Ekta Indian Cuisine

My friend & I ordered take out from here that was delicious! For appetizers we had Aloo Tikki & Garlic Naan. For an entree we split an order of Malai Kofta. All the food was fresh & delicious. That was my first time having Malai Kofta- a seriously creamy & hardy dish that I enjoyed a lot!

Visited Etka Indian Restaurant with friends and had a satiable experience. The ambiance, service, and especially the food were all quality and well priced. A recommended-visit for anyone craving authentic Indian food. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Food was filling and I like what I order. It was quite empty for the evening time but they also close very early. I think it is a good place to try, I might come back for butter chicken It was sweet.

Went for weekend buffet today. Food wasn’t bad except the goat curry. Price I think $14.99 per person for weekend all day buffet.

I found a NAIL on my rice, i usually do not complain if I have issues but if this rice was designed to a kid or if i even didn’t payed attention that could’ve been a headache. Unfortunately not buying in this place anymore, feeling very disappointed.

I almost never review food places but this was very strange. Food tasted fine until I noticed my naan was really tough. Found out I was pulling a balloon stuck in the dough. Not sure if this is a food service finger glove, or something else.. it's possible this was an accident but it was pretty disgusting.

Used to love eating here "Kachha Aam Ki Sabzi" I ordered tonight. The description says "fresh mixed vegetables". The vegetables were poor quality frozen. Broccoli stems (you know the ones), two different cuts of carrots from different mixes, *snow peas* and green beans, *water chestnuts*, spongy cauliflower. Inedible. Into the trash. Ah, sir! Times is hard. Times is hard!

AMAZING tandoori chicken. Not only did it come out sizzling, but the tender was soooo juicy. I ordered it extra spicy and boy, did they deliver. It was probably the best tandoori chicken I've ever had, and I've had a lot of tandoori chicken. I also ordered the Madras Pepper vegetable curry, extra spicy. It was also very solid. But the tandoori chicken was out of this world. I will most definitely be coming back.

Been enjoying Ekta for 10+ years now. Hands down the best Indian food inside the city and the burbs. I ordered from here delivery last week and there was a mixup with my order. Not a big deal, but they still wanted to make it right and send me a new dish. Well they sent the dish and added some do their delicious pashwari naan as well. I appreciate them going above and beyond to make the order right. You can't beat the food and customer care from Ekta.

Ekta Indian Cuisine has completely changed the way I feel about Indian food. I've used them exclusively for takeout, and every time I'm blown away by the quality and flavor of the dishes. As someone who doesn't typically gravitate toward Indian cuisine, I've been genuinely impressed with how approachable and satisfying their menu is. Their saag paneer, in particular, is a standout--perfectly creamy, flavorful, and never overpowering with spice. One of the biggest wins for me is that Ekta's food is flavorful without being too spicy, which is a rare and much-appreciated balance, especially for a self-proclaimed spice wimp like myself. Even better, my six-year-old--who usually finds something to complain about with every delivery meal--actually requests their dal makhani. That alone is enough to keep Ekta on our regular rotation. My wife has her own go-to order: garlic naan, samosas, and chicken tikka masala. She's consistently happy with everything, and it's clear the kitchen puts care into each item. Everything arrives hot, fresh, and packed with care. It's hard to find reliable takeout that pleases our whole family, but Ekta has managed to hit the mark every single time.

Food 3/10 Atmosphere 5/10 Service 4/10 Tips I LIVE for the northern liberties location at the Indian cuisine, and this was the first time I ordered from this location. First of all, food was all lukewarm, or cold. It seemed like it had been out for quite a few hours. The curry tasted off, sour, and old. I didn't end up finishing my food, but both my partner, and I had terrible nausea, vomiting, stomach ache after eating the curry. The chicken was also extremely dry, tasted, sour again, and it was so nontender. I do not think I will be ordering from this location again. Order at your own risk!!

I was sad when we first moved away from Ekta on Girard. However the west philly shop has filled the void. I cannot speak to the ambiance or the layout since we only ever get delivery from here. The food though, is dare I say it better. That's not a knock on the other Ekta. They are delicious and I'd never talk down on that place. I almost always get the the lamb tiki masala. The garlic naan. My wife switches between a few main dishes she loves and different naans. Delivery is always 30-45. Which I think is good for being across town. Honestly surprised they come that far. I was almost going to try a different Indian place last night and then my wife was had a door dash coupon that waived all delivery fees. First Indian place on door dash is Ekta. So why try and fix what works? We love this place.

This restaurant used to be one of my favorite the one in University City no longer the case Food is apart there there's a reason there's hardly anyone there. I don't know if they're on the new management or what's going on, but it's not nice or clean in there.

We've only ever gotten to go here so my experience is limited to that. I love their malai kofta so much it's so buttery and delicious. Feels like a hug

I tried Etka because the normal Indian restaurant I order from was closed and I was craving curry. I had heard good things from others about their food so I figured l'd give it a try. While the samosas were good, they were over priced in comparison to other stores and were a bit smaller. The butter chicken was incredibly sweet, too sweet and was missing a depth of flavor from curry, cumin, and coriander. The naan was also over priced, on the smaller side, and a bit over cooked. I was definitely left disappointed after my meal.

It was a cold day but inside It felt cold and had to ask to raise the temperature. Restaurant and Menu were Indian but cook and servers Nepalese. Servers were polite and bhajan/ music was soothing. Water had taste of being straight from the tap.food was served and the only napkin provided was very low quality to be useful. We were 3 customers but green chilies served were only2 and very small quantity of onion that too cut very roughly. Had ordered naan but it turned out to be simple roti . Cauliflower curry and Navratan mixed vegetables were ok. Bhajji was ordered as appetizer which were not cooked professionally or prepared tastefully. Overall, it was a very disappointing and I feel bad for such negative portrayal because Sita who served us was very kind and polite. I think owner should nof call it Indian restaurant and be honest about not having Naan. Restaurant has lot of potential provided owner and manager should be customer focused and professional in welcoming , taking orders and serving food.

The food here is scrumptious. I enjoy every spoonful. Very well-seasoned. The lamb is my go-to. And it's tender. The kebob is exceptional.

We love ekta! This is our favorite take out Indian spot and it never disappoints. Our favorite dishes are the chicken tikka masala, mutter paneer and the paneer tikka masala. Don't sleep on the cheese naan- very yummy and much better than the paneer naan. The service is usually quick when ordering online just wish the pieces weren't so high.

We ordered takeout from here when we couldn't think of anything else to eat and wanted to try something new. And boy was it filling and delicious! We ordered butter chicken which was rich and filling. a the lamb pieces in the lamb saagwala were also really good. The spinach based sauce was a steal. The garlic naan was disappointing as it was served cold. I also didn't like it too much because it was flat and lacked in flavor. Mango lassi was good and a bit more sour to the taste than other mango lassis I've had. Aside from the naan, we enjoyed our meal and will be getting more food from here in the future

The food is 10 out of 10. The best Indian food I've had in a very long time. The flavors were spot on...so flavorful. I get so mad when I get Indian food and it's bland, definitely not the case here. I ordered catering for 8 people and everyone raved about it. I couldn't get pics because as soon as I sat it down, everyone dug in. The amount of food I received for the price was great. There was so much I was able to bring some home to share with my husband who also raved about how good it was. I have now craved food from Ekta every day since I had it. Can't wait to go back! I'll be sure to get pics the next time I'm there.

This is where the old Tandoor India used to been, I think I recognized the decorations. We came for lunch during a weekday and it wasn't busy. Each of us got a dine-in order and a to-go order. The dine in came fast which is good because we were on lunch and super hungry. Food was good and the one we asked for "not spicy" wasn't. To go orders also came towards the end of our meal and checks came and we were out. Definitely will be back, solid usual Indian food.

LOVED! The service in itself was quick and our server was great. I ordered the mango chicken along with their naan bread and the food was great. Overall a great experience, I will be returning. Thank you!

We did takeout for this Indian restaurant. Sorry the picture includes chicken and fries that's from another restaurant. The chicken tikka masala was probably my favorite that we ordered. We ordered 2 vegetable samosas, however, they gave us potato and onion pancakes. The paneer curry we got was good as well but all the paneer was at the bottom of the bowl and it was not incorporated well. I was disappointed at their garlic naan, it wasn't fluffy like I wanted it to be. The garlic naan was very flat and hard to rip apart. I didn't really taste the garlic either. Maybe eating in stores will be different, but I don't think I would do take out again.

THE BEST INDIAN FOOD IN PHILADELPHIA! honestly I have had my fair share of good Indian food and EKTA is top notch. They also have very good customer service, I usually order from here every Sunday and the one week the Uber driver did not deliver one item and Ekta told me to call next time and they will give me another item since I didn't want to pick it up that night. The next time I called & mentioned it they did what they said they would do. I am also always happy with the quality and quantity of the dishes.

i usually hate ordering takeout because the food gets cold, when i ordered from ekta the food arrived still very hot and fresh. delicious, i ordered the butter chicken

Ekta's service was attentive and nice. The buffet was amazing. Loved the assortment- my top three would be the chicken biryani, goat curry, and the vegetable samosas. The flavors were great and there was always fresh food coming out. Huge plus is the chai tea that is included - a little watery for my taste but still nice when paired with the food. Make sure to bring your student ID for 10% off and say this upfront! This was my first time and will certainly not be my last.

Some of the best Indian food I've had in the University City area. The buffet had a large selection of entrees; my favorites were the Chicken Tikka Masala, Aloo Palak, Chicken Biryani, Vegetable Samosas, and the Tandoori Chicken. Make sure you to try their Kheer (rice pudding) as well! The buffet prices are the following: Weekday Lunch: $9.99 Weekend and Weekday Dinner: $13.99 Also, note you get 10% off with a student ID. The restaurant is BYOB too.

Ordered butter chicken and garlic naan and it was so freaking good!!! The proportions are very good and the food was very fresh

This review is based on my memories of Ekta and tonight's Grubhub order. Ekta was not such a terrible departure from its old self, I recall the food's being stingy and salty. And it is that and perhaps slightly worse. The most important thing is that I didn't enjoy it, it was supposed to be a treat and it wasn't. This is a soft pass, edible and well packed, but really not worth the trouble. Or salt.

Been here a few times. Last time I went, I had the runs. Haven't returned since. There weren't any issues I can recall prior to that but the last time, made me concerned.

This is my second time ordering from Ekta. I came to Philly last year and I ordered their food via GrubHub. The first time I ordered, I had the Goan Shrimp which has lots of good coconut and curry spices. I was highly impressed and was completely looking forward to returning to this restaurant once I came back to Philly. I'm happy that I made the choice of ordering here again. This time I had the Mango Shrimp and I was also pleasantly pleased. Perfect amount of curry spice and creamy mango flavor, large-sized shrimp and soft basmati rice. I will say that the Goan shrimp had a bit more spice to it which I totally love but the mango shrimp was just as good. I also tried to the garlic naan and the basil naan. I was not impressed with the basil naan. It tasted and looked like burnt basil on a piece of naan. I won't order the basil naan again but I will definitely order the garlic naan. Restaurant is also near Penn's campus. Has decent prices depending on what you order. I am able to get 2 meals out of each order.

I order from them at least one a month because the food is so delicious. I can't attest to the service or ambiance since the only interaction I've had is over the phone.

First time trying this establishment and I was not disappointed! My partner and I both love Indian food and tried here since my partner just moved close to this location. We conveniently were able to order via Caviar. I ordered the shrimp biryani, they ordered the lamb biryani. The portion was a big size and well worth the money. It was so flavorful and cooked well. It was a bit spicy in my opinion but I don't have a great beat tolerance so can't complain about that! I also ordered samosas which were cooked perfectly. The cashew rolls almost reminded me of a small potato croquette and were delicious along with the sauce they were Served with. I most definitely will be ordering from them again!

I used to love Ekta when I first moved to Philly a few years ago and ordered from them (via Uber EATS) all the time. This was the first time I've ordered from them since Covid started and was greatly disappointed not only by the food, but by the lack of customer service. We ordered Saag Paneer, Garlic Naan, and Baigan Bharta. There was only 1 piece of naan (pre-covid Ekta would give 2-3 pieces of naan) which fell short of our expectations but I wasn't too bothered by it. What was upsetting was discovering a hair in my wife's food. I called the restaurant to report my concern and the employee didn't seem to care and failed to even apologize. I asked to speak with the manager and after confirming the name of the order, was told no one was there and to call Uber. After mentioning that my wife and I are both Indian and planned on writing a review, the employee told me the manager would be available in 10 minutes and to call back. I didn't call back but reported the issue to Uber who didn't fail to disappoint me either and declined to extend a refund. Next time I'm just going to cook. #Black Lives Matter #Support Local Businesses

Update: In recent months, quality has gone down, as well as fewer options and less turnover while at the buffet. They were going strong for a while, but now all of the saucy dishes are overly sweet and not as fresh as they used to be. Used to love this place, but I'm finding myself wanting other places nearby (or *gasp* New Jersey) instead.

Ekta recently opened up here in university city so, as a fan of all things buffet, I had to come try it. While the selection was a bit smaller than some other local options, for the most part they didnt skimp in quality or taste. The chicken tikka masala was amazing, super creamy and with a good depth of flavor from the spices-I could've just eaten that and I would've been happy. The goat curry was also delicious, with some of the most tender goat I've ever had. Even the spinach and chickpea mash (I forgot the name) kept me coming back, and for those that know how much of a carnivore I am, that's pretty impressive. The naan was brought straight to the table, fresh and hot. The only thing I was disappointed with was the samosa, which wasn't that warm and had a sort of plain tasting filling. Service was prompt and polite, and the price was around the same as other restaurants in the area. Food was delicious and I can't wait to come back, as I'm pretty confident that they'll be getting even better as they settle into their new location.

Basically, Not good, I should have gone to New Delhi. We ordered regular naan, aloo tikka, lamb vindaloo, chicken curry, and masaladar chhola. The chicken curry tasted bland, kinda watered dow - not what im used to. The vindaloo was the correct level of spiciness but the lamb was tough, as if it weren't cooled long enough. The shining stars of this order were the aloo tikka and masaladar chhola - very well cooked, tasty, and what one who eats Indian food twice weekly would expect. If I were rating on food alone they'd get 2 stars, but the service is abominable. You'll be happier elsewhere.

Ekta is undeniably the best place for Indian food in Philadelphia. I have probably been 10 times since moving here two years ago and have been consistently satisfied with the quality of the food and service. I first became aware of Ekta when I attended a meeting at my office that they catered. I didn't expect much. Catering can be a tricky task for restaurants to master, merely because events require very different planning and logistics than restaurant operations. At any rate, I bit into a samosa and was amazed. Ekta has somehow discovered how to season their mixture while still allowing the consumer to enjoy the flavor of the potato and peas. After my office experience, I decided I had to give the restaurant a try. I've tried everything they have to offer (butter chicken, saag paneer, goat curry, Indian chicken soup, bhindi, tikka masala, vindaloo, korma, tandoori sabzi, etc) and I have yet to find something that I didn't absolutely love.

Happy to tell you that I ordered Chicken Tiki Masala. It arrived hot and ready to eat... delicious! Had a short wait for delivery but well worth the wait! The portion of rice and the Masala were generous, and very tasty. I will order from them again.

Unfortunately cannot rate them as a zero. Orderedfrom them, they stated their delivery driver was outside for 20 minutes. I was on the porch waiting for 30 minutes. There was no driver. Why would I order food and not be paying attention?

Tried the buffet this past weekend. Nothing beats the price - at $9.99 for a weekend lunch, this was a clear winner amongst other restaurants in the area. There was quite a large spread of food - non veg entrees included butter chicken, tandoori chicken, and goat curry. I've definitely had more authentic Indian food elsewhere - this food wasn't spicy at all, but I guess this makes sense, since this is near a university area, attracting many students. However, it definitely satisfied my craving, and I'm sure I'll be back here if I'm ever in the area and craving Indian food!

This food is torchmust try!!. All entres you can set your spice level for the non-pure Indian goers ("don't do spicy") fulfilling serving sizes may be in the larger side. If you don't eat a lot may can split between two. Great Netflix & chill carry out dinner. All I can say is this meal can add a special spice to the occasion.

Wow. Are they under new management ? New cooks? I've ordered from here for the past 4 years and the food has always been consistent and solid. Today it was AWFUL. overcooked chicken, flavorless watery sauce. And the naan was thick dense and terrible. How do you mess up naan!??? Glad I'm moving would never order again!

I first had Ekta in Bryn Mawr and it was absolutely delicious, so when I found out it was opening in Philadelphia I nearly died from happiness. I'm a huge fan of Indian buffets, so I've made my way through a bunch of them in Center City and this is by far the best. If you're looking for super spicy food, this probably isn't the place for you. However, if you're like me and enjoy very flavorful Indian with a moderate amount of spice (i.e. your mouth isn't dying after you eat), this is definitely the place for you. The buffet has a bunch of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes and they're all incredible. There's also rice, tea, a salad bar, fruit, and rice pudding or another dessert. My favorite dishes are the chickpeas and the chicken tikka masala, but you really can't go wrong with any and I recommend trying everything. My friend loves the kabob chicken. The food is all so creamy and the meats are all very tender and flavorful. Warning: Ekta is dangerous for your waistline if you're a student in University City as you can get a 10% off discount with student ID. I'm pretty sure I'd eat here every week if I lived closer to it. Tips: -Ask for naan at the buffet (it's free and so warm, fresh, and yummy). -Ask for a student discount (with ID) -Come hungry :)

Really nice place but the lab omg dude not very tasty but the chicken was delicious it was fried and spicy... delicious.

I go to Indian buffets often and this place was just plain disappointing. The rice was crumbly. Instead of pieces of potatoes and peas inside the samosas, they seemed to be mashed together in a greyish paste. The sauce for the masaladar chola was very thin. The naan was dry. My partner was completely unimpressed with the goat. There were no cashews in the kheer, and the mint chutney didn't taste like any mint chutney I'd had before. There was a sauced fried chicken wing dish that tasted vaguely Chinese, but the breading was soggy and the chicken itself tasted boiled. There were signs all over that seemed to chastise the customer. In addition to the usual admonition to use a new plate with each trip, they indicated you would be charged for taking more than 1 full naan, to use bowls for dessert only, and that you can't take leftovers home. Ekta wasn't so bad that we didn't want to pay for what we ate, but we were deeply disappointed with the whole experience and we will not be returning.

I can't believe that I haven't written a review for Ekta yet! This is my FAVORITE place for Indian food in the city! And I have convinced many of my friends and coworkers as well. This place has become our go to for great Indian food! I have eaten in once for their buffet (way before Covid) it's so cheap and good! But I mostly order delivery to the hospital. Butter chicken with garlic naan is my absolute favorite meal from this place. bad day? Indian food. Good day? Still Indian food. LOL I just feel better after eating it. We have tried a ton of things here and I can honestly say I have never had anything bad. The Samosas are bomb. Tikka masala, chicken korma, saag paneer, tandoori chicken, all their naan (sweet and savory) and their biryani are all delicious! Ordering directly from their website, you get a 10% discount and delivery fees are MUCH less than grubhub, etc. I've tried food from Veda, tiffin, thanal, Philadelphia chutney and indeblue. Next time you have a craving for Indian food, try this place!!

Just had the most frustrating experience attempting to order delivery. I ordered through the ekta website. When I called to check on status, the restaurant had no record of my order. They had, however, charged my card. The woman on the phone refused to do anything about the situation. She would not send me the food I ordered, nor would she refund my card. She also stated that sometimes orders just placed online (via their own site!) don't come through. I'm hungry, annoyed, and now have to dispute the transaction with Visa.

There is only 1 Indian descent here in the freshman dorm. When she transferred here to our college she said aloud "Where are all the Indian people?" although India is Asian the food is very much different. Ekta would be a good restaurant for my residents to try considering it will spread awareness of the culture. It would make some residents feel more welcome and grow more knowledge of Indian culture/ foods.

Ordered lamb tikka masala and mango lassi through door dash. The lamb was so chewy. Will not order from this location again.

My foodie family was thrilled with our meals this weekend. The Indian food where my parents live is mediocre and they were really excited to have such a delicious meal. The saag paneer and ekta biryani were especially good and we all left stuffed and happy

I have ordered several times from here. Ordered eta briyana the rice was moist and perfect. Meat and seafood tender. Hubby ordered samosas veggie rice said it was delicious too. Had a 50% coupon what better way to use it!

tl;dr - Really good food and a great variety of it in the buffet. Service is wonderful and they really do take care of you. Prices are great! Overall atmosphere could be a litttttle better, but definitely my fav for Indian food in University City, which has a LOT of these types of places. Ekta looks very unassuming in the front and the decor is a little outdated, but WOW does that food pack some flavor. I always head all the way down in the buffet and grab the chicken curry and the tandoori chicken. Naan is delicious, the little fried dough balls are AMAZING, and the soup has a nice, unique flavor. There are still a few things I need to try, but I was overall impressed by the food. The service was impressively fast. My water glass was always full (and yo girl drinks a LOT of water), and they were very fast to take away plates. Perhaps even a little too overbearing on that, but I really appreciate the effort. Very happy with the few times I've been and will definitely be back! A must go.

This is my favorite Indian buffet in University City, and that says a lot considering there are quite a few in a 5 block radius alone! Their chicken tandoori is perfect, and the tikka masala is perfectly spiced. I appreciated the fact that the service was fast and friendly too, even letting me keep a pitcher of water at my table to combat the spice. Yum!

This place is just as good as their other location. In my opinion this is the best Indian food in the neighborhood, and costs the standard price for West Philly. Their buffet is amazing; just as good as menu items from Sitar (which is one of my favorites, and a neighborhood favorite).

I usually have a good experience with Ekta's food, so was a bit thrown off by my experience today. The tandoori chicken I was eating was only cooked on the outside, with completely raw, pink flesh on the inside - not even undercooked, but raw. I get it - restaurants make mistakes. But once I brought this up to the manager, he claimed that they "were not serving raw chicken" and that "even if [I] wrote a review, nobody would care because we have the best tandoori chicken in Philadelphia." Not once did anybody apologize. I hope ekta gets its act together because New Delhi and Sitar restaurants, both amazing, are just around the corner.

I got delivery through DoorDash and my food arrived well packed, labeled and still hot. The food itself was fantastic- well seasoned but not spicy. My order had saag paneer, aloo gobi, onion bhaji, and naan. All were fantastic and the naan was beautifully soft and the rice had nice separate grains. This was a super enjoyable meal!