First time to their 'new' location (visited back there 2.5 years ago). They have what seems to be a much bigger menu than I remember. We sat at the bar and made some new friends. We got right in as a result. The space is so much nicer as it is now really large. What a colorful and awesome place. We ordered the vada tots. This is a change up on tater tots with a great dipping sauce. The food came out incredibly fast! Both were not merely good, each was utterly fantastic!!! We eat at Indian places everywhere and have never had flavors this profoundly amazing. I can see why they earned the James Beard Award! We were traveling through and wanted to give them another try after 3 years. The owner is the Michelangelo in the field of amazing flavors! He has won us over and the finess with each flavor show his dedication to perfection. If ever you come to Asheville, do yourself a favor a definitely stop in, wait if you need to and then feast!!! Absolutely awesome!!! read more

Chai Pani has been on my list for quite some time and it certainly did not disappoint. I got the butter chicken and my friend got the KFC sandwich. I'm used to a spicier butter chicken, this one was particularly sweet, but I did love the other curries it came with as well. It's quite a lot of food, I feel like two people can share it, especially if you get it with naan. The KFC sandwich was so good, I would definitely get that again. It's a nice mixture of American Indian food and the sauce is really where the money is. What I can't stop thinking about is the carrot halwa cake. It was incredibly moist, not too sweet and had a wonderful spice. I would definitely come back to try other dishes. Important to note it gets very busy and I ended up waiting about an hour on a weeknight to get seated. The service wasn't great, she seemed somewhat irritated that she was working, but could've caught her on an off day. read more

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Had an amazing time with great service. Something to note is the food comes out as it made and may be scattered and not every dish delivered at the same time. They are smaller portions similar to a tapas style and shared. Many of the dishes the spice level cannot be adjusted. We started with the Matchstick Okra. They are sliced so thinly and deep fried making them crispy with Chaat Marsala and salt for seasoning. Delicious and couldn't stop eating them. Ordered the Butter Chicken which was tender and lovely while family had the Saag Paneer which had some spice to it. Our waitress was working in helping guide with dietary restrictions and spice level tolerances. The restaurant is beautiful and very colorful. read more

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What a cool place! Looks beautiful! It took us about 15 minutes to get a seat at the bar. We ordered some drinks - a tamarind margarita and a mango lassi which were both delicious. We then ordered to share the salag paneer. Beautiful plate with yogurt, Dal, masala, the paneer, rice and a small naan. The food was really delicious! I loved it. Service was ok, overall a really wonderful experience..I highly recommend this place read more

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Wow. Just wow! What a freaking 10/10 experience we had on our visit to Chai Pani. For starters, the decorations throughout were beautiful. As for food, I cannot recommend the matchstick okra fries enough. Even if you don't like okra, please give them a try. As someone who doesn't like okra normally, we were convinced by our waiter to give them a try and I am so glad that we did. So crispy and salty, just a wonderful way to start the evening. Highly recommend the chaat as well, full of flavor and a refreshing start before the main dishes arrived. They all sounded good, so really a personal preference on which to go with. For the main dish we opted for both Thali's, butter chicken and the saag paneer. Both were delicious and full of flavor, again I don't think you could wrong since you get a little of everything on your platter. Our service was phenomenal as well! Our waiter walked us through the menu, gave us recommendations, and was very attentive. Food came out super quick as well so all around 10/10. I will now be waiting ever so impatiently for our next visit to Asheville so that we can give more of the menu a try!! read more

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Where to begin!? First, we arrive at 5:15 pm on a Friday and get in a twenty-minute line. The line is just to get on a waitlist, which we cleared in 45 minutes. So, while waiting we went upstairs for unusual cocktails: tamarind margarita and Kashmiri sunset. Both delicious and tasted of Indian spices. And because it's Friday, the remarkable vegetable Pani puris were available. Wow: we ate five and could have just eaten those for dinner. Go on Friday or Saturday! But we headed downstairs and ordered three items: Matchstick okra: One of the most unusual foods I've had in a restaurant. Simply delicious. Holy smokes! Uttapam: a vegetable pancake that was very tasty. Sort of like a fritter. Butter chicken: accompanied by a tray of add-ons, this was just a wonderful hearty dish. The atmosphere is loud and bright, with lots of colors. But it is not so loud that you can't have a conversation. Highly recommend: I've been to maybe 20 Asheville restaurants and this is in the top two or three. read more

So obsessed with this place, I don't know where to start. I guess, let's begin by talking about the wow factor as soon as you enter. It's colorful, bright, and amazingly decorated. I went on a Thursday evening and it was packed. So packed, we couldn't even get a table. We had to sit at the bar, and there was a bit of a wait for this as well. I was slightly disappointed but my mood was quickly lifted as soon as the drinks and food came my way. We ordered two mocktails --so unique, you must give them a try. We also got butter chicken, one of the chaats, and the fried chicken sandwich. I'm not exaggerating when I say I'll be thinking about my meal for years. The flavor pairings are incredible and unlike anything you've tried before. Very creative dishes. I wish we had a Chai Pani in South Florida. read more

I absolutely adore this place and the unique foods and amazing drinks. The decor is so lovely too, colorful and fun and elegant. There's often a wait but late lunches on weekdays can be less busy. Highly recommend ordering the kale pakoras, cheese uttapam, and disco bel! Chai Pani has been around for a while for good reason, it's such a joyful and delicious experience. read more

Chai Pani - Disco Bhel - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Chai Pani is one of those places I can't say enough good things about. The food is consistently amazing--great quality, generous portions, and full of flavor. The weekend lunch buffet is top tier, and the free chai refills are a game changer. Even if there's a wait, they take care of you with complimentary chai and biscuits, which honestly sets the tone right away. If you've never had pani puri, go on a Friday or Saturday evening--it's such a fun experience (especially with a drink in hand). Also worth grabbing some spices to take home. The decor, ambiance, music... mwah. Just an all-around experience. Definitely a place you'll keep coming back to. I sure do every time I go to Asheville! read more

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Loved having lunch here! You walk through a gift shop with the cutest merch a restaurant could have. The interior of the restaurant is spacious and colorfully decorated. We got the Sabudana Vada Tots to start. I liked how it was fried very crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, but I wish there was a little more flavor within the tots. We got the KFC Sandwich Pav and butter chicken for entrees. The KFC pav was delicious, no notes and best thing we tried. The butter chicken was flavorful but nothing special. The mango lassi tasted fresh and a little different than what I was used to. The service was great! Really felt taken care of here. read more

Chai Pani - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Top notch experience today at Chai Pani. Friendly staff, eye catching and transformative interior design, and the food...wow! This is probably the only Indian restaurant I've dined in that I wouldn't mind going back to in the same week. In a way I did, as my brother in-law first took us to their fast casual spot. In love with the SPDP I asked that we dined at the mothership, and each dish we ordered was terrific! Baingan bartha- bangin, tots and fried puffs - delicious. Saag - lip smacking good, sloppy jai - full of flavor, prawn and kabob scrumptiously charred. Carrot cake and ice cream a perfect ending. If I ever come back Asheville I'm definitely eating here again. Thanks to all the hard work, your love shined today at lunch. read more

Just go with a plan to be uncomfortably full at the end, because the food is amazing and you will eat too much. Everything is fantastic. The staff is amazing. The vibe is great. They have excellent cocktails with their own twist on classics. The food is just incredible, TONS of flavor and truly elevated versions of classics. I have no idea what they make the dessert dumplings out of, but you lick the bowl clean. read more

One of the best Indian restaurants i ever eaten the food is delicious and keeps you full for days the ambiance reminds you your in India ans have never left its truly amazin ask for a kids menu and my son loved it all . read more

Chai Pani - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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This place was fantastic. And I'm grading it based on a rigid scale here. I love Indian and Indochinese food and could literally eat it daily. So the bar is pretty high for what is phenomenal and Chai Pani was an excellent choice. We tried several dishes, including the sweet potato chaat, SPDP, matchstick okra fries, kale pakora chaat, baingan bharta, and chili chicken. The service was also fantastic. It took them a while to seat us, but once we got seated, everything was smooth, friendly, and fast. The place is also gorgeous, mixing vibrant bright colors in the design with bold flavors in the food. One other thing that wins me over is the merch, and they have cool designs for sale. Being back in DC, I'm definitely going to head over to Union Market for a second round. 4.5 out of 5 stars read more

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Wow, this place lived up to the hype! The decor is magical inside. A modern Indian twist that's colorful with so many details thought through! We came right at opening on a Saturday for lunch and were seated right away. By the time we were leaving there was a wait. Their street food and fusion options are what I'd recommend most here. Loved the sweet potato chaat and kale chaat. Mango lassi tasted like it had real mangoes. Vegetarian thali was good too but if I were to go back I'd try some of the other appetizers. It's obvious that they use high quality ingredients. Highly recommend. read more

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I have been going to their old location and the new location for 6 Summers now. The food is great and it's not your typical boring Indian restaurant food. The new place is The new place is Really Nice. Go there read more

Chai Pani was such a fun and flavorful experience! Definitely 4.5/5 if that was available! First off, the decor inside is super cute--colorful, eclectic, and full of personality. Definitely gives off the vibrant street food vibes they're going for. Heads-up about the wait: there's no actual waitlist you can join online or by calling ahead. You have to show up in person and wait in line just to get on the waitlist. We put our name down around 5:45 PM and still waited just over an hour. When we left around 8, they were quoting a 2-hour wait, so definitely recommend getting there before 6 PM if you don't want a long wait. Once seated, our server/bartender Christine was amazing--super friendly, knowledgeable, and gave us great recommendations. Her tip to try the Sweet Potato Chaat was spot on. As a chaat lover, I was impressed. The dish was bursting with flavor--sweet, tangy, crunchy--and the pomegranate seeds were a nice touch. Would absolutely get this again. We also tried the Chilli Chicken, which was just okay. It kind of tasted like fast food spicier orange chicken--not bad, but nothing memorable. The portion was generous, though. I would try something else next time. The Beef Bihari Kabab was perfectly cooked, super flavorful, and well-seasoned. Highly recommend this if you're looking for something meaty and satisfying. All in all, I'd definitely come back--great atmosphere, service, and several dishes I'm already looking forward to trying next time. read more

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We ate at Chai Pani for lunch on a Saturday. We got lucky and were seated immediately, but shortly after we were seated, the lobby filled up and there was clearly a wait. Food - 43/50 We started with the hot chai, which was delicious. We ordered the KFC Sandwich, Kale Pakura Chaat, Naan, and Tandoori Chicken. Personally, I came here for the Kale Pakuras. Ever since the first time I had these years ago, I have dreamed of them. They are delicious, and I highly recommend everyone try them. They used to do them without all the sauce and toppings, which has its pros and cons. The sauce and toppings do make them a bit soggy, but the flavor and spices were so incredible I didn't even mind. These were literally "lick your fingers" delicious. The KFC sandwich was good, but honestly lacked a crunchy green aspect. The pickles did not do much to break up the thick slab of chicken, and the pickled cabbage slaw served on the side was not bright enough to break through the heavy meat. It was spicy, but not overpoweringly so. I would recommend this, but it was not nearly as good as the Kale. The naan was slightly burnt on the bottom. The tandoori chicken was well seasoned, cooked well and still juicy. The sauce it was served with was yummy and a needed addition to the dry seasoned chicken. Service - 30/30 The service was good, our waiter was very friendly and personable and in a cheerful mood, which was nice. He was quick, kept our chai's and waters full and was prompt with the check when we were finished with our meal. Ambiance - 7/10 This was my first time at their new location, but I am a returning customer to the establishment. The inside of the restaurant is bright, colorful and lively. The seating was VERY tight where we were seated. Misc. / Notables - 3/10 There are only 2 single person gender neutral restrooms. The entire time we were there, there were at least 2 people in line for the restrooms. There was a sink outside the restrooms, which was needed, but it was a pain to wait 5+ minutes in line to use a restroom. Overall - 83/100 We will definitely be returning, and recommending this place to friends and family! read more

Chai Pani - Kale Pakora - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Great service, good food, but they don't take reservations. You need Wi-Fi to get the parking app to park in the lot across the street.

I've just had my only poor experience at Chai Pani and I'm very sad about it. We have been coming to chai Pani for years, from 2-4 hours away each time. Today, there before they open and in line. Two groups ahead of us. Once open, we gave our name, had about a 5 minute wait. No problem. We ordered drinks and appetizers and both were great. Ordered our food at the same time as our appetizers and it took about an hour for us to get our food, quite possibly longer. There was no check in with us while we waited. Our server did walk by a few times, look at the table, and not say a word to us. We finally got our food and it was not up to par with our previous experiences. The food wasn't quite the same. Very smoky and the color of our butter chicken, not the same. We have had this dozens of times. The service, lack of checkin or update, not the same and truly lacking. We are very disappointed and may not be back next time we are in town. We have always loved Chai Pani, but this trip was disappointing and not what we have come to expect. read more

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I loved this Indian restaurant!! The food was exactly as described-delicious and fresh. The ambiance was beautiful and cheerful. The service was kind, helpful and very teamwork vibe. My waitress was Jen, she was informative, very kind and allow me the space needed to eat and savor my food at my speed. Then there was the items I ate...the fried okra fries were crunchy, delicious seasonings and textures. I also had the squash and zucchini Utha Pam (sp?) they were these vege pancakes with mango chutney-very good, but the star for me was the Disco Bahl--the crunchy spiced spoonfuls of this dish were fireworks delicious. It has peanuts, rice chilies othe crunchy stuff and pomegranate and cilantro, it was an explosion of a variety of sweet, spicy, sour, limey and then crunchy!!! Just amazing. Thank you for the great dining experience! read more

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Looking for a bite of India in Asheville? Chai Pani delivers street food magic with every plate: Vada pav - crispy, spicy, and absolutely addictive Chaat - tangy, crunchy, and bursting with flavor Thaali platter - the ultimate feast you will not want to share Cocktails - perfectly crafted to balance all those bold spices From the vibrant décor to the first bite, it's like stepping straight into the heart of Mumbai--minus the flight If Indian street food is your love language, this is your Asheville must-try read more

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The first time we visited Chai Pani the restaurant was a hole-in-the-wall with a terrific menu and incredible food. This time we visited its new much larger and beautiful location to find...a buffet? No worries, the selection may have been limited but the food was still as great as ever. Evidently during the slower winter season Chai Pani gives its employees a bit of a break by switching to an all-you-can-eat buffet service. So while we sadly missed out on items such as the wonderful puff-filled puri balls we were still able to experience a delicious lunch. Butter chicken, saag paneer, pakoras, okra fries, naan, papadams and a variety of chutneys. Great food and also a great value. Still highly recommended! read more

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I was nervous coming in as I am to every Indian restaurant. I know the best food comes from my home that I grew up with so I am always wary of any Indian restaurant but I was pleasantly surprised by Chai Pani. Pros: The ambiance and decor was so cool and the service was phenomenal and the food was actually really well done. We got tandoori chicken which was juicy and delicious. We had vada pav that was really good and flavorful but was admittedly pretty heavy. The cheesy uttapam was also pretty heavy but did taste great and the sambar with it was really fantastic. And wow the chili chicken was the best thing we got we loved it! We also got the tamarind cola which was so good and refreshing. Cons: The food overall was pretty heavy however nothing was greasy, I think it just was the nature of some of the things we ordered. The chai was not bad but definitely was much more cardamom flavor and not much ginger. Would I come back? Yes! I can see why this place is really popular and think that it definitely would be worth coming back to try a cocktail or two with a small plate read more

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Okay so after 4 years I try it again but solo this time. I still feel their menu is so limited and hardly have any vegan food. I had uttapam and sabudana vada knots with tamarind drink. Both were marked vegan and were delicious but I have been having upset stomach after I ate it, I am worried if it had any kinda dairy in it (it doesn't suit me). The wait time however wasn't the problem this time probably Cz I was single. Ambience is great though. read more

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I love chai pani - such a nice restaurant and street food feel with delicious, mouth watering Indian food! We arrived without a reservation and we specter to wait 1 hour, but they ended up getting us in within 15 minutes due to a cancellation. We were seated as soon as our whole party arrived and taken care of by a very nice waitress. We decided to go family style and try a lot of vegetarian dishes. The vada pav was the show stopper, full of flavor, spice, and everything nice! The gold hour sour was the perfect compliment y to my meal, not too sweet but so tasty! I would highly recommend both of these dishes. The malai paneer tikka was not your traditional tikka - still very unique flavor but could use a slight bit more salt. Overall, I had a lovely experience here and would recommend it to anyone who loves rich flavors visiting Asheville! read more

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This has been one of my favorite restaurants in Asheville, possibly ever. Unfortunately, after my most recent visits, there were some issues that left a bad taste in my mouth. I let it slide as a one off the first time earlier this year, then another bad experience this weekend. I had to update the review in hopes to address the issues. The service was lacking, the food was over an hour, and we were the 3rd table to be seated. Our waitress appeared to be actively avoiding us, and I really just wanted to check if our food had been mistakenly taken to another table or whatever the case.. Either way, we finally get the food, the order was correct, however the flavor of the butter chicken was nothing like I have had the last 20+ times I've been here visually and flavor. When we were asked how everything was, I inquired if the recipe had changed recently, and she said no and dismissed the question completely... I paid since clearly nothing was going to be done.. I was part of the service industry for a decade, and I am more understanding than most when it comes to these things, but no acknowledgement, no apologies, no communication. Just really missed the mark completely on what I've grown accustomed to with chai pani over the years.. sad day... read more

This was a highly anticipated meal and overall a good experience! Our wait time on a Sunday evening wasn't too long after getting on the waitlist, approx 25 minutes. The interior of the restaurant is stunning with thoughtful attention to details. We found only a couple standout dishes, however, and mostly they were the appetizers- we LOVED the matchstick okra fries and kale pakora chaat, but the vada pav and tandoori chicken were slightly underwhelming. Would maybe make different choices for mains if I returned! read more

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Chai Pani is an experience. You have to be there if you want to experience good hospitality, colors, flavors of India, with a modern twist. Arrived here for lunch and it was still pretty packed. We had heard about this place so much, we decided we just had to try it out. We first ordered their signature coolers -RASPBERRY LIME RICKEY (omg this blew my mind, it was so refreshing yet nostaligic in a way) and the jaljeera one of the best ever had!.. Then we ordered the okra fries crispy. These go down quick for sure.. we went ahead and ordered their kebab and naan, while the kebab was spectacular then naan disappointed me big time, it WASNT naan. it felt more like kulcha (for those who know, know!) Here is now where we come to the star of the show, the Butter chicken thali, OMG, i jsut dont have words for it, it wsa so good that had to order on on the side, and it was wiped out amongst the two of us! Lucious, delicious, buttery, packed with flavors of sweet, smokey, spicy, buttery.. just hit all the right notes, the thali comes with chole which were equally good, boondi raita, chapati and rice and gulab jamun which was really good as well! Because it was just us two, we couldnt try more things.. and none of it does justice to carry along with.. Its the atmosphere that ties it all together giving it a memorable meal! read more

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The care and love this family has for flavorful food is remarkable. Backed by their high quality spices at Spicewalla, Chai Pani is a first class dining experience. The colorful interior and attentive service create a perfect prelude to the flavor feast coming for your taste buds. I've travelled 2,600 miles to get here a second time and I can't wait until my third opportunity! read more

Arrived at 4:45pm with the kiddos for an early dinner - the doors opened right at 5pm and we were sat very soon after. We ordered the SPDP, the tots, and the chaat to start. Kids had the chicken paratha, the dahl and naan. We added the tandoori chicken and the feast began! Lovely service, very attentive and such a cool atmosphere making it feel like a real Indian restaurant! We always hit up Chai Pani as soon as we get to Asheville and it never disappoints. Keep it up!! read more

Walking into Chai Pani, you are immediately welcomed to a beautiful waiting area which also doubles as their gift shop. While you wait, you can peruse the merchandise they have which ranges from clothing to spices. It's a very fun entrance and it gets you excited for the meal to come. We had to wait 30 minutes for our table and ended up sitting at the bar which was available first. All dishes are meant to be shared and the nature of Chai Pani's menu revolves around Indian street food. I'd recommend bringing a group of 4 people which will allow you try even more dishes. It was only 2 of us, so we opted for 4 dishes. The Matchstick Okra Fries is a fun rift off the southern fried okra classic. They julienne the okra into "matchsticks" which makes for a different type of bite. The flavor was nice and the crisp of each fry was addicting. They didn't have the Mushroom Uttapam when we went but they add a Green Onion Uttapam which was great. These pancake-like bites were slightly chewy and paired well with the sambar and coconut chutney. The Beef Bihari Kabab was a surprise and my favorite dish of the night! It is PACKED with flavor and each bite puts all of your taste buds into hyperdrive. I liked the texture of the meat, but do know that it's definitely more on the soft (borderline mushy)-side. The Bhel Puri is a classic Indian chaat and we loved this one. Tangy, acidic, savory, slightly sweet, crunchy; this is one of those dishes you have to try. read more

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AMAZING food! The fried okra strips - which come in a large pile! - were surpassingly good; it is intriguing to see a different take on "fried okra" when so many places serve the traditional southern style. Well worth a visit. read more

Didn't even get to eat here, waited in line 20 minutes to be put on the waitlist, was told I would get a text when I can come back and be seated (within 20 minutes) waited an hour before I finally went back after not getting a text, was told I gave up my waitlist spot because I didn't come back (I never got a text??) and now would have to wait 45 minutes at least on the waitlist again. Super disappointing experience. read more

First and foremost this location is beautiful. They did a great job with the design and ambiance. It is super fun and vibrant! I had two drinks which were delicious and different than anything I have tried! I had the spiked lemonade with different spices including cardamom and the mezcal margarita, which had a nice smokey taste. For food, we had the tikka masala, steak skewers and lamb slider. All were very good, I just felt like the portions were pretty small given the price point. read more

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Wow! I know this place gets a lot of publicity but it is for good reason. There is a wait but you are able to leave once you put your name in. You can also grab a drink at the bar upstairs. Come with a group of people. It was only two in our party and we left stuffed but wanting to try more options. The tandori chicken was amazing. So incredilbly juicy and flavorful. We also had veg uttapam. I woul probably leave that as it my least favorite (just to save room for other dishes). read more

The decorations and atmosphere was beautiful and inviting! We had a 20 minute wait on a Wednesday at 6pm. We got drinks and headed upstairs to sit and sip. They texted us when our table was ready and we were seated next to the beautiful window under the chandeliers. We ordered the butter chicken plate w an additional single butter chicken and naan order. It was enough for me and my boyfriend to split and leave full after a long day of hiking. The Gulab milk donuts were SOOO good I had the waitress bring me another. Highly recommend! read more

Chai Pani - Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Probably one of the worst Indian restaurants we have been to. The chai martini cocktail, the tandoori chicken were equally disappointing. My husband said it was Costco rotisserie with a yoghurt sauce sprinkled on it. The spices barely were on the surface, the meat was completely unseasoned inside/ SPDP was ok. As a Mumbaikar, I downvote this restaurant. Had high expectations with the great reviews. It's a solid 3/5. read more

Chai Pani - Tandoori and SPDP- please don't order the tandoori. Hands down worst tandoori I've ever had. - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

This place is very busy so I recommend being ready to wait. We walked around the area while we waited which made the time go by. Service was wonderful and food was incredible! I recommend the okra fries and the aloo tikki chaat. The restaurant is also decorated really well! read more

Chai Pani - Chili Chicken - Indian Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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We recently celebrated with a family visit. After receiving a copy of the founders book, I was looking forward to this and it was one of the best meals I've had. The appearance lets you know of the Indian influence yet held some of the historical markings, which were appreciated. The staff were very professional and friendly. Dishes came out promptly but not rushed. The menu is incredible, we ordered several sharable along with main dishes. I had the best Butter Chicken I've ever had, the plating was a piece of art and very satisfying. Same with other main plates ordered. I found new favorite cocktail, a cardamon old fashioned. Chai Pani is now one of our favorite go-to spots and having read about the history beforehand, I have a greater appreciation for the overall dining experience they presented. read more