Ganges Indian Restaurant 恒河印度餐厅

Article By Jorge Cartaya

Room10104, Unit1, Building3, Southease Corner of Big Wild Goose Pogoda South Square, Qujiang New District.
大雁塔南广场东南角3幢1单元10104室
(029) 8931 8440 177 9228 5586
10:00am – 10:00pm

Average Price per Person /人均消费:80RMB

For one person, a curry, naan and a drink should set you back

PROS:Home-cooked quality and flavor that you can’t get anywhere else in Xi’an

CONS:Far from downtown


I’m going to come right out and say it… Ganges is hands down the best Indian restaurant in Xi’an. Originally started in Beijing, and voted best Indian restaurant five years in a row, they opened a chain in Xi’an two years ago near the south gate of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Though not as fancy-looking as Redfort, the quality of the food in Ganges blows the competition out of the water. Their dishes, sauces, curries and desserts are all freshly made and have that special quality usually found in the kitchen of an old veteran grandma who’s been cooking all her life. If you have never tried Indian food, Ganges is the place to start.

The sheer size of the menu is astounding: with 190 different items, you could keep going back every week for years and never need to eat the same dish twice. The manager was kind enough to let me try small portions of an array of Indian and Pakistani dishes; I tried soups, salads, raitas, appetizers, samosas, tandoori BBQ, curries, naan, rice, and desserts, and they were all absolutely delicious!

Their curries are very rich and creamy. Their tandoori BBQ is tender, juicy, expertly spiced and uses 100% halal meat. Their naan, kulcha, chappati, puri and batura bread sare bakery-fresh, and their many varieties of rice make me want to cry when I think of having to eat Chinese “gaifan” again for lunch. I also tried, for the very first time, traditional mango kulfi, which is a kind of ice cream that comes in cubes in a beautiful glass cup of Hindus valley fashion. A sweet dessert is the best way to balance out a heavily spiced meal, so don’t miss out!

Another thing that might interest some of you healthy, vegetarian, spiritually inclined types is their Yoga menu. The Yogic diet is naturally vegetarian and consists of pure, wholesome, simple foods which are easily digested and meant to help you achieve clarity of mind and a healthy, energetic lifestyle. These can be accompanied with the many styles of whole wheat Indian breads, rice and yoghurt drinks to maximize the many curative powers of foods and spices.

In conclusion, Ganges Indian Restaurant is the number one choice for all your Indian food needs, whether it may be a simple and healthy solitary meal, a big dinner party with dozens of friends, catering services, or free delivery right to your doorstep. If you aren’t familiar with Indian food, ask for Gyan, the friendly Nepalese manager. He will gladly guide you through the menu and help you choose something that will suit your tastes and match your tolerance for spicy foods.

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Jorge is a long-time Xi’an expat with an eye for the finer things in life. He can be reached at reviews@xianease.com