Kohinoor Indian Restaurant and Lounge

6 E Columbia Ave, Champaign, IL 61820, USA

Address:	6 E Columbia Ave, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
Phone:	+1 217-552-1384
Site:	kohinoorchampaign.com
Rating:	4.4
Working:	11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 12–10PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 8

Rebecca Corman

Food here was decent but the service was horrible. We ordered samosa chaat (on urging from the waitress that we order an appetizer because the kitchen was a bit slow that night - more on that to follow), tandoori chicken (4 pc), chicken tikka masala, and saag paneer. The samosa chaat was good and a nice little change from just samosas - though I could have just ordered the samasos and recreated it myself. Tandoori was good, the chicken tikka masala was just ok- the chicken was tough, but the sauce tasted good. The saag paneer was our favorite dish by far. Quantities were decent - we were a party of two and had plenty of tandoori chicken and chicken tikka masala leftover. The naan portions were huge - if wed realized how big they were we would have gotten two rice sides and one naan, even for the two of us we ended up with an entire piece left. The food couldnt make up for the service though - after that night we likely wont be back. The restaurant seemed busy when we got there, so when the waitress mentioned that the kitchen was a little slow, we figured they were unexpectedly understaffed and slammed - no big deal. Our appetizer (ordered on urging by the waitress) came quickly enough, but we waited probably another hour for our entrees to arrive. I quickly realized the restaurant seemed so busy because none of the tables were turning over and everyone was waiting for food - we asked our waitress and she said this was just an average friday night and its always like this. A neighboring table left before their main dishes arrived - the waitress spent the rest of the evening complaining to us about them leaving without paying. Running out on the bill for their appetizers and drinks is rude, but they had kids with them and I totally understand their impatience with no food and no reassurance from the staff that it was coming any time soon. Service may be better during the week or at lunch time, and Id consider getting take out, but I would not recommend coming for dinner.

Ivan Lenov

So, we went to celebrate our friends birthday, so we had a larger party, 7 people. We were told that we would be seated in 30 minutes so, its not unreasonable. We waited for an hour to be seated, with the owner constantly apologizing. Not a big deal, large party, no reservations, we were ok. So we go ahead and order food. And then we wait. And wait. And wait some more. The owner comes by a couple of times reassuring us that its almost ready. At one point he says he will get us an appetizer if we wait more. Eventually he gets us an appetizer as we see that another table with a small child hasnt gotten their food either and the child is getting cranky and fussy. What is this appetizer? Its a small bowl of dry chips, that we had to split some of the chips so that everyone could have a nibble. This was more of an insult than anything else. After an hour after ordering our food, we get the food. So, we eat it. It tastes ok. I ordered medium spicy, its almost inedible. But I suffer because Im really hungry. My buddy orders extra spicy, there was hardly any spice. He eats it too because of we order a different plate it will be another hour. We scarf down our food and leave because we had plans after. As we go up to pay, I hand my card to the cashier, but the owner decides to make us wait just a little bit longer as he takes the credit card terminal to run someone elses check and smiles and says, "Just one minute." That last part was the cherry on top. On the plus side, the water guy kept our waters filled, so thats why the two stars.

Pia Nathani

I arrived at the restaurant at around 9ish. It was very noisy and the music was LOUD! The waiter there, who usually takes orders was very pushy, over friendly and very hyper! While I was placing an order for food, I said I want the food very spicy, and he snapped back saying, " you will not be able to eat it, you should go with the regular order." 1. I did not ask him for his expert opinion! Two, even after I told him several times, that I wanted the aloo tikki chat spicy, he made it regular saying that I would like it this way! How could he assume something like that? Do I know my spice level better or does he? Very inappropriately pushing his views on me. The food was not at all spicy and obviously not to my liking. Next, I placed an order for masala papad which turned out to have a few sprinkles of fatly chopped onion and bits of tomato. It was terrible! The main course was below average. Very disappointing food because it did not taste authentic to me at all!

Zaynab Salehpour

I almost never post restaurant reviews but I ate here yesterday and felt compelled to post because it was such a good experience. The food is hands down delicious. So much so that I am ordering delivery from them again today. Cheap prices for the amount and quality of the dishes. The naan was fresh and fluffy! I tried the lamb curry and the paneer mukhali. The lamb literally melted in my mouth from how tender and flavorful it was, and the paneer mukhali was so savoury. Additionally, our server and the staff were incredibly friendly and attentive. We never had to wait on being served/dishes cleared because they were on top of it! HIGHLY highly recommend and I will definitely come back in the future.

Brendan Hsu

Hands down the best Indian restaurant in town. The food is unbelievably authentic and delicious. The chicken curry and naan melts in my mouth. The shrimp vindaloo is juicy and explodes with flavor and spices. The staff is amazing. Welcoming and friendly every time. I particularly enjoyed my service with Brandy, who was very accommodating with the service being slow because of the dinner rush. She comp-ed us free Indian ice cream dessert which was quite tasty and worth trying. All in all, definitely go to this restaurant if youre a fan of Indian cuisine. You will not be disappointed!!

Lynn Crum

Normally we love coming to Kohinoor so we thought it would be an excellent choice for Valentines Day dinner. We knew it would be a busy night so we were prepared for a bit of a wait and planed ahead by calling and making reservations. After being seated and waiting for over thirty five minutes no one had come to take our orders for drinks or food and we decided to leave. I had planned a special night but it ended up being quite a disappointment. As a side note the food was great on previous visits I really wish we could have had it tonight.

Jamey Cooper

Delicious food and if requested they can make food ligitimately spicy. With that said, before you order make sure youre not one of those posers who only "thinks" they like spicy food based on their experiences with Americanized Thai lunch options. Anyway everything was delicious and very affordable. My only complaints are the lacking of adult beverage options (I believe this is still in development) and not as many lamb options as many other Indian restaurants. I look forward to returning and seeing how this restaurant progresses.

Tim Spohrer

Superb food and great neighbor. Living right across the street from this place there seems to not be a week that goes by where Ive not hoped over to get some delectable food. From the samosa to my favorite Korma definitely loving this place. Staff and owners are some of the most gracious, friendly, and neighborly. If you are ever looking for some downtown nibbles you should certainly add these folks to your list of choices.