Chutney's Indian Grill

With the high prices of everything these days coupled with the uncertainty in the economy, it has been increasingly hard for many people to dine out.  I mean, even heading to McD's is not even that affordable.  Coupons withstanding, you can easily dish out $20.00 if you aren't careful with your ordering.  So when I run into inexpensive options that aren't necessarily fast food, it is definitely refreshing and it is especially true when the food is interesting and served in generous portions.  That was the case with Chutney's Indian Grill.  I recently checked out their Langley location just right off 200th. 

This counter-service restaurant is definitely no-frills, but still has a great selection of Indian street food and dishes.  We started with the Samosa Smashed Bowl.  Not served exactly in a bowl (because it was in a take-out box), the 2 veggie samosas did start off complete and were smashed in front of our eyes.  It was topped chickpeas, creamy jalapeno cilantro, raita, tamarind, sprinkle of chaat masala & any other toppings available at the counter.  This was great with crunchy bits of the samosa intertwined with the soft texture of the filling.  There was spice combined with the tanginess of tamarind chutney as well as the brightness of the mint chutney.

You can be forgiven if you confuse the Stuffed Kulca with the Jamaican dish Doubles (that has similar vibes).  This featured fluffy kulcha with a mix of seasoned potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, chaat masala and tamarind.  Combined with the tamarind chutney this was very similar to Doubles except with kulcha rather than fry bread.  Good mix of spice, tanginess and equal parts savouriness to go with the fluffy bread.

Something that was very North American but with an Indian twist was the Tandoori Chicken Sando.  This consisted of crispy fried chicken, served on a brioche bun, shredded romaine, pickled onions, creamy jalapeño cilantro + spicy crema.  This was legit where the chicken was juicy and spicy with a crunchy batter.  Loved that the veggies were fresh and crispy helping bring the heat down while the soft brioche was the perfect bun to let the crunchy chicken shine.

We couldn't decide which bowl to order, so we had all 3 including the Butter Chicken, Indo-Chicken Salad  and Steak & Crema Bowls.  Sure, they all had similar components other than the main protein (and the sauces) but they did eat differently.  The butter chicken was predictably more saucy and flavoured the rice underneath with minimal chutney or other sauces added.  Nice tanginess with some creaminess.  The Indo-Chicken Salad was flavourful with spice but of course needed some of the mint chutney for the greens.  The steak was pretty tender and well charred.

The most impressive items were the Meat Plate and Tandoori Chicken Platter.  Consisting of fries, naan, salad, butter chicken, rice, chutneys, tandoori chicken and grilled lamb.  Fantastic value at $17.95.  Strangely, I loved the fries as they were crispy with a soft potato centre.  As for the Tandoori Chicken Platter, it was another great deal at $13.95.  I would say that it was just as filling as the meat plate with lots of tender and flavourful chicken on top of rice.  As you can see, the food at Chutney's is well-portioned and reasonably-priced.  It is also delicious and well-prepared.  A really good choice for some casual eats whether it be dine-in or take-out.

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

The Good:

- Well-prepared eats

- Inexpensive

- Well-portioned

The Bad:

- Won't be as complete as a full-service restaurant, but you must remember the prices are reflective of that.