly enjoy my friend's choice! We started with the appetizer platter and shared simosas, lamb , and vegetable fritters. Next we decided to share tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, palak paneer, and dal tadka. The items had some heat and was great great for two of our friends who were having their "Indian cherries" popped. I think this was the perfect place for them to embark on their first Indian experience! Next time, I will like to take them to Devon Street or Lazzatt, so they can dive into the taste of India even more! My only minor gripe was that we were having a difficult time flagging down our server when we wanted to leave. Once we got his attention, he processed and figured out our bill rather quickly. Two thumbs up! read more

Went to Cumin last night and was pleasantly surprised at how good their food was!! We ordered the potato samosas = can't go wrong! Flavorful, yet lightly siced, as they so perfectly described on the menu. Garlic Naan = Carby deliciousness in your mouth. Make sure you save some for when your main dish comes to dip in the sauces. o.m.g! We ordered the lamb stewed in a coconut spice sauce. This was phenomenal. The flavors were spot on and it wasn't too spicy so I felt like I really got to enjoy the sabor. The rice that came with it was pretty standard; however, add some of the sauce from the lamb and you're good to go. So why three stars?? Our sever was PAINFULLY slow and extremely un-attentive! And... The lamb portion, for $16, was wayyyy too small. We literally counted eight pieces of meat. It was just swimming in sauce. overpriced and horrible service? Not good, Cumin, not good. Thank God your food makes you pretty. read more

I want to come to Cumin everyday because as we all know, I lovvvvvve me some curry! Ended up here one random night and I instantly fell in love. The food I had was amazing and spicy, exactly what I wanted. I had the chicken kadhai which is boneless dark chicken, onion, tomatoes and bell peppers cooked in indian spices and curry sauce. There was also some free bites on the table to start your meal. The service is quick and wonderful. The restaurant was jam packed but comfortable. And the big bonus, BYOB! I can't wait to come back. read more

Food is not bad but Cumin has possibly the worst service I have experienced in a while! I know sometimes it can be busy and a patron could feel rushed to leave but what I experienced at Cumin would be borderline comical if it wasn't flat out rude. We have spent 40min in there at best, during which time our waiter has asked us if we were "done" not less than four times. The third time around the lady I was with was literally putting her last bite of the night onto her fork and almost got her plate swiped as she was putting food in her mouth. Sure enough one minute later the waiter was back with the same question. That, my friends, is not even unprofessional or rude... that's just disrespectful! Anyways it would be more than two stars if this was the only bad experience I had during my short stay but unfortunately it wasn't. While trying to scramble for more space the service rearranged some tables next to me in a manner that leaves about a foot of space in between - this caused the waiter to brush against me, as I was eating, with his ASS about 6-7 times. Funny right!? Well I suggest you try it first and then laugh. ;-) Is this the end of the physical pleasantries you can expect at Cumin? No, of course not... one of the scrambelers grazed me with a hot plate on the top of my head without so much of a hint of an apology! Needless to say I will never come back and will highly recommend to all not to visit Cumin... unless you like paying (too much) money to be treated like a dog. Also, 3.50 for rice on top of 15.00 dish that comes with rice?? GTFOH read more

My husband and I have been coming here multiple times a year since they opened, actually looked forward to it ever since the sign went up in the window. Funny story. Back before it opened we were in Champaign, Illinois for a conference and held our banquet at an Indian restaurant there. When I spoke to the hostess to compliment them on the food she told me the chef was moving to Chicago to open his own place, and it turned out to be Cumin! He's done well for himself. Everything on the menu is delicious, although I think they may have cut some of the Nepalese items off the menu. I could be wrong, but it seemed more limited than I remember. Anyway, couple of tips. Try their buffet if you get a chance. You must try the onion bhaji; it is to die for. Definitely make a reservation if you plan on eating there on Friday or Saturday night. This past Friday, April 1, it was packed when we got there at 7:15 PM, and overflowing by the time we left at about 8:30 PM. And be patient with the servers when its crowded. The space is long and narrow, so everyone waiting for a table was packed into the small space just inside the door (with some actually hovering near our table. Not cool!) But it is what it is, a fantastic place to dine on delicious Indian food without having to travel all the way up to Devon Avenue. You can't beat that. read more

We visited this place for a weekend buffet but I would say it disappointed me. There was a lack of options for $15 buffet. Also, food lacked flavors or it was too bland for me, especially tandoori chicken. Chicken Kadai and butter chicken were delicious, but none of the vegetarian dishes such as mushroom masala were not up to the mark. I see a lot of good reviews by fellow yelpers, so I would be interested to try out this place for dinner some time. read more

Cumin = Delish. They have an amazing selection to choose from, so the menu can seem a bit daunting at first. I decided to choose a food group in this case, and ask our server what he recommended. I stuck to seafood and, while I can't remember the name of the dish exactly, it was a mixture of mahi mahi, red and green bell peppers, onions, in a tikka masala type sauce. It was absolutely delicious. The bell peppers really added something to the recipe, a sort of sweetness that created a truly unique dish. I would highly recommend this to anyone and will likely come back for a second round. The service was a bit slow at first, but I think the wait staff was attempting to be courteous and not rush us in our decision making processes. Our waiter ended up being a total sweet heart and took great care of us the rest of the evening. My counterpart did not have such good luck with his dish. He ordered a chicken dish from Nepal, also recommended by our server, but there were just to many bones to be dealt with which I could imagine was very unappetizing. Our server seemed sweetly offended when he noticed the chicken dish had barely been touched and removed it from our bill. So service = A+ in my opinion. They also had a great wine and beer list. And the naan was yummy, as usual. But who can really screw up naan? I'll be back here for sure, and I hope in the not too distant future. read more

This is my husband's favorite. We think the buffet is really good, and the mix of Indian and Nepalese is great. The restaurant is clean, the service is good and the price is fair. I had my first time eating Indian food in this place and I loved it. They pour water in your glass all the time lol and it can be a little annoying, but we get that -- all that spicy food really calls for lots of water. Great place. read more

I feel like I overhyped this place. Having heard great things from friends and read yelp reviews, I came here on a Friday night, it was pretty packed. I was so torn between getting all Nepalese (since I've never tried it) but only ordered an appetizer, the goat chhoela, which was goat in Nepalese spices with this interesting flattened rice side. I'm glad I tried it, it was interesting flavors. Also got the onion pakoras as well, pretty tasty. Smallish portions for appetizers. For our main dishes got the chicken makhani (pretty tasty) and a vegetable assortment in a almond-cashew sauce (too creamy for my liking). Next time I would not order two super creamy dishes. Also got regular naan which was pretty good. Things I didn't like: there was bumpin techno music in the background which was weird/annoying and when we got home one of our dishes was missing in our leftovers bag. I feel like it's a ok Indian place but I'd like to try it again to give it a second chance. I liked the service, it was very prompt and our server was helpful with suggestions. read more

I came here on a first date with my girlfriend a few mere days after moving to Wicker Park. We came in on a weekday evening and were seated easily without reservations. Our waiter had a pretty strong accent, which made it a little difficult to understand what he was saying at times. He was very cordial and an excellent server, though, which certainly made up for the small language barrier issue. We were very well taken care of throughout the evening. To start, we got two orders of garlic naan, a favorite for both of us. It was served piping hot with a distinct garlic flavor. It was perfectly salted; there was no need to add anything else. For my entree, I ordered the lamb madras, which entailed "boneless lamb cooked in a savory and exotic coconut-flavored creamy curry sauce with delicious indian spices and curry leaves" (quote taken from the menu). I loved the coconut curry sauce and enjoyed that it didn't taste overly spicy. I can handle some spice and I didn't find this baby spicy at all, really. This was a great date night spot, especially for a first date! The atmosphere was romantic and classy, it was not overly expensive, we could easily converse without any loud conversations from the tables next to us or music playing, and (the best of all, in our case) the menu was really vegetarian friendly while still catering to meat eaters. My girlfriend doesn't eat meat and I'm a bloodthirsty carnivore, so the menu options boded well for the both of us. If we are ever in the mood for Indian/Nepalese cuisine in the future, Cumin will be the obvious choice. read more

Cumin is a cute little spot on Milwaukee just tucked far enough south that some of the buzz of Wicker Park becomes less annoying. Things started with a bang. I ate one of the best veggie samosas I've had in my life. Seriously, they nailed it. Everything after that was pretty standard. I was a little underwhelmed by the naan. It was the garlic naan, but really sort of lacked that really garlic flavor. The main dishes, a lamb dish and a chicken dish (sorry blanking on the names) were pretty solid. My main complaint was the temperature. The food wasn't particularly hot. Sort of a luke warm. That for me probably took this down to a 3 instead of a 4. Still having said all that, if you're in the area and craving Indian food you certainly could do far worse. Side note, it's not a BYOB joint, but they have a full and impressively well stocked bar. read more

I love me some good Indian food! Cumin is great cause I don't have to drive to Devon for good Indian food and they totally give you what you ask for. The complimentary papadum and chutneys were great. We ate them up and then asked for more! Then we ordered some veg samosas. They were perfectly crispy, fresh, and not oily at all. They weren't one of those samosas that you eat and can tell that they've been sitting in a pan over a hot lamp for hours. They were done just right! Then we finally ordered the main meal; which was a ton of food (btw). I got the vegetarian platter (the guy said the platter was enough for one person but I had leftovers for two meals afterwards.) My platter came with three vegetarian dishes, naan, rice, and dessert. My friend got the Chicken Tikka Masala dish and the garlic naan; which looked beyond good. He even ate the whole thing up. The host commented on how clean the bowl was. Oh - I asked for my food to be spicy hot (like mom makes it) and they totally gave me some good ol' spicy hot Indian food. They just have it down right! It wasn't like they add an overload of spices to make it spicy hot but they did it the right way by adding chill to the meals... My only complaint is that the tables are too small. We had a hard time keeping everything on the table. We had to remove items from our table so we could have room for other stuff or we had to take the food out and put it on our plates so we had room. It was pretty bad. They need bigger tables or they need to put two tables together. Over all, the food was good, the serve is great, and you always leave there happy (with leftovers). Cumin totally hits the shot. I can't wait to go back! read more

I have been here twice now. The first time, the service was great and the food pretty good. I think it lacks for a deeper melding of spices, though. I noticed this both times, and both times I tried at least three new dishes. I also noticed that everything improved the next day when re-heated. The potato pancake appetizer was very bland. The entrees were better. I recommend the eggplant purée dish. Sorry, I forgot the name of it! On to the service. This last time, they must have been understaffed because the bartender/owner?/ manager seated bus and we were promptly forgotten. It took forever for our food to come. Also noted: old dishes with scratches and grime. An app plate with crud on it, and very cheap bent up utensils. Someone is not paying attention to details! read more

I've been meaning to check this place out since it opened. Yesterday was the perfect chance with my best gal pal. We started with appetizers, the aloo tikka chaat and a medley of fried veggies. The fried veggies were super yum. We also got the monsoon wedding platter. I'm used to food not being spicy enough at Indian restaurants and I asked them to make everything super spicy, and they were even nice enough to switch out the plain naan for the one with peppers in it. Don't get appetizers if you're going for the platter. It's too much food. Holy moly! The food was awesome. I was crying from the heat, just how I like it. The only downside is they take forever to pick up empty plates, get the check, and in general forgot about us once the food had been given. Even with a lack of attention, I would definitely go back. read more

You had me at complimentary papadum and mint chutney. An Indian restaurant in this part of town is long overdue, and Cumin does not disappoint. I had the chicken mekhani, which was delicious, an order of samosas, which was delicious, the mulligatawny soup, which was delicious, extra complimentary papadum and mint chutney, which was delicious, and washed it all down with a Newcastle, which, as you might imagine, was delicious. Best of all, plenty to take home and enjoy later, which I anticipate will also be delicious. I visited around 5:30 on a Sunday, and their were only four other occupied tables, so I experienced none of the service problems that other reviews have reported. Also, I was asked how spicy I'd like my entree, so I suspect the restaurant is reading (and responding to) the other reviews who mentioned the food wasn't as spicy as they prefer. Overall, I was extremely pleased with the service and the food. I look forward to returning with friends as soon as I can--I suspect my take-out won't last long. read more

Food is great and all that. Normally we order from Rangoli but it is closed on Monday. What I was blown away by is that they charge you extra to order rice when the order is carryout. I couldn't even comprehend what she was saying. That a dish that is served with rice does NOT come with rice, only when I don't dine in? It just seems like a shitty practice to make a few extra bucks. We are going back to Rangoli. read more

Cumin claims to be Nepalese, but honestly the menu seemed pretty much Indian other than the different spelling of the dishes. The music was surprisingly Top 40 hits, or something of the sort. The ambience is fine, nothing special, but definitely clean. Also, the prices ain't cheap for Indian food, even for NYC standards. The korma was yum, so was the saag paneer. The goat was on point, and on bone. I've had spicier vindaluu, but still solid. The lentils were surprisingly great -- this is a huge win for Team Vegetarian. Unfortunately, my friend's chicken tikka masala was laughably bad. A bland, orange/red soup. To be honest, it may just be that I have yet to explore Chicago's Indian food scene, but I can see myself coming back, especially if I'm in the neighborhood. read more

I love the food here so much that my fiance and I always overorder. I look forward to going to work the next day just so I can have the leftovers for lunch. You can smell this place a block away for good reason; the food is fresh, cooked perfectly, presented nicely, and absolutely delectable. The menu is large but each dish is executed superbly -- order adventurously. Had to take stars away, though, because it seems like the waitstaff is becoming less cordial and welcoming the more popular the restaurant becomes. Declining to leave a tip on a credit card usually means a stack of cash on the table, so my dining partners and I were unappreciative of the leering glares from waitstaff behind the bar as they processed our bill. They also began taking down tables and cleaning the floors with a full dining room a full hour before the placed closed down -- a sour way to end what was an excellent night of food. If you want a yummy place to fulfill your gluttonous vices, this is the perfect place for you. If you're looking for outstanding service, keep walking, at least for now. read more

When we left on Wednesday night, I was so ready to give this place a 5-star review. Everything about our visit just screamed 5 stars. The service was outstanding - they were so patient when half of our 6-person party (we had advance reservations) was an hour late due to the crazy weather. The waitress was a bit hard to find at times, but was mostly very attentive and very helpful with suggestions and answers to our questions. Most importantly though, the food. YUM YUM YUM!! Everyone was thrilled with their selections. We started out with veggie samosas. Lots of veggie samosas. And naan of course. For an entree, I got the lamb chili masala. And for those reviewers below who complained about it not being spicy enough, well, they listened! I ordered it hot and it was HOT! All was well until Friday afternoon, when I ate my leftovers for an early dinner. And a few hours later got sicker than sick. Let me just tell you that food tasted a lot better going down than it did coming back up. So sadly, I doubt that I'll be rushing back to Cumin anytime soon. read more