Indian Essence Bistro in Fort St John

Very friendly staff. The food is very good. When we picked up our order one item was missed and we didnt realize the mistake until I got home; luckily, when I called to mention the problem the employee offered to fix the problem right away and was at my house within 5 minutes with the missing item. Wow that was really good service.

Ordered the chicken tikka & prawn korma. It was super delicious, decent size. Lassi mango was delicious as well as the masala chai. Naan was pretty big portion I would say. Overall wonderful!

Achari Chicken was very good. Very friendly staff. V.basic atmosphere. Come for the food and the joy.

Foods very good here, best service I ve had in FSJ. Spice levels are 1-5 which is very accommodating.

Good price, spicy if you ask for it. Excellent service.

We recently went for lunch with colleagues and had really good experience dining at Indian Essence FSJ, Mr Verma extended great hospitality towards everyone serving palatable Indian delicacies freshly prepared and meticulously crafted. Indian Essence restaurant is certainly amongst the best in town with huge choice of veg/ non veg food / drinks to delight your taste buds..

The food was delicious and the service was fantastic.

One of the best vegetarian food I have had on my road trip from Alaska to Abbotsford. Dal makhni and PBM is super good!

They came to the Canada Day ceremony, and I got some butter chicken. Tasted amazing and was very affordable!

Delicious food.

This restaurant has amazing Indian food. After our long trip from the North, this place was a pleasure to dine at. The swift and proactive service provided by Sunny was brilliant. We ordered vegetable pakoras, methi malai paneer, as well as dal makhani. Needless to say, we were delighted by the quality of food provided by the chefs (Subek, Sukhpreet, Lipanshu, and Rajat). Id highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys authentic Indian cuisine, and look forward to dining here again.

Recommend, absolutely delicious food. Friendly service and large portions.

The food is really good, the workers are really nice and the food comes fast. I have no complaints

This is 2nd time I have ordered from them at SkipTheDishes and I have got missing item both the times. I means seriously you guys don t look at the order details. Really bad experience.

I tried a meal delivery service recently, and it was fantastic. The food was fresh, flavorful, and well-portioned, with the herb-crusted salmon being a standout. The eco-friendly packaging was neat, labeled, and kept everything at the right temperature. Highly recommended for a convenient and delicious meal experience!

Horrible shrimp masala, the shrimp themself was like chewing on buffalo pelt. I phoned them and they re-sent butter chicken to replace it. Not only did they just send over cooked chicken in the same sauce but they re charged for delivery. Never again. Parking: delivery Wheelchair accessibility: It was delivery

I went for take-out in the evening and was a bit skeptical with all the one star reviews... the place in itself does not look incredible, but the service I had was very good, nice greeting, not too long of a wait (10-15 min), the food was very nice too and I found the amount pretty generous for the price. All in all, would recommend for take out !

Great food, great service

I recently went to Indian essence bistro, food was delicious and affordable. It s amazing flavour specially since new management took over its food got delicious. I would suggest people to try it out Kid-friendliness: Yes

They have bad food quality as well as very poor customer service. Once u call them to report anything about food quality they think ppl calling for refund. But they never accept the cheap quality food they selling.

the new staff and new owner were very friendly, i felt at home and loved every second i was there!

Amazing food n amazing customer service. Congratulations Rajat you are doing a great job

Delicious food and amazing service

I ordered prawns masala and Rotis so I could eat it the next day. The prawns in the curry were not cooked, and wondering how old they were. I had a hard time biting Rotis. I was disappointed with the quality of the food.

Got Worst service from harman. Customers are stupid because they are sensible ha nhi

Food is expensive and quality is worst

Worst food ever poorest customer service. Ordered daal from there and they packed oil instead.

So here am gonna give heads up to everyone to must visit this place. I recently travelled and went there with my family and had food. Both food and customer service was so great that will visit again. The staff was decent and generous, served food with hospitality that what I like most ; as they considered us as a valuable customer. But I did remember that some people did bother the staff for getting free food instead of exchange it, that seemed awful as staff was doing what they were suppose to do but because of these type of customers, staff was under rated. Upto me and my family, its a must visit place, recommended everyone to visit there once for amazing food amd experience. Really admired! Parking: I believed parking is the ponit that management needs to consider

The food was very delicious and staff was nice. Very good experience. I highly recommend.

Was pretty great food, portions are a bit small. Didn t get bad customer service at all they were pleasant and attentive (also the only party in there) could definitely use a bit better cleaning the bathroom was dirty and the dining room was a bit dirty. Other than that good experience will definitely be back Wheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible no stairs or ramps

Nice restaurant and services with affordable prices

Great food, different levels of spices they are able to do, all food comes out tasting fresh and hot. Portions are a good size and a good price. Service is friendly and attentive.

Ordered lamb biryani. Worst biryani ever had. Very dry and no gravy. Missed the old ownership !

I used to like the food here .... I asked to make my food MILD Lamb Biryani like they used to, in the past but didnt get it REALLY HOT instead... And I dont know why the lady who picked up the phone would still try to argue on what MILD should be like vs from what I said...... THANKS

Very un-flavourful.

I have worked in Middle East for 10 years and back home been trying for years to find authentic South Asian food. This place is amazing, they made items not on the menu and the flavours were out of this world. Highly Highly recommend

Excellent portions and flavor. Excellent Indian food in the area. Thank you

Excellent food with Indian aroma . Perfect quantity and quality. Highly recommended this place . 5 star

Love the food here.

I enjoyed my food too much. It was so delicious and mouthwatering and staff s behavior was nice and polite. Just I decreased one star because of space. It could be cleaner.

Cashier does not have manners

This one is the famous Indian restaurant in Fort St Johns. I ordered Dal Makhani, Rice and Naan. It was super delicious.

This place was so good! We had about 10 dishes and every single one of them was delicious. The only thing that would of gave this a 10/10. Is having some air conditioning and proper ventilation. It was quite hot in there and started to get a little smokey when they got busy. Id still highly recommend!! Parking: With all the major construction during the summer youre better off parking near Dairy Queen. Its a 30 second walk from DQ.

Dishes were dirty, tables weren t cleaned. And stayed dirty our whole dine in. Food was good but over priced for the service. It was hot with no air flow and became smoky.

We ordered a catering a few times. The food is delicious and the service is amazing! Prices are nice as well!

The place was filthy, tables not cleared, our table had not been wiped down, the table next to us had to send back drinking glasses because they were dirty, then they had to send back the cutlery because it was dirty as well...our waitress was useless. We cancelled our order and left...I eat in over 200 different restaurants a year and this was one of the worst experiences Ive had...no I did not eat there...dont need Delhi-belly on the road.

The best Indian cuisine in Fort St. John by far!! My favourite place to eat 10/10 food and service every time!

Very delicious indian food and best service in fort st john.

Indian Essence is a hidden gem that offers a delightful dining experience. The waitresses here are top-notch, providing attentive and friendly service. The food is simply divine, with authentic Indian flavors that will leave you craving more. Highly recommended!

Good service and good food

Very good, excellent indian food and lovely staff. I always seem to get the lamb coconut and garlic naan. Just to die for.

This is the dinner for 2 combo. It was full of flavour and the right amount of heat. This is my place to go.

Delicious food and kind staff. We dined in and left happy.

:( Nothing as described on their website , wonder whether they have a properly qualified chef!! Tried multiple items on different occations and it was the same everytime *Dal Makhni (check google description of this dish) and there was zero butter/cream in it. *Naan with butter - again there was zero trace of butter *Any chiken item- felt they are making same sauce base and add pre boiled chicken breast peices. And many of the items that says cooked in coconut milk, its a joke. No trace of coconut milk Last but not least- Raita ( yougurt dip served along with some idian dishes) , flet like it was made with non diary item like soy/almond milk , or may be used skimmed/butter milk!!! Have been to better indian restaurents in FSJ, super disappointed

The food taste good but noticed so much flies at dinning area

Ordered kadhai paneer most spicy sabji I ever had in my life , one bite of it burnt tummy for over 24 hrs had to garbage entire food..

The food was delicious. The atmosphere that I hate to say was much less than inviting. I would say they are more focused on takeout or delivery. The service was not good. That being said, I think the young woman working had a lot to deal with as she was working solo.

Avoid this restaurant. We order food and after 20 min chef entered and told us they are out of the item we ordered. It was 1 pm. Idk how they run store with chef coming at 1 pm

Probably the best indian food Ive ever had. The portions were a reasonable size, but the flavour was top notch. Would go well out of my way to eat here again.

Very Bad food Never ever again

Never ever again

Great food! Excellent flavors! When ever I m in Fort St John I always order.

Very poor customer service. Very rude staff. The food is great and have always loved it but the attitude from staff makes the whole experience aweful.

Loved the food. Amazing service. I will definitely visit again.

Ordered mild Korma, its insultingly spicy. Id hate to taste the medium heat one. They must use bear mace for the spicy dishes

Its been a while since I have been to a restaurant this bad. We were travelling back to Prince George from Fort Nelson. We decided to grab lunch here, since it was rated 4.3. First of, as we entered the restaurant we waited at the front desk for a while. Since no one came, we helped ourselves to the table. No big deal, while we waited for someone to come and give us the menu, we decided to use the washroom. It was not kept clean and there was food in the toilet bowl. We finally got the menue and we ordered Paneer Chili, Veg Biryani, raita and salted lassi. Within 2 minutes we were served with the wrong lassi, we let them know that they got the order wrong. After good 25 to 30 minutes we got the food on the table. And another 10 minutes for the Salt Lassi to arrive. Paneer Chili : the paneer wasnt cooked and was hard, the gravy was not indo chinese style. It was hardly edible. Veg Biriyani : it seemed freshly made, though cauliflower was over cooked, had corn in it (which I have never seen before) and overall it was ok. Raita: we got a very small quantity of it, not at all enough for a full plate of Biriyani. We had to order it again, and got the same small plastic cup. Salt Lassi: had little to no salt, looked like they had just added water to raita and given it to us in a glass. The washroom was steps away from the table, with the doors open. We could hear the flush noise. They also started to clean, draging a dirty cleaning cart next to us, while we were eating. This made us highly uncomfortable to eat, of what we could! Also, we were given two sets of a Spoon, fork and a butter knife. Which left us with no serving spoons. We couldnt request for more since NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE TO ASK. The service was one of the worst seen, no one was interested and wouldnt even look at our faces. We didnt feel comfortable to ask for anything since they were so uninterested and they rarely showed up. Vegetarian options: Its okay.

Hiii. if want to eat matar i can pick from walmart I order chaat papdi not matr You just give me mattr with a just one spoon of dahi on it even no tamarind souce no mint chutney nothing on it for 10.99 + taxes Food : 1/5

We had an amazing meal here. The food was delicious and portion size is generous! Every dish our group ordered looked, smelled and tasted great. They do well with the space they have available. It could be updated inside. The server was extremely friendly and considerate. I will definitely be back and trying everything on the menu!!!

Great food, friendly service, whats not to love? Im there just about once a week, and havent been disappointed yet.

Been here many times but special occasion today as my co workers has joined us - lovely meal as usual!

This is my go to Indian restaurant in fsj. The food is absolutely delicious. My only complaint is that there could be more chicken pieces in the butter chicken dish.

I had ordered two butter chickens with two sides of rice and two sides of naan bread. The rice is not delivered so I called the guy and he told me that, even though on a receipt, it said they both had a side of rice that there was never any and then when I tried to talk to him about it, asking him what we can do he hung up on me, not a very respectable business and very poor service. I would not recommend ordering from here because they do not care about customers, and they choose to hang up phone first time ordering and last. Now about the food, the butter chicken isn t all bad, but they do not put garlic on their Nanan bread even though they listed us garlic overall, the food does not bother me, but the customer service was Horrible. All of the bad reviews are very true complaining about the service. Hopefully something will be done about the rude employees they have. If you notice all of that five star reviews have been by accounts that have only made one review seems pretty fishy to me. Edit: first off you deny everything, then lie? Get a life it s sad your business is run like this. We were charged for it, so thanks for the not only lies, and true show of character:)

Order a 6/5 for heat scale. Worth it

Poor service, didn t provide all the condiments with it and was so aggressive on a call

Excellent food every time. One of our favorites.

I ordered chicken with mango sauce with Aloo onion and small basmati rice and it was amazing. Great taste, and very affordable. It was a good choice for me. Very satisfied.

Good food but service and atmosphere lacking a little.

Chilli paneer and Chicken masala !!

Great work by gaurav ji... Food is delicious Indian essence something is remembering to Indian taste....... Sitting with Shri vinod Sharma ji....father of gaurav ji

Delicious curry

Food was average but customer services and general courtesy non existent

New chef Rajeev is really bringing authentic flavour on to the plate Try their butter naan with curry..highly recommend.. Great place to visit for authentic Indian taste

I ordered palak paneer yesterday there were some seeds ( mustard seed ) which changes the taste totally I didn t like it.

Good meal and Indian touch

Took my son here for lunch today, we were both very suprised at the food , fantastic flavours, friendly staff and a huge selection. Try the mango chicken with butter naan, very authentic and huge flavours. We will be back every time we come to FSJ

Great food, friendly staff

Fresh, hot, fast and delicious. The food is some of the best Indian I have had. You can see and taste all the spices. I highly recommend it. What a delight to find in FSJ.

Bad business owner.

Always good food, friendly service and priced right.

We found this place by accident and were delighted by the quality of the Indian food here! I highly recommend it and will look for Indian Essence again on my next trip through Fort St John!

Very good food and staff is very friendly

Delicious!

Some of the best Indian food we have ever eaten! They even threw in a free dish with our order! Currently going into a food comma....

great take out and the buffet is always fun

Will be better without covid, but food is decent and staff/ owner are friendly.

Best Indian in town

Lamb biryani was delicious. So glad I found this place, will be back to try other dishes before leaving FSJ

Great buffet, friendly people. Need gulab jamun tho. Dessert needs to be more authentic, again, like gulab jamun You know what, no need other food, please just have the restaurant for gulab jamun only The only Indian restaurant in FSJ that worth it, price wise, portion wise - well buffet, as you can help yourself. More variety of Indian food would be nicer! Not always easy to find parking on the street tho. The seating inside is generic.

I have eaten Indian food in the Caribbean, in Europe, North and East Africa as well as in the Middle East. Kumar and his staff produce authentic Indian food that can compare with the best Indian restaurants found anywhere on Earth. Top notch food, keep up the great work Kumar!

Great Food

Great Indian food

Everything is best especially chhole samosa

Eating here from last 2 years, Really great food and quality of service. Only one indian buffet in town with great options with reasonable price. In short best food in town!

Very tasty and delicious food. Must visit place.

The service was excellent! They let us try samples of food on the buffet. The food came quick and it was very good! Will definitely go back.

Great Indian Dinner Buffer in Fsj Area, Cant believe that I can try so many good options with Decent Price :), Lamb curry was out of the world and butter chicken was the best i had so far, Lots vegetarian options with fresh Tandoor baked butter and Garlic Naan..yum.... The server was very good and provided great service:) All great and freshly made food Thank you Indian Essence for such a great food :) :) Me and my friend will be back

Delicious Lunch Buffet!

Food always excellent been here 7 times And I always count and want ti keep on counting. Thanks for the always amazing food

Good Behaviour, Fast Service and Behaviour 5 STAR

The dinner was okay but not the best Ive had.

Best! Ordered on Skip the dishes was amazing get a lot food for a really good price. Will be ordering again definitely!

This place is amazing. Really good quality and huge portions, compared to other Indian restaurants in FSJ. Highly recommended.

There was an issue with the order not being made on time and a significant wait. However, they made it right with free drinks and an extra curry. Food was delicious as always. I will be back.

Excellent authentic food and good service. Wish they restart delivery of tiffin service.

Meant to order curry on through skip but this place pleasantly surprised me would recommend!!

Quick and good service, good food. Will go back for sure.

Simply delicious

Delicious food!

Price is reasonable and the food was outstanding the night I went. Goat curry was to die for... well maybe not that extreme, but the flavour was exceptional and the meat tender. Onion pakoras were interesting, the Muttar Paneer was premium as was the fall makhani and saffron rice. Ate like a starving man, couldnt finish plate 2. Rice pudding and mango pudding on the dessert tray... rice one not bad, mango one was certainly different. Definitely eat here again. If I can drag myself out the door.

Good food, especially the goat curry, and nam bread

Food is good, flavorful but not crazy spicy.

Food is amazing and staff is lovely. Pricy to me though

Good level of hotness. Nice and spicy.

Good food and greatest service. Always feel welcome and food is consistently delicious

Great staff and buffet

Great food great customer svc Really enjoy the place

Food is alright!

Very very good food!

So good. First let me say, Im rarely in the mood for indian food. Im not too big in saucy foods. This place had something for me. Their prawn biryani was delicious. Theyre are also generous with the servings. They wont give you a gallon of sauce with 4 pieces of chicken. They will actually give you alot of meat Im the sauce. The staff was so nice too. Definitely the best indian restaurant in town.

Loved the food, was very authentic, and the owners are really sweet. Will definitely go again.

Unwelcomed place and low trained staff there

Good food, was hot inside and very busy need more seating

Tried the buffet, decent number of choices, naan was very good and the service was very friendly!

The dinner buffet was an awesome deal, went in the middle of the week, and was pleasantly surprised! The dessert, garlic naan, and the paneer were bomb, definitely gotta try it!

Amazing food

Love the food

Exquisite!!! Very spicy care

Used to go here a lot for lunch. Butter chicken is spot on, the rest of curries is so so. Stopped coming here regularly since my friend working at Walmart told me the owner always comes in and asks for discounted last day expried date and buys in bunk. Its okay for a few days eating but for that amount he buys, I dont like eat outdated meat I guess. Still taste good though .

Great Indian Cusine in Fort St. John

We tried the lunch buffet. Food is not at all good. My friend was so sick and started puking on the way back.

perfect place for family and friends. awesome food just love it

Amazing little place. Proof that quality beats quantity. Excellent customer service and great little buffet.

Great food ..

Friendly staff good food and great prices. Over all a good dinning experience.

Tasty food Nd service is very good will be visit soon again.

Really great food and above average service.

By going here you don t have to sacrifice quantity for quality or vise versa. The buffet tastes great, and has a satisfying amount of spice. They made me fresh naan as soon as I walked in. The staff is polite and friendly, and the prices are great !

Always a welcoming atmosphere, really amazing staff!! Less wait on food. Tasty, fresh and good presentable menu. I ve visited the place many times, have always had happy experience. Would suggest to all my friends to try the place. It s worth it!! Prices are reasonable!! Cheers to the management & staff!

The service was amazing and our server was so attentive. He heard us talking about a buffet item that looked good and he brought us a little bit to try even though we ordered off the menu. Highly recommend elastic waisted pants

Great food, portions and price. Mild spice is actually mild. Only place we order Indian food in town.

Variety of dishes for affordable price..

buying individual dishes is better than having buffet. The taste varies

Delish Buffet!!

A definite must try in fort St. John! Service was excellent and the food I would walk a mile for!

Excellent food and service.

Excellent chef. Clearly knows how to cook extremely well. Much much better than spicy fusion.

Service is amazing and the food is great.

Best service I have received in FSJ! Everywhere else needs to step it up. I was made to feel very welcome with my friend group, the food was great quality and wonderful flavors! Never wont recommend!

Really enjoy the buffet!

Kumar, his wonderful family and staff made me feel so welcome 20 min before closing. The food was beautiful, with delicious flavours and naan exactly like Ive eaten in India many times before. I cant wait to get back. Thank you

Descent little place.

Fabulous food great staff

Love the buffet!

The food and sevice was awesome, would definatly dine there again

Good food, great service

I have spacial preference for Indian food but this place is not even close to the typical standard. Moreover, all my clothing are terribly currypowder smelly!

Decent food.