Indian Zayka

I’m not a huge fan of buffets but we gave the one at Indian Zayka’s a try. The food did not stand out as amazing but I’d say it was good. The service was great! And the restaurant was very clean and the service was great! We’ll give four stars based on the the whole experience.

I have enjoyed this restaurant for a number of years. The tomato shorba is the best in the Cites and the service is friendly and warm. One of the best lunch buffets in the metro

Food was delicious. Staff was very friendly. Definitely will return.

First time at India Zayka, I had by default dined there due to a bad experience with seating next door at Classic Saigon.
The server greeted me at the door & gave me options of where I wanted to seat. He was very attentive & personable. I appreciate the good service I received & the Lamb Rogan Josh & garlic naan I ordered was absolutely delicious!
I got the Rogan Josh in a level 3 spice, but I underestimated how level 3 was NOT as spicy as I feared. It wasn’t spicy at all, so next time I’ll try a 4 or 5.

Vegan recommended. We went for a lunch buffet and not only had plenty to choose from, when the owner heard we were vegan, he made a special entrée and special vegan roti for us at no extra charge. All selections were awesome. Great layered flavor. I hope vegans support this place because they go above and beyond the call of duty to please!

While flavorful, the food delivered to the table was cold, in particular, the samosas were still «fresh from the freezer» cold in the middle. Also, very rude service by the woman, whom I assume is the owner, when she was unable to accommodate a special, but easy dietary restriction. We will not be returning.

Forget food, go here for the fantastic customer experience. The owners are warm and hospitable. The food is fresh and delicious with plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians. It’s a different kind of Indian restaurant experience.
The spread for the buffet was expansive. The dosa was crispy and the potato curry stuffed inside the dosa was cooked perfectly. I have had gobi manchurian and baby corn manchurian on different days and they were both the right amount of crispy and extremely tasty. The gravy dishes were phenomenal. The owners prepared a special mushroom vegetable kadai dish for our table just because we were vegans and there were «only» 2 other vegan gravy dishes already on the buffet. Since the naan at most Indian restaurants is made with milk and sometimes eggs, the owner got us tandoori rotis on the house. Very accommodating. It almost felt like eating at home.

This is a local favorite of mine. The weekend buffet in particular is a great value. I’m a big fan of their chicken makani, naan, samosas, and curry. The restaurant itself is always and the staff, including the owners, are always very helpful and courteous. There are other options for Indian in Eagan but Indian Zayka offers the best end-​to-​end customer experience.

My husband and I went here today for the first time. I was impressed from the moment I got to the door. As I arrived they came and helped me with the door. The service for the rest of time I was there was shown by how they greeted me, kindness and helpfulness.
Once we were seated they quickly got us our drinks and let us serve ourselves from the buffet. My husband had a mango lassi and it was one of the best I’ve tasted, rich and lots of flavor with just the right consistency. The dishes from the buffet were well seasoned with being highly spicy. Just right for my husbands preference for milder food. The richness of the flavors convinced me that must come back here again at dinner to sample something with more heat. One of the highlights was their tandoori chicken which was full flavor and perfectly moist. The dishes included a small selection of desserts including my favorite, kheer. The kheer was sweet and mellow a delicious end to a wonderful meal.
The items on the buffet change daily so I expect it will be a tasty new experience every time.

I live around the area and its very convenient. Food is comparable to India palace in Burnsville which I also like. Their chicken vindaloo/​curry, naan bread, biryani rice is always spot on. Spice level can be made quite hot which I love. Good customer service as well! Good for takeout or dine in.

Where shall I begin? Me and my husband went to the restaurant for lunch. The food was cold, bland and unappetizing. The beef vendaloo was just vendaloo (means potato), the owners did not replenish the beef. The naan was flat instead of fluffy and soft. Their Chai was bitter, basically the best thing there was the cool, refreshing water! I wouldn’t be accused of being a customer there ever again!

Lunch buffet is awesome. It’s more expensive on Fridays, because they have a special stir-​fry dish. Great variety. Customer service is excellent. Friendly, attentive staff. Fills water and removes plates promptly. Highly recommend!

Visited for lunch today. The buffet was way above par compared to most. Everything was piping hot and fresh. Such a wonderful variety of dishes. The atmosphere is elegant and the staff/​owners very warm and welcoming. I will be returning as soon as I can!

I was very pleasantly surprised by Indian Zayka. I’ve eaten a lot of Indian food and I’d say this is quite good. The Chicken Methi Malai is great!
The lunch buffet is acceptable, but not amazing. The selection is just a bit limited, but they change the items each day at least.

Great place for Indian food in Eagan. In town for work and we decided to go for Indian since a coworker had never tried it. We had heard good things about this place and decided to go. Nobody was in there when we got there and we were taken care of immediately. My cup never went empty once and service was great (except it took a long time to get the check, but we did and to for quite some time so we are also to blame I guess).
We shared there dishes, mine being the Tikka Masala. Best I have ever had!
Places like this make me want to eat Indian everyday!

If you live near Eagan and like Indian food… this is a must! Nothing I’ve had has disappointed. Naan, Tomato Garlic soup, Chicken Buryani, Tikka Masala, anything w Paneer… I’ve only dined in once (gotten take out several times), but to my knowledge it was good service… no memorable moments amazing or bad I guess. Yum yum yum.

Is this the best Indian restaurant I’ve been to? No. Is it super authentic? Maybe not. But this is Eagan. I can count the number of non-​chain restaurants in this city on my fingers.
I’m really glad that Indian Zayka exists. It is clearly the best option if you want Indian food short of driving into St. Paul. Lunch buffet is a good value, menu is diverse, and the price is reasonable. Is it Sambol? No, it’s not. It’s also not Applebees.

This place (formerly Sambol) used to be amazing. I was absolutely in love with the murgh shorba and would make special trips just to get a bowl. It was creamy, rich and loaded with tender chicken… I can still taste it when I think of it and my mouth waters.
Sadly, it and many other things have changed. The soup has turned into this overly thick, hamburger helper tasting concoction that is overloaded with unpleasant chunks of dry chicken. The first time I ordered this soup and ended up with this, I thought they were just having an off night. My worst fears were confirmed when I realized that it was a permanent disservice.
As mentioned, however, the soup isn’t the only thing that has undergone a transformation. Their curries were always outstanding. I could’ve been stuffed and I’d still lick the spoon clean after happily loading the leftovers into containers.
Their thai coconut curry with chicken was, by far, my favorite.
It has gone the way of the murgh shorba. I couldn’t even stomach two bites… the entire dish smelled (and rather tasted) absolutely terrible. The chicken was very overcooked and sitting in an odd colored creamy sauce that reeked of burnt rubber. When I told the waiter he said it was because they «roasted the spices».
For the record of the readers of this post, my girlfriend also smelled and tasted the curry and recoiled in disgust. She agreed on the burnt rubber aspect of the dish.
Ugh.
My girlfriend and I used to absolutely love coming here… it was one of our «date night» restaurants, actually. The atmosphere remains very pleasant despite the changes in the food and the staff is always extremely polite.
But a restaurant without edible food is like a hotel with no rooms. There’s no point in going, no matter how great everything else is.
I and several others I know will certainly not be returning. The quest for a new Indian restaurant begins.

Cute place for a strip mall!
I had never been to the old Sambol place, but a coworker and I checked out the buffet recently at lunch.
We arrived around 11:45 and were seated and offered drinks right away. I looked around noticed how well maintained and clean the place was. It had cute décor and looked kind of fresh for a strip mall.
The buffet was huge and really fresh. Sometimes the naan and the battered veggies can get soggy and gross, but these were crispy and fresh. The buffet choices were on line, so that helps you decide if the buffet is worth your time. I thought it was. My favorite was the big plate of Deviled Chicken. It was on a giant wok like thing in the middle. It had fresh veggies around the outside and it was steaming hot. I also liked your standards like lemon rice, tandoori chicken and chicken tikka masala.
The prices aren’t posted on the website, but I did learn afterwards, Fri, Sat and Sun prices must be higher — $ 11.99 at lunch — but they do have more choice than during the week. If you are in the neighborhood looking for something different, I say check it out. Oh, and don’t pass up the balls. We now love Gulab Jamun!

It’s great to have a solid Indian restaurant back in Eagan again!
I see several reviewers writing their critiques under the old Sambol page. I think Indian Zayka warrants a new entry because it’s improved so much over the previous ownership. The menu remains almost the same, although I can’t order dosas anymore off the menu, which saddens me. The improvement in the new management is significant and it was much needed. Food is served hot and fresh, no more hard, dry naan. More intense flavored food, served piping hot. Friendlier and more attentive staff, and they ask what spice level you prefer. Decent portions, my daughter and I find one entrée with appetizers is plenty for the two of us. The kababs and tandooris are wonderful, and you can’t go wrong with the lunch buffet. Fridays and Sundays are my favorite days to visit.
I’m a huge fan of the Alu Tiki and accompanying chutneys, so good. The samosas and pakoras are also excellent. Rice is always perfectly cooked. One item not on the menu but available if you ask, is Sambol itself. Sambol, or sambal, is a condiment made with coconut and chilis, and is a fiery delight. I first had this dish under the previous management’s reign, but after trying it at Zayka, I feel as if I’ve finally eaten the dish as it was meant. Love it!