Klay Oven Kitchen

Some of the best Indian Food in the city! I get the chicken vindaloo every single time and it never disappoints. Klay Oven is a must try if you're in the loop.

Ended trying the aloo gobi wrap, it was okay. Not super spicy and didnt expect there to be rice inside so more than a wrap it was an aloo gobi burrito. Staff was super nice and friendly and quantity was a lot. This french market is a great place for a quick bite between meetings

Will start off by saying the service is great, staff is super friendly and the food was prepared really fast. For the French Market the price is also great! If you're a vegetarian this place will have the most amount of options for you. That being said, food is pretty average. The flavors are pretty toned down for an Indian restaurant but I still thought it was tasty, this is most noticeable in the samosas. I also found the saag paneer really watery. I will say I am impressed with the paneer itself though.

Ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and thought it was fantastic! Food was fresh and flavorful - a great spot in the French Market.

For years, this was my favorite rare lunch treat that I could rationalize by taking half home for dinner. Unfortunately, the portions have shrank significantly, most obviously with the literally half-size naan. At the same time, the prices have gone up. I understand it's as a result of covid and inflation, but the quality has also unfortunately decreased. Food is not as flavorful, the samosa inside was dry, and the sauces seem thin and watered down. Today, I received raw red onions in my meal instead of pickled for the first time. They also seem to have eliminated the punch cards. This is a tough review to write since I have loved them, but I doubt I'll return after this.

I used to eat here very frequently before covid but haven't been back in a long time because they're not open late enough. But, I just stopped by for lunch and I'm afraid I can't recommend it any longer. It used to be a good value, but the prices have gone up (understandable), while the portion sizes have gone way down. Also, it just seems much more bland than I remember. The naan they serve now is half the size it used to be, and not as good. Portions of rice and dal makhani I was served were much smaller than they used to serve. I understand the increased prices, but the much reduced portion sizes, and lack of flavor are deal breakers. I'm afraid I won't be back.

Absolutely Delicious! I got the Chicken Tikka Masala, Aloo Gobi and a Mango Lassi. I wish I had the foresight to take pictures before because I devoured this as fast as I could. The meat was cooked perfectly and the lassi..wow! It's been hard to find really good quality Indian food lately, but I think I just found me new favorite spot :)

Just loved dosa 😋.. must try here !!

Hands down some of the best Indian food in Chicago! I get the chicken vindaloo every time, and it never disappoints. This place is a must try if your in the loop.

Klay Oven Kitchen was a delicious and quick meal from the French Market! It doesn't look like the food is made to order (it's more like a chipotle). There are only a handful of items to choose from. I decided to order the Tikka Masala rice bowl. It was pretty delicious. You receive Naan along with your rice bowl. You can add a few other toppings as well (I added sliced red onion, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes). The mango lassi was okay, but nothing special! Overall, I would come here again! Quick and delicious.

Got the chicken tikki masala and hate to report that it was dry and lacked the strong Indian flavors and spices it should have had. Rice tasted underdone as well. Mango lassi was super thin, but was refreshing. All this for a little under $20 was definitely underwhelming. Service was great though.

Klay Oven Kitchen is a small mom and pop Indian spot in the French Market. You'll pay about $10 for a wrap or rice box after tax. I ordered the chicken tikka masala, and it came with a piping hot naan wrapped in foil to keep warm. Service is fast, and you can get your order just plain, or have lettuce, tomato, and onion to complement your order. The naan is soft, and just enough to pick up the sauce. The chicken was very tender, but I could tell it was cooked much earlier as it exhibited a little bit of that "would have been better a couple hours ago." I think KOK could take a page from Chipotle and other fast casual restaurants, especially food court establishments. It'd be nice for the price to be able to get two different items instead of just the one. Serviceable food, but I know it can be better especially for the price.

3.5 stars is a good rating for this grab and go spot in the French Market. Saag Paneer in a rice bowl - 3/5. Reasonably good spinach flavor and paneer texture. Little salty. Large portion of rice. The onion and tomato is a nice addition but the cabbage is spicy and doesn't mix well so I pushed it aside. Filling for a lunch but also pricey over $10.

Had the experience of visiting this food stall today. Let me just tell you it was a huge disappointment , didn't even finish my lunch. I got the chicken tikka bowl with rice. The best part of my meal was honestly nothing. Chicken was bland, lacked salt or any Indian spices or seasoning. The yogurt tasted sour and the naan clearly was not fresh and was stale. For a lunch that was over $10 the food tasted like they prepared it a few days prior and just reheated it to serve that day. No way I would recommend this place, it's an insult to all hard working Indian restaurant owners. The chef or cook needs to reevaluate their cooking and try their hardest to create a decent product. I get it restaurants are struggling currently, but so are consumers, people expect quality when they spend that kind of money.

I don't think I've ever referred to Indian food as bland before. I'm not sure if they are sacrificing on spices to try to appeal to a wider crowd, but the result is an over-watery and under seasoned meal for $11+. Would like to see a return to solid basics instead of the curries and naan they currently serve.

Overall: Very average Indian take out. I've had worse, but I've definitely had better. Guess you can't complain too much with the amount of room they have to work with. The good: Service was friendly and helpful. The portion sizes are very nice and their naan is respectable for being a carry out place. Was hot and tasty overall. The bad: I branched out since I've never gotten Indian meatballs; they weren't great. They were very bland. The vindaloo was okay but I've had much better. Atmosphere: N/A Service: 8/10 Food: 6/10

Had the Chicken Tikka Masala. Rather disappointed that the flavors were very mild and frankly bland. I would have like it to be spicy but did not necessarily expect it to be. The chicken while tender just had no flavor, which was a surprise as it had a nice color to it and seemed to be drenched in oil and spices. The slaw on top was nice though it was not spicy at all. Since I like my food extra spicy, I asked for the hottest sauce they have on the side. I poured this all over, but the sauce was very mild as well! Overall, while not bad, definitely not flavorful enough. A redeeming quality was that their portions are pretty satisfying, in which the rice bowl came with a hot piece of naan/pita.

Came on a whim to the French Market, and glad we did! The server at The Klay Oven Kitchen took great care of us. Had the veggie samosas, followed by the vegan Dal Makhani- Black lentils simmered in a tomato garam masala sauce topped with spicy slaw, tomato, and pickled red onions. Everything was highly flavorful and plentiful. I crave Indian food every few weeks. Been doing that for years. A dozen or so different restaurants later I have found THE PLACE. The menu is small by comparison but everything they make is delicious. I now consider myself a regular, both dine in or take out. Can't go wrong here!

Getting Indian food in a French Market is truly ridiculous, I honestly don't know why I was tempted. WORST SAMOSA EVER - seriously, the dough, the taste and the quality was horrible. DECENT LAMB - it wasn't great, but probably not the worst thing I've ever eaten. DONT DO IT - trust me, better places to eat in the market and there is reasons that they don't have a line.

The French Market is going to be the death of me, I swear. KOK was one of those FM stands that I kept on passing, saying I'd go next time, next time. Then last week, I went for lunch and omg so glad I did. It's cheap and you get an entire styrofoam box of whatever curry/saag/daal you want plus rice. Make sure to get a samosa on the side as well!

Stopped in here today for lunch during my work break. I heard some good things about this place, so figured...why not. Unfortunately I left very disappointed. I ordered the chicken tiki marsala, hoping it will be good. After tax the meal came out to be $10, moderately priced for the French Market. After I opened the box, my initial reaction was, "that's it? THIS costed $10?". Figure ok maybe quality over quantity, nbd...but again I was disappointed. The food was not hot (temperate) whatsoever, it was not even warm as the matter of fact. The chicken was also very dry, the was also no taste in the Marsala. I'm not a top chef or a judge on Chopped, but I know this was severely under seasoned and very watery... Would I ever go back? Most likely not, I give it 1.5 stars, but there's no .5 option.

I actually really like this French Market vendor. It might not satisfy your Indian food craving, but it's still a solid lunch option in the loop. I've had the chicken tikka rice bowl, and while it's not as heavy or flavorful as what'd you expect from that dish...it still tastes fresh and the portions are satisfying. The spinach paneer dish isn't bad too, and you can turn your bowl into a combo if you like. Yes the accompanying bread is kind of like pita, but it's still good. If you want something that resembles Indian food and you don't want the typical stomach challenges associated with the cuisine, Klay Oven Kitchen is kind of the way to go.

This is a great Indian cuisine lunch spot. Chicken tikka Masala is awesome! The owner Frank is a great guy and the rest of the staff are quick curtious. Recommend this spot to anyone looking for delicious Indian food.

Klay Oven Restaurant recently closed but this outpost opened up inside the French Market. I'd never been to either Klay Oven, but with $10 in LevelUp cash in tow I decided to give their chicken tikka masala a shot. I don't get what went wrong here. I got a decent amount of food, though for close to $10 I expect to be a bit stuffed anyway. Everything seemed to be cooked well enough...the rice was good and the chicken was tender. But where was the flavor? When I eat Indian I expect rich spiciness, creaminess, and tomato-ey goodness. Instead it tasted like I was eating plain boiled chicken. Ech.

Should really be 3.5 stars, just can't justify giving it a 4th star. I have admittedly very high standards for Indian so for KOK to not meet my standards is not surprising. BUT, it is very good for what it is. You get relatively good, cheap Indian food for a good lunch and a fair price. They have the popular options, chicken tikka, saag paneer, aloo mattar, etc and the food will certainly be good enough where you're satisfied with your meal. But don't go in expecting any great Indian food, go in expecting a decent Indian lunch for a reasonable price and that's what you'll get. I've been back multiple times and depending on what I'm in the mood for when I walk into the French market, I'm happy to go back there, especially since I love and eat so much Indian food.

Limited selection but not bad, food had good heat and the Naan was legit, I would go again

This is the only Indian place I really enjoy in downtown! The owner is absolutely polite and so are his two helpers! Getting to the food, I've had all the meat dishes here and they are usually perfect! I like alternating between Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Madras. For me, they are the two top dishes! I really enjoy their Dal Makhani and do a half Dal and half Meat rice bowl! The other meat dishes can be a hit or a miss.. Their vegetation dishes are quite popular as well. They give a naan with the rice bowl and bit of salad as well. I love the spicy onions and the yogurt! I wish they'd serve more yogurt, which really isn't a complain! KOK is the only place in the French Market where I can get my money's worth. They also have a rewards card. Your 13th meal is free! Seems like far away but once you start having food here, you'll having your free meal in no time! Hard to resist!

After coming here for almost a year, this is officially my favorite place in the French Market. My office is right next door, and I've tried basically every vendor there - all good, but this is my go-to. Skip the long poke line (though that is also delicious but hardly worth the wait if you come here a lot) and go here for the rajma masala - slightly spicy and so good - I recommend getting extra yogurt sauce. It's also a ton of food, I rarely finish it all.

This was not delicious. While it wasn't atrocious or revolting, I would've fared better if I had a Trader Joe's frozen dinner. That would've been cheaper, too. I have been craving saag paneer. I ordered a saag paneer bowl ($8.25) and a samosa ($1.75) for my lunch. Now, while I am no longer hungry, I cannot say I am satisfied. This served the purpose of feeding me, but pleasing me? No. Pass.

The pork vindaloo is simply amazing. I have it every friday at work with the rest of my coworkers. It will be the first place I go when it opens back up!

This is one of my favorite places to get food in the metra market. (The burgers and fries place is good too). The pork is yummy--but what I really love about it is the modern twist they put on top. They top their meat dishes with a sort of coleslaw, pickled red onion salad that they drizzle yogurt over. The cold crunch is a beautiful contrast to the stewed meat and the warm rice. Unlike other places in the metra mart, you won't be disappointed in the amount of food. Both times I've gotten food, I have skipped the naan and been quite full. It can feel awkward to read the menu because it is written on a glass pane. Don't feel weird about it. They aren't the kind of vendors that make you feel like you have to order something if you stand there and read the menu.

One of my favorite stands at the Chicago French Market, and the best option there for vegetarians. (They have meat dishes too, but they aren't as good as the veggies.) PROS: The food is always well-seasoned, and the condiments (pickled onions, tomatoes, etc.) are always fresh and nice. I've never had a bland meal here. CONS: The meat dishes are good enough, but not as nice as the veggies. The menu overall rarely changes, and I do find myself wishing they offered more variety. I'd like this place less if it was my only option. But in a food court, Klay Oven stands out for an occasional lunch.

I stop in here all the time for lunch (40 times in the last 2 years, according to my LevelUp). I generally get the Saag Paneer or the Chicken Tikka Masala (sometimes I do half and half). The food is fast and delicious. It's in the French Market, so they're set up to be fast and please most people's taste buds. It'll never be as spicy as a full restaurant and the food is set up to push as many people through as possible. It's FAST, though. It's pretty good Indian (MUCH better than Chutney Joe's across the street). I only wish they had a smaller portion size available. It'd go there MUCH more often, but it's too much food sometimes.

Got the chicken tikki masala rice bowl. The chicken was okay. The chicken was definitely not as flavorful/spicy as it could have been. I'm guessing it was made more bland to appeal to a wider audience? The naan was not very tasty.

I ordered the saag paneer on ritual and I was blown away! I was able to pick up my order quickly, I love the flavors of this dish, and I will definitely be back!

I visited here only once, but was quite happy with the Dal Makhani. It came with some nice chapati and a bit of salad-type stuff (if you wish). Better than most renditions of the dish I've tasted.

I was wandering around the French Market looking for lunch again. This time I thought I'd try some Indian cuisine from Klay Oven Kitchen. The Klay Oven Kitchen has a very simplistic menu going on. 4 vegetarian dishes, 4 non-vegetarian dishes, sides + extras, and drinks like mango lassi. They also have 2 specials of the day. They use a cafeteria like style where you can watch them scoop the rice, curry, and apparently a salad into a to-go box. You can also mix and match your dishes depending on what you want. I ended up getting the Chicken Tikka Masala with everything in it for $8.95 and a Mango Lassi for $2.95. The chicken tikka comes with a good portion of curry, rice, vegetables, yogurt, and a piece of naan on the side. The curry was very flavorful and not heavy at the same time. The chicken was super soft and tender, but it looked as if the sauce didn't penetrate the meat when I bit into it. I normally don't eat Indian curry with rice, but the rice here was fluffy, yet firm at the same time so it held well while soaked in curry sauce. The naan was disappointing. It was soft and a little underdone and some parts still felt a touch raw. What I like most about naan is how it gets cooked in the tandoori oven so quickly and it become hard and crunchy, yet pliable and that was what was missing here. I have no idea why I said "everything on it" when she motioned for that salad. It mixed with parts of my curry and made it seem like I was eating a Chipotle Bowl. I recommend skipping the salad part, but keep the yogurt! The yogurt was good and cuts the little spice that the curry had. I've only had sips of mango lassi here and there, but the one here was pretty good. It was very smooth for containing mango inside. The drink wasn't as cold as I expected tho. Almost to becoming room temperature. For around 12 bucks, I had a pretty satisfying lunch. If I wanted a cheap Indian lunch, I would definitely come back here. Next time I come back, I'd like to try some of the special for today, lamb vindaloo. 3 Stars. For more reviews, come check out www.eatpeterepeat.com

I'm not sure if this one is related to the Klay Oven Kitchen restaurant at Oak Park. I loved that one but this one in French Market didn't impress me. I ordered Pork Vindaloo rice bowl. However this dish looked a lot like a naked burrito bowl from Chipotle when I ordered with carnitas. It filled with chucks of braised pork, sided with rice, and topped with sliced lettuce and tomato. This is not bad with a piece of naan. But just not I would expect from an Indian dish. I wanted the heavy and spicy sauce and since when we add sliced lettuce and tomato? I went with an Indian and a Latino coworkers who all thought that's Mexican food too. LOL. The services were not that great neither. They were not rude but just not very helpful. With so many options in French market, I will think twice before I try this place again.

Visited 3x now. Excellent Indian take-out. The rice bowl option is more than enough for 2 meals or to share with another. We have had their lamb special, meatball curry, chicken tikka masala, & samosas. Everything was wonderful. This was my 1st time trying chicken tikka masala--it's rather bland-not sure if it's supposed to be that way. But it was rather decent nonetheless. *My husband is a pizza & burger guy. I had him pick dinner up yesterday and he loved it so much that he surprised me with KOK takeout again tonight! Would love to see your menu expanded. Good luck--would also love to see you open up more locations in the suburbs!

Love me some indian food including the french market bunch of great restaurants in here....great service & lots of food for your buck

We ate here for the first time today & had a less than stellar experience. The thing that got me the most was the customer service, or lack thereof. The staff was impatient, unhelpful and not friendly at all. Very slow service too. It took several minutes to make a simple wrap while I saw many rice dishes going out while I was waiting. The food was not great either. I don't expect it to be 100% authentic but expected more than what we got. Both the texture and flavor were wrong. I feel that items were mislabeled for spiciness. Supposedly spicy items were bland and items that were not marked spicy tasted spicy. I ordered the sag paneer on naan but the naan was more like a very thin flatbread, not true naan. Apparently the rice dishes come with actual naan but not the naan wraps. Disappointing. You come for the food. You come back for the service. Even if the food was amazing, I would not return here due to the service.

Meh; there's a reason that there was no line at noon yesterday at KOK. I tried the saag paneer; pretty plain, with rice that was a little moist, and paneer that was a little too bland. The naan was good, but for the price, I was hoping for more/tastier food. Good news--if you come here to eat 12 times, the 13th time is FREEEEEEEE!!!!!

This only good thing about this place is that it is fast. The line is never long during the lunch rush and since everything is precooked, the wait time is very short. The down side is that you need a stomach of steel. I've have 3 incidents of suffering 2 day's worth of diarrheas after having eaten there in the last 3 years and I'm not about to take another chance.

This is a great place for lunch at the French Market. My favorite is the chicken tikka! Warning: don't get the chicken biryani that they serve on Thursdays and Friday. It's no good. Believe me on this, I took two bites and tossed it. It was not flavorful, and the teeny tiny flavor that was there was all wrong. I'm an expert on biryani- I have had it at over 15 restaurants, cooked it myself 20+ times, and had my friends, who are Indian, biryani, and this was bottom 3. It's that bad. I love the chicken tikka and the people are nice, but the chicken biryani is horrendous. I wish it was better since it's such a convenient place. I also wish they had chicken korma. That'd be bomb.

Its safe to say that their food is healthy, cooked in olive oil, not oily at all (which is good) and most of their dishes taste good. They can improve on their variety for sure. Also, I wish they had other options like wheat roti instead of naan and brown rice instead of white rice or perhaps quinoa. Their channa masala, rajma, madras chicken and salmon is good.

Immediate reaction after eating: Got the Chicken Tikka Masala, it was nice and hot but it was not chicken tikka masala, uninspired. And what I thought was a side of naan was a slice of pita bread. Much better things to try at French Market, pass on this one.

4 star rating for transit food. Outstanding pork vindaloo.

I really love this place. I get a combo of Paneer and Tikka masala and its delicious! This is my new favorite place to get carry out. They are very nice too.

Not the best indian food I've had but fills any cravings I have. The naan was kinda disappointing and dry and the chicken tikka masala wasn't as flavorful and spicy as other's I've had.

This tiny kitchen in the train station has become my favorite Indian food in Chicago. What these guys are able to do in that food-truck style space in the French Market is amazing. A good curry takes patience and these guys are obviously taking the time to build subtle quality. The vindaloo was a riot. I took a chance and tried the dal with okra and loved it. I do wish they had samosas and/or pakoras. Given the creativity and skill they're bringing to classic curries, I would love to see what they would produce with appetizers. This place stands out in a setting already filled with great food.

Average Indian food. I've tasted better and I've tasted worse. I ordered the dal it came with rice, naan, and added toppings. I'm not dinging the place for the food. I'm being picky here, but the woman was chewing gum when she served my food. Huge no no in food service and it's quite disgusting. Second, she forgot to give me yogurt which I didn't realize until I arrived home to eat. Third and last, the "to go" container was subpar and leaked in the bag. You're charging over $10 for lentils and rice. The least you can do is provide proper "to go" containers.

Great twist on indian, great location... Quick, tasty, perfect to break up the usual lunch monotony.... 5 stars

The naan is really pita. The sauces are thin and lightly flavored though tasty. Decent chicken. Very nice rice. Wonderful vinegar soaked onions and whatnot on top. I dunno. In a pinch, maybe. I like Chutney Joe's upstairs in the station better. And it's cheaper.

Been here several times and think it is a pretty solid Indian food lunch option. Every dish I have tasted so far has been pretty tasty and it is a good amount of food. I really like the add-ons at the end. Pickled onion, yogurt cream, tomato strips and cabbage. They add a nice crispness to the food. Good spot.

I won't suggest this place if you want good Indian food. The food is average and doesn't taste good.

Decent food but the food is served with pita instead of a naan! Serve chappati,roti, paratha, or naan but pita just does not go with Indian food. Rice is good and service is quick. More options on the menu would definitely increase a star.

MARK LIKES HIS CURRY SPICY! This place is bomb - first time I went I got the chicken Tikka masala - it was pretty good and I would probably get it again until I tried their SPICY BEEF CURRY. oh my LORD it is delicious. when people walk by this place and say "oh that smells goooood" they are smelling this dish. Makes me sweat from the top of my head. I LAHV IT. I went today and the spicy beef curry is no longer ground beef, but MEATBALLS. Still good, but i prefer when the beef is ground so I can literally SHOVEL it in my mouth.

I love this place! I didnt even eat indian food until i started coming here. Now I go a couple times a month. Had their meatballs for the first time today and they are mindblowing but my go to is the Pork Vindaloo.