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Ashoka India Cuisine
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
30 reviews for Ashoka India Cuisine
Review Highlights
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"I would recommend the lunch buffet." In 8 reviews -
"They do have chicken tikka masala which was good." In 7 reviews -
"The naan is served up piping hot just like I like it." In 10 reviews
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30 reviews in English
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Review from Cybill R.
Canton, MI
5/15/2012
Chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, aloo gobi, the list goes on...all YUM!! Make sure to order thali style for some extra tasty morsels.
They have recently remodeled - it was overdue. Looks very nice. -
Review from Sanj S.
Plano, TX
2/28/2012
Food and service is excellent. One might have to wait a bit for the order during weekends, but otherwise their service is pretty quick. Their Chicken Dum Biryani is something that i can kill for. Some of my south indians friends complained that this is not the traditional chicken biryani. But i told them, to hell with tradition...if God ever made biryaani ..this is what it will taste like. I think i did little to much praise :P ..but seriously ..i live in Lansing MI, 80 miles from Canton and i have to drive more than an hour to reach here. But its worth the drive.
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Review from D A.
Westland, MI
11/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I would recommend the lunch buffet. The items do change, so it's a surprise each time, but I haven't been disappointed as yet. The service is very good, naan hot, and the food very tasty.
I haven't been here for dinner as yet, but I think I might have to try it sometime. -
Review from Jessica F.
Farmington, MI
7/6/2011
I read many reviews, trying to find a good Indian restaurant for my parents, me, and my husband. My step-dad is very impatient, and the food must arrive quickly, and piping hot. My mom has a sensitive stomach when it comes to greasy foods. My husband is a vegetarian, and I am pregnant. So, I did my research before settling on Ashoka.
My step-dad ordered the shrimp curry. He was very pleased with the flavor and the level of spiciness, and it was fresh from the kitchen, so it was hot. My mother ordered the Seekh Kabab, and it was delicious (I tried a bite); it was nice and lean and full of flavor, not grease. My husband got the Jaipuri Allo; he enjoyed it but it didn't completely fill him up. He felt like something was missing.
I ordered the chicken korma as it is my favorite. The korma sauce was rich without being too sweet or powerful. Being in my first trimester when we visited, I was very picky about the food I ate. The chicken was perfectly cooked, as it melted in my mouth with the delicious korma flavor bursting out of every morsel.
The rice was perfect, the naan delicious, and overall, it was a fantastic experience.
We decided to try the "Thali" option as we wanted to try something new. Overall, the soups and side dishes weren't really for us, but we were glad we tried it. However, next time, we probably will just stick with the basic meal.
I was really pleased to find a restaurant that fit the needs of 4 picky ppl very well, and I cannot wait to go back! -
Review from Sagar T.
Saginaw, MI
1/21/2012 1 photo
Cosy setting and relaxing ambience..impressed by the items on the vegetable menu ...
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Review from Erica C.
South Lyon, MI
11/19/2011
My boyfriend and I ate here yesterday for the lunch buffet, and we really liked it! We've been here before with his family and I remember being pleased with the taste:) Their vegetable korma was my favorite, and the gulab jamuns were hot and sweet! The staff was nice and responsive, and the buffet food, I noticed, was replaced when needed, which is a huge plus! Naan was always ready when asked, and water was always refilled, which, to me, is very important! Their coconut chutney tasted really fresh and was really lovely on the naan, as well as their tamarind chutney :) There could have been more spice in the food, but I can handle very spicy dishes ;) I was not disappointed! :D
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Review from Scott W.
4/11/2011
The Navratan Korma is out of this world. Creamy & spicy & sweet. Naan is best in class. The Paneer Makhani is like the Chicken Tikka Masala for vegetarians. Very tasty. Definitely get the "Thali" option on the dinners, for $2 more you get a bunch of tasty sides and sauces to add to your main course.
I almost always order carry out here. Too bad they use so much styrofoam, would be nice if they used something recyclable or biodegradable for the carry out orders.
Ashoka, for me, is the best tasting Indian food in the area. -
Review from Seoung L.
I was in Canton area and I was craving Indian. I really had high hopes for Ashoka since it had some good reviews and I heard that the one in Troy was really good.
Well it wasn't a good experience and I probably won't be back anytime soon.
We walked in around 8:15pm on a Monday night and it was packed in the waiting area. I thought this was a good sign meaning it's good here. Well, it was basically empty in the actual dining area and they had no clue on how to seat people. The hostess started seating people that came after us. Not a good start.
We sit down around 8:30pm (after waiting about 10 minutes to be seated in an empty restaurant), there was crumbs on the seats and the table wasn't totally clean. We didn't get menus when we sat so we had to wait for that.
We basically had to wait for everything. Lot of time to wait for anything you need.
My girlfriend and I order an appetizer and Chicken Tikka Masala to share. Wow. long wait until we get the appetizer. We eat that then long wait for the meal. About 45 minutes from when we ordered until the tikka msala came out. I don't mind waiting if it's cooked fresh but I never waited that long at any Indian place.
During this time, a fly was buzzing around and it happened to land in my gf's glass of water. Now it's not there fault that a fly flies into the water but it is an issue if you have bugs flying around. (more bugs coming up in this review)
Now I have to say the good thing was that the nann bread was really good. The Tikka Masala was not bad in flavor. Not the greatest curry I had but decent.
We finished the curry and I look out the window and that's when I see few huge black ants crawling around the window sill. Kinda creeps you out when the our food wasn't too far away.
We didn't get out until 10pm. They took forever even paying the bill!
With all this negatives, I really can't recommend this place and that's too bad because they had some Indian/Chienese fusion items on their menu that I would like to try. however, I probably won't go back. -
Review from Sara G.
7/21/2009 ROTD 12/4/2009
I agree with Chiwei, this place is dangerous! Deliciously, decadently dangerous.
I was here with my lady friends and we ordered a TON of food, starting with appetizers: pakora and aloo tikka. The aloo tikka were my favorite: fluffy, moist and spiced so delicately it snuck up on me.
For my main dish I ordered baigan bartha (eggplant stew). It was warm and filling (and spicy). My friend ordered malai kofta and it was tasty, the cheese perfectly cooked--soft yet firm. Everything we ate was seasoned really, really well.
The real star of the show? The rava masala dosa. So big it takes up an entire plate. The crispy crunchy crepe edges dangle over the plate, daring you to tear them off. Inside: hot, moist and spicy potato mixture with caramelized onions. Diabolical!
Most Indian restaurants (justifiably) have a reputation for notoriously bad service so I must point out that our waiter was attentive, our beverages were always replenished and the manager checked up on us a few times!
Oh Indian food, I love you so. -
Review from Steven W.
Canton, MI
8/11/2011
By far, the best Indian food I've come across. A little on the pricey side, but very much worth it. I usually go for the Chicken Tika, or the Butter chicken. Usually get carry out here once a week, and I've a very particular palate.
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Review from Anson P.
Roanoke, VA
3/8/2009
After what can only be described as a weekend of gluttony, I decided to go to an Indian buffet. This was described to me as the best Indian food closest to me. And I write this review from a reclined position because I'm having a hard time breathing normally after everything I ate this weekend.
According to the website, this is the largest Indian buffet in town. Not the biggest Indian buffet I've seen, but definitely bigger than Haandi's. They had at least 4 vegetarian options. Palak paneer (spinach with cheese) is one of my favorite dishes and the version here was pretty good. The chicken tikka masala was pretty good as well. The goat curry was good and they did it the right way, with the bones still in it. The fried lentils were tasty. I didn't really like the noodles they offered. The rice was a little undercooked as well, as there were some hard pieces in it. They had gulab jamun for dessert as well as some banana custard stuff which I didn't care for. I also had a mango lassi which was pretty good. Weekend lunch buffet was 10 bucks, definitely one of the cheaper ones that I've been to.
The service was excellent. I like this trend of serving up fresh naan to your table. It makes more sense to me to serve it up fresh rather than leaving a bunch of it at the buffet. Drink refills were handled in a timely fashion. I would definitely recommend this place for anyone in the area. -
Review from ryan k.
Novi, MI
Updated - 9/9/2009
Ok so Ashoka's food is great, no doubt about it. However, I have a friend whom I trust a great deal who works in the industry, in the capacity that he would certainly be exposed to such information. He tells me that Ashoka's kitchen is repulsive. He said they have had 20 health code violations, 11 of which were critical. I independently verified that this information is correct with Wayne Co Inspections. I'm am aware that this information will be a total buzz kill for some as it was for me. You can see my previous review of Ashoka. Now, knowing what I know, I cannot continue to eat food that the health department of Wayne Co. considered dangerous on so many occasions.
http://www.allfoodbusi...
Do your own search above to verify the information if you wish.
The reason Im going with two stars here is because it says "Meh. I've experienced bettter." Which is the truth. The food is outstanding, but the place is pure filth. I've experienced better.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/5/2009
Best Indian cuisine in the area. The chicken korma is OUTRAGEOUS! You must try it. Next would be the… Read more »
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Review from Hitesh C.
3/17/2010
I've been to the Troy branch which i enjoyed very much, i decided to try this branch out as the reviews on canton branch was slighty higher.
My first impression was this is a nice place, but felt a little dark and dingy..
The waitress put some complimentary popadoms on the table along with 3 chutney dips to accompany the popadoms. The 3 chutney dips were 3 little round pots which was about half filled, but the top half had dried guey old chutney sauce which looked like it hadn't been cleaned for a few days.. I was hungry so went try the sauce but this was very lumpy! not like the troy branch where the same chutney had the same consistency to all 3 dips.
The main curry i ordered was shimp masala but the actual curry base tasted as if it originally had meat chunks in it.. I was thinking maybe as they do buffets in the afternoon they had used that curry base and removed the meat chunks and put my shrimps in there?
Clearly at this point i was paranoid..
For dessert, i ordered my favourite,,
Ras Malai!! - i specifically asked the waiter i'm only ordering if its fresh and made today.. he assured me i will love it as its fresh and made at the very restaurant..
So went ahead and ordered.. "Ras Malai for those who don't know is soft spongy dumplings made from cottage or riccotta cheese soaked in sweetened, thickened milk with cardamom and served chilled.."
What i got was ras malai that had either been made a week ago or made same day but left out "room temp" for to long, the rai malai dumpling was not soft and spongy, it was just crumbling in my mouth. I asked for a different dessert at this point and had the Kulfi pista ice cream which was devine but i guess it was probably not made in house..
When i came to pay the bill, the waiter must have noticed all my displeasures with them so he didn't charge me for the ras malai.. fair play to the lad.
Bottom line is.. hygienically this restaurant has some issues from my experience. -
Review from Helen L.
Garden City, MI
8/21/2011
Lunch buffet was alright. Cost was like $9.99. I was a little disappointed with the tandori chicken. Those should be kept in a closed container to keep moist and hotness vs out in the open where it becomes cold and dry. They do have chicken tikka masala which was good. I'd also like the dessert - banana pudding and those cake balls soaked in ginger syrup or something like that.
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Review from Wendy C.
5/25/2010
I really want to like this place. Some of the reviews were good to great; and I need to find a good northern Indian place to alternate with pretty fantastic southern Indian food I know where to find (Namaste Flavours)
The food is ok, not terribly good nor terrible; a little on the bland side if your taste buds are used to more authentic good Indian. I did notice quite a few wait staff are non-Indian and most customers are non-Indian, so the restaurant obviously knows where their business comes from.
For a place that caters to "mainstream" and charges "mainstream" price, I'd expect better and more efficient services. We didn't get a menu for 20 minutes and waited for over an hour from the time we walked in to the time food arrived. To put things in perspective, I rarely comment about lack of services in an "ethnic" restaurant because I prioritize food/taste above all other criterion. But..... -
Review from TINA F.
Whats not to love about Ashoka?? From the round dining room to the naan and tikka masala. This place is fabulous! I must confess though that I have never been to another Indian restaurant so if you have a recommendation for me to branch out to let me know. But I just love the atmosphere and the food here. The Thali platters are a complete meal with dessert and if your not a huge eater could even be split with someone making for a really affordable dinner! They also serve one of my favorite wines, Piesporter, which is hard to find at other restaurants. I always order the Chefs Special Chicken Tikka and its just the right amount of heat (order mild) and creaminess....mmm so good. I adore the rice pudding! Unlike traditional rice pudding its more like a soup of sweetened milk poured over rice but so delicious and light. I've tried the Chicken Korma (perfect for no spice eaters), the lamb with cardamom and a vegetarian dish I can't remember the name of. Oh and they serve a dish that is much like a creamed spinach which was delicious but certainly more appropriate as a side dish than a main meal. Love this place!
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Review from A W.
Canton, MI
4/28/2010
We first started eating here about 5 years ago right after they first opened. After a few initial bumps, they seemed to get their act straightened out and for a few years this was our absolute favorite place to eat.
The weekend lunch buffet was fantastic - $7.99 for a huge assortment of freshly prepared dishes which tasted great. Our little one got to eat free of charge, and our oldest daughter (12 and under pricing) only cost around $3.99. The naan was plentiful and refilled before you even had to ask. I think the lunch buffet is up to $9.99 now for everyone, even my 4 year old. That's way overpriced, in my opinion.
Unfortunately, their prices have steadily increased and the service and food quality have steadily decreased. I have not had the experience other Yelpers have discussed - namely the old or "recycled" buffet food, probably because we usually go for the buffet and the food is all made fresh. But it just does not seem as high quality as it used to be. More grease, more salt, more sloppy overall. It just doesn't taste fresh. The naan is usually small and overcooked to the point of being crunchy, and they only bring out 1 piece at a time, cut into quarters.
The menus and tables are sticky, and the bathrooms are horrible. The worst experience we had was a dirty, stained, food-covered tablecloth covered by a glass table topper. The tablecloth had large, obvious mold blooms on it, so we asked for a different table. They didn't bother to replace the tablecloth before they sat the next couple there, even though we pointed it out.
We have not been back much since that. As much as I still feel somewhat loyal to this place, I can't justify the risk of a food-borne illness because someone doesn't understand how to clean up. There are other, cleaner restaurants in the area, so we go to those now.
I give them 2 stars for loyalty, for old time's sake. I hope they can recover, because it used to be really good. -
Review from Jon B.
Marysville, WA
8/14/2011 2 Check-ins Here
In town for work asked around and came up with this place, Food was very good and the service was too.
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Review from David P.
Allen Park, MI
5/31/2010
This place helped my wife and I fall back in love. Fall back in love with Indian Food that is. Yum... I love the butter chicken, so hot and perfectly spiced. My wife usually gets the tandoori chicken and then we dip the naan in any sauce they place in front of us. Our last visit we picked up a dosi to go and had it as late-night snack after a late night of running errands. Whenever we have an Indian craving or whenever we find ourselves in that area, we usually get pulled in for an Indian feast.
The service has always been perfect. We like to ask lots of questions and they always take the time to explain it, and then make sure we're satisfied after our dinner is served. Whether you already like Indian food or your taste buds are just bored, you will enjoy the food and service. Enjoy! -
Review from Janice K.
Southgate, MI
11/29/2010
We went here for dinner on a Friday night. Our food took a LONG time to come out. This is nasty... while we were waiting, we couldn't help but notice the fruit flies or gnats buzzing around!!!
Disgusting. -
Review from Chiwei L.
Canton, MI
4/15/2009 ROTD 9/9/2009
This place is dangerous. I always eat waaaayyyy to much, because I really love the food here. It's spicy hot, rich and delicious. My favorite is the Saag with cheese in it, along with the large range of Chicken Curries. I've eatten at the lunch buffet, but the entries are much much better. My only issue is I wish they would carry a few lighter dishes, or have some curries that use a little less ghee (clarified butter), but it does taste damn good. Anyway, when I'm in the mood for Indian, this is our place to go!
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Review from Chandra P.
Livonia, MI
Updated - 2/13/2011
The food is still good but the service has gone downhill. They are always pretty busy but seem to only have a few waitstaff. Also, the wait for the food the last time we went was RIDICULOUS. I'm sure we waited at least 45 minutes. Also, they took everyone else's order who came after us before taking our order. Very annoying. I KNOW they're not making the food fresh to order so what gives?
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/25/2009
This restaurant has excellent food and service. I've eaten there many many times and will continue… Read more »
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Review from Matt W.
Santa Monica, CA
12/28/2008
I'm nervous because I'm the first to review Ashoka Canton - that's how much I like/LOVE this place. It's my favorite restaurant in the Metro-Detroit area. Considering it's 2:45am, I'll just tell you that I'm a real normal white fella that loves Indian food. If you're a novice, try Ashoka's lunch buffet (but check the hours, they close mid-day) to get a superb sampling of Indian food. Come back for dinner for the most fresh and tasty, not to mention visually appealing Indian meals in the Midwest.
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Review from Erik A.
Ann Arbor, MI
12/1/2010
I have only eaten the lunch buffet, and I was impressed with both the quality of and number of the selections. The buffet could be a little cleaner, don't get me wrong it isn't like pigs at a trough...It's my only little nitpick.
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Review from Shelly M.
Updated - 3/28/2010
The food is still excellent, but the last couple of times I have went there the service just keeps getting worse and worse. I can take it most of the time if the food is good, but if it slides any further down hill, you will be running to the kitchen yourself to get your order, or you may never get it. And don't expect your check or boxes anytime soon, you could wait up to a half an hour for that. It's fine if you have two or more hours that you can kill for dinner.
Listed in: Adventures in Indian food.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/16/2009
I enjoy the food here and have been going here for about 5 years. I have yet to get sick and in… Read more »
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Review from Mo S.
Dearborn Heights, MI
4/1/2009
This place is definitely authentic Indian food. The overall ambiance is well balanced and there are some Indian pieces that nicely add to their decor.
I've never had "real" Indian food so I was quiet surprise that I really enjoyed it. Some of the food is a little spicy, however the waitress informed me that most of the food on the buffet was very mild compared to most of their other dishes. The buffet did have an array of veggie dishes to choose from. They also have different offerings in their buffet every day of the week, which is nice for their regulars who like to mix it up. They serve bread that has a nice flavor to it and is similar to pita bread expect it is actually made with yogurt.
They had a few different dessert dishes when I went, including banana custard, hawal (grated carrots with sugar and peanuts), and this type of bread pudding. I tried all three and must say they all had a unique taste. Their service was great as well. Their servers are very attentive and stop by frequently. Their buffet is relatively cheap at roughly $9 a person. This is the best Indian restaurant I've been to and I would recommend that everyone should give it a try. -
Review from Peter S.
Huntington Woods, MI
3/16/2010
Ashoka has very good food. We enjoyed the butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, palak paneer, and lamb curry. All were delicious. The naan and garlic naan were good too. I would not criticize the food; the only thing holding this place back from five stars is the neglected ambiance--sticky menus, torn seat cushions, and run-down facilities. However, none of that would keep me from going back to enjoy the food...that's what is most important.
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Review from Rosa N.
Atlanta, GA
4/23/2010
As my husband would say, yum yum give me some. I love this place...great mango lassis and I really love the chicken tikka. I miss going to this place : (
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Review from emeril l.
Ann Arbor, MI
8/22/2009
Eat here! It's awesome! on the pricey side. We went for the buffet and even my toddler son walked away happy (he likes his Indian food!!) The naan is served up piping hot just like I like it. The buffet is somewhere between $11-14 but is generally worth it.
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Review from Sanjiv B.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2009
Ashoka is a really tasty, predominately North Indian, restaurant. The buffet is above average, but not great. What really wins it for this place is the dinner menu. The kormas, paneer, tandoor and a few others, really make this place special for me. I have eaten here dozens of times and do so everytime I come back to Michigan. The ambiance is clean and conservative, but nice. The staff are friendly, courteous and efficient. I'm not sure what the deal is with people commenting that there are major code issues, because that has not been my experience. Up there as one of my absolute favorite indian food places and I highly recommend it.
