Ekta
| Address: | 1003 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, USA |
| Phone: | +1 610-581-7070 |
| Site: | ektaindianrestaurant.com |
| Rating: | 4.1 |
| Working: | 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–9:30PM 11AM–10PM 12–10PM 12–9PM |
Location
Photos 44
Reviews 12
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Sutirtha Bagchi
I am an Indian and the surprising (to some) fact is that I almost never go out to eat Indian food. Why you ask? Well because I can cook most Indian dishes by myself at home if I choose to but also because most Indian places I go to end up disappointing me. So when you read my comments, maybe its worth keeping in mind that, on average, I like one out of every ten Indian restaurants that I try out. With that being said, I found myself here last night with some colleagues from work. We ordered samosas and cashew rolls as our appetizers. The samosas were very average. Frankly I think that samosas sold in frozen packets at Indian grocery stores are more savory than the ones we had here. These were BLAND. I also found it surprising that they had offered only one set of chutneys (a mint & a tamarind) for the entire table. Having been seated at the end of the table, I often found myself bugging the person seated next to me for passing the chutneys. The cashew rolls are not something I come across very often and therefore while there was some excitement in trying those out, they were very forgettable. They are unlike anything I have had and not in a good way. For our main course, I went with the Goan fish curry. Having been to Goa as a kid and having tried out lots and lots of fish curry, I have very fond memories of Goan fish curry. Sadly Ektas attempt at that was a BIG disappointment. In my view, Goan fish curries should have an abundance of coconut and they should be somewhat lighter in consistency than say, a paneer butter masala. Neither were true for the curry I had here. I also like to see large portions of the fish in my curry and get a feel for the fish itself as I am having it but in this entree, I found that the fish had crumbled and had been cooked to the point where it was hard to get any feel for its texture/ flavor. I had the same impression as I have at most Indian restaurants - the chef probably prepared a common creamy base for many of his dishes and then only made most minor adjustments to them as he went along. Service was just fine. Being a BYOB place, we had bottles of wine that our server opened for us without making much of a fuss. His accent was a bit hard to understand at times and this was true for some of the other staff at the restaurant too. All in all, it was quite a forgettable experience for me. Judging by the lack of fellow natives (or co-ethnics, to get all technical), I think it is a reasonable bet that the Indian palate would not think much of what Ekta has to offer. But the place wasnt empty either and my colleagues seemed to enjoy the food enough that three out of four ended up leaving with what was left of their entrees in doggy bags. So I suppose if you are not a particularly finicky eater when it comes to Indian food, your taste buds may approve of Ekta. Prices are reasonable when compared against other Indian restaurants that I have been to.
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A Private User
One word and that is Horrible. If you are an Asian (From India, Pakistan, Bangladesh ect ect) DO NOT GO this restaurant. I am from North India a land of Rich food. I saw this restaurant’s website and it looked pretty good (that is the only thing good about this restaurant). Checked their Menu looks good. But their buffet is horrible. First of all, No South Indian Dish (their web site say we have south Indian dish in buffet). Food is without any spice. Most of the time trays are empty. This restaurant is basically for people who don’t know what a rich and tasty food is. Please don’t waste your money. No Taste at all. By keeping a tray of spice over the counter will not make food tasty.
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A Private User
Took my 16-year-old son and we had 2 great meals (and I got the lamb biryani to go for lunch the next day, making three!) The Vindaloo is spicy, but not so hot that your mouth is on fire after you leave (they leave a pepper on the side in case you feel the need), the Chicken Curry is great, and the mango lassi (like a lighter version of a smoothie) was very good. Im told the sides and desserts are good, but I was stuffed after an appetizer and the entree - and I can eat. Joseph was very friendly! Highly recommended.
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Peter Bachman
Tend to eat here instead of Tiffin as a destination. Spicing is the key to Indian food and they do an overall good job I cook my own Indian dishes and know how much effort goes into it. They are swinging for a middle America palate. That said, the smaller Girard location is one notch above for takeout. One sees documentaries on English curry houses where they are wearing gas masks while cooking high Scoville recipes. The lamb vindaloo at Girard is quite spicy and fights back, a favorite.
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Jitendra Gokhale
Indian food wirhout accompaniment of Lime, onions and pickels is unthinkable. Please make ir default instead of having to ask for it. Overall good ambience but found if amusing that for lunch they had bare tables and paper napkins where as for dinner it was to be a well laid out table with proper covers and napkins. Setting up tables for the evening while guests were having lunch was a turnoff. Foodwise the taste was goid, the portions resonable. The staff was okay.
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Jenna Matlin
Ive been going here since it opened in the Bryn Mawr location. As a vegetarian (cannot speak for the meat dishes) this is simply some of the best... consistently best... Indian food around. I am stunned at the popularity of Tiffin which I find consistently mediocre... perhaps their meat dishes sing. Go to Ekta and try either one of their mango dishes. Delightful.
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Neil Khettry
The best in the Philadelphia area. Very interesting and flavorful dishes and careful use of rich ingredients. I am surprised by other comments that they shy away from spiciness. I am Indian and have tried Indian food across the US, Canada, UK, and India, and I would say that the spiciness is at least moderate. Try the kadai paneer if you disagree.
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Jake Hawkesworth
This place just opened 2 months ago, and the food is great. A very convenient location, extremely attentive waiters, and fantastic indian cuisine. The food was on spicier than other indian restaurants around, but not intolerable. Try their cashew paneer dish! just fantastic.
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Carlos Printe
Their dishes have plenty of spices. Some other restaurants cut down on that to cheapen the dish, but not this one. I tried the lamb vindaloo, chicken tikka masala and two biryanis and they were all delicious. I also like that they add cumin seeds to the salted lassi.
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Christopher Ross
Great food. Fantastic Tika-Masala dishes, Palak Paneer to die for. Naan that is making my mouth water as I write this. I guess I know where Ill be going tonight. Fantastic. Parking is rather tough, but if you can find a spot - go! Or takeout, of course.
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A Private User
We orded take out from here, and it took two hours to show up. We called after an hour and twenty minutes and they said it would be another thirty minutes. They were not concerned that the food arrived cold and offered no discount for the inconvenience.
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Chintan Rathod
I come from India, and love Indian food a lot. However this restaurant make me want to hate it instantly. The restaurant looks good but the food is worse than frozen food you find in the grocery stores. Do Not Recommend it to anyone.
