Moj Masti

We all know that there are plenty of Indian restaurants in town that offer a buffet of some sort.  They vary very much in selection and of course quality.  I've had some good ones recently and I feel that they were a good value.  Many of them are around $20.00 for the dinner buffet.  Of course we have the granddaddy of them all in Tandoori Flame which boasts up to 150 items.  However, that comes with a cost ranging from $37.00 to $43.00 for dinner.  What if one wanted a comprehensive Indian buffet that serves 50 different items, but only for $23.00?  Well, that would be Moj Masti out on King George Highway.  We dropped by to see how it stacks up to the other choices in town.

One look at the buffet section of the restaurant and it was pretty clear they were nearly offering their whole menu.  Starting with the Appies, we found a whole bunch of fried things like Paneer Bites, Samosas, Spring Rolls, Dahi Kebab, Paneer Sticks, Soya Chaap, Jalapeno Poppers, Paneer Tikka and Soya Chaap Manchurian.  My favourites of the bunch included the crispy spring rolls, the texturally appealing soya chaap (according to me, because I like them) and the samosas with a crunchy exterior and soft fluffy potato filling.  However, the paneer was on the firmer side and it was tough to eat more than a few pieces.

Moving over one section, we found Vegetable Soup, Vegetarian Noodles, Pasta, Sarson Ka Saag, Lahari Cholay, Kadi, Dal Makhani and Paneer Makhani. Despite not looking appetizing, the pasta was quite tasty.  It had a butter chicken-esque sauce and it was rich and flavourful.  The  vegetarian theme of this section didn't dilute the flavours nor the impact.

The last section had the meat curries including Goat Curry, Lamb Curry, Butter Chicken, Kadai Chicken, Fish Pakora, Chicken Soup, Chicken Tikka and Tandoori Chicken.  I thought the goat was delicious with an earthy notes and rich meaty tones.  The meat itself was gelatinous and super tender.  Lamb curry was on the same wavelength.  The dark meat chicken was juicy and well-marinated, but could've used more charring.

Also included with the buffet was made-to-order Naan.  We got both the regular and garlic versions.  Despite not having an aggressive char from the tandoor, the naan was still quite good.  it was crispy and nutty with a soft chewy interior.  We also had some drinks including the Masti Pacific Breeze, Masti Mock Mango Martini and Mango Shake (wasn't sure of the first drink).  I really liked the shake as it was a mango lassi but more creamy.

Moving onto the sweets, they had an attended Pani Puri station where they help prepare the classic street food, but also can combine the chickpeas from the buffet to make Channa Puri.  Right next to this station was a selection of random cookies and even mini-donuts.  Nothing particularly mind-blowing, but something for the kiddies.  For me it was all about the puri and that tangy tamarind and herbaceous coriander leaf water.

In addition to the aforementioned sweets, there was also Kheer and Custard.  I enjoyed these as the sweetness was balanced and hence, both were rather refreshing.  The bits of fruit in the custard added natural sweetness.  They also had a Chai machine and I chose to try the Ginger Chai.  It was also just sweet enough and plenty aromatic with a slight gingery finish.  Overall, the buffet at Moj Masti is a good value with lots of variety for everyone.  It is tough to find affordable, yet tasty eats these days, so it is nice to see that some of these places still exist.

The Good:

- Reasonably-priced

- Relatively good eats

- Lots of selection for the price

The Bad:

- Food could've been turned over a bit more (some items were near empty)

Salsa & Guacamole

Ah yes, hidden restaurants or sometimes referred to as hidden gems, those are places that aren't inherently obvious but are great places to dine at.  Generally, these spots are not actually hidden (mind you, some are like in an alley), but they are actually in a weird location and/or far away.  Well, Salsa & Guacamole can be considered a bit hidden, as it is underneath Old Surrey on 72nd Ave, yet it is also a gem because the food is great and the ambiance is surprisingly nice.  Jackie and I came here for a visit recently.

To start things off, we had some beverages including the Blue Caribbean and Pina Colada.   Both were tropical tasting and refreshing.  Those were great, but the real highlight was the Tequila Flight.  This featured 1800 Tequila Reposado, 1800 Tequila Anejo and 1800 Tequila Cristalino.  With my recent experience at the Tequila Festival, there were distinct differences between Tequilas.  I found the Reposado to have more bite with oakiness and slight spice.  As for the Anjeo, it was much smoother with spice and sweetness.  Lastly, the Cristalino is a charcoal-washed Tequila that was smooth with some spiciness and less oakiness.

Of course we needed some eats to balance off the booze right?  Well, it started off on a really good note with El Trio featuring 3 dips.  Chips were crispy and fresh, but the real stars of the show were the dips.  Starting with the Salsa, it was rich with a kick and balancing tanginess.  Guacamole was whipped, so it was super light and airy.  Also really fresh.  Best dip of all was the Queso Fundido with chorizo.  Cheesy and meaty!

Next up was the Fish Tacos with battered cod, cabbage, pickled red onion, cilantro and topped with house-made crema verde.  These were on point with soft flour tortillas and a crunchy piece of cod that was flaky and moist inside.  The rest of the components added crunch, freshness, acidity, brightness and creaminess.  Add in the side of salsa and a squeeze of the lime wedge and this was delicious.

On the topic of bright and fresh, the Ceviche was also appetizing.  It consisted of white fish, lime juice and red onion.  Naturally, there was a tanginess to the ceviche and the fish was cooked in the acid.  Texturally, it was buttery with a slight chew.  The onions added both crunch and sharpness to the dish.  We found 3 tostaditas to use for eating vessels and pico de gallo to provide further freshness and a touch of spice.

It seems like Birria Tacos are everywhere, yet for good reason - they are tasty!  The ones here were no exception as they were stuffed with tender shredded beef, cheese, onion and cilantro.  Loved that the tortillas were dipped in fat, but weren't overly greasy.  Aromatics were definitely there and the beef was meaty.  Lots of melted cheese added body and onions provided so bite.  Although not looking like it, the birria broth on the side was super flavourful with sweetness, umaminess and meatiness. 

We moved onto a large dish next with the Las Divorciadas featuring 2 green sauce and 2 red sauce enchiladas stuffed with chicken with rice, refried bean and sour cream on the side.  These were quite good with the red sauce covered with plenty of melted cheese.  I found the chicken to be tender while the red sauce had a muted tang.  Green was tangier and brighter.  Without the cheese, it allowed the chicken and tortilla to stand out more.

Ending off our meal, we had the 7 inch long Churros served with a side of ice cream.  We had one each stuffed with Nutella and Dulce de Leche.  I much preferred the latter as it was rich with sweet caramel.  The churro itself was crispy while still having some lightness inside.   Overall, the meal we had at Salsa and Guacamole was delicious, all served in a classy space.   Food was high quality and prepared with care.  Definitely a more refined Mexican dining experience.

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

The Good:

- Well-prepared eats

- Refined experience

- Nice dining space

The Bad:

- Parking is somewhat limited

Dhaliwal's Lounge

Yes, I've been to Dhaliwal's Lounge a few times now and I believe they offer some really solid Indian eats for a reasonable price.  Really like their interior decor as well, especially the entrance with all the flowers.  I've been invited back to highlight some of their lunch specials that are under $14.00 each.  I don't know about you, but to find a complete meal for that price these days is rarer than Taylor Swift tickets. In addition, we had a few other dishes too because they are just so tasty!

So about those lunch specials, we had both the Non-Veg and Veg Platters. For the Non-Veg ($13.95), there is a choice of appie: Chicken Tikka, Seekh Kebab or Samosa Parcel.  For this one we had the Chicken Tikka and it was juicy and well-marinated.  Good spice and earthiness.  For the Entree, there is a choice between Butter Chicken, Dhaba Chicken Curry, Goat Curry or Chicken Tikka Masala.  We chose the Goat Curry and it had some strong fall spice flavours combined with tender morsels of goat.  Each platter also includes Dal Makhni (which was plenty buttery and smooth), Garlic Naan, Naan, Tandoori Roti, Rice and Gulab Jamun.  Wait, it gets even better as you also get a choice of Masala Chai, Pop or Sweet/Salted Lassi.  These are available Monday to Sunday from 12:00pm - 4:00pm dine-in only.

For the Vegetarian Platter ($12.95), there are choices of appie including Paneer Arancini, Samosa Parcel or Vegetarian Pakora.  We chose the Paneer Arancini for this meal and they were crispy with soft crumbled paneer in the middle.  For the entree, the choices are: Rara Paneer Masala, Shahi Malai Kofta, Palak Paneer, Methi Paneer or Shahi Paneer.  We chose Shahi Paneer for this plate and it was creamy with mild spiciness.  It was loaded with squishy paneer.  Naan was solid being blistered an crispy on the outside and soft & chewy on the inside.

Since Jackie had never been to Dhaliwal's before, we ordered some dishes off the regular menu including the Non-Veg Appetizer Platter consisting of Chicken Tikka, Lamb Chops, Fish Pakora, Malai Chicken Tikka and Sheekh Kebab.  Pretty solid array of food here with the lamb chops being my favourite.  Tender and well-charred, these were marinated perfectly with a smoky nuttiness.  Fish pakora were crispy and flaky while the malai chicken was saucy and really soft.  Sheekh kebab were also juicy and fully spiced.

We had a few items from the Happy Hour menu including the Desi-Style Nachos with chicken, black beans, jalapenos, banana peppers, olives, bell peppers, green onions and cheese.  So really, this was a pretty typical plate of nachos except with some Indian-spiced chicken.  In this way, the nachos ate much less "wet" than some of the other Indian versions I've had (that usually sports butter chicken on it).  Therefore, the chips were crunchy and could be dipped into the side of sour cream and salsa without falling apart.

Staying with appetizers, we tried one of their new dishes in the Szechuan Prawns featuring tiger prawns dressed in a sweet and spicy sauce, white wine, ginger and garlic.  This was a pleasant dish where the prawns were perfectly cooked.  They had a meaty snap with plenty of natural sweet prawn aroma.  As for the sauce, it was definitely garlicky and gingery with hits of spice and also sweetness.  I liked how they weren't overdressed.

Another new item we tried was the Honey & Orange Chicken with fresh orange, soya sauce, ginger, garlic and green onions.  Unlike the usual versions of orange chicken out there, this didn't feature aggressively-fried chicken.  Rather, these pieces of chicken sported a rather light batter.  The chicken itself was tender.  I found the sauce to be fairly sweet with only small amounts of tanginess.  Definitely tasted the ginger though.

Onto some mains, we had the Chicken Korma, Butter Chicken and Chicken Biryani.  As usual, the curries were on point with the korma being creamy with a background nuttiness and earthiness.  Butter chicken was balanced in terms of creaminess and tanginess.  Lots of spice and the chicken was tender.  As for the biryani, it featured fragrant and chewy basmati rice that had taken on all the flavours of the earthy and fall-type spices.  Lots of depth and also sweetness and spice.

Onto the sweets, we had a trio of items including the Gajar Ka Halwa, Rabri & Faluda with ice cream and a Chocolate Lava Cake.  I've always enjoyed the sweet spiced carrots with pistachio in the gajar ka halwa and this one was good.  Just sweet enough and aromatic.  Creamy and sweet, the fabri & faluda of course sported the classic noodles.  Lastly, the most non-Indian dessert was the lava cake and it was moist and sweet with molten chocolate throughout, not just in the middle.  So another solid meal at Dhaliwal's where we got to sample their lunch specials.  Such good value.  But the rest of their menu is great too and also well-priced.

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

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Nice dining space

- Lunch specials are an incredible value

The Bad:

- Love their cocktails, but a few are very strong though (well, unless you like strong, then it is good)

Paratha 2 Pasta

With a name like Paratha 2 Pasta, you'd expect there to be noodles right?  Maybe Indian-style perhaps?  Well I've heard from friends that they do indeed have pasta and it was pretty good.  I checked the online Doordash menu and yes it is there order.  However, Jacqueline and I didn't have any pasta.  Rather we went straight into the Indian dishes and didn't look back.  Loved the cute robots delivering our food.  Such a gimmick, but hey, we don't mind it!

Before we got to the food, we had a variety of drinks including the Punjab Da Famous Mango Shake, Strawberry Daiquiri, Mojito and Candylicious.  Really enjoyed the mango shake as it was thick, but drinkable.  Lots of flavour and the added fruit was oddly appealing with texture.  The daiquiri was a bit icy, but tasted good and not too boozy.  Mojito was also tasty and refreshing.  Finally, the Candylicious came with a bubble on top and was a nice novelty.

Onto the eats, we tried both the Noodle Burger and the Spicy Chicken Burger.  Both came with starch-covered fries.  I found them to be quite good with the carb-on-carb noodle burger surprisingly tasty.  The al dente noodles were nicely seasoned and came with a potato patty, onion, tomato and spiced mayo.  I found the chicken burger to be rather spicy and impactful.  The chicken itself was tender and juicy.  Loved the combination of tangy and heat.

Arriving on a sizzling cast iron plate, we had the Tandoori Chicken consisting of 3 drumsticks and 3 thighs.  This was probably one of the juiciest versions of this dish I've ever had.  Even though the chicken was charred on the outside, the meat on was super tender and moist.  Moreover, the yogurt marinade penetrated the meat and it was nicely spiced.  Really enjoyed the mayo dip that came with the dish.

I've had Indian-style nachos at other places along Scott Road, but the Butter Chicken Nachos here was possibly one of the best versions.  Loaded with melted cheese, each chip was totally covered. Hence, there was no shortage of textures and flavours.  That included the creamy butter chicken sauce that had good spice and tang.  The big chunks of chicken breast were still moist and tender.

Continuing with the appies, we had the Chicken Deep Fried Momos. Firmly crunchy on the outside, the filling of the momo was tender.  There was a good amount of chicken and veggies inside that were moist and juicy.  There was enough seasoning that the filling had a good balance of sweet and savoury.  I particularly enjoyed that the dumplings were not greasy despite being deep fried.  The chili sauce on the side added the necessary spice.

Another fantastic deep-fried dish was the Kurkure Chicken Roll.  This looked heavy at first, but ultimately the fried roll was actually rather light.  The crispy exterior was thin and easily eated while the rest of the layers were soft and fluffy.  Inside, the chicken was tender and completely coated in melted cheese and peppers.  So messy, crunchy and tasty.  This roll was one of my favourite items for the meal.

Looking like a pizza pocket or an Italian Trapizzino, the Szechuan Chicken Pocket Kulcha featured a good amount of tangy, sweet and spicy sauce.  Hidden within, there was tender pieces of chicken much like the chicken roll.  Those bread pockets were super soft and light.  Biting into them, it was almost as if there was nothing there.  That made the pockets much lighter than they appeared.

Of course we couldn't dine at Paratha 2 Pasta without actually ordering some praratha right?  So we got the Chicken Curry that came with 2 Plain Paratha.  This looked rather unassuming, but I assure you, it was plenty delicious.  The chicken curry was rich and fatty (in a good way) with noted spice and plenty of spices.  The chicken had been cooked down enough that it soaked up all the flavours as well as being fork tender.  The paratha was chewy, yet not overly heavy especially for an unleavened bread.

We didn't stop there as we also got the Paneer Paratha stuffed with cheese and spices.  This ate very differently than the plain version.  It was much more robust in texture.  It was also fluffier inside beyond the firm exterior.  On that inside, the cheese and spices added considerable body and impact.  There was definitely a cheesiness accented by the spices.  Loved dipping it into the yogurt on the side, but the butter was also great.

Lastly, we had the Chole Halwa Puri Plate featuring deep fried wheat bread accompanied by chickpea curry.  This fry bread was crispy while fluffy in the middle.  Being fry bread, it was on the greasier side though.  The chickpea curry was flavourful and sweet from the onions while earthy from the spices.  Overall, we were rather impressed with the food from P2P.  Portions were large and prices were reasonable.  Didn't get to try the pasta or some of their other curries.  Would come back to have them next time!

*This post featured complimentary food and beverages

The Good:

- Delicious eats

- Large portions

- Cute robot servers

The Bad:

- Menu is probably a bit too large, totally missed the pasta while scrolling through it!

Clove - The Art of Dining

If you haven't already noticed, Indian cuisine (particularly Punjabi) is fast becoming more refined and served in fancier digs. Much like the humble Cantonese restaurants of the 70 and 80's, we now find higher end establishments littering the dining landscape.  Of course prices go up with the territory, but we are finding superior service, modern spaces and elevated food.  One of the newer high-end Indian restaurants to hit the scene is Clove - The Art of Dining.  Jacqueline and I were invited to sample some of their wares.

There was a set menu for us that started with the Scallop & Shrimp with cauliflower alleppey, raw mango, sago crisps and curry leaf dust.  As you can see, this was nicely plated with bold colours. It ate quite well too with buttery and nicely seared scallops.  The puréed cauliflower was smooth and creamy with aromatics.  We loved the sago crisps as they were crunchy and light.  They were great to pick up the remaining alleppey.

Next we had the Goan Salmon Fish Cakes coated with rava with pickled mooli and mango sriracha sauce.  Although looking rather pale on the outside, the fish cakes were crispy and not greasy.  Inside, the salmon was moist with some drier parts.  I thought that the sweetness of the salmon came through, but it did really need the sauce to add the necessary kick as well as moisture.

Onto the mains, we had the classic New Delhi Butter Chicken.  Since this was mainly comprised of roasted tomatoes, the tanginess was more muted while the creaminess was quite apparent.  The use of tandoori chicken thighs meant the meat was more tender and moist as well as exhibiting umaminess due to the fat content.  I thought this was a well-balanced butter chicken where the spices came through with a bit of heat.

 

We were presented with something I've had recently was the Bombay-Style Parsi Lamb Kheema.  I personally think these are the tastiest "sloppy Joe's" around.  The lamb kheema was tender, moist and full-flavoured with a touch of spice.  Loved the sunny side egg on top as it added another layer of silkiness.  Those buns were toasted just right to be soft the inside and firm on the outside.

So Jacqueline isn't much into lamb (hey, but I am!), so they supplied an alternate dish in the Kadhai Paneer.  This consisted of bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, roasted kadhai masala and fenugreek.  This was a savoury and spiced concoction that helped flavour the squishy paneer.  Lots of robust spiciness from the masala that helped make this a good compliment to the rice and naan.

About that Garlic Naan, it was good.  I found the pillowy soft texture was complimented by equal parts of elasticity.  On the outside, there was leoparding providing nuttiness and some crispiness.  It was brushed with ghee and littered with garlicky goodness.  We also got the Assorted Papad with 3 chutneys including chatpatta hummus, smoked tomato garlic, and mango chili.  These chutneys really complimented the crispy papadams.  I especially enjoyed the smoked tomato garlic as it was layered with flavours and aromatics.

Onto dessert, we had the Gulab Jamun Cheesecake.  Yes, you read it right, the really sweet doughball soaked in rose water has been combined with a cheesecake.  The result was a more balanced dessert with the sweetness from the gulab jamun making up for the mild-tasting cream cheese.  I really enjoyed the bite of cheesecake and a touch of the gulab jamun.  I found the crust to be nicely firm as well.  Overall, the food at Clove was good and plated nicely.  The dining space is gorgeous and fitting of a fine dining establishement.  This is another great addition to the higher-end Indian within the Surrey restaurant scene.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Gorgeous dining space

- Solid eats

- Elevated experience

The Bad:

- Parking lot can get rather busy at times