Vegan
Indian
Organic
Raw
Buffet
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
Catering
Gluten-free
Specializing in vegan Indian cuisine with an added selection of Indian fusion raw dishes. Almost all dishes can be ordered gluten-free. Uses ayurvedic recipes. No gmo, msg, canned food, saturated fats, or refined sugar. Also offers cooking classes, meal plans, and catering. Open Mon 5:00pm-9:00pm, Wed-Fri 5:00pm-9:00pm, Sat-Sun 12:00pm-9:00pm. Closed Tue.
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Last update on 23 Nov 2022 by Guest
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51 Reviews
First Review by Laurie24Sutra
JaneGracePatti
Points +55
Great food, ok service - Edit
I love Indian cuisine and was so excited to come here with my family because the best part about Indian food is sharing everyone’s dish and making a mess on your plate of all the different flavors and breads etc. (Which you cant do if yours is the only vegan dish and everyone else is eating meat.) I was so excited that all the food including samosas and naan were vegan we we got so much to try and it was all great!
Read moreThe samosas were clearly homemade and were exactly as crispy as a non vegan one and the filling was unique and fresh and even a little bit sweet. They were great.
The naan was very fresh and crispy and soft. The owner did recommend garlic naan which we got instead of plain naan. I think we would have preferred the plain naan as a group because it was a bit too garlicy. I liked it but I don’t think it was as much of a crowd pleaser as plain would’ve been.
Between the three of us we got Chana masala, aloo gobi, and dal bunzara. We finished about half of each and they were all great! We agreed that the ranking would be the dal then the Chana masala and then the aloo gobi of what we would order again.
The one sort of downside to the evening was the super slow service. I think the meal took about 2 hours from sit down to getting the check. This would’ve been ok if we hadn’t been the only people in there. Not an exaggeration, we were the only people in there on a Sunday (it was st Patrick’s Day tho.) they were clearly also dealing with a delivery issue as someone kept calling the restaurant and complaining about their delivery pace which we heard pretty clearly cuz we were the only in there. So because the owner was basically the only person working, besides prolly someone in the kitchen, she didn’t check in on us very much and we had to walk to her in the back of the restaurant where she was sitting with some friends or family members talking the whole time. It was also kinda cold in there, but again we were the only people there.
Idk I want to give the benefit of the doubt and say we went on a weird day, but also if there’s no one else in the restaurant we should have gotten our food and check a bit sooner. But the food was great hence a 4 instead of a 3. I will go again.
Pros: Great food , Proud and Nice owner
Cons: Slow service
Guest
Niha
Points +69
Excellent Vegan Place - Edit
Vegan food
Read morePros: Complete Vegan meal
Guest
DosaGuy
Points +22
Awesome! - Edit
Kirti made me feel welcome and allowed me to get a smaller version of the starter sampler. I really wanted to try the Potato Vada (because I had never seen that before) so since had the vada and a couple things prepared the gave me 3 items:
Read more- Aloo Tika
- Coconut in Kachori
- Potato Vada
They were all great!
For the main I struggled deciding on a dosa (which I always get when I can because they are not that common and I LOVE dosa) or. A dal dish....so Kirti suggested the Dal Bunzara. For rice I got the organic brown rice (which looked like regular basmati rice). Loved it. Had just the right amount of kick.
Chatted with Kristi and a local that comes to the restaurant several times a week, very relaxing (the Taj Mahal lager may have had something to do with that also:).
Tonight the restaurant was slow. It is located in the Rogers Park section of Chicago which is home to a vibrant community of Packistani and Indian folks. Tonight happened to be a special night as it was the even of the end of Ramadan apparently (tomorrow is Eid Al Fitr) so there were tons of people walking the street dressed up nicely, buying or carrying gifts. Very cool to see.
My advice for anyone who may not have experience with Indian food or may feel intimidated about ordering it.:
- Just relax
- Look at the menu, look at the ingredients for all of the dishes and go with a dish that has the ingredients that you like.
- Add some naan bread - who doesn’t like yummy bread!!!
- Ask the server questions, they will help you out.
- When in doubt... order a masala dosa!!! :)
- if all else fails, drink and Indian lager. :)
Pros: Food was great, Kirstie was super friendly, Loved the Hindi music in the background
Guest
HPthatsME
Points +20
All Vegan! Super friendly! - Edit
We visited on a Saturday while they were buffet style. What an amazing treat to have an all vegan buffet! Everything was so delicious, and the staff so gracious. We will definitely be visiting every time we are in the area!
Read morePros: All vegan, Great variety of offerings
Guest
NikCain
Points +20
So Flavorful - Edit
They came to my work from the Fooda program for lunch today. It was PHENOMENAL!
Read moreGuest
positivelymargs
Points +47
A GREAT FIND! - Edit
I am mostly raw vegan and am sensitive to oil. My mom is gluten free and vegetarian. I don't think we've ever both had more than 3 options on a menu...here we had too many! A good problem to have though.
Read moreThis is a fantastic spot! all vegan...and a large menu, organic, conscious of oil, no MSG or GMOs.
The owner is such a sweet lady too.
Must try the raw vegan lemon cake and the raw vegan cheesecake. Can't wait to come on Saturdays for their buffet!
(they also have cooking classes and meal plans!)
Pros: OPTIONS!, Oil free/light oil , all homemade
Cons: parking
Guest
cam1244
Points +54
excellent Indian Food - Edit
What a pleasant surprise. The food is delicious and the owner could not be nicer. It is such a relief to know that everything is vegan. The owner walked us through the menu and made suggestions which helped since it was our first time there. This is a real treasure for Chicago!
Read moreCons: none
Guest
dsoleil
Points +40
Outstanding Indian food! - Edit
Not to be missed! Easily accommodated our party of 10. Top notch Indian food. All vegan and most of the menu is gluten free.
Read moreGuest
ÅbiLunita
Points +19
amazing! - Edit
Love this place! Their food is great, the staff is great! Highly recommend. They even have a buffet on the weekends :)
Read moreGuest
gostofish
Points +128
Spicy vegan full of love - Edit
What an excellent place to explore Indian vegan food. If you don't like spicy, it's ok just tell them to reduce the spice. Delicious vegan apps, the vegetable cutlet was amazing. The vegan cheesecake was second in the amazing race.
Read moreGuest
Hail_Seitan666
Points +47
Best Indian food I have ever had. PERIOD. - Edit
Indian cuisine is my favorite. Since going vegan I haven't been able to have a lot of it aside from what I cook myself, and I am never able to recreate those bold Indian flavors like the restaurants do. Well now I have Arya Bhavan that I can go to when i want to fill up on some of the best Indian cuisine around. They are able to do a remarkable job at cooking up the most flavorful dishes, all while staying true to the vegan life. The owners are also some of the nicest people I have met, and they will deliver to quite a far distance. Do yourself a favor if you're into Indian cuisine, vegan or not, you won't regret it.
Read moreGuest
Monamh83
Points +72
Excellent - Edit
I have been here a few times now and I absolutely love it. The food is tasty and bursting with flavor. Many of the foods uses low or no oil.
Read moreThe owners are great people. My husband and I went one day and ordered take out and the owner's husband talked with us and brought us something he was making back in the kitchen and wanted us to try.
Guest
JillKeb
Points +199
fabulous!!!! - Edit
The lovely owner puts lots of love into her wide variety of non-oily vegan buffet dishes!!! It's heavenly place if you love Indian food and seek optimal health.
Read moreYou can buy meals for 3 days in a row to get started if you want weight loss/clean eating.
Pros: delicious, variety, fun neighborhood to walk around
Cons: street parking is there but not always right in fr
Guest
khhipps
Points +37
A really nice anniversary dinner - Edit
My wife and I went to Arya Bhavan at the end of March to celebrate our 34th anniversary. We got there relatively late and so we were definitely past their rush and we were their last customers for the night, but what wonderful service (very welcoming). We ordered an extensive sampler of appetizers and two entrees (one was a curry and I can't remember the other), but we were too stuffed for desert. The food was wonderful and very well prepared and well presented. The place itself was very nice inside. Loved the candle on the table. With food as good as that they should have been filled. We lucked out with street parking that night
Read morePros: well prepared and very tasty, very friendly and attentive staff, nice place, quiet and softly pretty
Cons: none (except for finding parking)
Guest
VeganHumanist
Points +37
Not so much - Edit
I really wanted to like this restaurant, but no longer do. There was much to intrigue me because I am vegan, I love Indian food, and I live only a few blocks away. I also appreciate the effort to cook with reduced oil. But now, I plan to go elsewhere on Devon.
Read moreThe buffet used to be pretty good or at least novel (though expensive). But now it is rarely on offer.
The menu items are overpriced and very uneven in quality. Service is spotty. And the last straw was that they packed a liquid-y entree for take out in a dry food container. It spilled everywhere, and when I called to complain, the restauranteur argued that her packing was just fine.
In short, I will accept fewer vegan options at the many Indian restaurants on Devon where the food and the service are better, and prices are lower.
Guest
BanjoGirl
Points +227
Love the selection! - Edit
We have dined in once and gotten carry-out a few times. I really enjoy their food, and as a vegan I love being able to chose from endless options!
Read moreTheir samosas are great, especially the baked ones. The matar paneer and malai kofta are also very good. We did notice that when we dined in and had the buffet, many of the dishes were barely warm, so it seems that they could use a better warming setup. We also happened to go when there was a veg meetup, so it is possible that they were just over-extended.
Overall, really great place!
Pros: yummy vegan indian food!
Cons: temperature issues with food
Guest
kim2121
Points +449
Fresh and Spicy Vegan Indian Buffet - Edit
A friend and I visited Arya Bhavan a few weeks ago for the Saturday buffet. My friend is mostly vegetarian and gluten-free, and I'm vegan, so this restaurant was perfect for us! We visited between meals (around 3pm) so the place wasn't too full, making for a nice relaxing meal.
Read moreOverall I think Arya Bhavan may have picked up their game over the past six months or so (based on previous reviews). I love spicy food, and while none of this food left my mouth burning, a lot of the dishes had some healthy kick to them. I thought the fresh salads were good as well, even between mealtimes. Maybe it just varies day to day, but this was a good visit!
Guest
Keith_Thode
Points +717
All Vegan Indian Food - Edit
It's Indian, AND it's healthy. It's not only all vegan, but the owner is very conscious of health problems with gluten and soy as well. My only issue is that I like very spicy food, and this food is for most Americans - mild.
Read moreGuest
justathought1988
Points +47
Delicious food and friendly owner - Edit
The food here was great! Very authentic Indian food in an interesting neighborhood. The owner was very friendly too, she came up and spoke to us for a while and personally delivered some of our dishes. The staff was a bit too friendly though, we sat around and waited for our food when we knew it was ready, but the staff was too caught up talking to another table... Oh well, it was worth the wait, they still get 5 stars.
Read morePros: great food, friendly people, interesting neighborhood in Chi
Cons: slow service
Guest
Vegan Vagabond
Points +4158
Good food - Edit
I like Arya Bhavan. I can't say that I have ever had a bad meal here, but, with any buffet, it can depend on WHEN you are there. If you are there at the start of the buffet, you are eating great, fresh, tasty Indian food. If you show up while they are trying to replenish, items can be missing and that can be a little frustrating. If you show up at the end of the buffet, as things have baked for a while or as they are trying to keep from having to cook up more food before they shut down, you may get some slim pickings and/or overcooked mush. It's a buffet. That's the way they are. When I order off of the menu, it is always fresh and always tasty. The owner is very active in the restaurant and she is very keen to veganism and will advise you about the items that are not vegan and will watch her wait staff to ensure that they do not accidentally give you something non vegan. Last night, for instance, the waitress asked if I wanted plain naan or garlic naan, since I never get naan, as it usually has milk in it, I thought it would be a great treat to have garlic naan and ordered that. When it came out, it was slathered in either oil or butter, which I would prefer neither, and the owner asked the waitress if she was sure that it was not buttered. The waitress didn't know and went back and checked. It turns out, in this case, it had coconut butter on it. I would prefer not to eat coconut butter, but I also didn't want to waste it.
Read moreThis place is 99% vegan, but that can be problematic, as you can easily get lulled into just assuming things are vegan and not asking. When you get there, ask up front to be shown which items are not vegan. She'll show you before you are seated.
Pros: Good Food, Very Vegan Friendly, Good Value
Cons: Buffets can sometimes be overcooked , Not 100% vegan, ask
Guest
redrunner
Points +24
Absolutely delicious food! - Edit
I got delivery from this place purely by accident, and the food was AMAZING! I found it just by searching for Indian restaurants and went with them because I liked that they clearly label their vegan items on their website's menu. Since then I've discovered that they have all kinds of other vegan-friendly things like a raw buffet Monday nights--I can't wait to go there.
Read moreThe food was seriously top-notch. Really flavorful. I woke up today actually wanting more of their food for breakfast, but I ate it all last night!
Pros: excellent food, very vegan-friendly
Guest
mariec1
Points +125
Delicious Vegan Buffet - Edit
I finally got to eat at Arya Bhavan after trying several attempts. It was terrific! I usually eat down the street at another "semi" vegetarian restaurant but since I'm vegan, thought my money would be better spent supporting this restaurant. Buffet is Friday dinner, all day Saturday & Sunday. Many items to choose from. The samosas are the best I've ever had! Their staff is friendly and helpful. I can't wait to go back.
Read morePros: Delicious food, Friendly staff, Buffet
Cons: No mid-week buffet
Guest
·X·
Points +21590
Great Buffet - Lots of Vegan Options! :) - Edit
I came here on a Saturday night and had the choice of buffet or to order off the menu. I chose the buffet because as soon as I walked in I was immediately greeted by Kirti, an amazingly pleasant employee of this establishment, who asked if I was Vegetarian or Vegan right off of the bat. She went through the entire buffet telling me what I (as a Vegan) was able to eat. To my surprise a majority of the things were Vegan. She even told me she'd bring Vegan naan to the table as well as Vegan Indian pancakes. Overall I found the food to be very good. I've been to several Indian buffets in my lifetime and I will say this one at least made their buffet items spicy; although she did say they make the dishes off of the menu even spicier.
Read moreI still can't get over how nice everyone was here and how knowledgeable Kirti was regarding the Vegan diet. She even came over later and asked me if I knew of the Vegetarian meet-up group that Vadim runs here (I did know ;)) and mentioned future meet-ups that will occur in the area - how nice! ;)
Overall I thought this place was good all the way around and I will certainly be back!
Guest
Laurie24Sutra
Points +116
Great Vegan Indian Buffetf! - Edit
The owner...whose real name I do not know but who lets you call her Kathy..is great! She always remembers my fiance' & I when we come in and truly makes us feel welcome. She remembers that we are Vegan when we walk in the door, so she always comes directly to the buffet and points out which food items are vegan vs. vegetarian. This restaurant serves no meat whatsoever which is great! Also, Kathy (I'll call her) knows what Vegan means. She knows that we can't have the Naan if it's made with Ghee; she knows we can't have yogurt, etc.. The last time when I ordered coffee she made it with soy milk for me.
Read moreIf this doesn't convince you..the Chicago Vegan Meetup group had its January 2008 vegan meetup here.
Kathy has told my fiance' and I on more than one occassion that the restaurant is moving in the Vegan direction because it has so many vegan customers.
If I remember correctly, the restaurant has all you can eat buffet on Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday night..for around...$10-$12 or so. What a deal!
I have always loved Indian food, but when you're a strict Vegan it can sometimes be difficult to eat at certain restaurants because of the language barrier..it can be difficult to communicate what it means to be a strict Vegan and what you can and cannot eat. It's so relaxing eating here because Kathy knows what Vegan means and is really cool about pointing out which items in the buffet are Vegan-safe.
Oh...and out of the total buffet I would say that about 80% or more of it is Vegan. :-) Laurie
Pros: Great Vegan Buffet, Great Value, Friendly, personable staff
Cons: Parking not always easy around restauant
Guest
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