When thinking of Indian cuisine, you may imagine strong spices and flavorful food, which in actuality, is true. Katie and I were surprised to taste the amazing flavors of Indian cuisine when we ordered from Thumka Indian Express located in Algonquin. The restaurant offers a variety of traditional Indian desserts and entrees, both for meat lovers and vegetarians or vegans. In this review, Katie and I will share our experience with the delicious food at Thumka Indian Express.                                                                                                                                                                             

I’ve never had Indian food, so I was uncertain about what to order since everything looked amazing from the pictures. In the end, I decided to go with Masala Fries (an order of fries can NEVER go wrong) as a side, Aloo Gobhi, a vegetarian dish filled with cauliflower and potatoes as the entree, Cilantro Chutney, a sauce, and Gulab Jamun, a milk-based sweet, for dessert. 

Starting off with the fries, they obviously didn’t disappoint. Masala traditionally is a spice blend that’s very common in Indian cuisine and pairing the fries with Cilantro Chutney definitely sealed the deal. The fries by themselves, however, could’ve had more seasoning. The Cilantro Chutney added a tangy level to both the fries and the Aloo Gobhi. Although the Aloo Gobhi didn’t have any meat protein, it did in fact make me feel full which is one thing many people doubt when eating meatless dishes. Spices are no joke to Indian cuisine and that was shown in the Aloo Gobhi. Once again, pairing it with the Chutney gave it a tangy feel. As for the dessert, the Gulab Jamun came in caramel sauce. Although I’m usually not one to eat dessert, it was fairly decent, just a little too sweet for me- maybe it was the strong caramel flavor.

Overall, I would order the Masala Fries again, but it’s never a bad idea to try something else since fries are basically sold everywhere. If you’re a fry lover, you should definitely go with the Masala Fries paired with a Chutney Sauce. The Aloo Gobhi (also my favorite dish from this meal) I would definitely order again, and I highly recommend it if you’re seeking a plant-based dish that’s filling, if you don’t eat meat for ethical reasons, or if you don’t eat certain types of meat for health reasons. And finally, for the Gulab Jamun, I wouldn’t order it again because I’m not a huge sweets person, but if you’re one who enjoys a good sweet treat that’s unique in flavor, I would definitely recommend it.

Katie: I also started off with the Masala Fries. My mom and I both really enjoyed the Masala spice blend added to the steak-cut french fries. The blend added a nice heat and spice flavor to a traditional American appetizer or side. In my opinion, it could’ve used a bit more seasoning on some of the fries, but overall it was very delicious. Next, I tried the Samosas with a potato and pea filling. If I had to pick a favorite dish from today, it would be the Samosas. I had never tried a Samosa before today, and these were delicious! There was a perfect balance of crunchy Samosa dough and spice to the potatoes and peas. The cilantro and spice sauces were also really good; however, I preferred to eat them by themselves. I loved these so much and would definitely eat them again! 

For the main course, I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala along with the Butter Naan. I really enjoyed both foods, especially dipping the Naan into the sauce of the Tikka Masala. I selected the mild option for the Tikka Masala since I don’t usually like super spicy foods, and it was just the right amount of heat for me. The tomato sauce was very rich and buttery; the chicken was tender and well seasoned. The Naan was cooked and buttered to perfection and was very delicious. I would order these dishes again!

Finally, for dessert, Alam and I both ordered the ‘Mini Desserts,’ which consisted of one Gulab Jamun. I wasn’t very familiar with what the dish was, but after I looked it up and tried it, I really liked it! It was similar to a cake or dough ball covered in sugar syrup and had hints of lemon in the dough. I would order it again. 

Thumka Indian Express is definitely a unique place, and Katie and I can agree that they have delicious food for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, or a meat lover, this place has it all. Located at 2737 W Algonquin Road, consider Thumka Indian Express as your next place to check out!