Naansense

Such a good concept (Fast Indian) with a horrible execution.
Pros:
Tasty Naan
Cons:
Poor quality food — I found bones in my chicken, the rice was very hard and it was all ice cold
Small, small portions with an expensive price tag — when I asked for lettuce, they literally gave me once piece of lettuce!
Poor customer service — It is clear that they don’t want to be there, so don’t both asking any questions.
Rice — They only have white and brown rice, which is cold. Where is the saffron rice?
Definitely not worth the trip.

COST:
FREE! Tonight was their grand opening!
***Normally sub $ 10 bowls, naanwich or salad!***
I’m so glad we stopped by tonight for their grand opening because these guys know how to throw a gosh darn party! Food and liquor were free flowing all night.
You know we came with zero expectations because hey, free is free. But the food tasted so god damn amazing we all agreed we’d pay more than they’re asking price. For fast casual, the prices are definitely fair.
We had both a chicken rice bowl and a lamb naanwich which is basically a sandwich wrapped in naan. You get four different flavors of curry that tasted all so great. Ginger is my favorite!
The meat tasted great and the veggies tasted super FRESH. I work closer to the loop so I’ll be at their loop location a lot more often but my oh my, this thing is gonna blow up.
I mean if you can’t tell by them opening a second location already in the Windy City.
Thank you!

Did not care for this place. It replaced another Indian restaurant that I really enjoyed but this newer place isn’t as good. I went once with an Indian co-​worker and we both agreed it wasn’t worth going back in the future.

The food is really great, but the naan sandwiches can get inedibly messy. Grab extra extra napkins if you get one.

This is one of my new favorite lunch places in the West Loop! It was recommended to me by my sister-​in-​law (who is Indian) as the best, quick Indian lunch she has had in the city. The food is delicious, and it is clear the ingredients are fresh and high-​quality. It’s a little on the pricier end for lunch, but the rice bowls are fantastic, and the portion size is good. The Naanwiches are a little messy, but still delicious.
Personally, the madras sauce with the chicken is my favorite, but they give you free samples throughout the line to make sure you like the ingredients you’re picking.
Aside from the main course, the mango lassi is perfect to take back as an afternoon snack, and the fries are great to share with a friend or two.
If you’re sick of Chipotle, I would definitely recommend giving this place a shot!

The food served at this location of Naansense is pretty bad. The Naan is really really bad and the quantity is very less for the price. But the curry is the worst part. They kept a lot of tangy sauce (tamarind might be ?).

Ok, I wanted to like this place, but it’s just an Indian version of Chipolte with the far less than food portions, as well. If I am going to pay damn near $ 9 for a bowl of rice, chicken, and veggies, I want to TASTE the meat at least. Well, I tried them and but I will stick with my salads from Potbelly.

Msg from one of the emplyees @ Knowles Electronics, Itasca, Il… finished my lunch. I did have the chicken brown rice with the pistacio/​garlic sauce topped with tomatoe and cabbage slaw. Navin. I cant tell you how GOOD it all was. They are still here and almost out of food. Everyone is raving about it. I mentioned who I was to the workers and they gave me my lunch for free! SO GOOD and a big hit over here!

Honestly didn’t expect much because it is Americanized but I was wrong! This place is delicious! Extremely flavorful and filling! And I love putting extra mint sauce! The hot sauce is good too unless you can’t stand spicy foods. The only thing that wasn’t that great was the bread that comes along with the bowl, it wasn’t warm and tasted pretty normal, but other than that loved it! Definitely returning!

I had a great experience at this fast, fresh and healthy Indian place. It was my first visit and got a little disoriented from the build-​your-​own approach since I’m not familiar with the names of sauces and other options. But the person taking my order patiently explained everything and made it fast and easy. My rice bowl was outstanding and the sauces and ingredients were super tasty. The only minor complaint: playing rap music didn’t seem to suit to the rest of the experience. But overall it’s my new lunch favorite in the West Loop.

Masala fries are delicious!!! So are the sandwiches. Overall, very happy and will be back soon regardless of price. Completely worth it to me

Pros:
Good quality ingredients
Close to my work & decent replacement for Panda Express (former occupant of this address)
Spicy foods are actually spicy!
Cons:
Very expensive /​small portions
Staff do not explain a confusing, misordered menu & give you strange looks
Very bad acoustics — yet another lunch spot where you have to nearly scream to be heard!
The second «con» on my list reflects bad customer service training and overall just a poor attitude. I have dozens of other choices in the area and after 3 tries, I think I’ll avoid this place. Sad because the food truck on Wacker Dr. is run by nicer folk!

Update Jan 25 2016: Minus 1 star for changing hours and closing all weekend. Useless business taking up valuable real estate. Bring back Panda Express.
It’s ok. I’d try it again. But the owners need some help and guidance, and lucky for them I’m willing to pay $ 18 and take the time to do free work for them.
A few things:
1. Cold naan. That’s nonsense, not Naansense.
Naan is supposed to be hot and soft and wonderful, and if the name of the place has the word naan in it, the naan needs to be out of this world good.
2. Confusing layout and lack of signage. You don’t know where to start when you walk in. The cashier asks how she can help you and then tells you you’re starting on the wrong end. Maybe she should say hello instead of indicating that she would be helping me to start. Also sauce info only on top menu, not near the actual sauces. Would be nice to not have to look all the way up and around to find out what the sauce actually is.
3. One of the chef’s recommendations is called «Silence of the Lamb.» Silence of the lambs is a story about cannibalism, and in this case the actual silencing of the lambs refers to when Clarice Starling saw ranch hands holding down a baby lamb as they were slaughtering it. This should not be the name of a menu item and comes across as being named by someone trying to be creative who doesn’t understand what he or she was referencing. They saw lamb and just used it. Details matter, so minus a star for that.
To me, Naansense is Indian Chipotle and even chipotle has annoying issues. But there’s room to improve here. The things I outlined are pretty fixable and can be/​should be done quickly.

Think Indian Chipotle. Walking in for the first time I was suspecting that the food wouldn’t be very spicy or flavorful. I’m pleased to have guessed wrong. The food quality is great, loaded with flavor and spice. They were out of Samosas by noon. I’m hoping the next time I visit they’ll have more so I get a chance to try them. I’ll definitely be back.

Very solid quick service Indian food.
It’s not the best Indian food that I have ever had, but it wouldn’t be fair to compare Chipotle to an authentic Mexican joint. The prices are pretty standard but they give you a good amount of food with quite a few options. I’ll be back next time I want a quick bite of Indian food.

If you’ve had good Indian food before then this is not the place to go. It was way too salty and the naan was cold. Indian food doesn’t work as fast food in my opinion. This place is naansense… and not in the good way

Naansense quickly moved in to the old Panda Express space (I didn’t even realize they closed) and opened this, their second location, this week. Essentially it is a «fast casual» Indian spot, ironically very similar to Sataza which recently closed just about a block down Clinton. Naansense seemed to have kept the layout the same as Panda, but they gave the restaurant a complete make over with fresh paint, tiles, furniture, etc. Everything looks bright, fresh and clean. The only (minor) annoying thing about the physical space is that the line forms right in front of the door, making entering/​exiting awkward.
For the food, you order «Chipotle-​style» by picking your base — bowl, sandwich or salad — then protein, sauces, toppings, etc as you work your way down to the cashier. I opted for a salad with paneer cheese (tastes similar to tofu) and the tikka sauce. They’re currently running a $ 5 special for lunch + drink if you grab a promotional card that is being handed out on nearby sidewalk corners. Normally prices would be a bit higher with dishes running about $ 9 without any extras or drink. Everything looked and tasted fresh, and very well seasoned as Indian food usually is. I will certainly be back to try other combinations.
According to their Facebook page this location will be open from 11am until 9pm.