"Himalayan Restaurant is a small, casual spot in the South Loop, with a menu highlighting food from Nepal and North India. There’s plenty to choose from, including big and flaky samosas packed with spicy potato filling, and some of the best biryani in the city outside of Devon. Many of their curries use ground cashews as a thickener, which calls for an order of naan (pillowy soft with just the right amount of char) to sop up the creamy gravy. Leftovers are inevitable, so Himalayan is a great weeknight option. And since most of their business is takeout, there’s almost always seating available in the low-key space." - adrian kane, veda kilaru, john ringor, nick allen