Restaurant: Atithi Indian Cuisine
Cuisine: Indian/Fusion
Last visited: July 21, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Kitsilano)
Address: 2445 Burrard St
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Family owned and operated
• Homestyle cooking (less fat)
• Indian fusion dishes
• Popular to neighbourhood locals
• Daily seasonal specials
• $8.99 Lunch buffet
• 4 course tasting menus
• Vegetarian friendly
• Gluten free friendly
• Free parking at rear
• Dine In/Take out/Delivery
• Monday $10 curry night
• Lunch Buffet Mon-Fri 11:30am – 2:30pm
• Dinner Mon-Sun 5:00pm – 10:00pm
• Delivery 5:00pm – 9:45pm

**Recommendations: Chicken and Lentils Patty with Cucumber Mustard Relish, Frankie, Red Snapper Grilled & topped with Bengali Mustard Curry, Cardamom Crème Brulée Chocolate

I don’t explore Indian cuisine in Vancouver very often. It’s not to say it’s not good, but I just usually go to the home of all Indian food when I’m craving Indian, which is stereotypically in Surrey. I do the same with Chinese cuisine and tend to stick to Richmond for that. However every city has good food as long as you know where to find it.

Atithi can be easily overlooked although I have noticed it before. It’s a small family owned and operated Indian restaurant that’s quite popular with the neighbourhood locals. It seems to attract a Western crowd, which to be honest, leads me to question its authenticity, or whether or not the recipes would be adjusted to cater to the tastes of their clientele. Of course the concept of “authenticity” is always a tricky subject, but if you’re claiming to be authentic, then I think it’s fair to expect traditional Indian food and flavour made with traditional techniques.

On this occasion I was invited to try out the restaurant, so I did get to meet Chef Roy and was given an explanation behind his food. If I didn’t get the background I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed the food as much. It’s mainly due to the fact that the food is very home style, which means there’s less oil, cream and fat in many of the dishes, which means it’s not nearly as rich, creamy, or strong as most restaurant style Indian food. So if I didn’t know, I would have considered the food a bit watered down and mild in flavours. However I have had home cooked Indian food on several occasions and I still found Atithi to be on the mild side.

Atithi has been nominated as “Vancouver’s Best Indian” and I expected it to be traditional Indian food, as I was told as well. However  to my surprise some of the dishes seemed to have a slight fusion aspect. In ways the style was almost in between Vij’s and Rangoli, but much more casual and not as finely executed.

I left the ordering up to chef and he ended up showcasing many of his specials rather than more traditional items from his regular menu. So I can’t speak for the rest of the menu, but most of the featured items were good. I enjoyed the appetizers the most, but for the mains I had to keep reminding myself that I couldn’t expect the textures and flavours of the richer, bolder, thicker restaurant style curries I’ve had in the past. This was much lighter, with milder spices, and even less sauce, so the presentation was somewhat modernized and clean compared to the usual stew like gravy and curry bowls.

As for some of the fusion inspired dishes, I felt a bit indifferent about them, and at times it felt like a basic Indian switch up rather than fusion. What I mean by that is that there was no incorporation of another style, but just a change in sauce of something that’s been done before. However the sauces are all home made and all that matters is if it tasted good, and for the most part it did. They also provide Oceanwise seafood and sustainable ingredients where possible, but overall I found it a good choice for Indian food if you enjoy the lighter more tame side of it.

On the table:

Complimentary Papadums & Chutneys

• It actually bothers me when these aren’t complementary, it’s like giving peanuts at the bar, they should be free.
• The papadums were fresh and crisp and they served them with two home made chutneys which is great because usually they just serve it with one or none.
• Tamarind chutney -  It was standard, but it was sweeter than expected for tangy tamarind, however it was enjoyable and I liked it.
• Coriander chutney – It was a tangy, minty and fresh, but a tad on the thin side although flavourful.

**Chicken and Lentils Patty with Cucumber Mustard Relish – 4/6

• This is an appetizer that will usually be featured in chef’s 4 course tasting menu for $28.95
• I actually really enjoyed these so I wish they offered them a la carte because I would order them.
• This was very fusion and the lentil patty almost reminded me of a falafel, but of course made with lentils and not chick peas.
• It was a very lightly breaded and deep fried lentil patty that tasted like a creamy croquette.
• It wasn’t creamy saucy, but it was creamy soft in texture with a smooth and moist lentil puree and Indian spices. The only thing is I wish it was crispy on the exterior.
• The sauce was a cucumber mustard relish made with shredded green apples and cucumbers so it was light, refreshing, crisp, sweet and tart with a savoury mustard like mayo sauce to bind it together.
• There was a slight mustard heat and it was a bit spicy from other spices, but it was well balanced, had great flavour, and the crunchy topping contrasted the soft patty well.

**Frankie – 4/6

• Fancy egg roll stuffed with chicken/lamb $5.95 (This will usually come with 2 halves and not 3)
• This is a house specialty and it’s pretty much considered Indian street food in Bombay.
• In simplest American terms it was an Indian style breakfast burrito or wrap.
• It was served with a ginger, coriander and tamarind dipping sauce or chutneys.
• The ginger chutney was actually really spicy like a Mexican hot sauce spicy and I was very surprised how much spice it packed.
• The coriander chutney was the same as the one served with the papadums and it was tangy and minty, but thin.
• The tamarind chutney was almost like a plum sauce when eaten with the Frankie.
• It’s great with a combination of sauces, but the ginger chutney was almost overwhelming if you had it alone.

• Frankie – 4/6
• This was almost like breakfast, lunch or a snack and it’s very kid friendly, or munchie friendly.
• The roll was very light and fluffy despite how it looks.
• The wrapper is a roti skin and it’s wrapped with a fluffy fried egg, moist tender soft semi shredded chicken, lettuce, coriander and perhaps a bit of coriander chutney.
• I could taste a great balance of egg and chicken, with a slight crunch of fresh lettuce, but I did want more coriander chutney because I couldn’t really taste it.
• I wouldn’t have minded more tandoori spice coming from the chicken, but the texture of it was great.
• Something similar I had was in San Francisco from Curry Up Now – see Chicken Kathi Roll
• Fries – 4/6
• The fries seemed random, but it is considered fast food, so it was appropriate.
• The fries were actually very good though. They were fresh, fluffy, light, and crispy and well seasoned.
• Based on the fries, they could make a pretty good Butter Chicken Poutine here.

All entrees come with a plate of roti, rice and salad.

Roti – The roti was a very home style roti and I don’t think it was made with a tandoor because it wasn’t crispy. It was soft and there was a good amount of cumin seeds  folded into it which made for nice aromatic flavour after it was grilled.

Rice - The rice was basic basmati rice.

Salad – It was a green salad with apple slices and topped with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce which was very unexpected, but I did like the apples as fusion as it was. I’m being a bit picky here, but usually Indian salads or vegetables side components will have daikon, tomatoes and/or a variety or achar (house made pickles).

Lentil Cakes in Curry – 2.5/6

• Served with sweet bangali pulao $14.95
• This was a vegetarian dish, and it wasn’t what I was expecting.
• I think Indian vegetarian dishes are amazing, but this would be perhaps a bit one dimensional and repetitive for my liking.
• The lentil cakes came across as polenta and I almost thought they were cornmeal cakes.
• They were very soft, a bit mushy, but tender and had some Indian spices, but the spices were very mild.
• The cakes were served in a butter chicken like tomato based curry sauce, but it wasn’t as creamy, sweet, or tangy as a traditional restaurant style butter chicken sauce. It was quite mild and not really thick in cream or yogurt.
• I wish it was served with more vegetables and even some raita because if I had it alone as an entree, I would find it a bit plain.

• Sweet Bangali Pulao – 3/6
• The lentil cakes were served with a bowl of sweet Bangali Pulao which was actually quite good.
• It was sweet from the corn, with some crispy fried shallots, cilantro, whole cardamom pods, and a pinch of tumeric for colour.
• I prefer some raisins and cashews in my pulao, but this was still pretty good.
• It made the lentil cakes a bit more exciting to eat, but I still wanted more from both dishes.

**Red Snapper Grilled & topped with Bengali Mustard Curry (Daily special) – 3.5/6

• All entrees come with a plate of roti, rice and salad $18 (Usually served as a whole fillet rather than cut in 3)
• This was probably my favourite dish of the night. It had the strongest flavours, but was a bit contemporary in style.
• Usually the fish in Bengali dishes will be deep fried or shallow fried and quite oily, so having a grilled fish was a healthy take, but I prefer this style for fresh fish anyways.
• It was tender, moist, flaky and smoky boneless fish that was nicely grilled, but it didn’t carry much of a spice rub. It wasn’t spicy like tandoori, but just grilled well.
• Personally I prefer it with skin, but considering the context of the restaurant, I can understand why it wouldn’t have it.
• I did want a lot more sauce with it so that it was more like a traditional curry, and some onions would have been nice too.
• I could taste the mustard flavour and a good amount of tangy lime or yogurt to balance it out so that it wasn’t overpowering and too musky in flavour.
• Mustard is a main ingredient in Bengali cooking, so it was showcased, although I missed the texture and intense flavour of garlic, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cumin and chili.
• I actually don’t even recall it being spicy but it did have a pungent mustard flavour and it almost tasted like there was actual mustard sauce it in.
• I couldn’t see the mustard seeds and they could have been pureed.
• The mustard flavour tasted like ordinary mustard as opposed to Dijon mustard, and I’m not sure if either are used in Bengali cooking, so this could have been their own style.

Lamb topped with Black Pepper Curry (Daily special) – 3/6

• All entrees come with a plate of roti, rice and salad $18
• This was a tricky dish. It definitely seemed more fusion, but barely.
• It was more like a Western dish with Indian spices and it wasn’t Indian enough to be appreciated as Indian and not Western enough to be as good as Western styles of lamb.
• In a way that could be comparing apples to oranges, but in this case it actually tasted like it was trying to be Western, so it was hard not to compare it to Western styles of lamb.
• I’ve pretty much warmed up to lamb completely, even the rack. I used to find the rack really gamey, but I guess my palate has changed.
• It came with 3 lamp chops, but I found them quite fatty and very oily, but not chewy and the meat was tender.
• It had a very mild game flavour, and yes I’m sensitive to gaminess and I prefer it mild like this.
• The lamb did have a light spice rub on it, but it wasn’t spicy and I actually didn’t even find the black pepper flavour to be strong.
• It was topped with what seemed like a basic black pepper curry gravy made with a tomato base, curry leaves, ginger and garlic, but it was a bit oily.
• It wasn’t anything you probably haven’t tried before if you’ve experimented with sauteeing those ingredients with a bit of garam masala together to make a sauce.
• I found the black pepper flavour to be a bit mild in the sauce too, and it’s not like an obvious peppery steak house black pepper sauce either.
• I think this would have been fabulous with their coriander chutney drizzled over top or served on the side.
• The potatoes were roasted cumin potatoes, which was a switch up from rosemary potatoes.
• I could have used more cumin and they would be great crispy.
• Some of them had a strong cumin flavour and some of them didn’t, so I guess it was luck of the draw.
• This main was good and fair for the price, but perhaps not as inspiring as I was hoping it would be.

Rice Pudding (Kheer) – 2.5/6

• $3.50
• I actually like rice pudding.
• I’m a cardamom lover so for me this was very mild and I couldn’t even really taste it, but if you’re very sensitive to cardamom you might taste it.
• Each restaurant has their own style, but I did miss having the cashews, almonds and raisins in it.
• This one was just a bit plain, but it wasn’t too sweet, and the rice wasn’t clumpy, mushy, or hard.
• It had perhaps a touch of rose water in it, but I’m not quite sure.

Rasmalai – 2.5/6

• $4
• I’m not a huge fan of rasmalai, and I wouldn’t normally order it, but I don’t mind it and I will eat it.
• It’s basically a ricotta or cottage cheese dumpling soaked in a sweetened milk.
• I was really hoping for more pistachios, and for me that’s the best part to a rasmalai. Sometimes it will have almonds too, but pistachios is the part I look forward to.
• It’s a very moist and spongy cheese dumpling and it’s almost the texture of buffalo mozzarella meets ricotta. It’s very fluffy in texture and mild and light in cheese flavour.
• This wasn’t too sweet, and it’s a bit sweeter than the rice pudding.
• The best one I’ve had is from Vansh Indian Restaurant, but that was in Malaysia – see here.

Gulab Jamun and Chocolate – 2/6 for the Gulab Jumun, and 5.5/6 for the Cardamom Crème Brulée chocolate

• $5.95
• This is the only dessert that comes with the chocolate, which for me was the best dessert, so I really wish you could order them separately.
• Most of the time I find this lightly battered and fried dumpling soaked in syrup way too sweet, so the fact that it’s a 2/6 is actually good for me!

• I’ll just say it. I’m not a fan of gulab jamun and I never have been. It’s almost the red bean of Asian desserts for me. I just can’t warm up to it.
• The dumpling, or donut, is just made from milk, butter, and flour and it’s a bit mealy in texture and more like a milk ball rather than bready like an American donut.
• It was warm and spongy and not nearly as sweet as how some really traditional Indian places will make it.

**Cardamom Crème Brulée Chocolate – 5.5/6

• Xoxolat, the chocolate boutique shop a couple stores down, is the creator of this chocolate.
• I’m not sure if they changed the recipe or if they just didn’t torch the top, because it’s supposed to be a Cardamom Crème Brulée chocolate that looks like this – see Cardamom Crème Brulée.
• The filling is a rich, thick, sweet and creamy pudding or cream spiced with cardamom and other Indian spices. It’s not spicy and the cardamom is mild, but apparent.
• Alone the cream is a bit sweet for me, but with the thin bittersweet dark chocolate shell around it, it’s perfect.

Restaurant: Canra Chicken and Fish
Cuisine: Srilankan/Indian/Vegetarian
Last visited: July 14, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Gastown/Downtown)
Address: 2025 – 88 West Pender Street (Food court at International Village)
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2-2.5
Service: 5 (order from the 12 year old boy)
Ambiance: n/a
Overall: 2
Additional comments:

• Sri Lankan family owned and operated
• Offers something new to food court
• Some authentic dishes
• Some Western plates
• Some buffet pre-made dishes
• Some made upon order dishes
• Takes a while for dosas
• Home made
• Big portions
• Budget friendly/Cheap eats
• Vegetarian friendly
• Some healthy options
• Lunch/Dinner
• Accepts Visa/MC/Interac

**Recommendations: Kottu Roti. The coconut chutney and tomato garlic chutney are really good.

Sriklankan Canra Chicken and Fish is one of the newest restaurants to open in the deathly quiet International Village mall. I’m pretty sure it replaced Bunnielicious which was a Malaysian stall serving freshly baked deep fried buns stuffed with savoury fillings. That’s actually what I had originally come here to try, but then discovered this had replaced it. Unfortunately Bunnielicious was short lived, just like many of the businesses that operate in this mall. I actually feel really bad for them, and if I can support small business owners, I’ll definitely try my best to do so.

I was on my way up to watch the advanced screening of The Whistleblower, which I will strongly recommend. But before the movie I wanted to grab a quick bite. I had heard of Canra Chicken and Fish, but didn’t know it took over Bunnielicious. I knew it had a 90%+ rating on Urbanspoon, so I was looking forward to checking out this hidden gem. The reviews seemed quite positive and the photos looked delicious, but sadly my experience didn’t match. My excitement pretty much started and ended with the little gentleman manning the cashier and essentially running the show.

This young man is the 12 year old son that runs the ship. It is impossible not to buy anything from him. He acts and talks like he’s 40 and he’s incredibly good with language and sales. He doesn’t even push you to buy stuff, but he’s just so adorable and smooth! He’s great at making recommendations, calls everyone sir and ma’am, and he’s seriously just the cutest kid ever! Yes, I’m a sucker… I totally bought into his charm and ended up buying more than I intended, which I guess isn’t unusual for me either though.

Going back to the food, it was a bit rough. The first sign I saw was “Grilled Chicken Burger Sandwich with Fries”, which totally turned me off especially since I was expecting authentic Srilankan food. Then I walked up to the stall to see a bunch of curries and deep fried appetizers that were pre-made sitting under a heat lamp. Yes, I do expect this at a fast food place, but they looked very dried out and not very fresh at all. Next I saw them make a dosa, but watching them scrape it off the griddle, wasn’t so appetizing either.

So I took the recommendations from the boy and opted for the things that sounded most traditional and different. Half the items sounded catered to American tastes (that menu not shown) and the other half sounded quite authentic (menu above). I obviously went for the more authentic sounding dishes. To be honest, what I had wasn’t great, even looking at it from food court standards. Yes it was home made and it is edible, but it skimped on ingredients and wasn’t as well executed. However the family is nice and the boy is so sweet and charming that I would come back just to support them.

On the table:

Fish Croquette – 1.5/6

• With papadum and deep fried chili pepper $1.99
• This was pre made and it didn’t look particularly good or very fresh, but I wanted to give them business and the little boy was too cute.
• The deep fried chili is very crispy and quite salty initially and the heat catches up with you later, but I liked them!

• I love croquettes, and this actually didn’t taste bad, but it just had very minimal fish in it.
• It was supposed to be made from fresh tuna, potatoes, onions and spices, but all I tasted were potatoes.
• It was creamy inside and the outside was very crispy and crunchy, but they were room temperature since they’re not deep fried upon order.
• The filling has a very strong cardamom flavour and it was the most apparent spice of all, followed by a slight heat too.
• I really couldn’t taste or see any tuna so that was the disappointing part. It tastes fine as a potato croquette though.
• They serve the croquettes with Ketchup and I’m not sure if that’s a Western thing they’re doing.

Lamb Croquette – 2/6

• With papadum and deep fried chili pepper $1.99
• I also got the lamb croquette and this didn’t look that good either, but again I wanted to give business and the kid was too cute.
• It was sitting under the heat lamp so I’m not sure how fresh it was, but they are home made and not frozen to say the least.
• It doesn’t taste bad, and it’s better than the Fish Croquette, but it still had no lamb and was mostly filler.

• It was very crispy and crunchy on the outside and the inside was filled with lots of creamy mashed potato again.
• I was expecting shredded juicy braised lamb and potato, but I tasted almost no lamb. I think I ate a little shred of it at some point, but I’m not sure.
• It didn’t have nearly as strong of a cardamom flavour as the Fish Croquette and it was a bit more savoury from perhaps some lamb gravy mixed into the filling. I couldn’t taste any lamb though.
• The potatoes were creamy and there were some onions and other spices, but it’s not really spicy unlike the Fish Croquette which had more heat.
• It’s not saucy and there’s no apparent cumin or coriander or strong spices like there is in Indian food and it almost tasted a bit Western.

Masala Dosa (Vegetarian) – 2/6

• Served with Sambar (Vegetarian soup), Coconut & Tomato Chutney $5.99
• The boy recommended vegetarian, so I went vegetarian.
• I don’t know if the griddle was broken, but they were really scraping the dosa off the griddle and it was sticking like crazy.
• The outcome wasn’t so great and dosas get much better than this – see my post here for a great looking and tasting South Indian style dosa.
• I like the dosas from House of Dosas, Mayuri Indian Cuisine, and Desi Dosa Madras the best so far. Those are all South Indian dosas though, not Srilankan.
• The crepe itself was chewy instead of crispy and it was a little thick, uneven, broken and ripped.
• The coconut chutney was home made and fantastic! It was a bit paste like, sweet and made of pureed coconut and it’s one of the better coconut chutneys I’ve had.
• The tomato chutney was also fantastic. It was very tangy and savoury with lots of garlic and it had no spice and I expected it to. Still delicious!

• The inside was filled with a generous amount of vegetable curry which was mainly all potatoes again.
• There were some chives, herbs and some spices, but it was mainly savoury and it didn’t have the mustard seed, cumin and other strong spices that South Indian dosas have.
• The filling was tender and creamy and mashed with maybe coconut milk, but there were no other vegetables and I wanted more since it was the vegetarian option.
• I had maybe one piece of eggplant through the whole dosa and some onions, but that’s about it.
• The flavour was good, but the execution of the crepe just ruined it a bit.

Sambar Vegetable Soup - 2.5/6

• It came with a soup served in a cup.
• The sambar vegetable soup was very different than what I’m used to. I’m not sure if this was just Srilankan style or their own version, but I’m used to the South Indian style.
• This one had lots of acorn squash and one piece of eggplant in it and lots of potatoes.
• I’m used to it being made with lentils and this one was more like a curry potato soup with vegetables.
• It was piping hot and made in house, and it was quite a simple recipe with what seemed like few spices and it’s not spicy either.
• The grandma brought it out for me and I wouldn’t be surprised if she made it. It was fresh and chunky and it was decent.

**Kottu Rotti - 3/6

• Shredded paratha rotti chop on the grill with fresh vegetables and egg. Mild, medium or hot. With vegetables, chicken or fish $6.49 With lamb $7.49
• I’m recommending to try this because it’s new and different, but it’s not particularly amazing. It’s interesting to try and I did enjoy it for $6.49.
• I ordered it with chicken and it could have used more, but it was skinless, boneless dark meat chicken and it was a tad dry, but well spiced. It was shredded and chopped throughout the dish.
• This reminded me of Chinese style stir-fried rice noodles with chicken and vegetables, but without the soy sauce.
• It was almost Srilankan food tappenyaki style and it’s moist, not greasy, but filling and a large portion.
• The paratha rotti was chopped up small strips of roti and they were chewy and tasted like Chinese rice noodles, especially in this stir fried context.
• The mixed in scrambled egg just made it seem even more Chinese.
• The vegetables were some diced onions, shredded carrots and chives, and I wanted more veggies.
• It had a ton of flavour from a bit of cardamom and other spices and some nice heat since I asked for it medium. It wasn’t that hot although still spicy.
• The dish was quite random, but I did enjoy it the most out of everything… along with the chutneys.

Restaurant: Taste of Punjab
Cuisine: Indian
Last visited: May 5, 2011
Location: Surrey, BC (Whalley)
Address: 10009 136A St (Corner of 100th Ave & 136A St)
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Local favourite
• Family owned/operated
• Hidden gem
• Affordable
• Extensive menu (100+ items)
• Meat/Seafood
• Vegetarian friendly
• Homestyle/made upon order
• Great value/good portions
• Casual/clean/comfortable
• $8-12 lunch specials
• Dine in/Take out
• Accepts Visa/MC/Interac
• Mon-Thur: 11am-10pm
• Friday 12pm-11pm
• Sunday 12pm-10pm

**Recommendations: Chicken Jalfrazie, Turka Dal, Saag Paneer, and Lamb Curry. If you like heat, request hot because medium isn’t very spicy. I’d request everything hot next time.

I finally made it to Taste of Punjab! It’s one of Surrey’s, or I guess Whalley’s neighbourhood gems for great authentic Indian food. The recommendation came up at my dinner at Frasers Bistro & Lounge and since then it’s been on my “to dine” list.

Sherman had checked it out first, and was very impressed to check it out again, but he needed my help to attack the menu. Not only was he gentleman enough to wait a whole month for my crazy schedule to die down (that’s a century for an eager foodie), but he also shared his photos with me! This challenge was long overdue, but he knew I was the right person to dent the menu with… hmm I wonder what gave him that idea. This actually wasn’t even considered “denting the menu” for me, but it was a fair attempt and still enough to feed probably four normal appetites.

Whalley may not suggest exquisite food, but I’m convinced it has some great eateries at a great price too. I don’t question that Surrey has great Indian food to start off with, but there are ones that stand out above others. This is probably one of them.

It’s located in a plaza mall and a little bit hidden from the main street, but it’s a favourite in the area. The signage doesn’t suggest formal, but the inside is actually quite nice with table cloth and wine glass settings. The portions and prices are fair and the atmosphere is comfortable with friendly service from the owner.

The food is very good, as somewhat expected since Sherman seemed determined to go again. The menu is extensive and there is so much variety as it offers all the standard Northern Punjab dishes and more. There is a home style and home cooked quality to the food and care you can taste. It’s made with lots of freshly ground spices, and I was actually more impressed with some of the vegetarian dishes, although I was never really let down by anything. Oh and if you can handle the real taste of Punjab, request it hot because medium was a bit mild.

On the table:

**Chicken Jalfrazie – 5/6

• Boneless chicken pieces marinated with fresh ground spices, sauteed with tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. Served with steamed rice $11.49
• It was my first time trying Chicken Jalfrazie and it’s one of the owner’s personal favourites so that was an easy choice for me.
• It was a very fair portion of rice and chicken. I really enjoyed it!
• Jalfrazie is a “dry fry” curry so the sauce is quite thick, rich and creamy, but not nearly as thick as a korma. It’s more heavy on the oil than the cream.
• It actually tasted like Indian Chinese food to me. There was definitely some Chinese influence in it from the stir fried quality and even in the overall flavour.
• It had lots of tender and moist chicken marinated in yogurt so there was a nice tang.
• The onions and bell peppers are stir fried in oil with the pureed curry sauce, so the flavour is intensified and infused throughout. It’s quite oily, as expected though.
• The curry sauce is well textured and made from pureed ginger, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and other spices and herbs. There’s some bell pepper flavour throughout the curry and a hint of cream to give it a little richness.
• It’s a multi-layered sauce with curry powder, built in heat, pureed fresh herbs and lots of flavor.
• It was almost sweet from the onions, but it’s not a sweet curry. It’s also a bit tangy from the pureed tomatoes which were an underlying flavour.
• I ordered it medium, but I could go hot, because it was quite mild.

Punjab Dinner Combination (Thali) – 4.5/6

• Tandoori chicken, lamb curry, butter chicken, saag, dal, raita, rice, naan, and rice pudding $15.99
• Leave it to me to order dinner for lunch. What better way than to try a bit of everything!
• It was a nice selection and although made in house, the lamb curry, butter chicken, saag and dal seemed a bit pre made and ready to go which is a bit expected when ordering thali for lunch (lunch rush). Regardless they were still well made, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were better a la carte.
• There was a good selection and well worth it considering it would be enough for 2 regular eaters for lunch. But regular eaters we are not… or at least I am not. (Sherman’s not bad I guess ;p).

Tandoori Chicken – 3/6

• Marinated in traditional yogurt and spices. (Half $8.49/whole $15.99)
• I’m sure this would be better a la carte, hopefully presented on an hot iron plate, but considering it was a thali, I didn’t expect it.
• It was fresh and made upon order.
• It was two fairly large pieces of  tender and somewhat moist white meat chicken that had been well marinated in yogurt with a subtle tang.
• It had a very light tandoori rub which was more savoury than spicy and I requested medium, which was quite mild and I could have gone hot.
• I just wanted more spices and more grilled and charred smokiness.
• The bed of onions and green peppers were raw and I wish they had been grilled, which they probably would be if ordered a la carte.

**Lamb Curry – 4/6

• Boneless lamb cooked in onions, garlic, ginger, fresh tomatoes and exotic spices ($12.99 if ordered a la carte)
• I think this would be even better if it was ordered a la carte. Since it was on the thali platter it didn’t have the fresh tomatoes or onions, which kind of tells me it was pre-made and ready to go. It’s still made in house, but just a “quick order” item.
• The lamb had a braised quality and it was incredibly tender, juicy, and falling apart.
• It didn’t have a gamey flavour, which I’m sensitive too and I simply loved this! The lamb was better than the curry sauce.
• It was almost cooked like a lamb stew and the curry sauce was thin and tomato based, but with no actual tomatoes.
• It was a bit flat with the seasonings, but it still had heat. I could have gone hot spicy instead of medium though.

Butter Chicken- 2.5/6

• Boneless chicken pieces cooked in herbs and tomato sauce with buttery taste. ($11.49 if ordered a la carte)
• They call it a “specialty of the house”, but I didn’t get it. I found it okay, but maybe I had my hopes too high.
• It just didn’t seem as rich in flavour especially compared to everything else we had on the table.
• This tasted like another “ready to go” item, so I think it would be better a la carte from the dinner menu, although I still have my doubts with this one.
• For a Butter Chicken curry it was very thin and not creamy.
• The pieces of chicken was tender, tangy and well marinated in yogurt, but the sauce was very mild and not as sweet or tangy as I’m used to.
• Compared to many restaurant Butter Chickens this seemed more “healthy” without as much cream.
• I could taste the stewed tomatoes pureed right into the sauce, but it was a bit flat overall and carried a mild heat which I’d request hot instead of medium next time.

**Turka Dal - 6/6

• Creamed lentils fried in garlic & butter, onions and spices $7.99
• It doesn’t look impressive, but it was! I love dal. It’s one of my favourite items at an Indian restaurant and this one was excellent!
• It reminded me of home cooked dal and it was high quality for what it was. A home cooked version wouldn’t be as “gourmet”, which made this one even more special.
• They used yellow split peas and a variety of dal (lentils) including yellow, red and maybe pink lentils?
• It was very creamy with great curry flavour as well as being well rounded with other Indian spices.
• It wasn’t too oily, but just smooth, velvety and buttery, but not heavy or too rich.

**Saag – 5/6 (Just for the sauce)

• Fresh spinach cooked lightly in onions, ginger and garlic, mixed with home made cheese $8.49
• Unfortunately on the thali platter it didn’t come with paneer (home made cheese), but the saag was great enough to convince me to order the Saag Paneer a la carte.
• This was delicious saag! Another home made vegetarian item that was excellent in its own right!
• I really like saag so it was a 5/6 for me.
• It was very creamy and thick and made with lots of pureed and stewed spinach, onions, tomatoes and whole coriander seeds.
• It was so hearty and had layers of flavour from all the reduced veggies that were blended right in.

Naan

• It was crispy naan and soft inside. It’s made fresh, quite standard and a good size. A la carte $1.30

**Spinach Naan – 4.5/6

• Stuffed with grated home made cheese, spinach & mild spices $3.49
• These guys know how to do spinach!
• For a spinach naan, this was made incredibly well except it was lacking with grated home made cheese (paneer).

• There was lots of spinach stuffing and it wasn’t overcooked. It was almost creamy and there were whole toasted spices like coriander in it.
• The flavours were well developed and the naan was crispy and soft on the inside.
• The filling almost tasted eggy with the melted spongy cheese (paneer), but I still wanted more cheese.

Rice Pudding (Badami Kheer) – 2/6

• A rice and almond pudding with a divine taste $1.99
• I’m not a fan of Indian desserts, unless it’s Kulfi and I don’t mind some rice puddings. I appreciated this on the platter, but it’s not something I’d order.
• Rice pudding and gulab guman is like the “red bean” of Chinese cuisine. I would rather have rice pudding though as I’m really not a fan of gulab juman either.
• The rice was almost pureed and bitty and it was a bit soupy for my liking. I didn’t find it overly sweet, but didn’t care too much for it either.
• It had some sliced almonds, but not much and I like my Indian rice puddings with Indian spices like cardamom or even with a hint of rose water.

Restaurant: Tandoori Kona
Cuisine: Indian
Last visited: January 29, 2011
Location: Richmond, BC (Richmond Central)
Address: 11700 Cambie Road
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5 (based on the 2 dishes I tried)
Service: 3.5 (friendly, but understaffed/slow when busy)
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Family owned/operated
• Home made/fresh
• Great for tandoori
• Affordable
• Comfortable/Casual
• Very busy for dinner
• Popular to locals
• Popular for take out
• Dine in/Take out
• Limited beer/wine
• Fully licensed
• Open daily
• Open until 10/10:30pm
• Reservations recommended

**Recommendations: You hear about their Butter Chicken, but the Tandoori is the real highlight. Try the Tandoori Village Platter, Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Lamb Tikka… and I guess the Butter Chicken.

Amidst all the Asian restaurants in Richmond, BC there is Tandoori Kona: A Taste of India, located in a strip mall next to Subway. It comes unnoticed and from the outside it looks a bit dodgy. I always thought it was more for take out, but the inside is actually quite comfortable with tablecloth and napkin service. The locals know about it and most diners seemed like regulars, but with little competition for Indian cuisine in Richmond, it does easily manage to be one of the favourites.

Tandoori Kona is a small family owned and run operation and it does require patience especially during dinner service on the weekends, when it’s extremely busy for dine in and take out. It’s been around for ages and I always hear that their butter chicken is really good, even from my Indian friends living in the area. I have had my fair share of home cooked and restaurant Indian food so I do have my set standards.

I admit, I immediately questioned its authenticity as soon as I walked in and noticed almost every single customer, but one table, was White or Asian. Nonetheless I was seated and I gave the menu a shot. My eyes laser beamed onto Chicken Kasmiri made with “cashew nuts and banana curry”, which seemed different and right up my alley. However after inquiring about it with our young server and finding out it wasn’t actually made with bananas, but had banana like qualities, I decided to pass.

So I knew I had to try the Butter Chicken (as “sweet and sour pork” as that order is) and what else… ahh I know! Let me turn around and ask the only table of Indian customers for suggestions! And of course! How could I miss the obvious!? The Tandoori at TANDOORI Kona is the highlight and came especially recommended by these friendly diners! (Thank goodness I have no censor sometimes because what a valuable recommendation they gave me!)

The food is made fresh and home made; it’s casual, friendly, but at times slow service from being understaffed. I really like that their mains can be ordered a la carte or as a meal with rice and naan etc. included, so the prices are very reasonable, although the portions perhaps a bit small. Overall I would come again, and although what I ordered was supposed to represent the best of what they offer, I’m curious to try other things.

On the table:

Papadums

• It comes included with the set meals and I think it’s $1.25 ordered as an appetizer.
• I call them the Indian version of chips and salsa.
• They’re lentil crackers served with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce or chutney.
• It was standard, but not served warm.

**Tandoori Dinner – 5/6

• Tandoori dishes are marinated in yogurt and spices for 24 hours and traditionally cooked in a clay oven.
• An assortment of tandoori dishes including: Tandoori chicken, lamb tikka, chicken tikka, kababs, tandoori fish, rice pillau, naan, chutney and papadums. $16.95
• Traditionally eaten as an appetizer, but the portion is big and I can enjoy it as a meal.
• This was an excellent tandoori experience and it was much better in flavour and execution than the Tandoori Mixed Grill from Saffron Indian Cuisine, which is regarded as “Best Indian Restaurant in Burnaby”. However Saffron Indian Cuisine gives you lamb chops and prawns, so it’s more gourmet.
• I’m used to tandoori being served with mint chutney, and although the menu listed it was served with chutney, the dipping sauce it came with was actually a butter chicken sauce! It was different, but it worked and I appreciated it.
• I ordered it medium spicy and I was scared they would hold back considering the clientele, but they didn’t! It was spicy (maybe not for Indian standards) and I can handle my heat, but it had my nose sniffling. It was perfect for me.
• The butter sauce dipping sauce or “chutney” will be spiced according to the level of spiciness you requested.
• The tandoori tasted almost Asian and I feel like they use Chinese chili sauces in the marinade along with some homemade pickles which taste like pickled Mediterranean banana peppers.
• The flavour was spicy, tangy yet sweet and the onions and bell peppers were crunchy and sweet and seemed lightly sautéed first. They also didn’t burn on the grill which was great!

• All the meats were excellent especially the tandoori chicken, lamb tikka and chicken tikka.
• There was the leg and breast of tandoori chicken, and about 2-3 pieces of each of the other meats.

Sorry! The holes are from my fork =p

• The Kababs (5/6) It wasn’t the long wrinkly sausage rolls, but it was a chunk of sausage. These were  more like Indian bratwurst like sausages made with ground meat and they were heaviest on the spices, but not necessarily the spiciest. It had a meatloaf like texture and they were big and juicy and I liked them, but I wouldn’t want a whole plate of them.
• The Lamb and Chicken Tikka (5/6) were incredibly tender, well marinaded and infused with flavour throughout. The chicken had a great spice rub and it was moist and marinated in a sweet chili like sauce. The lamb was also well flavoured, tender and not gamey.
• I wasn’t a fan of the Tandoori Fish (2/6) which were dry and not as fresh.

**Tandoori Chicken – 5/6

• I really enjoyed this here! It was so well marinated and the spice rub on it was a dry rub, but they also had a chili paste marinade on it that was very flavourful and not just spicy.
• I really think they use the Sriracha hot sauce in the marinade along with the Garlic Chili Sriracha sauce (with the chili seeds and flakes).
• The breast and leg were moist and it had a nice crispy exterior from the grilling too.

**Butter Chicken – 4.5/6

• Chicken breast in mild creamy butter sauce. Served with naan, rice pillau & papadums  $11.95
• A la carte orders are available at $10.95
• This is the famed Butter Chicken that everyone talks about! I was actually more impressed with the tandoori platter.
• Yes, it was very good butter chicken, but I didn’t find it exceptionally good or noticeably different than any other “very good Butter Chicken”. In fact, I think a lot of places in Surrey could deliver the same.
• The chicken was incredibly tender and perhaps tenderized with yogurt first, and I did notice that part.
• The butter sauce was maybe sweeter than normal and it was creamy and rich, yet tangy. I think they must use some homemade raita (yogurt) instead of all cream to thicken it up. I’ve had thicker and creamier Butter Chicken before, but this consistency was good for me.
• There wasn’t any noticeable spices besides the usual, and there was a decent amount of chicken although the portion looks quite small when served.

Naan – 4/6

• The naan was very good! The pieces are bigger than normal and they’re very soft and fluffy with a slight crispness from the tandoor grilling.
• It’s not buttered and they have other varieties, but the plain naan comes standard with all set meals.

Rice Pillau – 2/6

• Basmati rice cooked with peas and spices.
• Indian version of rice pilaf. It was the most basic form of rice pillau, but it was a bit dry and quite bland, and I couldn’t taste any spices.
• I kind of expected this though and I think it might be different if you ordered it separately and not with the set meal. I’m not sure.

Restaurant: Bombay Se
Cuisine: Indian/Fusion
Last visited: October 17, 2010
Location: Surrey, BC (Scott Road)
Address: 7500 120 Street
Price Range: $20-30

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4 (based on what I had)
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: 4
Additional comments:

• Owner/Chef from premier Taj hotel in Bombay
• “Fine dining” Indian hotel food
• Moderately priced/expensive
• Somewhat authentic
• Some creative dishes
• Some rare/exotic authentic dishes
• Home cooked
• Very large portions
• Good for groups
• Constant Indian music/movies
• No beef/pork
• Vegetarian options
• Private party/banquet room
• Bar/Lounge room
• Visa/MC/Debit
• Mon-Thurs lunch Thali platter $10.99
• Wed-Mon:  4pm-10pm
• Closed all day Tuesday

**Recommendations: Dahi Puri, Goa’s Prawn Curry, Chicken Tikka Sizzler – pretty much everything I ordered was very good. Also recommended, but I haven’t tried are Malai Tikka and Chloe (chick peas).

Bombay Se in Surrey, BC is located on the second floor and it looks a bit dark and shady however it’s been there for a few years now at least. When it opened everyone loved it, but since then I think they’ve changed because I don’t hear much about it anymore.

Some of the food was traditional Indian, some was Westernized and some of it was Indian-Chinese fusion. I liked it, but I don’t know if Indian people would like it. From what I know, it’s not that authentic and I would call it contemporary (and a bit overpriced) Indian food. I can’t blame them for being different and the food was good.

The owner and executive chef used to run the kitchen in one of the premier hotels in Bombay so some items speak a little of “Indian hotel food”. None of the flavours were watered down and they weren’t afraid to make it spicy, medium was good for me though. On another note, some dishes I was very surprised to find on the menu because they were very authentic and exotic I haven’t seen them available at any other Indian restaurant. I would come back just for those.

The prices are actually quite expensive compared to most Indian places. The appetizers were around $11-12 and the mains are around $15-18 with a mango lassi at $5. However the portions are pretty big to make up for it so it’s best to go with 4 or more people. Most of the diners were bigger groups and there were a lot of Westerners which makes me question the authenticity. Nonetheless I still stand by what I ordered, and based on that alone I would come again to try more stuff.

The place is heavily influenced by Bollywood movies and that’s the theme of the whole restaurant. There’s about 6 televisions in the main dining room and another 4-6 in the bar/lounge area of the restaurant. If you like Bollywood music and videos during dinner than you’ll enjoy this atmosphere.
On the table:

Complimentary Papadum

• They were fresh, crispy and a little oily.
• It’s like an Indian spiced tortilla chip.

**Dahi Puri – 5/6

• Puffed puris stuffed with potatoes, topped with yogurt, chutney and savoury noodles $10.95
• I love these things! I haven’t seen them available at any Indian restaurant except for this one. The first and only time I’ve ever tried them was actually at Vansh Indian Restaurant in Malaysia and I thought I’d never have them again until now. I liked these ones even better too!
• This is very traditional Indian street food, but this was a gourmet version. It’s a cold appetizer and it’s huge! However they’re so light that eating 3 per person is no problem.
• They’re popular in India because it’s so hot there so this cold appetizer helps cool people down. It’s surprisingly refreshing and must be eaten immediately or they get soggy.

• The puris are from an Indian sweet shop, but they’re not necessarily sweet. It’s basically a very thin and crisp deep fried shell or hollow pastry cup that’s filled with lots of  cooling sauces such as dahi or yogurt. They’re pretty much one biters because they hold so much liquid and as soon as you bite into the shell it’s just a big burst of sauces.
• They’re sweet, tangy, savoury and spicy and all the sauces go great together. It hits all your taste buds at once and the yogurt makes it not as spicy.
• The tangy thin yogurt and honey like sweet and sour tamarind chutney are most apparent and the noodles are almost like very thin dried ramen noodles. They’re very light and crispy and require almost no chewing. There’s maybe 2 very tiny pieces of diced potato inside each cup but they come unnoticed and add very little in terms of texture and flavour.

Goa’s Prawn Curry – 4/6

• Prawns cooked with curry leaves, herbs, spices and finished with coconut milk $14.95
• This was recommended for seafood. It was topped with coconut and the portion wasn’t that big, so I found it a bit pricey.

• There were 5 jumbo prawns in it and they were cooked perfectly so that made up for it a bit. The prawns didn’t absorb any flavour though and I think they were steamed and thrown in last minute.
• This was a very sweet curry and it’s mild. It’s very rich and creamy and quite thick with some tomato base, but predominantly coconut milk and cream. It was almost like a sweet and savoury gravy and it reminded me of a korma. It did have tons of fresh spices like mustard seed and cumin, but I also which it had some onions and curry leaves that I could see.

**Chicken Tikka Sizzler – 4/6

• Chicken tikka topped with cheese tossed in a garlic red chili sauce served with masala fries, vegetables and rice. $17.95
• The chicken tikka was delicious and it tastes really Chinese or Szechuan. They put soy sauce in it and the hot sauce tastes Thai. It’s definitely an Indian-Chinese dish and it tastes exactly like the sauce they use for Chinese Mapo Tofu. It had a sweet flavour as well as a tangy kick and I loved the sauce.
• It’s quite spicy and I ordered it medium. It’s best enjoyed with raita (but it was +$6 for a side here) so I ended up using the leftover yogurt from the dahi puris appetizer
• It’s  juicy boneless pieces of chicken stir fried with a spicy and sweet chili garlic sauce. The chicken is also marinated in yogurt first so it’s incredibly tender and moist.
• The rice gets crispy on the hot plate and those parts were my favourite.
• The vegetables were canned baby corn, onions and some bell peppers.
• It’s a massive potion, good for 2, but I could have used more chicken and less fries of course.

Masala Fries - 3/6

• Crispy fries served in special Bombay Se masala ($6.95 if ordered a la carts as an appetizer)
• Okay the fries are not Indian, nor do they do this in India; however there is some British influence there and they do offer this at the Taj hotel in Bombay.
• As cheap as it looks, I actually didn’t mind the fries. If only they weren’t frozen and from a bag this side would have been really good. It was very obvious and they were soggy too.
• It was almost like bar food and it tastes Asian. It tastes like a Thai version of chili fries and I just wanted some minced beef or beans on in too. It’s the same sauce as they use for the chicken tikka. I did want way more sauce and cheese as well.

Garlic Naan (left) – 2.5/6

• $3.95
• I appreciate the huge piece, it was the size of 2 at any other Indian restaurant.
• It did have real minced garlic but it was a bit tough and not crispy. They coat it with lots of ghee (clairfied butter) on top. I’ve liked it better at other places.

Roti (right) – 3/6

• $2
• Again it was a massive piece.
• It’s almost like naan but made with whole wheat flour so it’s healthier. It’s a bit tougher than naan because of this and this is the bread traditionally eaten in Indian homes on a day to day basis. This one was a bit tough and not crispy again.

**Sizzling Brownie – 3.5/6

• $6
• I haven never seen or heard of this before and it’s unique to Bombay Se. It’s such a novelty and I could totally see them serving this at hotels in India.
• It’s a huge piece of chocolate brownie with walnuts served on a hot sizzling plate and topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, sprinkles and scorching hot chocolate caramel syrup. I could have used without the sprinkles and maybe coconut instead for more of an Indian influence.

• It’s definitely worth trying for fun, but it’s definitely a novelty because the brownie ends up tasting a bit burnt since the bottom just burns on the hot plate.

• The brownie is dense and it’s almost like a chocolate cake with a chocolate truffle layer. It’s a bit dry but the truffle layer, chocolate syrup and ice cream help to hide it. I could have used way more walnuts because there wasn’t much in the cake.
• The chocolate sauce was like a caramel sugar syrup and it was really hot and took forever to stop bubbling. I burned myself twice with it.
• It’s not the best tasting brownie, but for $6 for such a huge piece and with the presentation, I’m not complaining.

Restaurant: Saffron Indian Cuisine
Cuisine: Indian/Buffet
Last visited: September 22, 2010
Location: Burnaby, BC (Burnaby South/Metrotown)
Address: Unit 5 – 4300 Kingsway
Price Range: $10-20 (Closer to $20)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3 (based on few items I tried)
Service: 2
Ambiance: 2.5
Overall: 3
Additional comments:

• Family owned
• Indian chefs/cooks
• Indian food from various regions (mainly North/Punjab)
• Buffet/A la carte
• Voted best Indian in Burnaby for 4 years
• Extensive menu
• Moderately priced
• Spacious
• Better with groups (4+)
• Side pizza business next door
• Dine In/Take-Out/Catering
• Accepts Visa/MC
• Daily lunch buffet 11:30am-2:30pm
• Dinner buffet Sun-Wed 5:30pm-9pm
• Sun – Thurs, 11:30am – 10pm
• Fri – Sat, 11:30am – 11pm

**Recommendations: Chicken Tikka Tandoor (I didn’t really try enough to say)

Saffron Indian Cuisine is located by Metrotown in Burnaby BC. I almost only go to Indian restaurants recommended by Indian people too. I was given the recommendation to come here ages ago and I always hear about Saffron Indian Cuisine winning “best Indian food in Burnaby” by Burnaby media. However, that doesn’t say much considering the only competition is basically Bombay Bhel in North Burnaby, which I heard is better. My expectations were high for Saffron Indian Cuisine and perhaps that was why I wasn’t so impressed. I’m pretty picky with my Indian food and I’m lucky to have my fair share of home cooked versions of it, which is completely different than restaurant stuff. I won’t compare the two, but my standards are perhaps a bit higher for Indian cuisine. I guess you can say I’ve had Indian cooking lessons and I know how it’s made at home and at restaurants.

The food and portions were more or less average at Saffron, but it’s a bit pricier and the service was somewhat nonchalant. It seems catered for a “Western” crowd as there was not one Indian diner in the restaurant. I came with food blogger Kim (also responsible for the awesome photos) and coincidentally we noticed that we had Indian last time too at Desi Dosa Madras. We decided to order from the menu rather than the buffet because I find it more representable of what they can do. It ends up being a lot pricier, but at least you can order what you want and the food doesn’t sit around.  Saffron Indian Cuisine claims to be “authentic Indian cuisine in a contemporary atmosphere” but with their side pizza business next door and huge boards advertising “buffet”, it seemed no different than many other Indian restaurants.

On the table:

Mango Lassi – 2.5/6

• $3.95
• This is a pretty authentic mango lassi, but it was very heavy on the yogurt so it was very thick and creamy. It was more tangy than sweet and it almost tastes warm due to the texture.

Tandoori Mixed Grill – 3/6

• A celebration of sizzling tandoori delicacies!  A melange of Tandoori Chicken, Seekh Kebab, Chicken Tika, Lamb Chops and Jumbo Tandoori Prawn. All Tandoor dishes are served with rice, salad and chutney. $18.95
• Tandoori is an Indian appetizer of barbequed or tandoor grilled meats. I figured this would be a good way to sample everything. There was 2 of everything but I wish the execution was better. The vegetables looked like scraps so they over cooked on the grill and turned charcoal black. They should have been a protective bedding so that the meats wouldn’t overcook. I wanted nice and freshly sliced vegetables.
• Tandoori Chicken - 2.5/6
  • The drumsticks are a bit pinner, but the flavour was quite good. It was juicy, but I could have had it spicier. As authentic tandoori chicken it was very mild.
• **Chicken Tikka – 4/6
  • Succulent boneless chicken breast marinated in yogurt, herbs & spices ($14.95 separate)
  • I liked this one the best. It was chicken breast cubes (only 2) but they were very juicy and tender. It was tangy from being marinated in yogurt and well seasoned.

• Seekh Kebab – 3.5/6
  • Tender rolls of minced lamb blended with fresh onions, green peppers, herbs & spices ($15.95 separate)
  • I would have never guessed it was lamb. It tastes like a homemade beef sausage and it wasn’t gamey at all. I could taste the veggies and it wasn’t too oily and slightly spicy at the end. It’s almost like an Indian chorizo but made with minced meat. It’s good, but you have to eat them immediately or they overcook and get super dry and hard.
  • I think they should just give 2 rolls though because 1 1/2 looked really bad.
• Tandoori Lamb Chops – n/a
  • New Zealand lamb lightly marinated with yogurt and our special garam masala ($16.95 separate)
  • I’m not a fan of lamb, so I can’t “rate” it. I tried a piece, and it was pretty tender with a salty crust but it’s too gamey for me.
    
• Jumbo Tandoori Prawns – 2.5/6
  • They’re actually very big and fresh and must be eaten immediately since prawns overcook easily.
  • The qulaity is good, but there’s no flavour.

• Rice & Salad
  • The rice was very regular. Not greasy, not dry, but not all that flavourful either.
  • The salad is weak and more of a garnish.

• Mint Chuntey – 5/6
  • This was one of the best mint chutney I’ve had. It was an unusual bright green I’ve never seen and very fresh. It was very tangy with lots of pureed herbs like fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves. It was excellent with the tandoori meats and I was eating it by spoonfuls.

Chicken Madrasi – 3.5/6

• Chicken with a South Indian flavour in a coconut and poppy seed sauce $13.50
• Yes it was very good, but it tastes nothing like the description so that’s what makes it disappointing.
• I was surprised to see a South Indian dish on the menu since most of it is North Indian food.

• I’ve never seen this on a menu and I was very excited to see “poppy seed sauce”, but there was no poppy seed in the sauce that I could see or taste. I couldn’t even taste the coconut milk and it tastes more like a tangy tomato based curry sauce. It was actually quite thin in texture, but still flavorful although not as aromatic. I would have appreciated some more garlic, ginger and even just some onions in the sauce. We ordered it medium spicy, but it was mild.
• The chicken was boneless white and dark meat and there was a decent amount as well although you can’t tell in the photo. Each piece was tender and juicy but I would have liked more sauce because I had naan leftover.

Garlic and Basil Naan – 3/6

• Leavened tandoor-baked bread with garlic and basil $2.50
• A  flavour of naan I rarely see offered.
• I could see some fresh garlic on it, but it wasn’t that much and the flavour was enhanced by what I think was garlic powder in the dough.
• The basil barely served a purpose because there wasn’t that much on it. It would have been good if there was more because it was aromatic and crispy from the tandoor.
• It was freshly made, but not that fluffy or buttery. One of the best naan I’ve had is from Dhaka Fish & Biryani Halal Restaurant.

Saffron Naan

• Cook’s special mix $3.75
• This is pretty much their chicken naan, which is naan stuffed with chicken. The Saffron naan is the same thing, but with”more stuff” as I was told.
• It was soft and and moist with the stuffed chicken so texture of the naan was different. It wasn’t stuffed with much chicken, but there was some onions, bell peppers, curry powder flavour, dried herbs, and gharam masala spices. I’ve had better chicken naan before at Indian restaurants in Surrey and Delta.
• The best stuffed chicken roti (different from naan) was from Mohamed Nazar Curry House in Malaysia and unfortunately I haven’t seen it here in Vancouver.

Restaurant: Desi Dosa Madras Restaurant
Cuisine: Indian
Last visited: August 20, 2010
Location: Surrey, BC (Surrey/Newton)
Address: 8859 120th Street (Scott Road)
Price Range: $10 0r less / $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• South Indian family owned and operated
• Authentic South Indian cuisine
• Chefs from South India
• Extensive menu
• Specializes in Dosas
• Biryani/Curry mains available
• Vegetarian/Non-vegetarian options
• Home made
• Clean, casual, comfortable
• Cheap eats/Budget-friendly
• Family-friendly
• Catering available
• Open late
• Open daily 11:30am-10pm
• Fri-Say 11:30am-11pm
• Free parking

**Recommendations: Dosa – in particular the Chicken Dosa and Egg Masala Dosa. I’m curious what their South Indian Style Butter Chicken tastes like as well.

Desi Dosa Madras is an authentic South Indian restaurant located in Surrey, BC. The signage is tacky and from the outside and it looks like a hole in the wall, but don’t judge a book by it’s cover because Desi Dosa Madras is a fantastic find. The inside is impressive and unexpected and the restaurant is large and spacious and seats probably up to 80+ people. It’s causal, clean, traditional, yet modern and very comfortable for individual, group, or family dining.

It’s a husband and wife operation and the owner and chef Pathmaraj Prasad is born and raised in Sri Lanka. They specialize in dosas (a long South Indian style crepe), but also offer meat, seafood, and vegetarian South Indian curries, breads, biryanis, and even homemade traditional desserts. I was very surprised to see such an extensive menu and I wasn’t expecting to see so much meat and seafood since South Indian cuisine tends to be on the vegetarian side, especially compared to North Indian cuisine. Talking to the server and asking for recommendations, it’s quite obvious that the dosas are the highlight, however they impressed me so much that I would venture to the non-dosa items next time.

Until Desi Dosa Madras, my South Indian go-to dosa restaurants for the last few years have been Mayuri Indian Cuisine and House of Dosas, however I can now add this to the list. The dosa here seem a bit smaller, but they’re equally as stuffed and taste great. I randomly picked the restaurant after previously driving by it a couple times and on this occasion I was joined by fellow food blogger Kim – who I also have to thank for the wonderful photos.

On the table:

Spinach Masala Dosa – 4/6

• Dosa stuffed with shredded spinach and Desi Dosa potato masala. Served with sambar, coconut and tomato chutney $7.95
• A dosa is a South Indian style savoury crepe and it’s served rolled up in a massive log with stuffing. Although the crepe is huge, it’s only stuffed with a modest amount of potato filling so it’s actually a perfect individual serving.
• The crepe is made upon order and it’s made from fermented rice and lentils. It’s very thin and slightly tangy and it could have been crispier because it was a bit soft and chewy and more like a French crepe, but it was still good.

• The inside was stuffed with a good amount of spinach and potato curry. The spinach was very fresh and not overly cooked and mushy. I could taste an equal blance of potato and spinach and although it was spiced, it wasn’t spicy. It was very flavourful, not oily, and quite light which I liked.

Tomato and Coconut Chutney

• All dosas are served with tomato and coconut chutney. The chutneys are significantly better than the ones from Mayuri Indian Cuisine.
• The tomato chutney is homemade and it tastes just like the tomato sauce from canned Sardines. It’s savoury, sweet, and fishy tasting and it’s not spicy. It was unexpected, but I liked it. Although it’s a light chutney, it makes the dosa taste richer and heavier because it has so much flavour.
• The coconut chutney was sweet and chunky with dried coconut flakes throughout. It was great with the crepe and added a sweetness to the potato curry which reminded me of Asian coconut milk based curries. I also really like the coconut chutney from Simba’s Grill.

**Chicken Dosa - 5/6

• Dosa stuffed with spiced shredded chicken and herbs. Served with sambar, coconut and tomato chutney $10.25
• The best Indian chicken ‘wrap’ I’ve had is the roti chicken cannai in Malaysia from Mohamed Nazar Curry House, but this one was also excellent.
• I’m not used to seeing meat dosas, and it was nice to see chicken, lamb, and shrimp dosas on the menu… although I don’t think they’re known for seafood and I wouldn’t be too confident ordering it here. I guess I can’t say until I try though.
• The chicken dosa is stuffed with boneless and skinless chicken thigh and it’s apparently better than their Nilagiri Chicken Dosa because it’s juicier and softer (although both use the same meat).
• The chicken was shredded and in fact juicy and tender and it’s sauteed with caramelized onions and bell peppers so it’s sweet and savoury. There’s also some potato curry in the mix, but the majority was chicken and there was a lot of it too.

Sambar - 4/6

• All dosas are served with a cup of Sambar.
• Sambar come with every traditional South Indian meal. It’s a vegetarian South Indian stew or soup made from lentils, tamarind and other vegetable and spices. It’s typical to eat it with Medu Vada (savory Indian donuts made from lentils and rice) or Idly (steamed soft rice lentil cakes). Both are available here as appetizers, and they’re quite bland on their own, but both great soaked in the soup or eaten with the chutney.
• The Sambar here is excellent and better than Mayuri Indian Cuisine, which now seems very watered down.
• The stew was thick with ingredients and well textured. It tastes like pureed lentils in a spicy and tangy tomato soup and it’s the only thing I had that was spicy. It was on the salty side, but the spice lingers and kicks in after a few sips. There were pieces of carrots, onions, lentils, and even Okra in it.

**Egg Masala Dosa – 4.5/6

• Egg dosa stuffed with Desi Dosa potato masala. Served with sambar, coconut and tomato chutney $9.50
• This was recommended and the only other time I’ve had something similar was the Roti Chicken Cannai in Malaysia that also had egg in it.
• I’m not sure why this is folded instead of rolled, and I don’t know how they determine the folding method.

• I was confused at where the egg was to be found at first, but realized it was actually roughly scrambled (more like a roughly fried egg) in between sheets of the crepe and not actually in the stuffing. I actually wanted more egg because it took me a while to find out where it was and I couldn’t tell by just eating it.
• The curry potato stuffing was great and it was pan fried before they stuff it into the crepe. It had lots of mustard seed and caramelized onions so again there was a savoury and sweet balance, but not spicy. Again, I would have wished for a crispier crepe like at Mayuri Indian Cuisine, but it was still very good.

Restaurant: Mohamed Nazar Curry House
Cuisine: Indian/Mamak/Malaysian
Last visited: April 27, 2010
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Address: No.6 or No23? Jalan Walter Granier off Jalan Imbi
(small street behind the Marriot Hotel)
Price Range: CHEAP! RM 2-6 – about $2CADor less/person

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5
Service: 5
Ambiance: 2 (for what it is)
Overall: 5 (food and service can outweigh it all)
Additional comments:

• Hole in the wall
• Authentic Indian food
• Mamak specialties
• South Indian/Malaysian/Muslim food
• Small buffet
• Fresh mini bananas on the table
• Ample seating
• Extremely local
• No tourists
• Eat like a king for dirt cheap
• Very budget friendly
• Very busy/packed/crowded
• Small television for entertainment
• Honest service
• Indoor/outdoor seating
• Vegetarian options
• NO air con!
• No English, not really any prices listed either (but they will give you receipt and they’re honest, you can confirm with a local/regular)

**Recommendations: Plain Roti Canai, Chicken Roti Canai, Roti Pisang (with Banana) and Kaya (Coconut) jam, mini bananas on the table (I’m not 100% sure of the names – there’s no English)

Other recommendations: I didn’t try but almost every local was ordering chicken biryani or lamb biryani. I didn’t notice until after I ordered. Also Awsom Boi (drink) seemed popular and Roti Tisu (not as popular, but a must try in Malaysia anyways).

Mohamed Nazar Curry House Restoran is a real hole in the wall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I think I was the only tourist in there and I had the hardest time communicating. I discovered it randomly, getting lost in small streets. I posted on Devi’s Corner also in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but this place was more authentic and local.

I seriously hit a local favourite and I’m so glad I did because the food was fantastic! I’m giving a lot of 6/6 for the food; because I still think about it and it’s been well over a month since having it. It was some of the best Indian/Malaysian/Mamak food I’ve ever had!

I was so scared to get ripped off but the people running it are the nicest people ever. I couldn’t understand the menu and they obviously knew I was a tourist (not that taking pictures was the only thing giving it away) and they still didn’t rip me off. It was packed at lunch and was filled with regulars and locals in no time.

See my video of Making Roti Canai in Malaysia.

The Indian/Malaysian bread making station. See my videos of this art in Malaysia.

We ate RM17 for 2 (about $5.50CAD for 2!) and this was ordering and eating like kings! I would 100% come here again and recommend it to anyone visiting Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was the best Indian bread and Mamak flat breads I’ve tried to date.

On the table:

They serve mini bananas at every table and I think it was $0.10CAD if you ate one. Eat one! Or at least take one to go. They’re very sweet and fat free!

**Plain Roti Cannai – 6/6

• Probably about RM 1.20 – $0.40CAD
• It’s the most popular Malaysian flat bread. Roti Canai dough is made from butter, eggs, sugar and flour. It’s a sweeter stretchy, chewy, flaky, and crispy bread and it’s delicious!
• This is the best roti cannai I had in Malaysia. I love this stuff.
• They served it with potato curry sauce which was not spicy and a yellow lentil sauce that was almost like soup. There were barely any lentils and that wasn’t spicy either.
• The sauces are rather ordinary but the roti canai is great!
• I liked it better here than at Devi’s Corner – where it was still amazing.

**Roti Chicken Cannai – 6/6

• Probably about RM 6 – $2CAD
• I don’t even know if that’s what it’s called but I didn’t know what to order and I said “give me the best thing or what your most popular is” – and he looked confused and said “chicken? beef? or lamb?” So I said “chicken”. I don’t even think he understood me though.
• It’s a flaky and crispy yet soft flat bread (roti cannai) stuffed with chicken curry and an egg that’s sort of half scrambled, partly fried and partly poached.

• It’s AMAZING! I wish we had this is Vancouver, BC.
• It’s not spicy, but it’s savoury and sweet from the onions. It was like a fluffy pancake/crepe stuffed with curried chicken, onions and an egg. It was almost like an omelette wrapped in a crepe, or even a souffle stuffed with chicken because it was so fluffy with the egg acting as a binder.
• The curry chicken was already good alone and it was even better served like this.
• Very moist and juicy and just perfect in flavour and texture.

This is what the Chicken roti looks like just before serving.

• To make it:
  • It was roti cannai dough flattened, and then they crack an egg on it.
  • They half scramble the egg on top of the dough while it cooks on the griddle. (The roti canai acts as the pan)
  • Next they get chicken curry and onions from the buffet table and chop the meat up (no skin, no bones). They put the curry chicken with the cooked onions on top of the scrambled egg and roti.
  • They allow it to cook, fold it, and flip it over a couple times before serving.

**Roti Pisang – 6/6

• Roti stuffed with banana probably about RM1.20 – $0.40CAD
• Geeeezzzzzus…this was delicious! I actually made a special request to serve it with Kaya jam (Malaysian coconut jam) on the side. It’s not on the menu but they did it for me anyways
• It was SO GOOD! They use those sweet mini bananas on the table and fold it into the roti canai flat bread. I wanted them to put the kaya jam inside, but there was some communication problems.

• It’s super hot! I burned myself so many times trying to eat it. But it was that good. The roti is nice and crispy and chewy and the bananas are soft, warm and so creamy. The bananas melt in your mouth!
• With the kaya jam it’s even better! I used it as dipping sauce.
• Perfect tasty twist! It’s way better than a banana pancake or crepe.
• It is perhaps the oiliest dessert you will ever eat though. Seriously so much oil! Just look at the shine in the photo! But it’s so worth it!!!!
• Other dessert/sweet roti offered: pisang (banana), planta (butter + sugar), milo (that chocolate milk powder), Kaya (Malaysian coconut jam)

Indian Buffet – 4/6

• Probably about RM4 – about $1.30CAD
• A great selection of traditional Indian curries, rice, and seafood.
• I didn’t event know how to order really so I hit the self serve Indian buffet. I figured it would give me a nice sample.
• There was a ton of selection! Chicken, beef and lamb curries, vegetarian curries, whole sauteed fishes, and deep fried Indian spiced seafood.
• The chicken curry was amazing. I also grabbed a sambal egg which was good. The rice is fantastic as well.
• It’s help yourself and you are charged based on what you put on your plate.

They used whole cardamom seeds in their curries and you could really taste the difference. It was so well spiced, but not necessarily spicy.

Restaurant: Devi’s Corner
Cuisine: Indian/Mamak/Indo-Malaysian
Last visited: April 23, 2010
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Address:
69 Jalan Telawi 2, Kuala Lumpur,
Bangsar Baru
Wilayah Persekutuan
Tel: + 03-2282-7591
Price Range: CHEAP! RM 2-8 about $0.66 -2.50CAD/per person

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5 (based on few items I tried)
Service: 5
Ambiance: 4 (for what it is)
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Authentic, traditional Indian food
• Indo-Malaysian “Mamak” specialties
• Specializes in Mamak cuisine/Mamak stall
• South Indian Muslim food
• Popular to Bangsarians and expats
• Popular (late night) hangout
• Cheap eats, budget friendly
• Very casual
• Ample indoor/”patio” seating
• Owners South Indian (Bangladesh)
• Friendly service
• Arrive early for lunch
• Busy all the time, crowded
• Open all day, open late
• Closes only 5am-6am (1 hour)
• Dirty-ish
• Vegetarian options
• No English Menu

**Recommendations: Roti Cannai (see video of making), Roti Tisu, Sweet Roti Tisu (see video of making)

Haven’t tried but also recommended and popular for: Lime-leaf scented rice, beef rendang, banana leaf rice, Nasi Lemak, Teh Tarik

This is a photo taken at 10:30pm.

Devi’s Corner is a modern Hawker (street food) stall located in the posh area of Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It’s a large restaurant with ample seating but you must arrive early in order to get a seat during lunch. It’s pretty busy throughout the day and it attracts locals and expats alike.

It is a popular hang out spot that attracts a younger demographic because it’s opened 24 hours, surrounded by night life, and serves cheap food and drinks. It’s one of the most popular Indian Hawker stalls in Malaysia serving Mamak food (South Indian/Muslim/Malaysian food in Malaysia).

Photo taken at about 11:30pm – still pretty busy.

Devi’s Corner is pretty much a giant street food stall made into a restaurant. It’s cheap eats, good food and a guaranteed good time with such a casual atmosphere.

I came here after 10:30pm AFTER one of the best dinner buffets at the Lemon Garden Cafe at the Shangri-La hotel. (A post that shouldn’t be missed!) I still managed to eat a couple bites at Devi’s Corner… I had to try everything.

Dirt cheap menu… divide prices by 3 for Canadian dollars. It was my first time trying a lot of the dishes, so my rating may be biased.

This is the main guy! Not even sure if he’s the owner, but he’s super nice!

On the table:

See the video – Making ROTI CANNAI in Malaysia.

See my video of him making Roti Cannai. It’s seriously one of the coolest things I’ve seen someone make. It’s almost the Indian version of pizza dough tossing!

So stretchy and it never tares. Roti canai is made of folded dough so you get nice flaky and stretchy, chewy layers.

Hand made roti cannai, always fresh, hot and made upon order. So good!

**Roti Canai - 5.5/6

• Roti Canai served with 3 curry sauces for dipping about RM2.60 – $0.87CAD
• Roti Canai/Kanai is one of the most popular Mamak foods – i’ts a popular Malaysian flat bread made of folded dough. It’s served with vegetarian lentil based curries and a hot curry sauce.
• Roti Canai dough is made from flour, butter, sugar and eggs. It is a sweeter bread but it’s not sweet bread (as in a dessert).
• Fresh, hot, flaky and crispy outside with chewy and super soft stretchy inside and made upon order. Amazing. I thought it was already excellent at Good Luck Thai in Hong Kong too.
• It would have been a 6/6 if I didn’t try Mohamed Nazar Curry House (also in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).
• Seriously amazing roti canai at both places. They actually chop the cannai in 8 squares before serving it – but for some reason this one wasn’t.

See the video – Making ROTI TISU in Malaysia.

This is where they make all the Indian breads.

**Lime Dosai Tisu/Roti Tisu – 5/6

• Roti tisu served with 3 curry sauces for dipping RM 2.60 – about $0.86CAD
• Roti tisu is a thinner version of roti canai. It’s made from the same dough but it’s tossed until paper thin. It’s cooked on the griddle and then rolled up in a giant cone shape.
• It’s another very popular Mamak snack/food. It’s light, thin “tissue bread” and it was my 1st time trying it.
• It tastes like a crispy paper thin crepe. It’s not crunchy though and it still has some chewy texture (at least this one did). It’s still pliable so you do tear/peel away at it rather than break/chip away at it. The thinner edges are nice and crispy though.
• The curry sauces are vegetarian, lentil based and heavy in spices but not really spicy. There was also a coconut and mint chutney.
• It’s not the best tasting thing ever, but it is good and a must try if you travel to Malaysia.

These were found at the buffet but I didn’t get to try them. It was the size of a hockey puck and it was deep fried with a mix of Indian spices like cumin, coriander, and clove seeds. It looked like a savoury donut and I’m pretty sure it’s called vada.

Restaurant: Vansh Restaurant
Cuisine: Indian
Last visited: April 21, 2010
Location: 2 locations – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Beside The Ritz Carlton Hotel)
Address:
Lot LG 9 Lower Ground Floor
Feast Floor/Feast Village
181 Jalan Bukit Bintang inside Starhill Gallery (High end shopping mall)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: (03) 2142 6162
Price Range: $30-50CAD or RM 90-150

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5 (based on what I had)
Service: 6 (My friend is a regular at it was 3pm so not busy)
Ambiance: 6
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Owned by Rang Mahal Group in Singapore
• Specializes in Indian food
• Modern Indian food
• Touristy/Business/Formal occasions
• Traditional techniques
• Home cooked
• Tandoor grill
• Casual chic (fine) dining
• Award winning restaurant
• Contemporary/trendy/modern
• 2 locations (Singapore, Malaysia)
• Private parties
• Wine list
• 12-2:30pm set lunch available
• 12pm-1am daily

**Recommendations: Tulsi Sherbet, Bombay Pani Puri, Honey Kulzza, Naan, Mixed Fruit Raita

Vansh Restaurant is the sister restaurant to Rang Mahal, a fine dining, award winning restaurant in Singapore. Vansh has 2 locations, one in Malaysia and the other in Singapore and I visited the one in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Vansh Restaurant is part of the gourmet fancy “food court” located in Malaysia’s high end shopping mall, Starhill Gallery.

It’s visually stunning with exquisite decor. To see the other restaurants click here.

The Food

The food is not really authentic Indian food, but it is modern Indian food served in a casual fine dining and chic atmosphere. The cooks, chefs, and servers were all Indian and the menu items are traditional, but not necessarily made authentically. Although very tasty, it was quite “watered down” in terms of flavour and spices – probably because it appeals to more tourists/mass market. What the Rang Mahal Group is trying to do is make Indian food mainstream and popular to the degree of Italian/French food being popular.

I found the decor more impressive than the food. Being from Vancouver, BC I am spoiled with great Indian food. I’ve also had lots of home cooked Indian food so I have something to compare to. I’d still come back, but I would try a different restaurant. The price you pay is a major bargain for what you get. The quality for the price is amazing, but the flavour is short of.

On the table:

Complimentary Papads or Papadams

• I almost always see these served in flat round tortilla sheets

• These are homemade and looked like eggrolls – thy served them with 3 kinds of chutney

**Tulsi Sherbet – 5/6

• Distinctive blended concoction of basil, fresh lime juice and ginger ale RM 17  – about $6CAD

• This is very refreshing and loaded with lots of chopped fresh herbs like mint. I kind of wish it didn’t all float at the top and blended into the drink.
• It’s non-alcoholic and like the freshest citrus Ginger Ale you’ve ever tasted. Almost like a mojito.

Honey Kulzza – 5/6

• Fresh fluffy bread topped with a sweet spread of honey, tomatoes, coriander and onions seeds RM 18  – about $6CAD
• This is one of Vansh’s signature leavened breads, top sellers and healthier choices

• It tastes like a very soft whole wheat cheese pizza bread with fennel seeds, cumin, and also some yellow split peas.
• It was very good, but barely Indian tasting to me.
• It’s not stringy cheese, but you can taste the cheddar cheese baked right into the bread. Indian style cheese bread is what I’d call it.
• I couldn’t even really taste the honey.
• It’s not traditional Indian food, but modern/Westernized Indian food.

**Bombay Pani Puri – 5/6

• Crunchy semolina puffs with chilled spice water and sweet tamarind chutney RM18  – about $6CAD
• It’s one of their best sellers.
• I’ve never seen these before and I was so excited to try them.
• It’s a refreshing and light common street snack in India. It was like the Indian version of salsa and chips.
• The Puri are these deep fried crispy hollow cups or shells made from semolina and wheat flour.
• The cups are filled with chick peas, sev (a type of dried vermicelli),those tiny fried green peas, and the yellow beans of bean sprouts.

• The Pani is the “water” part – you will the cups with some of the sauce in the middle. There was also what seemed like deep fried mini dough balls in it.
• The sauce tastes like water mixed with tangy tamarind – it’s like a really bland watered down sour and spicy chutney, but it’s supposed to be.

Samosa – 4/6

• Golden pastry with vegetable fillings RM 11  – about $4CAD
• These were stuffed with potato, onions and peas. Another top seller.

• They were very good, crispy and well stuffed but also nothing I haven’t tried before.
• The spices seemed toned down compared to samosas in Vancouver, BC.

Butter Chicken – 3/6

• Tandoor grilled chicken morsels simmered in house tomato gravy RM 34  – about $11CAD
• I’ve had better butter chicken in Vancouver, although it was still good here.
• It was a sweet tomato gravy with some cardamom flavour and definitely not as creamy as the ones we have in Vancouver.
• Butter chicken is not traditional Indian food, but this seemed more Westernized than most.
• There were no onions in it and every Indian recipe starts off with onions almost, so I found it odd.

Dal Tadkewali - 4/6

• Yellow lentils tempered with onion, tomato and cumin, laced with fresh coriander $12 Ringgit – about $4CAD
• This is sooooo cheap.

• It was very creamy, but also a bit bland. There weren’t as many spices again.
• The best part as that it had a few chunks of dates in it which I loved. Not authentic, but a nice modern twist.
• However I’ve had a few home cooked versions so nothing really beats that. 

Deccan Rice – 3/6

• A South Indian specialty of basmati rice cooked with peanuts, tamarind and tempered yellow lentils RM 30 – $10CAD
• This was good, but also not memorable. It’s a top seller.
• The rice was a bit clumpy.

• I could taste some smokey cumin seed and it wasn’t really spicy although it’s meant to be. I wasn’t crazy about it. Just a simple fried Indian rice to go along side my curry.
• I loved the peanuts, although they could have been more toasted to enhance flavour – peanuts in rice isn’t really something to ‘wow’ over though.

**Mixed Fruit Raita – 4/6

• Appetizing light yogurt preparation $10 Ringgit – about $3CAD
• They offer regular, mixed fruit, and vegetable raita – but I was recommended the mixed fruit.
• It was canned mixed fruit (peaches, pears etc.) with some lychee, mango and flavorless canned papaya. I expect fresh fruit especially being in Malaysia – a tropical country!
• It almost tasted like vanilla yogurt, it was tangy but also quite sweet.
• I give it a 4/6 because it’s creative, and it was good but could have been easily better. It went well with my deccan rice.

**Naan – 5/6

• Plain Indian Tandoori naan $8 Ringgit – about $3CAD
• Hot off the real tandoor grill, freshly baked and made upon order.
• This was excellent.
• Very crispy and not too salty but nicely buttered with ghee.

**Garlic Naan - 5/6

• Indian Tandoori garlic naan $8 Ringgit – about $3CAD
• This was great, but I could find just as good in Vancouver.

Dessert

Rasmalai – 5/6

• Cottage cheese dumplings soaked and sweetened with thick milk.
• I don’t even like Indian desserts that much and I’ve had Rasmalai before, but this one was actually better than most.

• It was a very spongy and moist cottage cheese dumpling and it was topped with a little pistachio.
• I could taste a little rose water and cardamom flavour in the sweetened milk it was soaking in. The cheese dumpling absorbed a lot of the flavour.
• It’s wasn’t too sweet and I actually quite enjoyed it.

]]> http://www.followmefoodie.com/2010/06/kl-malaysia-vansh-indian-restaurant/feed/ 8