Indian Oven

Indian food in Vancouver (the actual city, not the burbs) can a be a bit hit and miss.  Some are pretty authentic and flavourful while others can be too middle-of-the-road.  I guess that can be said about Chinese food too.  However, there are some really good Indian restaurants in town, much like the aforementioned Chinese food.  Jackie and I made our way to Indian Oven on West 4th in Kits.  Sure, the location doesn't scream out authentic Indian eats, but hey, we always have an open mind.

We began with the Indian Oven Special Platter with veg pakora, veg samosa, paneer pakora, chicken pakora, & fish pakora.  This was a large portion of food and most of it was on point.  Large and flaky, the fish pakora featured a spiced thin batter that was crispy.  The chicken had an equally thin batter but was a little more cooked than the fish.  It wasn't dry though and was nicely complimented by the chutneys.    The veg samosa was crispy and not greasy while filled with caraway-spiced potatoes that were tender and moist.

Next the sizzling Tandoori Soya Chaap arrived smoking hot at our table.  Sometimes, these cast iron platters do a little sizzle, but this one was seriously sizzling for over 5 minutes and continued on for quite some time.  Hence, the whole dish was smoky and hot with tender pieces of soya chaap.  There was nice spice to the dish and believe me, the smoke got in my eyes (The Platters, if you don't get the reference). Like the table next to us, we were coughing due to the spice!

Normally, I'm not super enthused about Veg Chow Mein at an Indian restaurant.  However, this time around, I really enjoyed this version.  Good wok hei (wok's breath) that produced delicious caramelization and smokiness.  The noodles were chewy and al dente while completely seasoned (with a good amount of black pepper).  There was a bevy of vibrant vegetables that were tender but mushy.  Even without meat, I found this hearty and satisfying.

Naturally, we had to try the classic Butter Chicken even though some consider it a bit defaultish.  It is just like how I like to try the Sweet & Sour Pork at Chinese restaurants.  That is something I do...  So this butter chicken was appealingly creamy and on the sweeter side.  Hence, both elements helped temper the tomato tang.  Not sure if they used fresh tomatoes, but it seemed like it because the sauce was less tomato paste-like.  The pieces of chicken were tender.

One of the most impactful items was the Coconut Chicken as the sauce was super flavourful.  We've had this dish many times before and it is generally aromatic and creamy (It is Jackie's favourite Indian curry!).  This seemed like it was amped with a considerable amount of coconut flavour.  It seemed to me that there was more than just coconut milk and cream.  It was purposefully sweet and balanced. As like the butter chicken, the meat was tender and moist.

My personal favourite dish was the Lamb Tikka Masala, partly because I love lamb but also it was prepared well.  The large chunks of meat were surprisingly tender consider the lean cut.  Absolutely loved the appetizing tanginess of the sauce.  It really helped cut through the heaviness of the meat.  Due to the tomato tang-forwardness of the dish, some of the spices were a bit muted.  However, the earthiness did come through and there was some spice.

In addition to the butter chicken, we went with another classic Northern Indian dish in the Palak Paneer.  Indeed, it was a familiar rendition where the ginger really stood out.  It helped keep things bright while the pureed spinach had some earthiness (from the cumin) and natural sweetness.  The ample amount of paneer was squishy and delicate, rather than being too firm like some versions.  Really good version of this dish.

One of the more striking dishes (in terms of appearance) was the Shyam Shavera (Spinach Paneer Kofta).  These beautiful spinach balls stuffed with paneer were texturally-pleasing being soft and delicate.  It sat in a tomato sauce that was more tangy than the butter chicken, but had similar elements with spice and earthy tones.  In addition to some peas pulao, we had the Wings Biryani.  Being bone-in and with the skin, the chicken wings provided the dish with more natural flavour and essence.  The hearty rice was chewy and nutty with spice and strong cardamom notes.

In addition to the rice dishes we ordered, of course we had to add in some breads too.  That we did in the Garlic Naan and the Spinach Paneer Naan.  I found the garlic naan to be soft and pillowy while exhibiting a good elasticity.  The bottom had some charring and was crispy.  Due to the spinach and cheese, the other naan was soft and more pliable.  It had more moisture too, so it ate with less chew.  Good amount of filling meant this was pretty tasty on its own.

Lastly, we were served a variety of cocktails featuring a Mojito, Rose Sangria Smash, La Vie en Rose, Blue Lagoon and Guava Martini.  As you can see, these were colourful and featured some appealing accompaniments.  I personally loved the Mojito with its usual herbaceousness and also the Guava Martini (as I love guava!).  Overall, the food at Indian Oven was really good and despite its location in Kits, is legit.  Portion sizes were good and the prices were completely fair.

 

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Legit Indian cuisine

- Generous portion sizes

- Spacious dining room

 

The Bad:

- Maybe being located upstairs might be inconvenient for some