Good Karma Elite Event @ Kama Bistro

I still can’t get over my husband eating Indian food! It was most certainly a wonderful event with good food and great company. We met some wonderful people and engaged in great conversation around worldly travels.
The food, the hostesses, the belly dancer, the owners, the beverages! were all delightful. I really enjoyed everything that was offered and can’t wait to drag my coworkers here during an extended lunch hour.

LOVED this event! I invited a friend who really likes Indian food and we both walked away totally stuffed. Of course, we were already getting full after the third or fourth appetizer, but that didn’t stop us from eating.
Now, I’m not much of a drinker, but that first mango martini they handed us as we walked in the door was awesome. I practically chugged the thing, but that’s not how you drink a martini so I paced myself… kind of. The other drinks were just as fabulous including the nonalcoholic one with plum, pear and other fruit flavors. I had two of those.
I’m not much of a lamb person, but the lamb meatballs were excellent. Several different chicken appetizers were also served and were just as tasty.
I typically skip ordering Indian food with coconut milk in it, but the chicken cooked with that ingredient may have been one of my favorite appetizers of the night.
Are you getting a feel of how great the food was? I got to try lots of food I would never order on my own and realized just how good some things really are.
And just when we thought we couldn’t eat anymore, the main course was brought out. Oh, and then dessert.
Overall, the food was quite authentic and we got to meet the owner and master chef. It was nice to hear their vision for the restaurant and the authenticity of the food they have brought to the Chicagoland area.
I made some cool new Unilocal friends at this event, saw some veteran Unilocal pals, and mingled with our wonderful Unilocal hostesses. The guest I brought to the event was already talking about bringing other friends to the restaurant.
Alas, the mark of a great Elite event (for a business owner) is when your guests enjoy the venue, food and service so much that they definitely want to go back for more. Well, we will be going back for sure.

An Affair To Remember!
Authentic has so many meanings, and they all apply to this event, the people that attended and all of the wonderful people that made it happen.
To those that attended, it is obvious that the genuine love, passion and heart felt appreciation that was presented on the plates was fully reciprocated by all that had the pleasure to enjoy this little gem of an evening. Seriously was blown away! I can’t wait to get back to Kama Bistro!

This review is tardy only for tech difficulties. I wanted to scream from the top of my lungs what an awesome event this was from the second we sadly wrapped it up!
The hospitality at Kama is stellar, it reminded me of a place in High Wickham (?) outside of Heathrow where I celebrated a friends milestone birthday a few years ago. From the servers to the owner, to the insanely passionate and proud papa who was preparing the food to perfection. Yes, I was on calorie and spice lockdown but I did not hesitate to take a gamble and sneak a few bites… sssshhhhhhhh.
But in the scheme of things a few bites were not enough. I feel like I’ve danced with the devil of Indian delight and for once in my life, knew when to say when… even if I didn’t want to…
It was awesome to see old friends and new friends and enjoy the warmth and hospitality and passion. To hear the father talk about doing things the right way, against convention, without regard to the easy way out really restored my faith in the industry.
Oh and the gorgeous belly dancer with the bells and the blade? Thanks darling, you made it so easy to go to the gym Tuesday!
Big thanks to Jelena Z for letting my city dwelling self enjoy another fun jaunt to the burbs! And as always, great to see everyone!

A throwback to the great days of Unilocal.This has restored my faith in the power of great Elite Events. Not to say that they haven’t all been good, but we know that some are better than others and this was one of my favorites to date.
The setting was perfect and I enjoyed everything that I ate, which can be a bit challenging for my picky palate. There was just the right amount of alcohol and way too much food. Have no fear, take out boxes to the rescue. How many events do you remember where you had leftovers? Yup, I didn’t think so…
Loved that the owner made the rounds and checked up on everyone. These owners are amazing and so sincere. I will be brining everyone I know here.

Everything about this even was lovely. Not only was it a short 10 minute drive from my apartment, but my friend Kimmy also managed to score rock star parking. You can’t beat starting off an evening like that. Once we arrived we were greeted with name tags and yummy drinks (I had the pineapple, she the mango, both of us were in fruit heaven).
The owner made a point to speak to everyone individually and was so welcoming and sweet. He explained some of the paintings on the walls and his hopes for putting up rotating photos of India. The deep purple walls with gold accents were soothing.
I was so surprised by the amount and quality of food served. I’ve never had Indian food before and from what I heard others saying I will be spoiled after having eaten here. It was wonderful getting to try so many different appetizers and WOW was that dessert good (tasted like fruit loops… no…really).
I would enjoy eating here again with a group of friends. The downtown LaGrange area is lovely for strolling and it would be nice to make an evening of it.
Overall, the food, the company, the atmosphere, and the generosity of the owner and his family made this a perfect event.

Without a doubt this event gets 5 stars! This was only my 3^rd Elite even but by far the best. A full sit down with drinks… and left overs… it doesnt get any better. We at for almost 3 hours! The food came out at a great pace which was the only way I could have packed my belly with all the delishiousness.
This was only the second time I have Indian food, in my life and ion the past 6 months. The chef was trained in India and wanted to make sure we got the real deal and not some dumbed down American version of what «other Indian restaurants think we might like.» We are Unilocalers in search of authenic cuisine. Go ahead we can take it! I think the rest of Chicagoland can too. Nothing else will come close, I am sure, as I continue to venture out of my culinary comfort zone and continue to try Indian food. I cant remember the names of the dishes we ate but they were all super. The food was hot, yes, but not so hot my mouth was numb so I couldnt taste the next spicy dish. It was like layers of flavor all melding together.
The owner and his wife were fantastic. He came to each table and asked how everything was looking for the good and the bad. No one at my table had any complaints and he was a bit disappointed that he had nothing bad to take back to the kitchen.
Great job on the event!

Unilocal Elite events continue to surpass my wildest expectations. Kama Bisto provided us with fruity drinks, platters and bowls of authentic Indian foods, an entertaining belly dancer, and the opportunity to meet new Unilocal friends. For those out there who prefer milder foods (like me) the chicken in cream sauce (Malai?), Tandoori Potatoes, Indian cottage cheese, and Kheer are fine selections. And the spiced fruit juice is very refreshing. What fun!!!

Not every dinner party is alike.
Many serve tiny portions and pretend that’s gonna cut it. Who cares? You’re drinking wine/​beer/​champagne, right? Those are dinner PARTIES.
This was a DINNER party, with an emphasis on delicious and spicy that’s still radiating through my body ½ a day later. Wow. I ate the lamb meatballs people at my table passed on to make room for biranyi.
Who am I kidding, I ate everything humanly possible. I misunderstood what the «belly-​dancing» part of the evening meant. I thought I was instructing to expand my belly until it «danced» with delight and could safely balance a sword on top.
That was the food part. At one point I was triple-​fisted with separate mango, lemon-​cardamon-​tinis and a healthy glass of Malbec/​Syrah.
The setting was beautiful. Our restaurant host/​owner Vikram Singh and his accomplished chel dad gave great insight into Indian cuisine.
Thanks Jelena/​Colleen/​Yelp! for a satisfying night in LaGrange. This is definitely a place I would love to visit again. Thanks for the find.

I’m going to say it — I think this may have been my favorite Unilocal event ever. People, I have leftovers. At city events I have to throw elbows to get a cookie.
I arrived at Kama promptly at 7 and was greeted by the always gracious and lovely Andrea, Jelena, and Colleen. I was then greeted by an also lovely boozy mango lassi — A-​MAZ-​ING. There were also pineapple drinks going around that I never managed to snag, but which I also heard were fabulous. I’m not sure if these cocktails are actually on the menu at Kama, but I sure hope they are.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that this event was a sit down dinner, which gave me an opportunity to chat in depth with some Unilocalers I hadn’t met before or had met only briefly. And the food… my God, the food. I seriously feel like the owners let us sample at least half the menu (and some things that weren’t on the menu — the owners wife explained to me that they’d used us to test some new dishes). Literally everything we were served was fantastic. The lamb meatballs some of the other reviews have mentioned were my personal favorite (these currently aren’t on the menu — please Kama, add them! I cannot live my life never having these again!) Unfortunately I didn’t catch the name of some of the other items we were served (I know we had the chicken lemon tadka, fish amritsari, chilly crispy potatoes, mushroom pakora and lamb biryani, but I can’t identify a few of the chicken dishes. I’m going to follow these reviews in hopes someone caught their names.)
The owner and his wife were both so gracious and sincerely wanted everyone to enjoy themselves. This restaurant is clearly a labor of love for them both. The owner and his friend (a chef) who advised on the recipes spoke to us about how this restaurant makes everything fresh (including the spice mixtures) and uses nothing prepackaged or canned — and you can really tell, the food quality is excellent. They also spoke passionately about food and their belief that American restaurants should try harder — music to the ears of the Unilocal foodie crowd.
I have to admit, I’m a little worried for this restaurant. I grew up in the La Grange area and restaurants close all the time here — and this is the only non-​Americanized «ethnic» restaurant I can think of in the area. I also grabbed a menu on the way out and the price point is a little on the high side for the suburbs ($ 14-​$ 20 for entrees). That being said, the prices are totally justified — the quality is there and this might be the best Indian food I’ve ever had. I’m going to tell everyone I can think of to trek out to the suburbs to try it.

I look like an overstuffed Samosa!!! :)
Well first off kudos to Vikram! He really outdid himself and I think everyone else feels the same way that attended this event as well. Great job on this event!
Also special thanks to Jelena for setting up this FAN-​tastic event!
As well to my wonderful loving bottomless belly!!!
And to the wonderful wait staff!!!
Ok so this is where someone flahes the light in my eye to tell me to wrap it up… haha
Really this was a great treat to come to. The food was really just outstanding! Being a fan of the food for a while now Im really not lying in saying this is one of the best Indian restaurants that Ive been to in Chicago! The Lamb Biryani was def my fav dish. Chicken Tikka Masala came in a close 2^nd and the tilapia was oh sooo good too. Bartender just had the drinks going all night. Mango and pineapple martini’s were flowing all night and were very delicious. Also I think I created a new name for the apple drink. It should be called Indian Apple Cider! I would very curious to see how that drink is warmed up on the chilly chi nights. You might come across a true gem! Watch out Starbucks, you might have some competition! Vikram — Dont think I wont follow up w/​you on it! :)

Wow. wow… WOW!
First let me say that I had the best time at this event! I met some great people and everyone was so friendly. And who didn’t feel a little bit of the passion that Kama Bistro’s owner and father conveyed when they told us about their restaurant vision.
The food was just wonderful (and plentiful!) Everything was delicious and appealed to all the senses. My favorites were the lamb meatballs and chicken lemon tadka. I loved the looks of surprise on all our faces at the table – «wait, there’s MORE food coming?» The drinks were really tasty. I liked the pineapple martini more than the mango. The apple/​pear cinnamon drink was refreshing and the red wine with dinner was really good too. I just wish there was naan but that’s ok, I’ll be back here for sure.
Thank you Jelena for organizing this fabulous event! Thank you to Kama Bistro for the scrumptious food and wonderful service. I couldn’t have asked for a better time for my first Elite event.

Oh my god, I think I’m still full.
And you know it was a good night when I go home with blue lips.
You see, I have this weird thing where red wine = blue lips. Couldn’t begin to tell you why. And on TOP of the awesome, deceptively candy-​like mango martinis I downed two of, I also had a glass of delicious red wine with the piles of food they kept putting in front of us.
And the food was all so GOOD … I didn’t know I liked lamb so much! The spicy lamb meatballs. The various chicken dishes (vindaloo? lemon tadka, tandoori, etc). The mushroom pakoras, the paneer, fish nuggets, chilly potatoes, heavens to betsy, that was just the appetizers! The lamb biryiani was also so delicious, especially with the cucumber sauce! Topped off with a delightful little portion of just-​right rice pudding.
(One teeeeny little disappointment: No naan. Boo. On the other hand, I might actually have had to unbutton my pants if there had been naan.)
The food was fantastic. The drinks were wonderful. The owner and his father truly have a dedication to fresh, authentic food. The belly dancer was delightful. And the company at our table was quite lovely as well.
About 5,000 stars to Jelena for planning another wonderful event. And for magically pulling my name AGAIN for a gift card, what is up with that? Not complaining, ’cause then I get to go stuff my face at Kama Bistro again on my own…

Elite status, comes not just a badge, but comes honor! (.honor? I hardly know her.)
This being my first Unilocal event, I didn’t know what to expect. I instantly recognized Jelena standing by the door when I entered the restaurant. It’s always good to see a familiar face. The Unilocalers at the table were super nice and I couldn’t have asked for better company.
The food here is different from other Indian places I’ve been to, not just in variety, but quality. It’s hard not to overeat at an event like this since the food keeps coming out and the wine is free flowing. The belly dancer during dinner was very entertaining to watch. I did wonder what happened to the henna?
The owner was very inspirational in his mission to bring authentic quality Indian food to Chicago. Jelena is a super woman for organizing such a wonderful event where everyone had a great time. It was such a great event and I hope to attend more in the future.

Oh. my. gawd. I experienced Thanksgiving all over again… in the form of Indian food. This very well may be my fav event so far. They have all been so fab it’s hard to choose just one favorite! I was a little late but just in time for food fest 2009. I remember reading «appetizers and entrees» but I never would have thought we’d be treated to a full sit down dinner. Awe-​some. The food was delicious. My favs were the sweet potatoes, chicken tikka and the lamb biryani. Mmmm… Still… so…full.
The owners were delightful and so gracious. They were a pleasure to speak with and were so nice as to supply everyone with to-​go containers. Seriously, how sweet is that? Top notch cocktails, a belly dancer and great Unilocalers rounded out the evening.
Great event! Kudos to you Jelena… you’ve done it again. I will definitly be back to Kama Bistro… I still need me some buttered naan!

I have been over-​served.
My belly is painfully full.
I am not sober.
Maybe it was the purple on the walls and the Indian/​dub in the air. Maybe it was the third or fourth straight meat dish served to me as I sat on gilded pillows. Or maybe it was the onslaught of fresh mango and pineapple martinis that did it. I don’t know, but I am food high. Actually, I was already pretty food high even before the almond and saffron laced rice pudding came out in little silver bowls and before Vikram, the owner, had his charming father came out to break. food. down. for us all, so who knows what I am now.
It was a magical and lovely evening of dining. The genuine kindness and generousity emitting from this place was really great. Beautiful.
AND there was this chick gyrating on the floor with this big ass bedazzled knife, too!

This is so wrong! I am so stuffed that I can’t sleep but I still find myself dreaming about those delicious lamb meatballs. It’s taking every ounce of willpower to stop myself from attacking the leftover meaty globes of goodness sitting in my fridge.
The food was not all that was fabulous at Kama Bistro. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the yummy drinks (pineapple martinis), the exotic entertainment (belly dancer) and the great company (the fun folks at my table who entertained me from two hours). I met people I had never met before, tasted food I had never tasted before, and saw things I had never seen before. It isn’t often you get to see a belly dancer precariously balance a sharp sword on her head as she seductively gyrates her abdomen.
Jelena, you truly outdid yourself in throwing such a fun party, accommodating a sizable number of people while somehow managing to keep it intimate. If this is the caliber of party I can expect in the Chicago burbs, please consider me «I’m In» for all the upcoming events.