Shilpa Desai has had a passion for cooking Indian food her whole life and in 2014, she began sharing her talents with area diners at Dalicious in Naperville.
“This is my mom’s baby,” said Shalvi Desai, who often helps her mom at the quick service Indian restaurant. “There are her recipes and she is here every day as the chef. She has a real passion for this.”
Her passion comes through in the friendly service and straightforward menu, where everything is made from scratch and made to order. Using a “platter concept” customers can build their own meal, or they can order from a “tasty treat” menu of favorites. Either way, it makes Indian food approachable for first time diners or long time customers.
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Here’s the dish on this local favorite.
What’s on the menu? Dalicious lets customers build their own platter so they get exactly what they want. Choose a meat or vegetarian option, add a sauce and then choose a lentil, side and a bread to create your individualized meal. There is also a “tasty treat” menu which includes a wide variety of favorites from all over India, like tandoori chicken and chole bhature. Every other weekend they offer a special menu item — an authentic platter from a different region in India — and publicize it on their Facebook page.
About the owner: The Desai family moved to Naperville from Gujarat, India, in 2003. Shilpa Desai wanted to wait to open her first restaurant until after daughter, Shalvi, graduated from Neuqua Valley High School in 2010. They chose the name Dalicious — a combination of “dal” which means lentil and the word “delicious” — and incorporated the Ashoka Chakra, a wheel symbol from the Indian flag into the “o” in the logo.
A mission statement: It’s not just quick, it’s Dalicious. “We are very proud of the food we serve and how we treat our customers,” Shalvi said. “Everything is made to order and made from scratch — nothing is frozen — and you customize the way you like your Indian food.”
The decor: Earth-toned walls and Indian artifacts give Dalicious an “authentic Indian look” according to the owners, who did a lot of the hand-crafted paint and design work themselves. Easy to understand menu boards allow customers to place an order at the counter and then the food is brought to their table.
Food specialties: Chicken tandoori drumsticks, marinated in a special homemade blend and then cooked slowly in a clay oven are a customer favorite. The customized platters allow each diner to have their own “specialty” as they create the meal each time. Shalvi said along with choosing what is on the platter, customers can taste each of the four sauces before selecting them to make sure they get exactly what they want. The four made-from-scratch sauces can be adjusted from mild to spicy depending on what you’re craving.
We’re different because: This family-owned and operated Indian restaurant uses a Chipotle-style concept as opposed to a complicated menu or buffet. “Buffets can have lots of overwhelming choices, and if you aren’t familiar with Indian food, you don’t know what you are eating,” Shilpa said. Pick what you want and how you want it, and that’s Dalicious.
Extras: Carry out and catering are available, and the restaurant can be reserved for events or even kids’ birthday parties.
Price range: Platters range from $9 to $10 and the chole bhature (chickpeas in a curry sauce with fried puffy bread) is under $6. Boneless tandoori chicken starts at $6.49 and a chicken pizza is $8.49.
Logistics: Dalicious Indian restaurant is located at 1413 S. Plainfield Naperville Road in Naperville in a strip mall near the corner of 75th Street. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Go to www.mydalicious.com.
Jane Donahue is a freelance writer.