Mirch Masala

In my quest to find the best Indian restaurant in North Delta, it brought me to Mirch Masala. It was recommended by MD who is Indian and has been to most of the Indian restaurants in North Delta. MD, along with Tash joined me in grabbing some lunch at Mirch Masala today. There are several Indian restaurants nearby, they include Mahek, Mehfil and Desi Junction. I've been to Mahek and Desi Junction and both are quite decent; however, neither of which has wowed me. I might try Mehfil one day, but it's a buffet and I'm not sure about the quality (you know I will try it anyways).

Looking over the menu at Mirch Masala, I was thinking about having their lunch specials (which are similar to those at Mahek and Desi Junction), but MD suggested we just order off the menu. She's been here before and I'm not about to question her. So we decided to get the Butter Chicken, Lamb Vindaloo, Chicken Tikka, Chili Paneer, Butter Naan and Garlic Basil Naan. I can honestly say the Butter Chicken here is better than Mahek, Desi Junction and Bombay Palki. Why? Well, unlike the others, I could differentiate the tomato flavour from the cream. I'm not saying the others were not good; in fact, they were. It's just that the butter chicken at Mirch Masala had more prominent flavours. It was also very smooth and not too runny. One thing I didn't like about the butter chicken was that there were very few pieces of chicken. The Lamb Vindaloo was a bit spicier than others I've had in the past. Moreover, since it was spicier, I could not differentiate the other spices as much (cumin, tamarind, ginger and vinegar). However, the pieces of lamb were very tender and delicious. The Chili Paneer was very good. The cheese cubes had a very nice texture, they were fluffy and soft. MD said that it was cooked perfectly. Sometimes when you overcook it, it becomes hard. It was a bit spicy too, but it was balanced.

The Chicken Tikka, which is essentially boneless Tandoori Chicken, was served sizzling on a hot plate. The smell was so intoxicating, I could've been happy without eating it. But you know me, I'm going to eat it! The chicken was so tender, despite the fact it looked really well done on the outside. I added some yogurt/cilantro sauce and it really made it taste even better. The naan was fabulous. It was actually a bit thicker than I'm used to, but at the same time, it was soft and fluffy. However, I like the garlic basil naan at Desi Junction more because it had much more garlic flavour. You could see big chunks of garlic on that one, but the one at Mirch Masala didn't seem to have any.

The dining room at Mirch Masala certainly doesn't look like an Indian restaurant because this location has changed a few times. It looks like it was a European restaurant before. But, no matter what it was before, it's nice and clean; complete with a fireplace. Moreover, the staff were friendly and attentive. I enjoyed my visit to Mirch Masala and I can confidently say it's better than Mahek, Desi Junction and Bombay Palki.

The Good:
- Food tastes great
- Decent portions
- Clean and comfortable surroundings

The Bad:
- Lack of meat in their curries
- A bit pricier than some other places

Mirch Masala
9545 120th Street
Delta, B.C.
604-588-7795

Business Hours:
11:00am - 10:30pm (Sun - Thu)
11:00am - 11:00pm (Fri & Sat)