Petrichor Social Restaurant & Bar

When I heard that Jules Bistro was closing at the end of 2023, it marked the end of its run in Gastown since 2007.  I had made a visit way back 2010 and then again in 2022, which would almost bookend their years in existence.   Not long after it closed, a new French restaurant, Petrichor, opened up in March 2024 in its place.  French native chef/owner Luc Duval offers up a slice of Southern French cuisine in a remodelled dining space that is inviting and quaint.

We arrived in time for happy hour and decided to get some cocktails for only $10.00.  Yes, that is correct, any of their cocktails are only $10.00 during happy hour!  We had From Mexico with Love and the Grenoble Sour.  I liked both but preferred the former as it had more pop in the form of lime, blueberry syrup and ginger beer.   The sour was much more subtle and the sweetness of pineapple juice.  

Also, we went for the Crab Croquettes for $15.00, also on the happy hour menu.  This came in a trio of crab cakes that were topped with saffron aioli and sat on a bed of spring mix.  These crab cakes were on the lighter side with an airiness inside.  Hence, it wasn't exactly packed with crab, but especially for the price, there was a sufficient amount that was fluffy.  Outside was uniformly crispy and the aromatics from the aioli was impactful.

Next, we had the House Brioche served with brown butter for $12.00.  This featured a whole brioche charred on the grill.  It had a lightly crisp exterior with some nutty smokiness from the char.  On the inside, it was super fluffy and steaming warm.  Presented as streaks on the plate, the whipped butter was super creamy and amplified in terms of tasting like butter.  Naturally, being brown butter, it was nutty and sweet.  There was minimal salt added to it, which meant the aforementioned flavours were more pronounced.

Onto the regular items, we decided to go for the Coquilles St. Jacques for $38.50.  Plated with 3 whole scallops on the shell, it was dressed in its classic bechamel with carrots, leeks and bread crumbs.  There was some piped potato puree on the perimeter of the shell.  I thought this was prepared quite nicely as the scallop was plump and still bouncy.  It was super sweet and had a concentrated scallop flavour where the brininess really came through.  The bechamel was creamy with sweetness from the veggies, but could've used more salt.  On the side, there was a salad and grilled herb brioche.

We also decided on the Creamy Sausage Ragu Pappardelle with sage, dijon mustard and confit onion-infused cream.  This was also quite good with al dente ribbons of pasta that were not clumpy.  There was enough cream sauce to keep things fluid without drowning the pasta at the same time.  Flavours were rather subtle with the meatiness of the sausage being the dominant texture and taste.  I could get a bit of the sweet onion as well as the background with the earthy herbal taste of sage.  

Lastly, we shared the 32 oz. Dry Aged Bone-in Ribeye.  We asked for this to be prepared medium (since my dining partner prefers it this way).  It came out more-or-less medium with some medium-rare portions (that I personally prefer).  The meat was nicely crusted and just salted enough.  The meat was full of umami and a bit of mustiness due to the dry aging.  Great flavour and super tender.  It didn't look like a lot, but we didn't finish it.

 

We had a choice of 2 sides to go with the steak as well as a herb butter.  Our choice of sides included the Pommes Dauphine and the Roasted Butternut Squash.  Those crispy little potato pillows were so delicious.  Beautifully salted, they were like a little snack.  The roasted butternut squash was caramelized and sweet.  They were soft, but not mushy.  Overall, we enjoyed the meal at Petrichor and it did bring me back to Southern France.  Only thing missing was a version of socca!  The place is cute and the happy hour is a good value.  Would come back.

The Good:

- Cute and quaint

- Solid eats

- Happy hour is a good value, especially the cocktails

The Bad:

- Some dishes could use more salt

Bar Corso

While I was in Montreal last year, I sadly didn't get a chance to meet up with Sexy Mexi.  But she was in town in August and had some time to meet up!  We decided to check out Bar Corso on Commercial Drive where they offer up beverages with small plates to share.  They describe themselves as a place where you might forget that you are in Vancouver and be transported to the streets of Rome.  Well, I must attest to that as I was just in Rome last year.  It really felt like a slice of the old world with drinks and delicious Italian plates.

Since we were in time for Happy Hour, we decided to get 2 each of the Tonno and Wagyu Crostino.  If this was what we were going to get for our entire meal just based on these little bites, we were in for a treat!  Nicely charred, the crostinis were aggressively oiled and maintained their crunchy texture despite being topped with wet components.  I found the tuna to be buttery soft and sweet while the tonnato underneath added even more appealing fishiness and creaminess.  The fried capers provided the necessary salt.  As for the Wagyu, it was buttery soft while the addition of smoked bone marrow emulsion added a smoky silkiness that was full of depth.  Those pickles broke up the heaviness and the onion ash gave a background smokiness.

Next, the Beef Carpaccio was presented in a very unique manner.  They sliced the dry-aged Wagyu thin and wrapped it around watercress and then topped it off with capers, egg yolk jam and puffed quinoa.  I found this way easier to eat as we could just pick them up and pop them in our mouths.  The meat was buttery with a pleasant meatiness where the watercress brightened things up with a slight pepperiness.  Loved the egg yolk jam as it was custardy and aromatic.  Capers added crunch and saltiness while the crunch of quinoa was so appealing.

Absolutely loved the Italian Burrata with heirloom tomatoes, fermented honey, balsamic pearls and walnuts.   This was a substantial plate with a variety of plump tomatoes that were flavourful and sweet on their own.  However, the addition of fermented honey not only imparted some sweetness, it also had tanginess.  That was further enhanced by the balsamic pearls which provided more tang and sweetness.  As for the burrata, it was creamy and was a natural compliment to the tomatoes.  Loved the crunch of the walnuts as a textural contrast.

The Fior Di Zucca was a little bit different than other versions I've had.  Usually, the zucchini blossom is stuffed with some type of cheese, usually ricotta.  Hence, it is fairly light and matches the blossoms delicate texture despite the deep frying. In this case, it was stuffed with an A5 Wagyu meatball.  If you can imagine, this was much more robust and filling.  The meat was moist while till meaty in texture.  The white plum mostarda added sweetness and a slight kick to the plate while the spiced house ricotta provided creaminess.

Onto the bigger plates, we had the Aglio e Olio Di Mare.  This was friggin' fantastic featuring al dente angel hair pasta that was bathed in EVOO, calabrian chili, garlic and bisque.  In addition to this, this was a expert level use of salt.  Just bordering on salty without being so, the flavours were amped as I got brininess, creaminess, silkiness and a bit of spice.  There was sauteed prawns that went through some high heat as the flavours were caramelized but they were not overcooked.

Lastly, we had the 6 oz Bavette Steak with roasted romain and fermented garlic zabaione.  Prepared somewhere between medium-rare and medium, the steak was still moist and tender.  It was seasoned well on its own, but the pungent zabaione was creamy and aromatic.  Loved the grilled romaine as it was still slightly crunchy but nicely wilted.  It was also well-salted.  Overall, we quite enjoyed the food at Bar Corso.  Definitely reminded me of Rome, especially sitting outside.  I thought the pricing was reasonable and the portion sizes were fair.  I would definitely come back to chill outside again (when the weather is permitting) and share some food and drinks.

The Good:
- Tasty food
- Loved sitting outside
- Fair pricing given the quality and portion sizes

The Bad:
- Outside is fantastic, but inside is a bit dark

H2 Kitchen + Bar

I have fond memories of the Westin Bayshore as it was "the" hotel back in the 70's.  It was originally The Bayshore Inn before Westin bought it in 1981.  Everyone knew about Trader Vic's, the Polynesian-themed restaurant located within.  Fast forward to the recent past and the present, Westin is now owned by Marriott and their current flagship restaurant, H2 Kitchen & Bar has gone through a few iterations.  They have been featuring a Southern-style menu for quite some time and also a Sunday Supper Series, which features a 3-course meal for $40.00.  I've been here on many occasions including their wonderful Mother's Day brunch.  But this time, I came back with the fam to try out their current Sunday Supper feature in addition to their Smokehouse favourites.

Before we got to the mains, we decided to start off with a few appies including the Baked Spinach Dip featuring a 4-cheese blend, pimento, pico de gallo and caramelized onion with corn tortillas.  This was pretty typical with a creamy mix of cheese and spinach with tomatoes and onion.  I felt that they was pretty flavourful and full of textures.  Although they were pretty generous with the melted cheese on the top, it was probably a bit too much as it made the dip heavier.  However, what do I know?  A lot of melted cheese and chips?  I'm sure many people would love that!

One of the best items we had was the Bison Tartare served atop smoked bone marrow topped with pickled mustard seed and aioli.  This was accompanied by house made waffle chips.   As for the tartare itself, it was buttery soft (despite being lean) and well-dressed.  The whole mix of ingredients was creamy and slightly tangy.  Combined with the fatty bone marrow, the little bite atop each chip was sinfully delicious and silky.  Loved the crispy chips as they were the perfect textural contrast for the tartare.  I only wished that the chips were slightly larger in size as I wanted more of the tartare on top of each piece!  Lastly, the whole thing was brought to the table underneath a glass cloche with an intoxicating amount of smoke.  Nice presentation and added even more smokiness to the tartare.

Our last starter was the Chicken & Corn Chowder, that was included in the Sunday Supper Series 3-course meal.  This was an enormous portion that ate much more like a chicken pot pie than a chowder, especially with the piece of puff pastry on top.  The viscosity was of the chowder was on point as it coated the spoon without being clumpy.  There was an abundance of natural chicken flavour in the thickened broth as well as being properly seasoned.  There was no absence of tender chicken and soft potatoes (that were still in one piece).

Onto the mains, the featured dish for the Sunday Supper Series was the Smoked Picanha with roasted carrots and broccolini, red skin mashed potatoes, burnt onion jus and chimichurri.  This was one big plate of food where the picanha was medium-rare and sliced thin.  As such, the meat ate fairly tender despite having an inherent chew.  Thick and silky, the onion jus was full of depth and intense smoky sweetness with a bite.  Those roasted veggies were perfect where they retained a fresh crunchiness.  The chimichurri was bright and garlicky, which lightened up the richness of the dish.

Just because he loves burgers, my son ordered the Whiskey BBQ Beef Burger with cheddar, bacon and all the produce on brioche.  This was a well-constructed burger where the Prairie Ranchers beef patty was thick and fairly moist while sporting a nice char outside.  The bacon was supremely crispy and the thick slice of melted cheddar coated the whole patty.  Naturally, the whiskey BBQ sauce took centre stage offering up a smoky sweet tang with the unmistakable bite of whiskey.  Good balance on that.   He subbed the waffle fries with yam fries, which were uniformly crispy served with a spicy chipotle mayo.

For Viv and I, we had to try their Date Night Meat Sweats that included 1/2 lb of CAB Smoked Brisket, 1/2 lb of Smoked Pulled Pork, half a rack of St. Louis Ribs, Cornbread, House Pickles, 2 Sides (Mac & Cheese, Ancho Creamed Corn) and choice of Sauce (OG H2 BBQ Sauce) for $68.00.  Considering the amount of food, we felt this was a very well-priced platter.  Moreover, the components were good too.  The brisket was fatty and buttery soft while the pulled pork was tender.  There was a balanced smokiness to the meats as well.  As for the ribs, they were large and meaty while tender enough.  I liked how the meat still had a chew and wasn't completely melting.  Yes, these were legit smoked ribs (not par-cooked and then BBQ'd).  Loved the BBQ sauce as it was tangy, smoky and sweet.  Oh that cornbread was fantastic as it was moist with a firm texture.  The spiced butter only helped elevate it.  For our sides, we chose the Mac & Cheese and it was excellent being cheesy and creamy with al dente noodles.  The Ancho Creamed Corn was also creamy with a bite.

The Sunday Supper Series also included Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert.  We enjoyed this as the cake itself was soft, fluffy and smoky.  It wasn't overly sweet, but the actual caramel sauce underneath was plenty sweet.  However, we liked how we could regulate how sweet we wanted it by either soaking it in the sauce or not.  It was topped with creamy vanilla ice cream and a crunchy brandy snap.  We also added another dessert in the Apple & Caramel Cheesecake.  This ate more like a crumble with a cheesecake crust.  In that respect, I really enjoyed it as the apples were sweet and tart while the cheesecake was classic New York-style being firm and rich.  Overall, the food was just as good as the previous visits we've had at H2.  The best part is their reasonable pricing given that they are a Downtown hotel restaurant.  You can really eat here and not break the bank.  Something that cannot be said about eating out these days.

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

The Good:
- Generally well-prepared eats
- Menu is focused
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Maybe less choice for the people who don't like BBQ

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)

Elysium

During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Jackie and I visited Hanok Korean in Richmond in search of good jajangmyeon. Yes, it was all about the simple joys of life during that time sadly... Well, Hanok is gone and in its place is another Korean joint called Elysium Korean Bistro.  We were invited over to check it out and have some Soju Bombs.  I was curious about those and also if the food was any better than Hanok (which was a bit hit and miss).  We visited shortly after dining across the street at Kazuhan just a few days earlier.  Yep, the snow was still around, but thankfully everything was plowed.

If you want to see the Soju Bombs, be sure to check out the Reel on IG.  But as for the food, we were served a selection of Banchan including kimchi, salad, broccoli, bean sprouts, tofu skins, stewed potato and omelette.  These were pretty solid and I especially enjoyed the potatoes because they were in big chunks and stayed intact.  Also, they weren't overly sweet.  Tofu skins were good too with a nice marinade and chewy texture.  I thought the kimchi was spicy enough but need some brininess.

As much as the pricing at Elysium is reasonable considering the quality and portion size, the best deals (if you had enough people) are the BBQ Combos.  We got Combo 4 ($130.00) which came with a Seafood Pancake.  As you can see, the pancake was large in diameter.  It also contained enough seafood that you could actually see it.  Beyond the crispy and non-greasy exterior, there was indeed a lot of seafood as well as minimal green onion (not as much filler) and a soft texture.

Also included in the BBQ Combo is a fairly large hot pot of Gamjatang (Pork Bone Soup).  You may not see in the picture, but we found 4 large neck bones within.  These were cooked down until the meat fell off the bones and took on the flavours of the soup.  Good spice in this one as well as a meatiness and natural sweetness from the onions.  This was piping hot and remained as such even after our incessant picture-taking.

We added a few dishes that were not part of the BBQ combo just to get a sense of the menu.  One of which was the Soondae or blood sausage.  Unlike some other versions I've had, this one was a lot lighter and almost fluffy.  The blood flavour was fairly mild due to it being rice and vermicelli forward.  It was lightly sweet with only the slightest hint of spice and seasoning.  There seemed to be also very little fat in the sausage, which kept it from being too heavy. 

Back to the BBQ Combo, the main event is the BBQ Meats consisting of beef, chicken, pork and LA beef ribs.  This was a considerable amount of meat and the picture doesn't really do it justice.  It arrived sizzling on a cast iron plate and our server helped cut the meat into smaller pieces. The ribs were my favourite since they were nicely marinated being sweet and caramelized from the grilling.  The chicken was tender and juicy while also being well-marinated.  Beef was seared well and was tender while the pork was a touch drier.

For no other reason that we really love Cold Spicy Noodles, we had to add that to the meal as well.  Although you cannot see it in this picture, the hard-boiled egg was not overdone and didn't have any dark rings.  As for the noodles, they were appealingly chewy and the right temperature (cold, but not brain-freeze cold).  There was enough sauce to coat all the noodles and it was pretty tasty with heat, sweetness, tang and aromatics.  Interestingly, I forgot to take a picture of the Kimbap (which you can see a bit of it in this picture).  Gotta say has to be one of the better ones I've had lately.  It was constructed well and did not fall apart while not being too firm.  Lots of tuna and ingredients and minimal rice.

Last, but not certainly least, we had the eye-catching Mille-Feuille Nabe which was a hot pot on a burner sporting meat and Napa cabbage in layers.  Underneath, we found potato starch noodles, that soaked up all of the tasty broth.  This was super comforting and great for a cold day (which it was).  The tender cabbage and meat was quite filling and this hot pot should really be shared among 4 people.  So in the end, we found Elysium to be quite good.  Portions are large and the food is executed properly.  To top it off, there are some cool things here such as the Soju Bombs and the Mille-Feuille Nabe.

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

The Good:
- Delicious food
- Large portions
- Some theatrics with the Soju Bombs and and IG-worthy Mille-Feuille Nabe

The Bad:
- Not many negatives other than this is Richmond and there is a parking lot. Have fun!

Showshaa - The Modern Taproom

Wow, the third South Surrey post in a row!  This must be some sort of record...  Well, it wasn't smooth sailing this time around as not only we hit rush hour traffic, there was an overturned car on Hwy 99.  Yah, that took us a long time to get there.  Also, I accidentally deleted the picture of the restaurant, so the one here is from Foodology (who is nice enough to let me use it!).  As you can see, the restaurant is Showshaa and they are yet another bougie Indian restaurant that offers up modern dishes within a classy dining space.

Since we were here during Happy Hour, we sampled a few items from that menu including the Sesame Paneer Fingers with a sweet and spicy chili sauce.  Nice presentation being served in its own shot glasses and dip.  It was practical too since we could double-dip to our hearts content.  I found the dip necessary too as the sticks themselves were all about texture and needed something something.  About that texture, the outside was crunchy while the inside was the usual soft squishiness of paneer.

Next up, we had the Mumbai Spiced Prawns served with a creamy dip.  Honestly, I didn't even use the dip as the prawns themselves were a flavour bomb.  The red chili powder not only gave the prawns an appealing colour, there was some earthy spice to them.  I did use the lemon wedge to bring some brightness to the dish though.  Prawn texture was on point too with a meaty snap and a slight exterior crunch.

Staying with small fried bites, we got the Fish Pakora served with tartar sauce and creamy mint chutney.  The large chunks of Pacific cod were moist and flaky while the batter was crispy and light.  Nice earthiness from the marinade and the spices in the batter.  I did dip these in the chutney and it was creamy with definite herb notes while being bright as well.

Yes, here is another fried item in the Chicken Lollipops but believe me, they fry things beautifully at Showshaa!  These "Frenched" chicken drumettes had all of the meat bunched up at the end and that created a pocket of juiciness while the outside was supremely crunchy.  These were good on their own, but dunking them into the hot garlic sauce on the side meant there was some real flavour going on.

One of the more interesting dishes was the Showshaa Signature Sizzler with chicken tikka, cheesy Szechuan sauce, rice, fries and vegetables.  This was a mess of food figuratively and literally.  Such zestiness with sweet, tang and spice combined with tender pieces of chicken.  Not only was the rice a nice way to enjoy the sauce, the fries were equally enjoyable in a poutine-like manner.

One of their best Happy Hour deals is the Butter Chicken Combo complete with naan and rice for only $16.99!  How many places can you get a complete meal for that price these days?  Well, price is one thing, but how about execution?  As you can see, the naan was nicely blistered with a crispy bottom while the rest of it was soft with an appealing chew.  The butter chicken featured tender chunks of thigh meat while the sauce was creamy and rich.  It had mild tomato notes, smokiness and a medium spice level.

Attractively-plated, the Mixed Grill Board featured Soya Chaap, Chicken Tikka, Tandoori Fish, and Malai Chicken Tikka.  We found naan sticks in the middle as well as a host of sauces.  I found most of the meats to be nicely charred and marinated while tender.  However, the fish was a bit over done.  Loved the naan sticks as they were crispy with some pleasant elasticity.  This was a very good sharing platter that had curb appeal.

We finished strong with a host of curries including Lamb Rogen Josh, Chicken Korma, Coconut Fish Curry,  Mata Malai Methi and   Amritsari Cholay.  These were on point and delicious.  I particularly loved the fish curry as it was aromatic and sweet.  The lamb was tender with plenty of the usual fall-flavour spices.  Chicken korma was nutty and sweet while the chickpea curry was sweet with some spice.  Finally, the mata malai methi was full of sweet peas in a creamy mild curry.  Overall, the food at Showshaa is good and well-portioned.  Love the dining space and they really like to put on a show with their drinks and plating of the food.  Good option out in South Surrey for Northern Indian cuisine.

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

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Well-portioned

- A little bit of glitz

The Bad:

- Many dishes are not authentic and won't please the authenticity police, but I find the fusion to be quite good