Tandoori Restaurant - Des Plaines (on Ballard)

I really like this place, so much that i took my first food pictures. Here's Frontier Chicken Rice:

that's about half eaten—the portions are big. I go to this place all the time; the food is just delicious and I want them to be around so that I can continue to order from them! please give 'em a try. the prices are reasonable. i recommend the chicken korma (its so rich and delicious), chicken biriyani (very aromatic), naan/paratha and frontier chicken/frontier chicken rice. they also have gosht and do serve breakfast. i ask for my stuff extra spicey and the owner always gets a kick out of that. here's their info (i think they are open till 10pm most days):

Tandoori Restaurant
9344 West Ballard
Des Plaines IL
847-824-6550

If you have a menu, or if you recall, would you mind throwing some prices at me for the stuff you mentioned? Also, do they have A butter chicken, or a chicken makhanwala (or spelled somewhat similar) This place would be a quick sojourn on my way home, and I've been on a pretty big Indian food kick for like the past year or so. I'd love to give it a try!
Hell, I could be tempted to stop on my way home today!

whats up seebee,

they do have a makhani (sp?) and its either 6.99 or 7.99. the biriyanis are 5.99-6.99, the entrees are 6.99-8.99, the breads are 1.00-2.00, and they also have tandoor grill items ranging up to the whole chicken which if i recall correctly is 12.99.

- mike

Sounds like pretty standard pricing. I'm in! I'll get some stuff on my way home today. Thanks for posting this!

So, I stopped and picked up on the way home today. Decent stuff.
Nihari: Ok version. Decent heat. Flavor was not very deep, or complex, but it was decent stuff for the price - 5.99, I think.

Butter Chicken (murgh makhani): Again, decent. I liked it well enough. Had a nice tang, and a decent kick. I wasn't feeling rice-y so I went with the gravy dishes instead of the biryani or frontier chicken that was recommended, but this was ok stuff here. Thanks for posting about this place.

no problem! thanks for trying it seebee... the price and location are right for me... glad it was alright!

seebee wrote:So, I stopped and picked up on the way home today. Decent stuff.
Nihari: Ok version. Decent heat. Flavor was not very deep, or complex, but it was decent stuff for the price - 5.99, I think.
Butter Chicken (murgh makhani): Again, decent. I liked it well enough. Had a nice tang, and a decent kick. I wasn't feeling rice-y so I went with the gravy dishes instead of the biryani or frontier chicken that was recommended, but this was ok stuff here. Thanks for posting about this place.

Hey, I posted about this place months ago!

Naah, actually, Seebee has probably been to it more often than me anyway.
I think its a decent place (though very hard to find - they dont even have
the "Tandoori Restaurant" temporary green banner anymore!). I havent
had the Butter Chicken yet, but have had the Nehari - its a decent to
fair Nehari, IMHO, not quite up to Sabri or Usmaniya on Devon, but not bad.
It is a couple bucks cheaper, though. I pick up from there on occasion -
but if youre significantly further east, it might make more sense to just do the
Devon run instead.

For the kind of food it serves (menu similar to Usmaniya or Sabri, more
Indian/Muslim or Pakistani than typical "Indian"), it is the only real option
in its area, and a solid one for it, quite authentic (I think they probably
do most of their business from the mosque down the street, which
also would explain the lack of advertising, or even a real sign - its
probably all word-of-mouth Its a very good option, especially
if youre around Morton Grove, Niles, Des Plaines, Glenview etc.

When Iam in the area, I sometimes pick up from Tandoori.. but usually
have found myself picking up from Malabar Catering instead (maybe
a mile and a half up the road). Probably just because Malabar is
unique to Chicagoland, in that theyre the only ones doing that type
of food (and theyre very damn good too

BTW, for homestyle Indian food, there are a couple other very good
(but not well-known) options in the vicinity. One is the grocery store
"Indian Food and Video" - in the stripmall with the Value City and
the SunView Market on Golf Road. They have fresh "dhoklas"
every day, and both veggie and non-veggie prepared foods which
are supposedly quite good (Ive tried only the dhoklas and they were
good - but Iam told the fish-curry type stuff is surprisingly good too,
they have some people who make em at home and supply them
every day to be sold at the grocery store).

The other place is in the same strip-mall, a couple of doors down from
Indian food and Video. This is the "South Asian Senior Center" IIRC.. and,
from Monday thru Saturday for lunch (between about 11 and 3), they
offer quite excellent purely vegetarian home-made Gujarati food. For
a grand total of about 5 bucks, you get 5 rotis, rice, dal, and the
special vegetable-dish-of-the-day, all home-made. (If youre a senior,
you actually get it for about 2 bucks IIRC).

If youre in the vicinity and in the mood to occasionally pick up Indian food,
the above two place might be good options as well.

c8w

I definitely remember your post about this place, and I'm pretty sure MBK gave you props about turning them on to this place in another thread as well?
Whenever you have a sec, however, would you mind pinpointing the other two places you mentioned on Golf rd? I'm not really familiar with the area, I just drive through on my way home most days when I'm avoiding taking 294 s. Also, there is another joint on Touhy west of River Rd, but E of Mannheim, on the N side of the road - for some reason, the name that is jumping out at me is "Sultan's Kitchen?" It's in a little strip mall. Any intel? I stopped in one night, and the few ppl who were in there pretty much looked at me like I had three heads, and gave me the "are you lost or something?" look. So I just looked at the greaseboard specials, and walked out. I was strapped for time, and just looking for a take out menu anyway.

yes c8w you did find this place and i went there per your recommendation! i thought it deserved its own thread; that's why i started one and posted some pics

BTW, the official name of the senior center referred to above is the MAFS (Metropolitan Asian Family Services?) senior center IIRC.. its at 9050 West Golf Road. They have a "hot lunch" program, where you get good home-made vegetarian Gujarati food for 5 bucks Mon-Sat between 11 and 2 (if youre actually a senior, you get it for 2 bucks).

A couple doors down is the Indian Food and Video grocery store - thats at 9094 West Golf Road in the same (large) strip mall. They have fresh dhoklas every day as reported above.. and also some "prepared food" available in the afternoons (chicken biryani, even fish curry etc! Apparently also home-made Indian food prepared by a family that lives nearby). Ive only tried the chicken biryani so far - and it was actually pretty good. A slightly different style, but nicely hot and spicy.. and a quite excellent deal at $3.99 for a pretty substantial portion.

The Indian-ization of this part of Niles continues apace - 2 doors down from Indian Food and Video, there will soon be something called "Bombay Chaat" (saw a big ol "Coming Soon" sign on the door this weekend). Presumably (given the name) it will be a place for Indian snacks - samosas, bhelpuri etc. Should be a nice additional option for the area.

c8w

c8w wrote:A couple doors down is the Indian Food and Video grocery store - thats at 9094 West Golf Road in the same (large) strip mall. They have fresh dhoklas every day as reported above.. and also some "prepared food" available in the afternoons (chicken biryani, even fish curry etc! Apparently also home-made Indian food prepared by a family that lives nearby). Ive only tried the chicken biryani so far - and it was actually pretty good. A slightly different style, but nicely hot and spicy.. and a quite excellent deal at $3.99 for a pretty substantial portion.

Indian Foods and Video also sells a vast array of mixes -- for just about every Indian dish I ever heard of -- plus the usual lentils and beans, a reasonable selection of pickles, and there's a freezer case selling kulfi and a few prepared food items.

Indian Foods and Video
Golf Glen Mart
9094 W. Golf Road
847-827-5568

After a good meal last night, I wanted to revive this thread.

With the Cho Jung change in ownership, we're looking for new dinner options not too far from home. We were craving Khan, but didn't have time to drive down Devon. A quick web search suggested Tandoori, so we gave it a try.

We enjoyed our dinner and will be back. The karahi goscht and aloo gobi, both made with an onion tomato curry, were the standouts. The mutton in the goscht was really soul satisfying, falling apart with just the right amount of fat. The next table over ordered a towering pile of tandoori chicken, which we'll be sure to try next time. Note that the chicken boti is not like what's served at Khan and not what's described on the menu either -- the menu says chicken breast, but it's both white and dark meat. It's red like the tandoori, but off the bone. And it's not grilled like Khan's. It was good, but not good enough to be a must-order on our next visit.

Service was friendly and efficient. For those considering a visit, know that it's a very small restaurant with little in the way of decor.

Ronna

REB wrote:After a good meal last night, I wanted to revive this thread.

Thanks, I'm local and never seem to be on Ballard east of 294. You mention mutton, a weak spot for me, for sure will check it out.

6 of us ate here last month and really enjoyed it. I'm not saying it was at Khan level (my personal benchmark). It was not. But it was still very damned good - especially the Karahi Gosht (mutton cooked in a onion & tomato based curry with various masala & spices), the Mirchi Salan (tomato and onion based curry with a combination of blended peanuts & coconut, cooked with fresh jalapeno peppers) and their take on Chicken Boti (boneless chicken breast marinated overnight in a blend of yogort, spices and masala cooked on flat grill). Of course, we would have preferred dark meat but I have the feeling that could be available if requested with enough lead time.

This was on a Friday evening and it took us less than 15 minutes to get there from Deerfield, which was nice. It would have taken 3x that long to get to Khan at that hour. But from the northern reaches, it's a fairly direct shot down I-294. I look forward to returning and trying more of the menu. There's some good cooking happening here and some real gems to be had.

=R=

We finally got around to dinner at the second outpost of Tandoori, in Mount Prospect near Randhurst. I'd gone there once for lunch, had the Boti Paratha and really liked it (although very different from Khan).

Last night we started with a pair of beef samosas. These are rather small, meat and veg phyllo triangles. Quite crisp and tasty. Order a lot of these, they're only $.99 each. A platter of onion, cucumber and lime, with a tamarind chutney and a raita were delivered at the same time.

After reading about haleem on this site, I had to try it. It's a strange dish, spicy, gloppy, with just a bit of crisp onions on top. I like it, but it's better served in a bowl with a spoon than shared on plates. Chicken Makhani was outstanding: real tandoori-style grilled chicken (moist and red-colored), in a thick, savory, nutty sauce. Paratha were tasty, good for picking up the makhani, less so for haleem.

I'm a little concerned about this place: there was nobody there when we arrived at 8PM on a Wednesday, and it took some work just to find anyone to seat us. Another pair came in while we were eating. While we were there, service was swift and friendly.

Prices are reasonable: entrees run $8-12 and are generously portioned.

Tandoori Restaurant
401 E Euclid Ave.
Mount Prospect, IL 60056
http://www.tandoori-restaurant.com

(note: website has the address at Elucid Ave, and spells itself "Restuarant" on the location page, belying the idea that perhaps it was an autocorrect)

It's been two years since I posted about Tandoori and we've been going every month or two since then. We've found the food to be very consistent and have sampled a lot more of the menu. Unlike several of the Indian/Pakistani restaurants in the north burbs I've tried, Tandoori isn't afraid of chili peppers. If you don't like spicy, I'd ask for input as it seems that more curries are spicy than aren't.

Our regular order:
- Chicken biryani, flaky rice, well-seasoned, tender dark meat chicken
- Aloo gobi, in a great tomato onion curry
- Palak ghost, tender mutton in wonderful spinach (while we love the karahi ghost, it's the same sauce as the aloo gobi)

The portions are fairly large and this order satisfies two hungry adults and a four year old, often with quite a bit of biryani to take home.

Other notes: We prefer the paratha to the naan. The aloo beingan and mirchi salan are very good, but as the kid doesn't like them, we don't often order them. I have also enjoyed the beef seekh kebab and chapli kebab, which are both well-seasoned.

The tandoori chicken, which we've only had once, is the only dish that hasn't impressed us. It seems very popular, though, so we may have just had bad luck that day. Tandoori does a ton take out business, but as we're a twenty minute ride away, we prefer to eat in.

For anyone contemplating a first visit, know that Tandoori is a true hole-in-the-wall. The staff has always been friendly and helpful. And they're very accommodating of families, giving my son water in a plastic cup, offering him plain instead of spicy yogurt, etc.

Ronna

I've got bad news for you, Ronna.

abe_froeman wrote:I've got bad news for you, Ronna.

The mod's deleted a mention of this, then Ronna's clarification that she goes to the one on Ballard in Des Plaines.

Ronna, any comparison to Tava? I need motivation to head the extra 2-3 miles west.

abe_froeman wrote:I've got bad news for you, Ronna.

This is incorrect. There are, were, may have been, multiple Tandoori Restaurants, the one on Ballard Rd in Des Plaines is open, I just called and checked as I have a meeting in the area Monday morning and plan on going for lunch.

Tandoori Restaurant  
9344 W Ballard Rd,
Des Plaines, IL 60016
Opens 11AM
847- 824-6550

Folks, we've all been around here long enough to know that we should NOT be posting about any closures without double and triple-checking that the posted information is correct and applicable. This includes making sure that places with common names do not get caught in our cross-fire. As Gary posted, there's just no substitute for picking up a phone and calling a place to learn its status.

The bottom line is that posting erroneous information about closures is irresponsible and can be quite damaging to a business.

Tandoori on Ballard is open.

Thanks,

=R=
for the Moderators

bweiny wrote:

abe_froeman wrote:I've got bad news for you, Ronna.

The mod's deleted a mention of this, then Ronna's clarification that she goes to the one on Ballard in Des Plaines.

Ronna, any comparison to Tava? I need motivation to head the extra 2-3 miles west.

Hmmm....I'm not sure I'm the best person to compare Tandoori to Tava. I've been to Tava at least a dozen times, but only once or twice when it wasn't lunch buffet and it was so long ago that I don't recall what I had. And I hesitate to compare Tava buffet to Tandoori, especially because other than the tandoori chicken, there isn't much overlap in what I've sampled.

With that preface, I'd say a clear difference is that Tava is Indian while Tandoori has both Indian and Pakistani dishes. Tandoori is closer in cuisine to Khan BBQ than to Tava. And while I've always thought that someone in Tava's kitchen takes great care in preparing the food, there's something that's more soul-satisfying to me about Tandoori's rich curries.

Another big different is that Tava is a modern, white tablecloth restaurant. Tandoori is very bare bones when it comes to decor. It's table service, but you go up to the register to pay.

Bottom line is that I enjoy both restaurants much and think it would be worth your time to give Tandoori a try as the food is quite different from Tava's.

Ronna

REB wrote:

bweiny wrote:Ronna, any comparison to Tava?

Bottom line is that I enjoy both restaurants much and think it would be worth your time to give Tandoori a try as the food is quite different from Tava's.

Thanks for the thoughtful response.

I could tell Tandoori was Indo-Pak rather than pure (northern) Indian. While I have always enjoyed Khan's, their dishes other than Chicken Boti haven't been as good usual the last couple times. Your endorsement of Tandoori's curries carries major weight. If I can get even 80-90% of Tava's quality for 60% of the price (I've only done non-buffet there), I'll be more than happy.

The onus is now on me to find out!

bweiny wrote:

REB wrote:

bweiny wrote:Ronna, any comparison to Tava?

Bottom line is that I enjoy both restaurants much and think it would be worth your time to give Tandoori a try as the food is quite different from Tava's.

Thanks for the thoughtful response.

I could tell Tandoori was Indo-Pak rather than pure (northern) Indian. While I have always enjoyed Khan's, their dishes other than Chicken Boti haven't been as good usual the last couple times. Your endorsement of Tandoori's curries carries major weight. If I can get even 80-90% of Tava's quality for 60% of the price (I've only done non-buffet there), I'll be more than happy.

The onus is now on me to find out!

Tandoori is much less expensive than Tava - portions are bigger and prices are lower. I don't know if it's 60% of the Tava price, but you're not far off. Tava is a great value for lunch, but not such a deal for dinner.

You've reminded me that we did try Tandoori's chicken boti once. We liked it, but haven't ordered it again -- and it was nothing like Khan's.

Ronna

REB wrote:You've reminded me that we did try Tandoori's chicken boti once. We liked it, but haven't ordered it again -- and it was nothing like Khan's.

This makes sense. From what I've been told by those more knowledgeable than I, boti refers to the meat itself (in the case of chicken, boneless leg and thigh) and does not refer to a specific recipe or cooking method. That's why it varies so much from place to place.

=R=

Terrific lunch today at Tandoori on Ballard highlights being rich textured daal fry and mirchi salan studded with tender melty jalapenos. Light crisp samosas, we tried all three types, chicken biryani and palak gosht rounded out our lunch. Naan light and flaky, paratha dense layered with a slight chew, crisp side dish fresh veg and slightly spicy raita.

Tandoori was packed at 12:30 with friendly efficient service and a bare-bones yet comfortable room. Really enjoyed Tandoori on Ballard, thanks to the LTHers who posted.








Tandoori Restaurant, Count me a Fan!

Tandoori Restaurant  
9344 W Ballard Rd,
Des Plaines, IL 60016

By LTH coincidence, 5 of us met on Monday evening for a dinner at Tandoori we'd planned a few days ago. I'd been before and really enjoyed it. This time was more of the same. Here are a few shots recapping what we ate (and drank) . . .


Mango Lassi
The meal began with a well-heeded reminder to not fill up by gulping down the entire beverage before any of the food arrived!


Cukes, Onions and Limes, oh my!


Palak Gosht
Delicious, herbaceous and tender.


Aloo Beingan
Loved the combination of potatoes and eggplant here.


Aloo Gobi
A really nice take on this dish. The cauliflower was plentiful, and tender without being overly soft.


Mirchi Salan
As Gary posted above, this dish is special. I love everything about it, including the tender, slightly-hot jalapenos (a bit shy here) and the rich peanut-y sauce.


Paratha
Great texture, and flavor throughout the chew.


Chana Masala
Not my favorite rendition but still solid. Maybe a bit too tomatoey?


Chicken Biryani
I loved the moist and savory bone-in pieces of chicken. The rice was light, with the grains just soft enough and not mushing together at all.


Beef Seekh Kebab
Flavorful and quite juicy


Haleem
This one's for you, Pigmon!

=R=

Well thanks to all the LTHers for Posts about Tandoori!
Stopped yesterday afternoon for takeout on my way back from my friends place in Oak Brook. Easy off and on to 294.
Chicken Biryani, Aloo Gobi, Palak Gohst, Mutton Biryani and Naan.
Standout was the Palak Gohst!
Everything was excellent.
Place was busy about 4pm but order took about 20 minutes.
So happy to not have to brave Devon St traffic and parking.
I can see this developing as a frequent Stop on my way back on 294!
-Richard

I went Friday with Panther-in-the-Den, not having perused this thread, but I notice that photos of what I ordered are just above, so I won't repost: Palak Gosht and Aloo Beingarten. Here is a link to what Panther ordered the previous time we went which I don't think was posted here. What he ordered Friday, and his friend ordered do not seem to be posted anywhere (yet).
viewtopic.php?p=537699#p537699
Here;s what I ordered last time: viewtopic.php?p=537702#p537702
General comment: the goat was better (average for casual dining) than last time when it was almost all bones and gristle
No picture, but they did have "popsicle" single sticks of kulfi in various flavors for $2, which I got the pistachio flavor on my way out.

Take home ordered yesterday, chairs were on the tables so I assume no dining.
Staff in the kitchen so I assume cook’s handling the front?
Stellar as always!!!
They included Daal Ghost instead of Palak Ghost, very good but I prefer Palak Ghost.
Haleem excellent but beef instead of mutton.
Mirchi Salan, my favorite,
Frontier Chicken Rice, enough to feed four people.
My wife says more chicken then last time.
Enough heat so nothing additional is required.
Average speed on all Tollways has increased.
Traversed I94, I90, I355, I88, regularly hooked onto groups going 90 to 100 mph.
Saw two Law Enforcement with captures
Made for very fast trip.
-Richard

Carried out from Tandoori, ordering just as it started snowing (again).
Indian is of course one of the best for carryout, and the almost 15 minutes to get it home had no ill effects.

The beef samosas are very tasty, I'm not as much of a fan of the phyllo-style samosas though as much as the pastry crust type.

Haleem is the best gruel in the world. There will never be a cheffy version, but it's rib-sticking and delicious.

Their paneer makhni is very creamy (maybe ground nuts in it?). LTH-er emeritus mhays posted on Facebook recently about the wonders of fried cheese doused in cream sauce, had to have it.

Their chicken boti is the perfect stuff to roll in a piece of naan. Although listed as all breast meat, it was very moist and succulent, somewhat tandoori-like. I enjoyed it, but was hoping for what Khan serves, which is transcendent for grilled chicken.

Lots of leftovers, but will order from there again, especially as the Whathaveyou stops us from eating in at restaurants.