Must try We went there for brunch. Very busy place. We made reservations before hand, service is very good and fast. Food- we ordered big idli- good- but had better ones. Order mysore masala dosa was really good. Sambar and coconut chutney good, bot the peanut chutney- tasted stale Paneer dosa was a twist and impressed with the taste. Tried chach - this was so refreshing Tried filter coffee- this was only this that need alot of improvement. We are from south India and I must say they failed in this Ambiance is beautiful Two large rooms- plenty of staff Definitely will return read more

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Vanam was a pleasant surprise. Went there mainly to try their jackfruit Biryani and that was totally worth it. Marination on the jackfruit was just right. Service was great, the server helped us with our queries. Ambiance is a little cramped given too many tables close to eachother. Food wise definitely will go again. The roti could be better with right phulka effect. read more

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My wife and I, along with two friends, visited for dinner. This was our first time, though one of friends (also a foodie) had been before and raved about it. The restaurant is strictly a vegetarian restaurant which is tough for this omnivore, but love different flavors, so for a night I would forgo animal proteins. Situated in a strip mall, between Global Brew Tap House and Binny's Beverage Depot, has plenty of parking out front. Inside is OK. I like the signage at the front, as it looks very modern and clean. But, the front dining room has high ceilings, kind of industrial look and sound is amplified. It was very busy which made things very loud especially with families and younger children. Definitely not a quiet evening. They recently took over an adjoined space which looks like more of a quieter dining room, but didn't venture to that side so I cannot comment on it. As you can see from the pictures is is very open and does have interesting paintings and unique dragonflies between, but too open and boxy for our particular liking. We like modern and more quiet, but that is a matter of preference. Some like that style bringing energy and sense of community. Service was OK, fairly attentive, but a little robotic. They didn't have a wow factor. The servers had portable devices to take the order and pay the bill so that was very tech savvy and convenient. This is a South Indian vegetarian restaurant. So, as I mentioned, I prefer meat proteins, but not going to knock them for it. I liked my Gobi Manchurian (one of my go to veg dishes) and finished it off with Chole Bhaturi. The offer medium or hot spice - I chose medium which was perfect for me. My wife and our friends shared much of the other appetizers. She didn't care for the food all that much as it wasn't what she is used to - she's from a different part of India and said they added things that are popular but not really South Indian cuisine, so didn't translate as much for her. Both her and I had stomach issues that evening and into the morning. So, not sure what that was all about. Our friends were fine and had an assortment of other dishes (see pictures). They don't serve alcohol, but ironically they are surrounded by a brew house and liquor store. LOL Not sure if we will be back, as it wasn't really our scene and is pretty far for us to travel, but I know our friends will be back. I rated 4 stars as I wanted to be fair, not knock them for our preferences. If I were to offer a little constructive advice, might want to do something in the ceiling to dampen the sound a big - be creative and offer something that does the job but could be a conversation piece. I have seen upside down hanging umbrellas, but not sure if that's a match for the culture. Walls and signage are stylish, but doesn't match the industrial look, work on complimentary decor. Servers need to exude the personality that the owner has. Personality and friendliness, less robotic. As for value, the pricing is very reasonable with good portions, we ate a lot and tasted very good to me. Recommend trying it out! If we are in the area we may be back, but it probably won't go on our must repeat list (no offense)l distance and style didn't equate. read more

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I had an average experience here. The positive is the lovely service and quick food. Also, the menu is vast and something for everyone. The place is massive. The negatives is the acoustics of this place make the echo so loud and to drown that out, they turned the music up, making conversation really difficult. Also, the dosa is super oily and the sambhar quite watery. read more

Tried this new Indian vegetarian restaurant after a few recommendations from others. We got the chili fried rice and they accommodated adding paneer to it which was so good and to our spice level! The gobi 65 was really good too and had a kick to it as we ordered the spicy one in terms of spice level. We also ordered the puri with khurma which was my favorite. I loved that it was made different using soya chunks. The flavor and taste of it was different than the typical mixed veg khurma I thought it would be. Overall I would recommend this place to others, I just hope they keep up the service and flavors down the line as this is still a new restaurant for now. read more

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Vanam is a nice place to have vegetarian Indian food. We tried south Indian food for what it is famous for, so I'm not sure if it's gonna be worth trying not Indian food. We ordered Idli - big ones don't know the name. It was good not great. Masala Rava Onion Dosa - three of us ordered that and it was very good, crispy. Cheese masala dosa - it was good too And regular masala dosa, which was good In drinks, I ordered nimbua masala, soda - I didn't like that at all Virgin Mojito - that was very good Chaas - butter buttermilk that was good too Then at the end, we ordered filter coffee - strong, but was very good I recommend this place for good food, but not really great ambiance. read more

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5 stars for Vanam Indian Restaurant in Schaumburg. Please note that this is a VEGETARIAN restaurant so do not except any chicken/lamb etc. I tried this one for the first time today and it was very good. I had the Paneer Tikka Masala and the Malai Kofta - both included a side of rice and you can adjust both of the curries spice level to your liking, I did hot for both - and it was decently spicy. The Malai Kofta has a sweet flavor to the sauce while the paneer tikka masala has more of a curry type flavor to the sauce - both delicious and the portions are generous. All of the workers were very friendly and there is a ton of seating inside for dine in. I'd highly recommend a visit to Vanam Indian Restaurant if you're in Schaumburg and want some delicious vegetarian Indian food. read more

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The primary improvement possible would be service. It was just horrible. Our server was hostile towards us, and all we did was come for a nice family lunch. Our food was spaced 40 minutes apart, and two of the items had to be returned to be recooked as they were served cold. So sad because we brought my mother here for a nice lunch. From order time to serve time, I waited 40 minutes for my food. The food, all three of us found the salt level to be off. Today, we also found the coconut chutney to be super spicy. We wanted this lunch to be special for my Mother, and now now none of of will come back. read more

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Service here was pretty efficient. We got our food fairly quick. Also did appreciate the variety on the menu. Ambiance was nice, big restaurant. Food itself wasn't as awesome as I had expected. The dosas despite being rava didn't have that 'cage' like texture which is kind of the whole point of Rava. Sambar was great. There were 3 chutneys given, the peanut one and the coconut one weren't that good. Peanut one was just a whole diff vibe, just not up my alley. Coconut one lacked salt/flavor. Tomato one was a hit! Spicy and flavorful. Overall would go back to try other items. 7.5/10 experience. read more

Vanam - Rava masala - Indian Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

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Ambience and staff were great! The food we got on the thaali was delicious, would have appreciated a bit more spice but that's a personal preference. The roti was unfortunately underdone though read more

Vanam - Thaali - Indian Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

Everything I ordered was amazing. I did not realize it was vegetarian until I looked at the menu but holy moly are there so many amazing options. I even ordered some food to go to try something I was eyeing. Services was slow, but in a good way. I was attended to, I was not rushed. I was even admiring the decor looking around the walls when my server came up asking if I needed something. This would be a perfect date night or family dining. Food came out perfect every time. read more

We went here for dinner tonight and enjoyed it. This is a massive relatively new fully vegetarian South Indian restaurant up in Schaumburg. Kind of reminds me of a couple of popular places down in the Naperville area. It's a big place because it seems like they have purchased/rented the restaurant next door, so giving them an even bigger space. So we went in and had to wait probably ~20 mins for a table. It was pretty crowded for a Thursday night, although it was Jan 1st, so maybe more people out an about on a holiday. The seating / hostess and wait staff I would say is a big of desi chaos. I think they must still be working out their process and kinks. There was one lady walking around with a wireless menu device. The staff is all very nice. So we ordered a bunch of stuff and it comes out by the table number as they make it. For appetizers we had a bunch of things. A couple of varieties of idlis amongst other items. My onion rava masala dosa was pretty good. Crispy and all. The sambar is also decent. I got the masala on the side. Other things I tasted as they were getting passed around... curd rice was fine... jackfruit biryani was fine... paneer was kind of meh... etc. So anyway, it was a fun evening and I'm glad we came out. read more

Great ambience and very quick service makes me want to go back when i am tired after a long day's work and want to eat the best vegetarian food no matter what i am are craving, south indian dosas and gongura biryani, north indian spicy bullet naan and paneer chatpata or even indo chinese hakka noodles and paneer 65. Special mention for the Falooda because it is so different and the best I have had anywhere. read more

The only veg restaurant I can tolerate. Been here multiple times since they have opened. And since it was the day, we didn't have the patience to search for new restaurants we decided to celebrate birthday here. I would tell you they are always busy. And they don't take any reservations, so do plan on keeping an extra buffer before you head down there . Even though they are always busy, I felt we don't have to wait for food for long. The food is prepared quick and flavorful. Way better than other places around serving veg, Indian food. The southern Indian food is to die for. The owners really invest their time in this place. We got a small table and their kind gesture was to giving us a desert on the house on my birthday and also played a birthday song . I was melting in their kindness. We ordered so much food that was made to perfection. A decent sized portion the appetizers were shared between four of us. We got like good number of pieces in between us . We ordered Thali, which I would tell you the best Thali I have ever tried in Chicago area. The key button idlis were cotton soft, my son a picky eater ate all those without complaining. Overall I loved this place! Definitely coming back soon. Also an add on mention for their servers, they were very courteous and so were the cleaners too hard working. The another add on benefit about this place it is conveniently located in a plaza with lot of ample parking spaces. Thumbs up! read more

Vanam - Indian Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

We went on a Friday evening, tables were available around 6pm, and then by 6:30pm all tables were full, so I suggest coming earlier. All the staff were very nice and attentive. Food was amazing, all the dishes we got tasted so good and fresh. The interior looked very nice and simple, which was what I liked. The only thing I did not enjoy was the ginger chai, it was not fresh and tasted off, if you want an after dinner drink I suggest getting the coffee, that was fantastic! Would definitely go again for food. read more

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Thanks Rachel for excellent service .. great food and ambience . Good family restaurant!

We went on a Saturday at 1:30 pm and easily got a table with a short 10 mins wait. The food was very similar to A2B, even the menu and some of the tableware were similar to A2B, not sure if it's a branch of A2B. We paid about $260 for a group of 6. The South Indian food was good, Idli Vada dosa pongal upma chutneys etc. I wasn't impressed by paneer khurchan or the kaju-mushroom curries. Thali was really good. The decor was nice and modern. The servers were sweet and friendly. Plenty of parking outside the restaurant. read more

Amazing service and great vibe. I specifically loved the live singer making the dinning experience even execusive. Our group ordered south Indian food and we all loved the options. Definitely recommend this place for a nice meal and experience. read more

First, they do not take reservations. First come first serve. We were 6 couples meeting for dinner on a Friday evening. They were extremely courteous to make sure we were all seated together knowing that our party would walk in sporadically. We ordered 2 Mysore Dosas, uttapam, rava dosa, idli/vada combo, 3 hot and sour soups, 3 manchow soups, garlic chili fried rice, garlic chili noodles and filtered coffee. Lots of food! All dishes were wonderfully prepared and the taste of each was on point, no complaints! Most of our dishes were medium spicy. They make sure to ask about spice level before placing the order. Each dish was so well prepared, I will not hesitate to return to try their other dishes! read more

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overall experience is ok. Not great. Masala Dosa was good. Chiku milkshake was nice. But Chole bhature was really oily and not tasty. Chapati was also not up to the standard. Paneer curries were fine. Service is ok and ambience is casual. Also on little expensive side. I won't drive all way to schaumburg for this place. read more

We ordered the dosa, rasam vada, and dahi vada, and everything was delicious. The flavors were authentic, the food was fresh, and each dish was prepared very well. We really enjoyed our meal and had a great experience. Looking forward to coming back and trying more items from the menu! read more

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I recently had the pleasure of dining at Vanam, and it was an exceptional experience from beginning to end. From the moment I walked through the doors, I was welcomed with genuine hospitality and outstanding customer service. The staff was warm, attentive, and dedicated to ensuring that every guest had a memorable dining experience. One of the things that immediately stood out was the professionalism and friendliness of the entire team. The hosts greeted us with a smile, and our server was knowledgeable, patient, and eager to help with menu recommendations. They took the time to explain different dishes, answer questions, and ensure that everyone at the table felt comfortable and well cared for throughout the meal. The food was absolutely outstanding. Every dish was beautifully presented and bursting with authentic flavors. The ingredients tasted fresh, and it was clear that a great deal of care and attention went into the preparation of each meal. The menu offered a wonderful variety of options, allowing guests to explore different flavors and culinary traditions. Whether enjoying appetizers, entrées, or desserts, every item we ordered exceeded expectations. The restaurant's atmosphere was equally impressive. The dining area was clean, stylish, and thoughtfully designed, creating a comfortable and inviting environment. The ambiance struck the perfect balance between elegant and relaxed, making it an excellent choice for family dinners, date nights, celebrations, or casual outings with friends. What truly sets Vanam apart is its commitment to providing exceptional hospitality. Every staff member we encountered was courteous, attentive, and genuinely focused on ensuring that guests had a positive experience. Their attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond created an atmosphere where customers feel valued and appreciated. The service was efficient without ever feeling rushed. Food arrived promptly, drinks were refilled regularly, and the staff consistently checked in to make sure everything was satisfactory. This level of attentiveness contributed greatly to the overall enjoyment of our visit. Overall, Vanam exceeded my expectations in every way. The combination of delicious food, outstanding service, welcoming staff, and a beautiful atmosphere makes it a standout dining destination. It is clear that the team takes pride in delivering a high-quality experience for every guest. I highly recommend Vanam to anyone looking for an exceptional restaurant that offers fantastic food and remarkable hospitality. I look forward to returning and experiencing more of what this wonderful restaurant has to offer. read more

clean n comfortable! Excellent service. Varma was a fine host!. Food quality was great. Consistency on all the dishes ordered. Quick service. Clean clean clean read more

Compared to most other Indian restaurants in suburban Chicago, Vanam stands out, Vanam is a breath of fresh air compared to Gaylord ( which is good ) being modern and vegetarian. Mango lassi, samosa, masala dosa, palak paneer were all excellent for dinner tonight. It was packed with Indian Americans proving its quality. read more

Went there for a lunch when it was pretty new.. it was packed with people waiting outside. The service was very slow, could be because it was newly opened and wasn't expecting do much crowd. The food was good. We ordered - dosa, biryani, malai kofta, idli and few appetizers. read more

Had the worst experience here recently. This place offers very few vegan options, and not even the majority of traditionally vegan dishes--like channa masala, dosa, uttapam, idly, vada, etc.--are vegan by default here, as they all contain dairy. And for most of those dishes, they weren't even willing to prepare a vegan version. There was no warning on the menu indicating that these items contain dairy, so I nearly ordered them under the assumption they would be vegan, as they are everywhere else. Even the channa masala was only made vegan after we asked multiple times, and when it finally came out, it was just a small bowl of channa, as shown in the picture, and it was poorly cooked and slightly hard. Literally the entire point of me going to a South Indian restaurant is so that I can eat South Indian food which is traditionally vegan, such as dosa, uttapam, idly, and vada. Yes, I was able to eat Manchurian and (eventually) channa masala here, but if I wanted those things, I could have gone to an Indochinese or North Indian restaurant instead, and they would have made them better. And to top it all off, at the counter they were serving salt water taffy that contained eggs, which aren't even considered vegetarian in India. We confirmed this by asking to see the packaging, which listed eggs in the ingredients. Ironically, most of the non-Indian, non-vegetarian restaurants I go to are way more vegan-friendly than this "Indian vegetarian" restaurant. Will never come here again unless they remove dairy from all of the traditionally vegan options. read more

Vanam - Salt water taffy with eggs at the counter - Indian Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

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The food was good but when we went to pay via credit, we learn the tip doesn't go to the server. Only cash tips. That is wrong and misleading since credit card system asks if I want to tip. I am not impressed with the management taking credit tips and pocketing the money. The polite server deserve the tip. The servers do not get any of that unless it is cash. Next time ask the server. read more

The best South Indian food I've had in the US. I went with my mom and we tried three items. We started with potato samosa. Very flavorful filling. The wrap or crust was amazing, hot crispy and flaky. We followed that up with masala dosa. It was big! And delicious! The filling was perfectly seasoned. Our final item was idli with sambar, again very tasty. Everything was s little spicy and not too hot. The service was excellent. We wrapped up with South Indian coffee, a perfect finish. read more

Five stars for food-- the thatte idlies (I've now tried three different combinations) are the softest idlies I've had in the US. Their chutneys are incredible, I wish I could purchase an entire tub of the tomato chutney, the peanut also has a very unique flavor. The sambar is so good I ate the whole bowl to the last drop. The dosas are also great, uttapams are soft and full of flavor as well. I've ended up going twice in one week because it was so tasty. A great find for vegetarians. Four stars only because of service. The first time we went, our dishes all came out at different times causing our meal to become an almost three hour affair. The second time, they were at the end of service for the night so things were slow again. I anticipate and hope this will get better with time as the food here is delicious! read more

The servers were very helpful when I was ordering vegan food. There was a huge list of dosa plates, and other curries. The reason for the 4 stars is because they don't offer masala tea. read more

No reservations? We were visiting a store up 15 min away. Plan was to arrive by 12:45 but of course, stores never go on schedule. Ended up arriving at 1:15 and yes, there was a wait since they don't take any reservations. We had a 3pm show in Barrington. We were told the wait would be 30 to 40 min. Our hearts kind of sunk; do we wait and try our luck here and risk getting late for our show or shall we take the chance. We decided to chance it and I am pleased to report WE ALL ARE GLAD WE DID. We ordered a bunch of things. For the not so well versed, while the food here I think specializes in 'South Indian' food, I wasn't quite able to pin point which part of South India it caters to (or does it to different parts?). The rasam; LOVED the texture. I missed one flavor profile you get in a Keralan rasam. Sorry; can't pin point what. Nevertheless, it was really really good. We ordered a bunch of things to share. Stuffed mirchi bhaji was not bad. It wasn't the best I've had but not bad. The paneer manchuran was beautifully cooked. The sauce was DELICIOUS. Had to keep licking my fingers it was that good. The paneer was so fresh, fried (to perfection without it being overdone) and had the amazing 'spongy' feeling to it. We ordered a vada rasam. The rasam I described above. Vada was fresh and had that crisp from the outside and spongy from the inside feel. I wanted the chole bhature but they did not have bature this day so I went with the puri chole. This was amazing. This is not a South Indian dish (I think) but they did a phenomenal job with it. The puri while larger than Sindhi puris were thin and light. Did not feel the extra weight after having such a meal. Ran out of puri so ordered a phulka. Amazing phulka. Simple and this actually felt like homemade. Also ordered a plain dosa. This was one of the best dosas I've had in Chicago. It was thin, crispy and check this out; after about 30 min, it STILL had the crispy texture. Very very well made. Lastly, we had the the rava desert with pieces of fruit in it. THIS WAS THE BEST RAVA DESERT I'VE HAD EVER; PERIOD. It was not too sweet (yes, it still did have sugar but was not overly sweet like everything else we get in the US), had plenty of ghee. It had the richness yet freshness I can't quote describe. The servers were friendly and accomodating. Other thing I really loved about the place is; their plates, their metal dishes, glasses, water bottles, etc.; everything had their Vanam branding on it. A nice touch. Can't wait to try more stuff here. read more

Food was amazing and so flavorful! We had stopped eating out at Indian restaurants as the food was too bland and we could make better at home. We WILL be back! read more

Vanam is amazing! We got the Gobi 65, Chole Bhature, and Mysore Masala Dosa -- all were super flavorful and perfectly made. Everything tasted fresh and authentic. Definitely go early because the lines start forming around dinner time, and it's easy to see why! One of the best South Indian spots in the area. read more

Vanam - Chole Bhature - Indian Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

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Food is generally good. We visited today again and ordered Jackfruit biriyani. It was almost kitchen closing time, instead of saying they cant make that dish, they gave the order with little to no jackfruit in it. I think this problem plagues most of the restaurants, rather than saying no, they give something, not thinking it ruins their reputation. Next time I may have to ask them explicitly if they remember to have some jackfruit in their so-called jackfruit biriyani. I would say it is overly priced for a plain biriyani. read more

Great food and service. Little pricey though. But would certainly recommend to friends and family.

Vanam is a good Indian vegetarian restaurant specializing in South Indian cuisine. We loved their Dosa platters and also the vegetarian thali. Overall it is a good value for money. Above all we loved their staff. They are very friendly and give you their recommendations that turned out to be perfect to our liking. We will definitely go back, thanks to their very friendly staff. read more

I love this place. Best vegetarian restaurant in Chicago in my opinion. Can't wait to go back. Clean and neat. Delicious food. Humble service. Absolutely love this place. read more

Very nice food, fast service. Our server Rechal was very helpful to choose their famous food. She recommended stuffed mitchi bhaji, one of the best ones. read more

Vanam - Vaanam special dosa Rava mysore dosa Stuffed Mirchi Bhajji - Indian Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

I have toured so many restaurants in the area. I thought this is the absolute top Indian restaurant! The food was excellent quality, excellent in natural ingredients. It was delicious, and we ordered a variety of foods to try. Clean filtered water. Choice of spicy level. Excellent music in atmosphere and incredibly clean. The Indian tea has an excellent increased spice with ginger. They even have this excellent filter coffee that's not overbearing and a hint of chocolate. The staff are incredibly welcoming and friendly and helpful. Lastly ,one of the best parts is, it's great pricing. read more

Food and service are excellent, best South Indian in town for sure, but the hours of operation sucks, opens late and closed during the afternoons. Tried going back several times, and couldn't enjoy their delicious food because of them being closed. read more