Wow the place got bigger than what it was 8 years ago. Love this place. Eventhough there are not a lot of choices but I have to say, what they have there is their most popular items. It does changes depending on days of the week. So what I like about this place: 1) Location 2) Price 3) Taste 4) Cleaniness 5) Quick 6) Fresh (made fresh daily) So I came here and ordered the butter chicken with garlic naan bread. Total came to about $11. Not bad. The butter chicken was not super spicy. Very buttery flavor. Tasty Tasty Tasty! This is the most busiest stall in the whole international food court. So remember to come early. Once they are sold out then they are closed. Yes close or sell out about 3 pm each day. Thumbs up to this place. read more

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Food is ok , not much variety but poor attitude They were in a rush and didn't even listen to a small request of just giving the rice in a separate 10 cent plate ( for my little one ) rather than mixing it with the chick peas Please fix your attitude read more

India Abroad - Middle Eastern Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I ordered the curry chicken for lunch. It wasn't that flavourful and when I was almost finished, there was a pool of clear liquid at the bottom of my takeout container. I wasn't too impressed as the curry was too watery. When they were scooping it originally, there was a separation between the sauce and the clear liquid in the tray. I ordered the garlic naan, but I got the plain naan and it was okay. Overall, the food smells good but I can't say it tastes good. Also, the portions here are small so it doesn't fill you up if you're a guy. When I went to pay, the cashier handled the papadan with her bare hands. Yeah, I threw that away right away. I had a bad case of the stomach flu back in December, so proper food handling is important for any restaurant. No thanks. I would never come back here again. I'll stick to the lunch deals in the Indian restaurants in Surrey, where it's $13 for a feast. read more

India Abroad - Curry Chicken - Way too watery - Middle Eastern Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This place is advertised "Authentic Gourmet Cuisine of India" and I've never been to India, but it's pretty darn good butter chicken. Wendy Y. and I decided to have lunch in the International Food Court today. Since my stomach wasn't feeling too well and I wanted to stay away from heavier type foods, I missed out. I managed to have a few bites of her naan bread, which was made fresh and her butter chicken, which was flavored just right. Next time, I'll definitely take advantage and order my lunch here instead. Keep in mind this place is quite busy during lunch and if you come too late, they run out of food. read more

The positives: 1. Clean stall 2. Butter chicken tasted pretty okay. 3. Efficient - even though the lunch-time queue was about 10-person(s) deep when I was there, I received and paid for my food in under 10 minutes. The ONE negative: Portion size. It would be an understatement to say that the portion size was inadequate. It was laughably small. What I received was not portioned for a lunch-time meal for the average adult Canadian male - it was maybe portioned for an afternoon snack for an undersized Canadian child. 2.71 stars read more

India Abroad - Garlic naan - Middle Eastern Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I've heard legendary things about the Butter Chicken here...and I can definitely say it lives up to the hype. I ordered the Butter Chicken Rice Box (9.29). The salad had a light creamy sauce on top of it, and it came with a delicious piece of papadum (crispy with strong chick pea flavours). The sauce is super creamy and tomatoey with firm chicken chunks. The sauce is just absolutely amazing tasting, it'll satisfy any craving that you might be having! My only qualm with this place is that for $9.29, the portion size is a bit on the skimpy side. read more

India Abroad - Butter Chicken Rice Box (9.29) - Middle Eastern Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Ok let's get real for one minute here. It's not 1943 and we don't need to ration salad like its WW2 again. It's pretty ridiculous how the owners of this place have the audacity to call 4.6 blades of lettuce a "salad". It's an insult. "Hey Eric, why don't you quit your whining and just get the large order?" Because I'd rather not pay an extra $3 for fresh styrofoam. Call me a tree huger but what's the point, It's not like they're packing up the large container with more food, it's all an illusion. What's even worse is if you ask the guy to put more food in there he just stares at you like you fell off the short bus. The only reason why this place even got a couple stars is because it tastes pretty good and the Naan is legit. That being said, it's not that hard to make decent Naan. My friend's little cousin can do it and she's 8. read more

Go here between 11:50 and 1:00 and the corporate elbowing gets a little scary. But it's worth joining that snaking long line up for the great lunch food and freshly baked naan. Here's the routine: 1. They ask "to stay or to go?" Your pick. The basic lunch staple is curry with rice and salad. Don't buck the system. 2. You decide what curries you'd like. I'm a fan of the half-and-half. Chili Chicken Wednesdays tops my list, and perfectly complements Butter Chicken or Chickpea Curry. Ask for naan. 3. You pay, and maybe wait a few minutes as the naan is shaped and baked in the glowing stove in the back kitchen. 4. Inhale the food. read more

This place was a staple when I worked downtown. Hidden away in the International Food Court off Hornby, it is truly a gem. Few things you should know: - There is GREAT veg food here - DO get the naan - Try the Chai if you pass by around 9, it's home made - Watch for the giant line between 11:40 & 1pm - Bring cash or you'll pay another $0.15 (they add up!) - Be awesome, these people make fantastic food all week long and I'm sure they'd love it if you said hello and gave them a smile. read more

I'm so disappointed. I was so excited to try this place (I got the half butter chicken and half chicken curry!) and while it was DELICIOUS, the portions were cry-worthy. $7.80 for a smattering of rice, curry and a sad salad and pappadum. I'll stick with Rice N' Spice where I also get veggies on the side for the same price. I just can't get past the tiny portion and the price. It doesn't pan out. read more

I come to this food court everyday, but know to avoid this place due to the small portion sizes and liquidy curry. Today, I had no idea what to have and was multi-tasking on a work call, so I just decided to go for it and see what happens. Everything was as expected - portions are not proportionate to the prices they charge, and the curry itself is quite runny. I'm also not sure why people enjoy the butter chicken here - I found it way too sweet and there was hardly any spice. I will be going back to Royal Centre for some Rice and Spice when I get curry cravings. read more

This place always has the scariest lineup in the world. But it goes really fast and the food is worth it. They have daily specials Monday through Friday. AND they seperate the vegetarian dishes. Handy! They do have two dishes that are on special every single day. The butter chicken (I think that's where the giant line comes from...) and the Chana Masala. Although on the menu they "dumb it down" for everyone and it is just called "Chick peas curry". I go on Thursdays. Thursday is the day they make my beloved Palak Paneer (or "spinach and cheese" on their big menu) The first time I tried it, I knew it was love. It is spiced to perfection and not so overly hot that you can't taste it, but enough that you'll need a drink to wash it down with. It is definitely a family owned business and I'm pretty sure it isn't a chain. They make a better Palak Paneer than most sit down Indian restaurants I have been to. One time I waited too long to head over there and they were SOLD OUT of Palak Paneer. This was really tragic. Go early. read more

India abroad makes tasty curry. i just don't see what all the fuss and the giant lines are about. the staff are nice but very rushed as they are always dealing with the enormous line. i've noticed over the years that the portion sizes keep getting smaller and smaller, and for $7-8 i'd like to leave feeling full. tasty curry but not good value for money. read more

I come to this fine establishment at least a few times a month for one dish. One dish that deserves more words than I could possibly throw at it. One dish that sets my mind ablaze and my stomach growling. That one dish... is their butter chicken. I've had various butter chicken dishes at various Indian restaurants. I've eaten at places that claim to be "fine Indian dining", and others that are simply fast food. I've enjoyed butter chicken elsewhere, but nowhere else have I wanted to take this delectable, creamy, tomato-y, buttery dish out back to make butter chicken babies. Yep, I said it. Go. Have the butter chicken. Get naan with it. GO! read more

The portions are miniscule, they should advertise as half portion NOT full portion. I ordered butter chicken and I bet I got 5 little chunks of chicken and 3 tablespoon full of sauce and one table spoonful of salad. Even the gentleman behind me ordered two lunch takeouts for himself . I agree with Gina and Eric, the portions are small but they're fast on taking your money. read more

Mm mm mm! India Abroad is one of my top three lunch places in the downtown core cause, when it comes to Indian fast food, it doesn't get much better (as the GIANT line that happens if you show up after 11:45 can attest to). I'm a huge butter chicken fanatic and these guys know what they're doing when it comes to butter chicken. I always forgo the salad and instead get my usual butter chicken with a little bit of whatever veggie dish strikes my fancy (favourites are the palak paneer, mixed veggies or veggie balls). Every dish comes with a piece of roti so I don't normally bother getting naan (though it is very good... nice and garlicy... mmm) and they're not stingy when dishing up your curries. I also really love that this is a family-run business - the same people are there every single time I go and they're always super friendly while moving the hordes of people through down the line (they've got their system down pat and once you've been more than once you'll understand exactly how it works). And make sure you get there early. read more

Don't judge it because it's a food court - it's delicious Indian food. The best I've had yet (with the exception of rangoolis). It's in the downtown core - and something that became a great "hidden gem" to my coworkers and I. Ran by an exceptionally hard working and dedicated Indian family. Last summer the food court had to close down for renovations, and when they re-opened, they re-designed the whole food court to allow more standing space to accommodate the large lines for the Indian food place. At 12:00 they get lined right up - but the line moves really quickly. (Get there at 11:55 and you beat the line). The man that serves the food is great - he'll let you do 1/2 butter chicken, and 1/2 of another entree just to keep it exciting. Note: they don't take MasterCard - but they take visa, debit card or cash. Simply Delicious! read more

Like previous poster mentioned, lunch time is very busy for this little establishment, and I will be one of them in line. Easily the best butter chicken and naan bread I have had in this city. When you step in the International Food Court you notice only one line up, and that is at India Abroad. I am sure the other restaurants are good but I am one who suffers food envy, and it is tough to pass up a good meal. I love the fact that this place seems to be owned and run by a family, it is always the same three people working and they are always happy and friendly. Good customer service is hard to find these days, and its nice to feel wanted as a patron. I do not have one complaint about India Abroad other than I wish there were more locations around this city. They could easily branch out and be a very successful establishment, how about opening a location on Denman? read more

This place is obviously popular, and fairly inexpensive. There is a pretty consistent line up before noon until around 1:30, I usually take lunch late and miss the line, but also risk the chance of limited options, or even once they ran out of rice. Everything is tasty and of good quality. They make the naan to order. Sometime I'll pick up a fresh samosa for breakfast. It's all pretty great, and they're friendly too read more

I gave them two stars because I've experienced better from them. Today I revisted and I was disappointed (which could be why there wasn't the huge scary line that there normally was). I didn't really expect good value for money (because that's not what this place is about). This place was suppose to represent really good butter chicken. This used to be my stand-by downtown work hour lunch. But today, the butter chicken (the only thing I've ever tried and ever enjoyed) was not flavourful. The chicken wasn't soft like normally is. It had very little chicken in fact and the flavour. I can't get over it. Maybe today was one off but I don't see why it should be a one off. It's butter chicken. The recipe worked before, why change it? I am not against change, if it's for the better. I remember they had changed it once before to something more spicy. But now it's not. I feel like they've let me down. But I might go again. That is if I don't end up going to another place for lunch. read more

ARGH! I forgot that I had been here before and was lured in by the curry scent. I ordered the vegetarian with only the veggie balls.. that are the size of a gumball... I got THREE. I said that seemed like a very small portion and they just shrugged their shoulders and said that was the portion size. Never going again. read more

India Abroad - Three veggie balls in a regular sized portion. Yup, that's it. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

My sister just introduced me to this place today. She asked, "Do you feel like butter chicked for lunch?", and as soon as my affirmative reply came we were speed walking towards this place in order to get there before the 12 O'clock rush. And when I say rush, I do mean rush! The lineup got very long, but it went quickly. We ended up getting our butter chicken, with rice, salad and warm fresh naan bread to go and eat by the water at Canada Place. I must say, when my sister told me it was the best butter chicken, she was right. The portion was also just enough, leaving me happily satisfied. If you are looking for a quick, hearty lunch, I highly recommend India Abroad! read more

Another hidden gem at the international food fair. Always has big lineup right at lunch but it moves fast. The butter chicken is surprisingly good by food court standards, the sauce reminds me of one of my favourites, Tandoori Kona, which is quite the compliment! The crispy papadum is a nice touch, and so is the salad. The only downside I'd say is how they aren't super generous with the actual meat, but I get pretty full on their current portions anyways. read more

I love this little place. Tucked away in a random food court, the food here is delicious! Fantastic butter chicken and naan. And the owners are awesome people! I once forgot my interac card and they had scooped all the food already and they were like "don't worry about it, relax, eat your food and come back with your payment." Keep in mind this was before I was a regular so they just trusted I would come back and pay them. Love this place! read more

Since I had been craving some butter chicken, Bo suggested trying India Abroad at the International Food Court on Hornby near our offices. Seemed like a better alternative than the place behind my office that sells both pizza and butter chicken (though I should still try that, I think). Apparently you can go for a "half-and-half" -- two halves of two different curries for the price of one! I opted for the chicken curry and butter chicken (~$9) which was served on top of rice. The spicier chicken curry was chunkier as well, and though it was decent, I liked the butter chicken more. Maybe because I just really need to get my butter chicken fix. The sauce was smooth, but I would've liked it to be a bit creamier. I got quite a generous amount of sauce, which was good. The chicken pieces were small and not too dry. With the sauce, it was okay. There were other types of curry offered, including masala chicken and beef vindaloo. The curries change around on a day to day basis, but I should think butter chicken is a staple. India Abroad definitely had the longest line out of all the food court stands. After the line, it's a quick solution for lunch since one simply picks a sauce to be added to rice. Prices are decent since it is a fairly filling meal for under $10. I was really hungry that day and still wanted more butter chicken afterwards though, not gonna lie. read more

This is one of my downtown favourites. I pick up lunch and dinner to go here at least once per week! I am a vegetarian and there are always three options (no charge to mix all three). I have heard that the meat option are good as well. read more

I'd probably rate them 3.5 stars. Like other reviews, the food is really good, but super skimpy, especially on the cheapo salad! They literally add about 8-10 pieces of chopped up lettuce (and sometimes i see the husband picking out a few pieces, perhaps because he put 12 pieces onto the plate). This is ia big turn off for many. Don't get me wrong, i'll still visit once in a while, but not as often as I would should they be a bit more generous with their portions! I think this sentiment is wide spread now as their lines are no longer as longn as they use to be and the sandwich shop and other stores lines seem to be longer and usually overflows into their area! read more

As an update to my previous review, I've found that the excess water doesn't actually come from the salad - it's from the damned rice! This curry rice water is the bane of my existence and must be drained at all costs. I suggest using a plate or maybe try closing the container prior to drainage - I lost about 5 forkfuls of awesomeness to the garbage maw by being over-zealous :( read more

Vancouver has one of the most diverse resource in terms of food from different regions around the globe - and a lot of them are available for relatively reasonable price. I don't know why but Indian food seems to be an exception despite huge number of Indian people (esp. in the Surrey region) in Vancouver I've looked around and there are few nice Indian food places but they are mostly in fancy dining settings - and sometimes I just want them cheap and ready to go instead of having to spend time waiting and dining So this is one of the few places (apart from the one on Granville island) that actually has Indian 'fast food' Curry was good but not spectacular. Main reason that I love Indian food is for their richness of flavor and spice and their curry was a little too bland for my taste Portions are not that big either ... I would go back there, but it's not some place that I would go out of my way to visit. It does stand out as one of the rare cheap Indian food vendor from the sea of Japanese food restaurants in downtown and would recommend this place if you are out to try something different for a change during lunch read more

I eat here all the time because the food is awesome. For $9 you get a decent size portion of butter chicken, which includes rice and salad. They also have a range of other curries and samosas. The fresh garlic naan bread can be ordered for an extra $1-2, and they have a tandoori oven in the back where they are making fresh naans as you order so they are still warm and super tasty. This place is very popular so there usually is a line, but they have it very well organized so it moves quickly. There is plenty of seating in the food court and you can get your order to go. read more

Tried this place for the first time today, ordered the Chicken Curry It was frustrating from the start, when the guy put about a third of a cup of salad on the plate, went to grab more before thinking better of it and moving it on. It was a mixture of extremely cheap greens, there was no need to hold back so much. The curry portion was slightly better, but it still was lacking for the price they charge. It was okay, however quite oily and mostly forgettable. There are many options of equivalent quality and better portion size in the area. I have no plans on going back. read more

I've only had the Butter Chicken so far and it was delicious. Tasty and spiced right. However, the price and line at lunch is concerning. The price $8 is a bit expensive for the amount of food you get. The line up at lunch is expected and they do their best to move the line along but its taking too long at times. Maybe pre-cook most of the naan and just re-heat them in the stove? Just a suggestion. read more

I've only ever tried the butter chicken at India Abroad in the International Food Court and it's some nummy nosh indeed. You can get a satisfying hot lunch with a drink for under $10. Either go early for lunch or a bit later to avoid the crunch. But if you go later, you risk finding empty dish pans after the locusts have passed through. read more

Food court food, served from a steam table, has no right to be as fresh and delicious as this is. Don't be daunted by the long lunchtime lineup (which serves as another glowing review); it moves pretty quickly. My party had a moderately spicy lamb vindaloo and a mild but luscious butter chicken; we loved them both. Generous portions, low prices: it's awfully hard to go wrong. read more

Quick, delicious butter chicken, delicious side salad and popadom. Bring cash so you don't have to pay the 10 cent fee on debit/credit. The only reason why they're not getting the full 5 stars is that $8 for a fast food joint and curry (although tasty) out of a warming tray is just a bit much. read more

Small portion. Expensive food. I got lame masala but its meat did not taste like lame. I don't come back here.

Intensely delicious awesomeness! For food court food this was unexpected deliciousness. I had the butter chicken with garlic naan and was not disappointed. Decent amount of meat for the price that you pay and not overly spicy so my tastebuds were intact! read more

Eric R. below, TOUCHÉ!!!! that salad ... if you can call it a salad. Maybe its a garnish? No, the menu clearly refers to a salad. I would give this place a 4 but because of the salad I'll have to give it a 2. That so-called "salad", the portion is so small, beyond small, barely there, miniscule - its off-putting, its irritating, its insulting. Owners, are you reading this? You're not fooling anyone with the salad. Diners see right through it, literally. Either serve a portion that will qualify as a salad or don't bother. Otherwise, the butter chicken and naan are pretty darn good. read more

Not the greatest - no rich sauces kind of watery Just not satisfying Indian food, but will fill you up if in a hurry thats about all These places need to use high quality vegetables - carrot, okra, green beans, and various Indian green veggies in a nice korma or curry, fresh saag - this is so cheap to make Naan made with high quality flour not just cheap white flour enough said read more

I've eaten at this place for 6 years, generally good food, not enough mild curry choices (for my taste). BUT recently they have upped their prices and dropped their portions - by a lot! All sauce and no chicken. I won't be back now. It makes me mad that they've changed their serving size so much and I'm paying more. read more