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

 

Kurrywala Indian Restaurant

Sometimes, I cut through New West on my way home and go up 6th and onto Edmonds.  Therefore, I must have drive past Kurrywala many times over without ever thinking of stopping to eat there.  All I know is that it used to be Big 6 diner and I enjoyed their burgers.  Well, we finally made it out there since they wanted us to check out their buffet as well as some a la carte items.  More on the buffet later, but I'll start with the regular menu first!

Arriving on an extremely hot sizzling cast iron plate, the Tandoori Prawns were excellent being charred, but not burnt.  The smokiness really came through while the marinate ensured that each prawn was spiced and had some heat.  They were cooked perfectly where the meat was still juicy.  Even though the plate was super hot, the prawns were perfectly placed atop onions to ensure they didn't overcook.

Nicely plated on a long plate, the Fish Pakora came in huge pieces.  The fish they used was basa and personally, I didn't mind it.  Naturally, most people would prefer a cod of some kind, but that would make the dish ultra-expensive.  Back to the fish, the pieces were lightly coated and fried until crispy.  The fish was buttery soft and  there was a nice earthiness to the batter.  Served on the side, we found tartar sauce, which went well with the pakora.  Some people would prefer a chutney and I'm sure you could substitute. 

We tried the Vegetarian Momos, partly due to the fact they were out of the meat ones.  No matter as the dumpling skin was really good.  Being house-made and never frozen, it meant the skin was moist and not dry.  It had a nice chew to it, but ultimately was tender.  Inside, the fresh veggies offered up natural sweetness and that fresh crunch which would never be found in a frozen dumpling.  Really solid and I didn't miss the meat at all here.

We tried an array of curries including the Smoked Butter Chicken was creamy and mildly tangy with noticeable depth.  It wasn't just that it was smoky, but the richness of the flavour created a lingering effect.  The chicken was tender and moist where it had taken on the impact of the sauce. The Palak Paneer was noticeably darker in colour and as a result was also quite a bit more layered.  Rather than being one-note with just onion and ginger, this had a stronger earthiness and background sweetness. The Coconut Chicken was creamy, yet not heavy.  It was definitely aromatic and purposefully sweet. Surprisingly, I really liked the Mushroom Curry.  The problem with mushrooms is that they make most things soggy due to their moisture content.  It wasn't like this here where the flavours were still full of depth and spice.

For our carbs, we had the Garlic Naan first and it was a pretty fluffy version of the flatbread.  Most of it was pillowy soft while other parts had a nice elasticity.  On the bottom, it was slightly crispy.  There was enough ghee and garlic for impact.  We also had the Keema Kulcha featuring soft and fluffy bread while paired with a chicken curry and of course, butter.  I joyfully applied the butter generously on the bread while dipping it into the rich gravy.

Sure, usually we would get some basmati rice to pair with all of our curries and naan, but to make it more interesting, we selected the Chicken Biryani instead.  This featured some perfectly-prepared rice which was chewy, nutty and dry enough that it wasn't clumpy.  It had taken on all of the wonderful sweetness of the chicken as well as the spices.  This gave it a bit of heat as well as some earthy notes.

We also tried their buffet and we loaded up our dish with rice and a selection of curries including Goat Curry, Chicken Curry, Yellow Dal Tadka, Rajma and Makhni Paneer.  On the next plate, we had Samosas, Pasta Salad, Green Salad and Raita.  They also had Gulab Jamun, but didn't get any.  Obviously, the a-la-carte dishes we had were superior to the buffet, but the curries were still good and if you are hungry, it is a good value.  I enjoyed the goat curry and paneer the most.  Overall, the food at Kurrywala is delicious with good portions and fair pricing.  I prefer ordering off the regular menu than the buffet though.

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

The Good:

- Large portions

- Generally on point execution

- Well-priced buffet

The Bad:

- Buffet could use a few more appies

Mumbaiyaa

Sometimes, food gets repetitive.  Yah it is definitely #firstworldproblems and given the economic climate at the moment, the fact I get to eat delicious food is a blessing in itself.  So take what I'm saying in context.  I'm always looking for interesting eats and when I try another new Indian restaurant, the food can be absolutely wonderful, but it can be the same-o same-o.  However, when we checked out Mumbaiyaa out on Hastings in Burnaby, there were signs that it would be different.  First of all, it is vegetarian and primarily a chaat house.  Second, they are located in Burnaby!  In my hood!  So I was pretty excited for my visit.

Looking over the menu, the predominant items were the Indian Pav (butter rolls).  The Butter Vada Pav featured spicy and soft potato that was battered and fried until golden brown.  I found the layers of texture appealing with pillowy soft buns with a crispy potato patty in between with delicate potato inside.  Then you had the intoxicating flavours of garlic and then green chutney.  This was so flavourful and aromatic that you didn't notice there was no meat!

Now that was good, but the real star was the Cheese Burst Vada Pav.  This was essentially a butter vada pav with the addition of a cheesy filling in between the layers of spicy garlic potato within the crispy batter.  The same delicious green chutney was there as well.  As much as this was almost the same as the butter vada pav, this was more robust with the ooey gooey cheese and also it somewhat cooled the spice to a degree.  I could eat a tonne of these!

Looking very similar to the butter vada pav, the Thecha Vada Pav was different for one particular detail - lots of green chilies and cilantro.  This made the whole thing very green and remarkably unique in flavour.  Much more spice and also very green-tasting with the cilantro and also the green chutney.  For me, it was still all about the cheese vada pav for me as it was more subtle.

Beyond the cheese vada pav, our next favourite item was the Ulta Vada Pav.  This was huge bun was stuffed full of spicy potato masala and then coated with besan batter.  This was deep-fried until golden brown and crispy.  Oh this was absolutely delicious and had the same qualities of the previous vada pavs, but with the crunch on the outside and all of the soft textures on the inside.  This was plenty spicy as well.

Other than vada pavs, we had both the Pani Puri and Sev Puri.  With the former, the hollow crispy shells were filled with tender potatoes, a pomegranate seed and some spicy tangy water and sweet chutney.  A nice crispy one-biter that packed a lot of flavour.  As for the latter, we found a crispy puri topped with potatoes, onions, tomatoes and chutneys with thin gram flour noodles on top.  Also a one-biter, but maybe with a spoon or fork.  Flavours were a bit more complex here due to the sharp onion and fresh tomatoes.  More crispiness with this one.

Moving onto something a bit different, but featuring a side of fluffy baked kulcha, the Chhole Kulcha featured a chick pea curry that had a surprising meatiness and depth.  Slightly sweet and almost smoky with spiciness that continued to elevate and really hits at the end.  For me, the super soft kulcha was the best part as it was light as a cloud and soaked up the delicious and spicy curry like it was supposed to.

Featuring 3 soft buttered pav, the Pav Bhaji was another delicious curry that was the beneficiary of really soft bread. The cooked-down vegetables were spicy and slightly sweet with plenty of umaminess.  The curry was smooth and and impactful.  It could've been fine with naan or even rice, but the addictively soft buns complimented the curry much like the chhole kulcha.  Eating the buns by themselves would've been awesome, but pair it with a tasty curry, well that makes it more awesome!

Our one rice dish was the Tawa Pulao with basmati, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, peas, pav bhaji masala and coriander leaves.  This was a fully-loaded rice that was rather saucy.  Lots of flavour from the sweet onions and bell peppers.  There was spice to this and also plenty of impact from the coriander.   Since the rice was already cooked, the texture was a bit softer.

As for the sweets, we had an Oreo Milkshake during the meal and Falooda for dessert (Rabdi & Rose).  The milkshake was creamy and smooth being a drinkable viscosity.  It was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so.  As for the falooda, they were sweet, yet balanced.  Lots of bouncy vermicelli hidden within the milky concoction with ice cream on top.  At the end of our meal, I was really glad that we made it out to Mumbaiyaa.  Nice to try some new things and also some familiar ones.  What a nice addition to the neighbourhood as we do not have anything like it nearby.  The stuff is so tasty and fulfilling, you won't miss the meat!

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

The Good:

- Lots of flavour and spiciness

- Reasonable pricing

- Super nice owner

The Bad:

- I mean, if you want meat, but for me I didn't miss it

- A little carb heavy, but it is vegetarian though

Bahubali Biryani House

For the longest time, there was this Fijian restaurant sitting in this strip mall on the Southwest corner of Scott Road and Nordel.  I always wanted to try it, but it never seemed to be open and neither was there much information about it.  Well, no matter now as it has been replaced by a brand-new spanking Indian restaurant called Bahubali Biryani House.  Loved they have a green theme to the exterior, as it blends it completely with Dollarama next door!

Getting right to the food, we started off with something so addictive and delicious, I wanted to have the dish to myself.  Alas, I had to share the Crispy Corn with the rest of the crew.  These little plump and sweet niblets were lightly coated so that they were crispy without being heavy nor greasy.  They were nicely spiced with a bit of earthiness that paired well with the sweetness of the corn.  The acidity from the wedge of lime made this a bit tropical in flavour.

It always seems like we ordered Fish Pakora whenever we get the chance.  I guess it the contrast between the crispy spiced batter with the flaky and moist fish.  Well, the version here definitely fulfilled that criteria even though the fish came is thin strips.  Due to this, we felt it ate crispier but at the same time, the fish wasn't dry.  To bring down the spice of the dish (even though it wasn't spicy), the mint chutney on the side did just that.

Arriving on a sizzling hot cast iron plate, the Tandoori Prawns were definitely the beneficiary of some charring and caramelization.  Hence, there was some appealing smokiness and intense flavours.  To go with the nuttiness from the char, we also found that the spices were quite apparent with some earthy fall-flavours.  Furthermore, the prawns themselves were cooked just right with a buttery meatiness that was not overdone. 

Now a dish we usually do not order is the Murgh Malai Tikka.  I guess that is my own personal bias as I find it rather heavy.  Well, this version was a bit different than the ones I've had before.  Normally, the chicken is tenderized by the yogurt lemon juice marinade, but I think in this instance, it was marinaded quite aggressively.  Hence, the chicken became super tender and almost became pulled chicken in the end.  Maybe a bit to soft, but still okay.  Flavours were quite nice with a spiced creaminess.

We continued on with another chicken appetizer in the Chicken Majestic.  This is a Southern Indian dish that is marinated until tender and deep fried.  It is coated in a spiced yogurt mixed with curry leaves.   Well, they nailed it with their version with big pieces of tender chicken that had a slightly crispy exterior.  The creaminess of the sauce was appealing with a bit of heat and spice as well as some earthiness.

Onto the mains, we got a few including the Butter Chicken, Guthi Vankay Curry, Goat Curry and Mutton Maratha.  The fan favourite of the bunch had to be the eggplant curry with tender and delicate baby eggplant.  The curry was nutty and tangy.  The butter chicken was more on the creamier side with only a slight tanginess with tender nuggets of chicken.  The other 2 curries featured goat and both were tender with the unmistakable gelatinous quality to the meat.  I preferred the goat curry more due to its robust flavour and fall-like depth.  On the side, we had Garlic Naan, Spinach Paratha and Rumali Roti.  Naan was blistered and crispy in parts on the outside while chewy and soft on the inside.  Paratha was soft and warm with a slight chew while also blistered.  As for the roti, if you ever have seen it made, it is cooked on a half-dome element and comes out as a huge round piece.  This was soft and a bit chewy with lots of elasticity.

Of course we couldn't finish the meal with a biryani right?  So we got the Hyderabad Mutton Biryani.  Bearing the city's namesake, Hyderabad, the biryani is cooked slowly while being spiced with saffron.  This particular version was really good with chewy and fragrant rice.  Didn't get a whole lot of saffron but definitely lots of meat flavour and depth.  There was a good spice to it too.  In general, the food at Buhubali Biryani was pretty solid and well-portioned.  Love the renovated dining space and also the ample parking available.  A great addition to Scott Road.

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

The Good:
- Developed flavours
- Nice dining space
- Ample parking

The Bad:
- Was the Murgh Malai Tikka overmarinated?

 

Rendezvous Pub

It's not often I head to the pub for a tasting, let alone an ol' skool pub out in Langley.  But hang on here, there is a twist to this visit though.  You see, the ownership has changed and they are in the process of altering the look of the place as well as the menu.  So I accompanied Roanna and Eileen to see for ourselves.  Now the outside doesn't look much different, but there have been subtle changes to the interior without taking about the "pub" vibe.

As for the menu, I'll get to that in a bit, but I'll talk about some of the drinks first.  From left-to-right, we had the Jolly Rancher, Mango Daiquiri, Rendezvous Fishbowl and the CoronaRita.  My favourite was the CoronaRita as the sweetness and tanginess helped balance the Corona.  Also enjoyed the mango daiquiri as it was balanced, where the rum wasn't overpowering.  The Jolly Rancher was sweet as expected, but did have quite a boozy kick.

Onto the food, we started with a pub classic with the Salt & Pepper Dry Ribs.  I liked how these were in fairly large pieces, which allowed them to be juicy inside despite deep-fried to crispy goodness on the outside.  There was enough seasoning for them to stand on their own, but the ribs were extra tasty when dipped into the soy chili.  A second option was the garlic lime spinach-infused mayo.  Personally, I enjoyed the soy dip more.

Next up was the Garlic Prawns sauteed in white wine with garlic, tomatoes and green onions.  This was pretty good where the prawns were delicate with a snap texture.  Lots of buttery garlic goodness where the garlic bread was the perfect vessel to soak it all up.  Personally, I could've done without the green onions as I believe they obscure the delicate flavour of the prawns.  But I get it, the green looks nice.

So I had mixed emotions with RP's Wonton Soup.    It is because they were just too generous with the components.  I mean, look at it, you can't even see the soup.  There was a bevy of cabbage, carrots and red/green peppers.  I thought the peppers dominated the flavour profile just a bit too much.  On the other hand, the wontons were pretty good with a juicy pork filling.  Hidden within, large tiger prawns were to be found as well.

Off their happy hour menu, we got Butter Me Up, which was naan topped with house-made butter chicken covered with melted cheese.  This ate a bit like pizza bread as the naan was on the thicker side and quite fluffy.  I found the butter chicken to be partially obscured by the considerable amount of cheese.  I did get the tangy creaminess though with a bit of spice.

Onto the mains, we started with the Route 56 Burger with bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, jalapenos, LTOP and mayo on toasted brioche.  This was a solid burger despite the premade burger patty.  It was nicely seared while still being moist.  The bacon was crispy and the produce was fresh.  I liked how the bun was toasted properly as it crispy with a soft and warm interior.  Fries were the typical starch-covered variety, but were prepared properly.

Coming from one pub classic to another, we had to order the 2 piece Fish & Chips featuring Pacific cod.  I found this to be very good where the fish was coated with a thin crispy batter.  It wasn't greasy and the large pieces of fish were flaky and moist.  The batter was properly seasoned too.  On the side, the tartar was typical and did the job.  Same with the fries, just like with the burger.

Hey, pub food usually includes some type of steak, and this one happened to be the 7 oz New York Striploin served with fries, garlic bread and Caesar salad.  We requested it to be prepared medium-rare and it was exactly that.  Considering it was only $21.00, this was a surprisingly tender and nicely charred on the outside.  The side of Caesar was quite good with crisp romaine and just enough dressing.

To get a sense of all the types of dishes, we got a pasta as well.  Our choice was the Parmesan Chicken Fettuccine.  So this was essentially an Alfredo with a chicken parm on top.  Both components of this dish was solid as the pasta was al dente and the sauce was creamy.  The chicken was tender while coated in a medium-thick breading.  There was a tangy marinara on top with melted parmesan.

Probably the sneakiest item was the Creole Chicken with mashed potatoes and mixed veggies.  Why?  Because it was sneaky good!  The chicken breast was charred and caramelized on the outside but moist and tender on the inside.  The creole butter was nicely spiced and slightly sweet while the mash was homestyle.  Loved how the veggies were cooked just enough to be still vibrant and crunchy.

So we already had fish & chips, burger and steak, so why not a Hot Dog & Kettle Chips too?  Nothing much out of the ordinary except some pretty tasty caramelized onions atop a jumbo dog.  This elevated a simple item with intense sweetness.  Those housemade chips were super light and crispy while not greasy nor over-salted.  Lots of mustard on the side for the hot dog and if you wanted to dunk the chips into it.

We also had the Mac & Cheese that featured a creamy "Velveeta"-type sauce.  Hence, it was saucy and didn't yearn for more saltiness. The noodles were not too soft, which added texture.  This came with some garlic bread.  For our dessert, we had the Chocolate Lava Cake with a side of vanilla ice cream.  This was pretty textbook with fluffy cake and a molten sweet centre.  In the end, the food at Rendezvous Pub did the trick with some surprises.  Considering the price point, the food is a good value.

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

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Well-priced
- Adequate portion sizes

The Bad:
- May need further renovations
- Wonton soup needs work