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| Tuesday, September 27th, 2016

Indian restaurant opens in Bridgeport, food is worth the walk

Andrew Adams
TECHNEWS WRITER

Students on Illinois Tech’s campus
are often looking for two things: a place to
go off campus and good, affordable food.
A recently opened restaurant is trying offer
just that. Oberoi’s Indian Food and Grocery
opened a second location in Bridgeport,
originally operating on Devon Avenue, a
Chicago neighborhood known for its strong
Indian community. This location is open from
noon to midnight at the corner of Princeton
and 31st street, just under a ten minute walk
from MTCC.

The atmosphere at Oberoi’s is light
and inviting. Chic glass tabletops paired with
molded wood chairs dot the open dining area,
giving it a distinctly modern feeling. Between
the hustle of people grabbing meals to go, and
the door that’s propped open whenever it’s
nice outside, there is an informal, friendly aura
throughout the restaurant. That being said, the
space also feels almost unfinished, largely due
to the swaths of unadorned walls with fresh
blue paint. While that may sound off—putting
to some, it can be attractive to others.

Oberoi’s has a medium size menu,
having somewhere near 30 named items,

though by varying the combinations of what to
order, those 30 can go a long way. The strong
point of the menu is the daily chef special. This
dish or set of dishes is selected and made by the
chef every day and it is where the real character
of the menu lives. Striking up a conversation
about the special with the chef or the cashier is
a must for anyone interested in learning about

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Indian cuisine.

Regardless of what is served,
the food at Oberoi’s easily above average,
though probably not life changing. Kaushik
Suryanarayanan, an Illinois Tech third year,
said “[the butter chicken], has a nice amount
of heftiness, though it could use more
butter. Solid seven or eight out of ten.” This

grade was shared across many items on the
menu — the aloo gobi mattar and biryani are
also good, though the balance of spices and
ingredients seemed to be a safe blend, almost
an uninteresting mixture. There was little
distinctive flair to most items, rather the dishes
were standards executed dutifully.

Perhaps the best part of Oberoi’s is
the amazing staff. Between the manager of the
restaurant, Sultan, the woman who designs
the restaurant’s marketing, Mimi Moss, and
the assorted cooks and cashiers who roam
around the restaurant, there is always a
smiling face willing to suggest a meal or simply
have a conversation. They are sure to engage
customers in conversation. This is a good thing
for social people or for people who are looking
to feel like they are part of the community,
but for quiet or secluded meals, Oberoi’s is
probably not the best option.

Oberoi’s Indian Food and Restaurant
is a restaurant that is at once in touch with
the traditions and customs of many Indian
restaurants in the area while remaining up to
date with modern trends. It popped up in one
of the most active and diverse neighborhoods
of Chicago. For the Illinois Tech student who
likes cozy and very friendly restaurants, this is
definitely worth checking out.