Bijoy cooked a meal for Barack Obama. That's not a tagline — it's what regulars at Spirit of India Express hear when they ask the chef about his past, and it says something about the standard he holds himself to every single day at 156 St NW. Since opening, the restaurant has earned a 4.9-star Google rating from more than 2,000 Edmonton diners. All-natural ingredients. Handmade kebabs. Zero preservatives. This is what authenticity actually looks like, not just sounds like.
Why This West End Kitchen Gets Five Stars
Most places in the local Indian food scene play it safe. Pre-blended sauces. Shelf-stable spice mixes. Ingredients designed to survive the supply chain rather than impress on the plate. It's understandable — fewer variables, steadier margins. The trade-off is food that's reliable but forgettable.
Spirit of India Express went the other way. The kitchen runs on all-natural ingredients: no colours, no added sugar, no preservatives. The seekh kababs are hand-pressed on-site before service, not sourced and reheated. The Chicken Biryani gets the dum pukht treatment — a traditional sealed-steam technique that lets the layers of basmati, chicken, and spice develop properly. Most restaurants skip it because it takes longer. We don't skip it.
Guests notice. One reviewer put it plainly: "Few come close to the flavor and authenticity of this one." Another called it a hidden gem — the kind of place where the chef explains what goes into your food because he's proud of it, not performing. That gap between genuine and polished is exactly the difference between a 4.9 and a 4.2.
The room itself reflects the same approach. Bijoy transformed the space himself — a former donair shop, repainted a warm, deep red. He installed the seating booths. He painted the mountainscape that hangs on the wall. Bollywood plays quietly in the background. It doesn't feel like a franchise. It feels like someone's restaurant.
What to Order at Our West Edmonton Location
The menu is small on purpose. Twelve mains across four categories — nothing exists to fill a page. Every dish earns its place, and nothing sits in a warming tray all afternoon.
Chicken Biryani — $18.99. Fragrant basmati layered with tender chicken, slow-cooked with house spices and herbs, served with raita. Order this first if you want to understand what the kitchen cares about. The layering takes real time. You can taste that.
Lamb Seekh Kabab — $18.99. Minced lamb blended with aromatic spices, hand-skewered and grilled over open flame until the exterior gets actual char — not colour from a pan, real grill char. Served with fresh chutney. These are made on-site daily, which is precisely why the texture is different from anywhere that uses pre-formed kababs.
Paneer Pakora — $12.99. Soft paneer in spiced chickpea batter, fried until golden. Crispy shell, warm inside, served with signature chutneys. The vegetarian standout on the menu. Bring a skeptic and start here.
Butter Chicken with garlic naan — $19.99. The chef's special. Rich, layered, not over-sweetened. The garlic naan arrives fresh from the kitchen. There's a reason this combination is what every regular recommends first to anyone asking where to eat Indian on the West End.
Our tandoori specialties and Indo-Chinese fusion dishes round out a menu worth reading in full — see everything we serve here.
Craving Authentic Indian Cuisine?
Order directly from Spirit of India Express — fresh, all-natural, made to order. Dine in, takeout, or delivery available across West Edmonton.
Order Online at spiritofindiaexpress.onlineWhere We Are — Serving the West Edmonton Community
Find us at 10068 156 St NW, Edmonton, AB — in the Britannia Youngstown neighbourhood, right along the Stony Plain Road corridor. Free parking out front. Walk-ins are always welcome, and the kitchen moves fast enough to serve you on a lunch break.
Regulars come from Jasper Park, Meadowlark Park, and West Jasper Place. Delivery reaches further: Callingwood North, Callingwood South, Terra Losa, Sherwood, Summerlea, and Lymburn are all within our zone. If you're on the west side of the city, you're close.
You can sit down, take food to go, or order from home — all three work. For group bookings, office catering, or special occasion planning, reach out through our contact page and we'll take care of the details.
Hours:
Monday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Phone: (780) 489-1796
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Spirit of India Express's hours?
We're open Monday and Tuesday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed Wednesday, Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Does Spirit of India Express offer delivery and takeout?
Yes — dine-in, takeout, and delivery are all available. Order online at www.spiritofindiaexpress.online or call us at (780) 489-1796. Free delivery is available directly through the restaurant.
What makes Spirit of India Express different from other Indian restaurants?
A few things worth knowing. Owner and chef Bijoy trained in luxury hotels and has cooked for heads of state, including former U.S. President Barack Obama. The kitchen uses all-natural ingredients — no colours, no preservatives, no added sugar. The seekh kababs are handmade on-site every day. And the 4.9-star rating from over 2,000 Google reviews is, honestly, the most accurate summary we can give you.
Come in for dinner or order from home — Spirit of India Express is at 10068 156 St NW, Edmonton. Call (780) 489-1796 or order at www.spiritofindiaexpress.online.