Tl;dr come here for the food, but maybe go elsewhere for more grocery options. Nice variety of food…read morethat is made fresh and is reasonably priced. ===== I first heard of this place from Reddit and it was described as a good grocery with a food court. The food court part definitely rang true, but I was surprised at how small the grocery store was. I think Metro Spice Mart by Presidential Towers is 20 times bigger than the store here, though it was nice to see that they had fresh injera. You can probably find the basics here, but the grocery part definitely takes a backseat to the food court part, which I'm not exactly complaining about. The food court has a really nice menu with pictures all across one of the walls. Everything looked and smelled really great, and I definitely want to try more of the menu next time! We got some paratha, samosas, kheer, halwa, chai, and a beef roll recently. The paratha took a while since it was made fresh, but the buttery flavor was superb and I'd definitely order it again. Would definitely get the kheer again, too. The samosas came with a yogurt and a tamarind sauce, which I appreciated. The beef roll was a little dry, though a decent size. I don't generally like halwa and this one had a perfumey flavor my family didn't like. The chai was fine. I like how it's near a bunch of other large Asian grocery stores. Next time I'm in the area and have a hankering for Indian/Pakistani food, will definitely be back!

Butter chicken and samosas were 10/10 amazing. Mango lassi too. The samosa was perfectly crunchy…read more The chutney had a subtle heat. Very very memorable dishes. The chicken biryani had bones it which I was really hoping it wouldn't. The website said boneless :( All in all, I will definitely order again and adjust my order. Strong 4/5 this time with a 5/5 possible in the next visit.

Rude af. Never again. Ruined our expensive delivery meal by leaving a dinner out then being rude…read moreabout it. Nope.

This was pretty phenomenal Indian food for such a low key place. I would absolutely recommend it to…read moreanyone! We came for restaurant week and left with enough food for two more whole meals. It seems unassuming from the outside, but please don't let that deter you because the service was friendly and the food was delicious. Between the two of us we spent 60 dollars (again keep in mind this is north side restaurant week pricing) and we had the chicken tikki masala, chicken vindaloo, chicken madras, basmati rice, garlic naan, chicken soup, rice pudding, and gulab jamun. I have zero complaints about anything! The chicken all ranged in spice level so make sure you're paying attention to that. I will say the soup was very very spicy but if you're not afraid of that it was delicious. They offer carryout as well and I will definitely be back!

Food and ambiance were great! To be honest I didn't expect the food to be so fresh.. They have an…read moreopen kitchen and make your food in front of you. The only thing which I didn't like was their server. He made such an irritated face as if he was very unhappy about his job.. But I will go back soon.

Frontier chicken roll was pretty solid and the chicken was fresh. I wish there were more veggies in…read morethe wrap and a tad bit less oil. I also thought it was missing a sauce element. The staff were all very friendly and the chai was amazing

We came here shortly after they opened and finally got back around to visiting again…read more It was delicious! I had the Shapta. Unfortunately they were out of the tingmo, so I got the garlic naan instead. My partner got the chow mein with chicken (fair warning, the chow mein noodles are spicy!) I also got the masala tea and it was prepared the traditional way, you can tell because as it cools it forms a skin on the top. Our order was slightly delayed, so they gave us a complimentary dessert. I won't wait as long to come back next time.

I won't say too much about the business that was here before, but let's just say I'm not surprised…read morethey went under. Kathmandu, meanwhile, shows some promise. However, they are not without their kinks that need to be worked out - growing pains, if you will. I ordered the Butter Chicken with rice. Getting the food took somewhere between 10-15 minutes. I am going to assume it was made fresh, but considering it was just rice, chicken in sauce, and a couple veggie slices, I couldn't tell you for sure. With the veggie slices, I am left wondering "why?" It was a couple slices of carrot and cucumber. They lacked any kind of preparation or seasoning (not even salt), and took up half the tray. Again, why? The rice, meanwhile, was cooked perfectly. It wasn't at all sticky, and each grain could be seperated. The issue here is with portion size. Rice not only serves as a carb/starch element, but also works to absorb sauce. While I don't like it, I understand why a business would skimp on proteins... but skimping on rice seems, for lack of a better term, inappropriate. Then we come to the protein. There was an ample amount of chicken. The meat itself was tender, and the sauce had good flavor. While not mind-blowing, it had a mild heat, and light tomato, cream, and spice notes. While I would have liked the flavors to be bolder, I cannot in good conscious call the dish bland. Finally, there is the matter of price. After tax, the Butter Chicken came to just over $14. Even though I appreciate that nothing is cheap anymore, this felt a little excessive considering the quality and quantity of food I received. Final verdict: While Kathmandu Cafe had great potential, andn I am especially looking forward to trying their momo, as well as their Tibetan menu, where it comes to the Indian side of their menu, I do not feel a draw to return and order more.

Had a severe craving for Indian. Very cute little restaurant. Not too big. Had super cute stained…read moreglass hanging lamps and table lamps. Love a place with cute low lighting. Got a spiced mango martini. Was good! Love a mango drink. Always worth it for me. The samosas were delicious. Could have had 5 more. The mains were good! Well flavored, but we got medium and it came out like mild. Next time will definitely be getting hot (or asking for hot sauce).

The Essence of India serves amazing food! I love this…read morerestaurant, and in my opinion, it's one of the best Indian restaurants in Chicago. We usually order vegetable biryani, vegetable korma curry, garlic naan, and samosas--everything is always delicious. The wine selection is good too. The owner is very welcoming, and the staff is friendly as well. Highly recommended!

Bamyan Kabob's lunch buffet is one of those rare spots where you feel like you've discovered…read moresomething special the moment you sit down. The standout for me was the chicken soup--rich, creamy, and packed with flavor in a way that feels both comforting and indulgent without being heavy. It's the kind of dish you go back for more than once. The variety of rice offerings was equally impressive, each with its own distinct seasoning and texture--from light and fragrant to more savory, spiced options that pair perfectly with the rest of the meal. The chicken dishes on the buffet were tender and well-marinated, with a depth of flavor that clearly comes from careful preparation rather than shortcuts. I also appreciated the small touches that round out the experience. The tea was warm and soothing, a perfect complement to the meal, and the dessert selection added a nice, subtle sweetness to finish without overwhelming you. Overall, Bamyan Kabob delivers a well-balanced, flavorful lunch buffet that feels both hearty and thoughtfully prepared. It's a place that doesn't just fill you up--it makes you want to come back.

My first Yelp event was at Kabul House on Oakton (Skokie), before they moved to Dempster…read more(Evanston). And from that moment to this, I've always been amazed by Afghanistan style cooking. And that's why I was attracted to Bamyan Kabob. I drive down Lincoln Avenue every week it seems, and guess what, there's Bamyan that I'm seeing out of the corner of my eye. So I finally came in, at least three (3) times now and I really enjoy the greetings from the employees, they are very friendly. They also have videos showing how the food is prepared and cooked, which is very insightful. As for the food, definitely get the mantu entree, these are the beef pot stickers, these are incredible. I would also select the steak and chicken kebabs with salad. Although we've asked for rare steak, it's been on the medium well side. But both the steak and chicken breast cubes are still very juicy. Excellent service too, in this neat and clean environment. When it was warmer, we sat in the outdoor enclosed area and that was cool, literally.

Such an amazing experience there on 8/2. Had the behl, Mysore Sada Dosa and the Baigan Bhartha. The…read moreservice was to helpful and educational. So happy and will definitely be back soon.

Amazing veggie plates and 2 foot dosa. Palak paneer is spiced well and fragrant. Rice is done…read moreperfectly. Service was a bit rough, but with it for the food.

Amazing spot on milwaukee ave. We loved everything and will be back to try more. It felt like a…read moregood value (around $60) for everything we ordered and it was enough for two people to have two meals. There weren't many people dining in and it took a little while for food to come out, but it was piping hot and fresh, so that felt worth it to me. The interior was clean and seating was spread out.

The Misses and I were craving some Indian food last week. We've tried a lot of the places around…read moreus and haven't been blown away. We checked the Googles and saw this spot just recently opened so we decided to give it a try. We ordered pick up. The inside was very spacious with a lot of tables. Dishes are served in traditional metal platters if you dine in. When I went to the counter, I was greeted by the owner. They let me know that our final dish to our order was just finishing up. I was offered a seat while I waited. Overall tremendous service, a clean and spacious dining area, friendly and welcoming staff and most importantly delicious food! Rasa really hit the spot. I can't recommend this place highly enough. Come check it out, you won't be disappointed!