Chai Pani Asheville

RUDRA GARNAIK

This restaurant topped in the list for year 2022 here in usa. Not sure how it is number one but here is my real experience based on my today visit: - waiting time is so high (more than 1 hr) - nice staffs - decent look and feel. No wow factor at all - food is fresh and healthy - Average taste - no wow factor again. - Must try paneer roll. - Roasted papad is decent. Good its not oil fried - Daal is good. - Raita has mustard tadka - love it. - heavily crowded, may be due to weekend - No dedicated onsite parking - (paid parking available in walkable distance) - limited menu’s - do not expect all Indian food.( few street food only).

Lauren Ford

Last time we were in Asheville, this place was boarded up because of the pandemic. Now it's open, and we've found another place to eat when we're here. We were seated at the bar immediately (got there around 11:50 pm on a Saturday), and picked up the drink special (frozen raspberry daquiri), then got an appetizer and two chicken Tikka wraps, which were incredible. The bartender was friendly and chatted with us about everything, and even recommended her favorite chutneys and said they make their own bitters in-house. I wanted to try everything on the menu and we will certainly be back. One of our friends eats here multiple times every time they come, and he's vegan/his wife is vegetarian, and there are plenty of options for both of them.

vaibhav rathod

Truly the best Indian food I've ever had in the United States! I had heard about this place before our trip to Ashville and it was on my list of must-try places. We found the restaurant hours at most places in Ashville weren't great, many closed a few days every week which meant we had to try certain places all within specific days and a lot of them were open on the same days. Looking at their website I think this had more to do with the pandemic than what their business is typically like. My friend and I are visiting Asheville for the weekend and a lot of people recommended this place to me. When we arrived it was a 1.5-hour wait without a reservation. While we were hungry, I was advised it was worth the wait. A little over 1.5 hours later we were led to the bar where we ate. The staff was kind and accommodating to my allergies. The food was delicious and the service was great! The naan was impressively soft with perfect crispy browning. Highly recommend the Sev Potato Dahi Puri appetizer. All the textures and flavors in these bite-sized portions were the best way to start the meal. The creamy butter chicken was the special of the day and it did not disappoint. The food was truly incredible! The flavors are so rich and well blended. It was a real gift to my palette! We got the sweet potato chaat as an appetizer and wow! What an array of flavors! It was somehow both sweet and savory! For my main dish, I got the sloppy Jai, which is their take on a sloppy joe. I'm convinced the bhel puri is not from this earth, this beautifully balanced and sweet yet crunchy and acidic chutney that just glows with every bite. Add on to that the chicken pakoras, some fries-like okra, and the vada pav and you'll see the magic. Just wish I left room for the butter chicken! I'm still thinking about it! If you're ever in Asheville, make a reservation, or wait the standby time to eat here; I promise it's worth it!

Kevin Ao

Delicious street style Indian food. You have to try to fried okra. Also get the mango lassi. The staff is friendly and attentive. If you are in the mood for tasty Indian food this is the spot.