Chai Pani

Good eats! Super casual — great for lunch!

I would give this place 10 stars !! Yes, 10. It’s that awesome. I make sure to go to this place everytime I’m in Asheville.
The food here tastes like authentic Indian food. They don’t overdo their masalas. Kale pakrora are awesome replacement for spinach pakora (very famous in north India). ! Love the vada pao too.

We loved this place! Came to Asheville on vacation and we really loved this Indian restaurants. It’s all hip non-​Indian 20 somethings working here so I was skeptical but it was delish! Not super great for dairy allergy but what I did end up having (a wrap… Can’t remember the name) was yummy. And I CANT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE OKRA FRIES. So delicious. Lemony, salty, so not like okra. I hate okra. It’s slimy. These were not slimy. These were heaven.

Okra fries & Chicken Pakora were the winners. The thali was not that great nor was the bhel puri and the chicken that was served as part of the non-​veg thali. Remember you can do ½ orders so you can try more variety. We waited for an hr to sit here as it was mem day weekend.

Love love love for this place.
The décor, the food everything is a perfect 5 star.
Loved the Sloppy Jai.
The thali food was good too the spices were perfect and felt like home food.
Chicken pakora was melting in the mouth and bhel puri was yummy!
Would love to come back.

What a place! Love this place the most when it comes to Indian street food. Very authentic Mumbai style street food. The best I have had in the US so far (and I have tried in NJ, Chicago and some other places). I HAVE to visit this every time I go to Asheville.
Don’t miss the Vada Paav here

On an impromptu weekend, I did a lot of driving. Drive to Cherokee, back to Knoxville, then might as well throw in Asheville in there for lunch. In deciding where to eat lunch, my SO helped out and we decided to eat at Chai Pani for lunch before dropping my brother back off in Cherokee. Asheville was poppin’ this weekend. The parking lots were all full and so I parked a few blocks away, not a big deal.
This place is pretty awesome. They take a different route in Indian cuisine, switching it up as far as how they serve it. Instead of the usual naan bread, rice, and then the main course, they cater to us americans and fuse it into some sort of american style food/​street food. For instance, you all know chili fries with cheese? They have bombay fries, which infuses indian/​curry meat instead of chili. It’s the bomb. It was full of flavor and I couldn’t get enough of it.
While waiting for our entrees, I saw another table get the mango lassi. And damn did it look good. We decided to get two of those and what a wonderful decision. It was refreshing and amazing. If you’re wondering what it is, think of a smoothie that’s not overly sweet and thick, but light and sweet.
So for the apps, we got the bombay fries and Dahi Sev Papdi (DSP). The bombay fries were a definite winner of the two, in my opinion. The DSP was okay, but it literally was just a really well seasoned potato.
My main dish I decided to order the Sloppy Jai, their version of the good ol’ american sloppy joe. Don’t think that you’ll get like one big sandwich like most, instead what you get is two, bigger than a slider but smaller than a regular burger sized, sandwiches. It was bursting with flavor and I wished that Knoxville had a spot like this because I would become a patron there.
If you (or your group) is in the mood for Indian food. Definitely put this spot on your list, you won’t regret it!

In my 7 years living in the States, I’ve searched high and low for authentic Indian food with that same twang from the childhood. Glad to say that I’ve finally found the place. The food here brings back the nostalgia from childhood for kids growing up in the 90s. We ended up ordering the Bhel Puri, Mango Lassi (it had kesar!!!), Limca, Chai, Chicken pakora, Indo Chinese paneer chaat, Kathi Kabab roll and many other things!!!
Come here for bliss folks…

Solid! We arrived right when they opened on a Friday night and the line was out the door. We opted to sit outside. I ordered the tomato and cheese uttapam and it was awesome. Perfected cooked with tomatoes and other veggies, and amazing flaky pancake. The sauces were great too! Best Indian food in Asheville!

Indian street food in America! I have been looking for food like this for a long time. For someone who plans her trips to India only to eat street food in sickness or health this place is awesome. Recently discovered this cute place. The food is amazing.
The taste was just perfect ! I had lamb sloppy jai. And my hubby had vada pav. We loved it! Also ordered Okra fries. I love okra and my hubby doesn’t. But these were so good that he ate more than me!
The service was amazing. Our okra fries were taking too long to cook so the waiter decided to throw in Kale Pakoras with the Okra Fries and make it on the house!
We just loved it! Left the place as though we just ate off the streets in India !

Chai Pani is a great tribute to Indian snack and authentic Indian street cuisine. Sopped by here to check out the hipster heaven during a drive back from the Smokys. This joint represents the city overall very well. Colorful interiors with friendly servers wearing’ Namaste Y’all’ serving chaat (Indian street fare) in steel plates, and I start rating the food here at 3 stars.
We ordered the mango chaat, vada pav and the okra fries and they were all delicious. The okra fries is not really an original Indian food but loved the juliened fried version of the favorite Indian veggie. The chat was the right size, great to share. The chai, milk tea was also simple and well done. Will visit this place for sure when I visit Asheville again for its micro brews, farm-​to-​table food tours and friendly folks !

Love this place! We came with our dog and set outside, which was perfect. Had to wait a little to get two tables together, though.
— Mango lasi was refreshing and tasty.
— The chicken kabab on rice was also yummy!
— The green mango salad is a must.
— The fried kale is to die for.
But, why, WHY, did they remove the Corn Bhel of the menu???

Apparently, Chai Pani is one of the highly recommended places to eat at when visiting Ashville. It has very high reviews, so we decided to give it a shot. They dont take reservations, so its always a problem when you are a big party. We were a family of 8, with a high chair, so we had to wait for 40 minutes on a Friday night. They asked us if we wanted to wait at the bar downstairs. To reach the bar, you climb down a flight of dingy stairs. At first I thought I was in someone’s house. But the bar area is very nice. You can order drinks and appetizers, and wait until your table is ready. We were given a table promptly in 40 minutes.
The service was great, with friendly servers. The lady at the bar seemed a bit rude and uninterested.
Now to the food. We ordered the following:
— Dahi Sev Papdi: very good.
— Green Mango Chaat: wasn’t too impressed honestly. I would skip over this one.
— Kale Pakoras: Delicious!!! These pakoras were very good and flavorful.
— Matchstick Okra Fries: Interesting concept… not bad to taste either.
— Vada Pav: Well-​made and flavorful.
— Samosa Chat: Very good.
— Mixed Vegetable Uttapam: Not a fan… I think I could have used more salt and spice in these.
— The Vegetarian Thali: My parents didn’t like it too much. The dessert comes in a very tiny bowl. The veggies were ok according to them.
— Chai: Decent.
Overall, I love the concept and the food. I would love to go back to Ashville and eat the other things on the menu I didn’t try.

I always rely on Unilocal to discover great places to eat especially in cities I’m not familiar with… So happy to find this restaurant during my recent business trip to Asheville.
I loved the décor at this place. They clearly put lots of effort in making sure that every small things exude the authentic Indian feel — from the posters to how they serve the food. Love it!
We came during lunch time and the place was busy. We started off with the mango lassi and ordered the chicken pakora and the green mango chaat. The chicken pakora (aka chicken fritters) were lightly battered and delicious. The size was pretty big for an appetizer. The green chutney/​sauce perfectly complemented the taste. The mango chaat had that sourness that can make you cringe in a good way.
For the main course, we ordered the non veg thali. Love this dish. They had the paratha, sambar, rice, chicken curry and side of yogurt. I think the protein might change daily, so ask them what they have for that day.
Will come back the next time I’m in Asheville!

Being a hardcore South Indian food junkie, my first impression of it is, Nahhh! It’s not gonna fit my taste! «I was wrong.» The food tasted great and the staff are very courteous. Right from starters to Thalis, everything’s Americanized but the taste never deviated from Indian roots.
Ambience: unlike other Indian places this is a restaurant with a good theme and its clean. The picturesque covered walls give you a brief into Indian culture, markets and places. Those are not just pictures but give some details on how Indian food markets and road side stalls look like.
Notes: Make sure you reserve ahead of time, this place is pretty crowded with significant wait times!

Known for their Indian «street food.» Super fun spot to have a nice meal.
We had the meat thaali and it was a delicious snack, and I wished I could have tried more things off the menu. The waitress was kind enough to let us split the half veg and half meat because we could not decide which one we wanted. The thaali came with the yogurt sauce which I love, and two small sides, and a small sweet dessert. I almost wish they gave more of the entrée!
I would suggest going here with a group to share more things off the menu.

I took my husband to this James Beard nominated Indian «street food» restaurant for one of our anniversary outings. The food was absolutely, eye rolling amazing. From the fried kale fritters to the saag dishes, we were hooked. The server was extremely accommodating to my GF situation and provided me with a menu of options! If you are eating here, go early or in off-​peak hours. Line can form out door. Service is fabulous. Food is fabulous. They make all of their spice blends and sauces in house, and source locally for all meat and veggies when possible. Everything is delicious. Spot on! Loved it and will go back.

Had lunch at Chai Pani just after arriving in Asheville and what a great start to a short trip in a new-​to-​me city! At 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon, the restaurant was decently busy but luckily no wait for a table.
Immediately ordered chai teas for myself and my husband and they were great and gingery. We then decided to split a couple of items:
Vada pav – two mini portions, which were ideal for sharing. Would be great as a small plate or as an appetizer. The green chutney and spice combo was really nice.
Chicken pakoras – Suuuuper tender chicken and great flavor from the batter. Large portion of small bites. Dipping sauces were good, too.
Garlic and cilantro naan – good size and fresh
Service was friendly and quick. Ambiance was cozy. We easily found parking just down the street.

Came here on New Year’s Day for dinner as it happened to be open and we were craving hearty Indian food. The wait for a table for 2 people was about 40 minutes long and we waited another 20 minutes for the food to come out, but the waitress gave a free plate of okra fries to us and other tables, which made up for the wait! Also, Chai Pani is downtown, so you can wander around the shops nearby while you’re waiting for a table.
We tried Sloppy Jai (their take on sloppy joes with spicy lamb hash, tomatoes, potatoes, garnished with onions) which came with pickled cabbage/​slaw. I hadn’t expected much but the flavors in this entrée blew me away. This was my favorite part of the meal and I had no shame in finishing every last piece of the lamb hash.
We also ordered a non-​vegetarian Thali, which is a combination platter of sorts including chicken curry, roti (flatbread), rice, raita (fresh yogurt dip), chickpea soup (My favorite of the platter), dessert rice pudding, papadum (looks like a huge baked Lays potato chip), and 2 small bowls of soup. For $ 15 it’s an awesome deal and as others have mentioned it’s enough food for 1.5 people. Between my husband and me the Thali and Sloppy Jai were more than enough food and we left happily full.
All in all, Chai Pani’s food is bursting with yummy flavors and fresh spices. It was definitely one of the more authentic places I’ve tried! It’s a small restaurant, so expect to wait around dinner time, but the service was wonderful once we were seated.

Meh. That’s what I have to say about that. Where should I begin.
1. The ginger tea had no cardamom.
2. This was not at all spicy.
3. This was heavily Americanized Indian food. (I HATE THAT IMMENSELY).
4. I was given only two pieces of Naan, when clearly my dish needed more.
5. The Thali I ordered was not explained very well to me.
I ordered Vegetarian Thali. This came with different sauces and lentil dal. Nothing was explained to me when I asked what each thing was.
The ONLY reason that this is not getting one or two stars, is because the hostess was a nice person. This was not worth the price of the food.