Cumin in Wicker Park

Cumin
1414 N Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
p:  773-342-1414
info@cumin-chicago.com


Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker park is often consumed by the aroma of Indian spices that are hard to ignore and hard to resist. We walked in and our noses were immediately filled with the delicious scents of Indian food. I knew this was going to be promising. 

We were seated and attended to quite immediately, most likely due to the time in which we arrived (6pm on a Friday). Arrive early, because this place starts bringing in the crowds by 6:30pm. The ambiance is very nice, dimly lit and intimate. However, it might be too intimate at times due to the close proximity of the table next to you. Intimacy with a stranger, in that case, might not be preferred.  Overall, it's a great atmosphere for a date or just dinner with your friends. I would recommend them to add more music, as I think their iTunes was on repeat. 

We decided to forgo appetizers during this experience and went straight for the real deal (we were super hungry and wanted to cut to the chase!). We started off with lamb bhuna, a hot and spicy curry, bhindi masala (sauteed okra with cumin seeds and other vegetables) and garlic naan. 

Usually, I don't expect spicy Indian food from restaurants outside Devon street, so I was pleasantly surprised by Cumin's lamb. At the same time, the bhuna had a slightly sweet taste at the tip of your tongue.  The meat was just right and perfectly spiced. The bhindi masala was slightly bland, yet sufficient if you're looking for a side of vegetables. Next time, though, we'll look to try a different vegetable dish.  Garlic naan and rice were cooked to perfection.

As for portion sizes, Cumin's dishes were small-medium.  Compared to other restaurants, the dishes filled us up, but there was barely any food leftover for a second helping the next day.

My partner in food crime, Joe, is a fiend for Mango Lassi, so he will be rating those in all future reviews.  He said that the flavor was great (not too sour, not too sweet, not too tangy), but it was slightly warm and could've used some extra ice cubes.  Since the portion size was slightly small, he had to ration his lassi consumption.

After our satisfying meal, dessert was a must.  We went forward with the gulaab jaamun. It wasn't as sweet as others that I've tried, but it was still very satisfying.  If you're looking for that typically ultra-sweet syrup that comes in the dish, then you might want to opt for another choice.  Personally, I felt it was still a delectable dessert.

Overall, Cumin is a great restaurant and has the potential to be a very authentic choice in Wicker Park.

So what's the score? (Out of 5)
Price: $$
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3.5
Food: 3.5
Overall Rating: 3.7