We booked this the night Indienne became the first Indian restaurant in Chicago to get a star. This meal was from November 21, 2023. I apologize for the picture quality, I usually take pictures for myself to jog my memory, not for others.
General commentary:
– vegetarian menu is of equal quality to the other menu. It is also more Indian in its identity and, I think, better.
– there are absolutely restaurants in India of this quality and better. Once the Michelin guide makes it there, expect many restaurants to get them. In the meantime, someone who puts in the research can get great meals at lower prices.
– as a cocktail bar (you can walk in to a bar seat), it’s the best south Asian one I’ve been to (of 6 or 7 across Chicago, NYC, Seattle, and Mumbai)
– they’re somewhat known for their gin and tonic cart. Unless you love G&Ts, you’d be crazy to do this over another cocktail. Plenty of bars in Chicago can make you a great one.
– they wisely chose to not make traditional Indian desserts. Those are extremely hard to make outside a high-volume Mithai (sweet) store and it’s generally a mistake to attempt to cook them in a restaurant.
– the service was great but not excellent. For example, we had a few different sommeliers for each pairing, some of which failed to wipe the wine bottle after pouring. I don’t care about this but I do think that’s optimistic for their future: there are obvious things they can do to get to **.
– the wine pairing was good. I would recommend it but if you have a low alcohol tolerance, I’d prioritize cocktails.
– we paid 110 for veg, 120 for not. I believe both those prices are increasing by $5 for the 2024. Incredible value for money.
by skyfall3665