New Favorite Indian place

I know a lot of people have said that the best Indian place in Chicago is some fancy place down town.... and even though I've never been there, I just don't see how the millions of places on Devon could not be at the top of the list.

Last night Steve and one of my vegetarian friends, SKM, and I visited Arya Bhavan on Devon near Campbell. It's all vegetarian. There was not a soul in the place except one waiter, but we had heard our friends rave about it so we thought we'd give it a try. We had taj mahal beer, spicy samosas filled with lentils and potatoes. For our entrees we shared a garlic nan (soooooo yummy), mutter paneer (peas and cheese in a rich spiced sauce), avial (vegetables in a coconut and chile sauce), and tadka dal (lentils with ginger and garlic). Everything was delicious. The service was on the slow side but it's what I expect from places in this area. We definitely did not receive poor service. The prices were comparable to other things in the neighborhood. Not expensive or cheap. The only things I would change about this place are the table clothes - trade out the circa 1989 pink and black paint splashes for crisp, clean white linens and maybe red napkins. And the music was down way to low to be a part of the experience. Crank it up, please! I heard they have a buffet on the weekends, so you will definitely see me here again.

Another notable place that we have discovered and liked is Chopal, on Devon near Bell. I believe it's Pakistani food. Lots of meats and sauces with several vegetarian options. The inside is really fun and it decorated very well. Don't count on drinking here though. Alcohol is prohibited for religious reasons. However the first two times we went it was really cheap. And the next time it was more expensive. It's kind of hard to figure out what is what on the bill. The service is really slow. So don't go if you are in a rush. In general I like this place - good food and atmosphere.