Party Pack - Jackson

I'm a huge fan of the chicken korma and the momos at this restaurant. However, I’m not impressed with the drinks menu or their prices, so I usually avoid ordering drinks. The staff seems to be quite focused on sales, but I suppose that's typical for Ann Arbor? Keep in mind that they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and be prepared for a wait on weekends.

I haven't been in Cardamom since the pandemic, but we always really liked it. The food is always excellent, the place itself is beautiful, and the entire staff is always very friendly attentive. The only drawbacks are that there is always a wait during dinner hours (although usually not more than 20-30 minutes), and I keep it a little expensive (not overpriced in itself, only more expensive than others with comparable fare). That said if you need to wait, and you don't care what the restaurant LOOKS like, you can usually go directly to Taste of India on State Street and pay less for equally good food (if not better).

The chicken tikka entree was mostly rice and hardly any tandoori chicken. I’ve included a photo for reference. Just so you know, we had already eaten the chicken before taking the picture, but the takeout container shows the rice-to-chicken ratio pretty well. We were quite disappointed, especially since it cost $13 for mostly rice. We also tried the chicken biryani, which was okay but lacked spice. There were no spice options available for either the chicken tikka or the biryani. Given the dining options in Ann Arbor, I don’t consider this to be great Indian food. Madras Masala remains my favorite.

**Detailed Review:** This restaurant ranks among the finest in Ann Arbor, as it truly captures the authentic flavors I expect and reminds me of the excellent Indian takeout I've enjoyed in major cities. This isn't meant to detract from the experience; rather, it sets realistic expectations. In a larger city, this place would thrive and likely enjoy a long-lasting reputation, although it may not draw crowds that wrap around the block. The standout dishes for me included the paneer makhni, freshly fried samosas, and bhindi. Bhindi masala is my favorite Indian dish, and this version had the perfect consistency—neither too wet nor slimy. The spice level for both was medium, which I found to be just right for the area; perhaps mildly spicy if you're accustomed to food that is genuinely spicy. In my experience, it was a bit spicier than other local establishments, but that’s primarily because those places tend to under-season their dishes. I found the chicken vindaloo to be somewhat too tomato-heavy for my taste and less spicy than I prefer, but it wasn't unpleasant. As for the lassi, it was a tad thick, but it had just the right amount of mango flavor to round off the meal nicely.

I like their biryani, kebab and stuffed aloo a lot. A little pricey so I eat only occasionally from here.