Chai Pani is one of the best restaurants in downtown Asheville. If you are seeking something totally delicious, authentic, and innovative, then Chai Pani should be tops on your bucket list. Chef Meherwan Irani has been featured in Food and Wine Magazine, as well as nominated 3 times for a prestigious James Beard award.

For an appetizer, start with the Aloo Tikki Chaat which consists of crispy Indian potatoes served on a garbanzo bean stew, topped with green chutney and tamarind, yogurt, and chickpea noodles.

For a main meal, you will definitely want to treat yourself to a Thali, either Butter Chicken or Saag Paneer (vegetarian). The Saag is a bit on the spicy side, but a delicious choice for anyone who can take a bit of heat. Use the raita if you need to cool down the dish a bit.

Each thali comes with basmati rice, daal, masala slaw, pappadum, and raita. Delicious Naan bread can be added for a few extra bucks. The Kheer (rice pudding) is the highlight of the meal. Also, be sure to try a Mango Lassi - a wonderfully refreshing drink (great for beating the summer heat) which is supposedly good for digestion.

The food here is really delicious, a bit pricey for the thali but you do get a ton of food, so it's a great bang-for-your-buck meal. Everything is so flavorful and artfully presented. The food offerings are a bit different than those found at your typical Indian buffet. Nevertheless, Chai Pani is an interesting culinary experience for anyone up for something new.