Hema's Kitchen and a Trip Down Devon Ave.

We recently took our children up to the part of Devon Ave. approximately between Talman Ave. and Western Ave. to let them experience some of the culture of India.  Our plan was to find some delicious Indian food for dinner and then do a little window shopping in the area. 

Our first stop was Hema's Kitchen, located at 2439 W. Devon.  The menu at this restaurant is enormous (really good vegetable section) and took us quite awhile to sort through since we are not super familiar with Indian food.  For the girls we ordered a fried chicken dish that most closely resembled chicken fingers for them.  Yes, I know, very adventurous.  However when it did come, the dish had a lot of spice and yet the girls still ate it.  I was a bit amazed.  The naan was a big hit amongst everyone.  The dishes we ordered for the adults were quite good - spicy but not too spicy and very flavorful.  The service, on the other hand, was not so good but I think it had more to do with our specific waitress than service in general at the restaurant.  Hema's Kitchen is quite large.  We went on a Saturday evening without a reservation (there were six of us plus a baby) and we were seated right away.

After dinner we decided to walk along Devon and check out the shops.  My youngest daughter was totally blown away by the beautiful beaded Indian clothing and jewelry.  Walking along Devon can be a challenge, however.  It's always crowded and there is lots of traffic, which can make parking and crossing the street difficult.  Pushing a stroller would be hard.  There is metered parking all along Devon but we had to park three blocks away on a side street.  At least it was free! 

We went into one store near Hema's and the girls fell in love with some elaborately beaded kids bracelets that were on sale for 25 cents each.  After going through all of them to make sure they had found exactly what they wanted, each girl selected two bracelets.  The staff at the store was so patient and nice to the girls, helping them look through everything.  In the end when my husband tried to pay for their selections we were told we could have them for free.  For sure the highlight of the evening for the girls!  We found the trip down Devon a bit loud and congested but it was definitely a great cultural experience.