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)

Bombay Kitchen (Denman)

At one time, the only places to get good Indian food in the Lower Mainland would be Punjabi Market in Vancouver and obviously, in Surrey.  However, things began to change about 20 years ago where we found legit Indian (mostly Punjabi) restaurants showing up all over the GVRD.  Fast forward to the present, not only do we find great Indian restaurants randomly, they have upped their game in terms of decor, presentation and modernization.  One example is Bombay Kitchen on Commercial Drive, which I've been to on a few occasions.  This time around it is the Denman store.

Our main reason for the visit was to try their All-Day Combos, which all came with garlic naan (which was excellent being crispy, yet fluffy inside with an appealing chewiness), chana salad, basmati rice and a tandoori chicken drumstick (no drumstick for the vegetarian option).  From left to right, we had the Tandoori Platter ($20.95), Coconut Fish Curry ($18.95), Lamb Curry ($18.95), Shahi Paneer ($17.95) and Butter Chicken ($17.95).

The most filling of all the combos was of course the Tandoori Platter with Fish Tikka, Tandoori Chicken and Chicken Tikka.  They didn't skimp with the portion size where this was essentially all meat with just a bit of rice.  The fish was flaky and moist while flavourful from the marinade, which was earthy, slightly bright and a touch spicy.  Tandoori chicken was tender, juicy and full-flavoured with tangy and smoky.

My favourite of the bunch had to be the Coconut Fish Curry.  This was loaded with buttery soft pieces of fish that managed to stay intact.  However, the best part was the coconut curry as it was naturally sweet (and also with added sweetness) where the toasted caraway really came through.  It was nutty and had that unmistakable licorice finish.  Totally aromatic and ultimately delicious.

A close second went to the Lamb Curry because I have a certain bias towards lamb.  However, it was also prepared very well with the strong essence of the toasted spices coming through.  Lots of earthiness and fall flavours in every bite.  We found hits of sharpness and brightness from the slivered ginger on top.  The chunks of lamb were tender and gelatinous.

Boasting a bevy of squishy and delicate cubes of paneer, the Shahi Paneer was also tasty.  There was an apparent hit of fresh tomatoes that was not obscured by over-seasoning.  Hence, it felt bright, fresh and clean as we took each bite.  There was quite a bit of sweetness that seemed mostly natural mixed in with added sugar.  Once again, the toasted spices were evident.

Predictably, we found the Butter Chicken as an option for the combo menu.  This particular version was pretty tomato-forward with natural sweetness and a noticeable tanginess.  There was still the usual creaminess, but not as heavy.  Of course the earthiness of the spices came through while the spice level was just right.  The big chunks of white meat chicken were tender and moist.

In addition to the combos, we tried some other dishes including the Mixed Platter.  Aside from the Crispy Veg Pakora, we had some really good Paneer Pakora.  It featured the same squishy paneer with green chutney in the middle.  So much flavour and texture including the crunch on the outside.  Fish Pakora was also crispy while being flaky and moist in the middle.  Lastly, the Samosas were crunchy with a soft spiced potato filling.  Great with the tamarind chutney!

Even though we already had a good selection of tandoori meats, we tried the sizzling cast iron plate of the Mixed Grill Platter.  The smells and aroma just hits so differently than being served on a ceramic plate.  It included the same Tandoori Fish, Tandoori Chicken and Chicken Tikka adding Tandoori Prawns and Tandoori Lamb Chops.  Those prawns were smoky with spice while having a meaty snap texture.  The lamb chops were tender and cooked perfectly so that they were still moist.  Nice char on them and loved the earthiness.

With the same meaty prawns doing its cold-water snap texture thing, the Prawn Korma was also very tasty.  The fresh tomato taste was at the forefront (much like the Shahi Paneer) with brightness and natural sweetness.  There was just a touch of brininess from the prawns to go with the slight nuttiness of the korma.  Spices in this one was much more muted in this one.

The spiciest thing we had was the Eggplant Bartha as it left lingering heat on our tongues.  I loved it because it added depth of flavour to the dish.  It was already quite earthy with a bright tang and once again, toasted hits of the spices.  The eggplant itself was completed cooked down to form a tender and silky paste which benefited from the pops of sweetness of the peas.

We ended with the Chicken Biryani and it was a considerable portion of chewy flavoured basmati rice with tender nuggets of dark meat chicken.  The toasted spices gave off the usual earthy notes accented by bright tanginess and some heat.  Overall, we found the food at Bombay Kitchen on Denman to be flavourful with on point proteins.  Pricing is reasonable, especially with the combos.  I wouldn't hesitate to come back if I'm in the area.

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

The Good:

- Impactful toasted spices

- Proteins are on point

- Pricing is reasonable

The Bad:
- Being near English Bay, parking is difficult (if you were driving)

Dosa Corner

If the name "Dosa Corner" rings a bell, then you aren't dreaming.  The original location was further south on Fraser and now the new location is closer to all the action near the corner of Fraser and 46th.   For those who do not know, a dosa is a super thin and crispy South Indian crepe made from fermented rice and lentils.  It can be eaten plain and served with chutneys and sambar, but for me, best to be filled with a curry of some sort.  Jackie and I dropped by to try some of their menu items.

For our starters, one of the dishes we had was the Prawn Pakora.  This featured pretty large prawns that were coated with a fairly thin batter.  It was mildly spiced where I got a certain amount of earthiness and also some natural sweetness from the meaty prawns.  This was served with 3 chutneys including tamarind, spicy peanut and cilantro.  I liked the cilantro the most as it was bright and a bit spicy.

Our other appie was the classic Chicken 65.  It was served with the same 3 chutneys along with a few veggies.  The small morsels of chicken were tender with a crispy coating.  I felt the seasoning was on the milder side but I did still get some tang and spice.  We also had the Chicken 65 Biryani and it was quite good.  With a crispy texture, the chicken also kept the rice more dry (almost like a fried rice).  But since it wasn't a fried rice (in terms of overall cooking technique), it featured absorbed spices that were earthy and savoury with some heat.

In addition to the aforementioned biryani, we also had the Goat Biryani.  Since the medium-sized chunks of meat were cooked with the rice, it had taken on the gaminess of the goat.  There was also more moisture due to that and hence, the rice was not as dry as the previous dish.  Lots of fall and earthy flavours from the spices as well as a hit of cinnamon.  I really enjoyed this as it was flavourful with tender pieces of meat.

Of course we had to get and order of the restaurant's namesake right?  So we got one each of the Eggplant Masala Dosa and the Butter Chicken Dosa.  These lentil and rice flour crepes were uniformly crispy and light.  Nice aroma too. One of the better dosas I've had in town.  I liked both fillings with the eggplant being soft and well-spiced.  The butter chicken was tender and had a good balance of tang and creaminess.  Nice spice with earthy notes.

Beyond the dosas and biryanis, there is also a considerable selection of curries.  One of our favourites was the Prawn Curry.  Since they cooked the prawns into the curry, there was this natural briny sweetness which was so appetizing.  The prawns themselves were meaty with so much inherent flavour and umaminess.  This came with rice, papadum, naan and raita.  Really a complete meal!

We also had the Lamb Curry which was quite rich and creamy.  Naturally, there was the usual earthy notes, yet they were not as strong as a Rogan Josh.  That made the lamb flavour stand out more.  We asked for this to be medium spice and it was impactful in that respect.  The chunks of lamb were tender and moist.  I thought the naan had nice colour to it, but the texture was a bit hard. 

As an add-on at the end of the meal, we got the Palak Paneer.  This was a textbook version of the dish except that the paneer wasn't cut into cubes.  Rather, they were slices and as a result, had a different texture.  The paneer was more squishy and soft, which was quite appealing.  As for the spinach, it was a bit earthy with some spice.  We found some gingery notes at the end.

For our sweets, we had the Carrot Halwa and Rasmalai.   I personally love carrot halwa and this was a tasty version.  Not too sweet, but full of fall flavours with the crunch from the nuts and sweetness from the raisins.  As for the rasmalai, it also wasn't overboard with the sweetness and had a great cooling effect against the curries we had.  Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Dosa Corner.  Not only were the Dosas some of the best we've had in the city, the rest of the dishes were solid as well.  Add in reasonable prices and it is a place that we can dine at any day of the week.

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

The Good:

- Light and uniformly crispy dosas

- All other dishes are solid

- Reasonable pricing

The Bad:

- Naan could be softer

Sula (Dine Out Vancouver 2026)

Here we go with Sula again for this years Dine-Out Vancouver festival (from Jan 21st to Feb 8th).  You have heard me have differing opinions about DOV over the years, which has been both positive and negative.  I would say earlier on, around 15+ years ago, DOV was not exactly a draw for me.  The menus were mediocre and we weren't really get good value (since portion sizes were small and the dishes were not appealing).  I would say in more recent years, restaurants have taken it more seriously and the menus have been much better as well as the food.  Of course that has coincided with increasing prices across the board.  If we look at Sula's DOV $45.00 5-course menu, this would qualify as one of the better values.  It includes choice of appetizer, palate cleanser, main (includes rice & naan), dessert and chai.  

Choices for the appetizers include the Tandoori Pineapple Chaat, Chicken Tikka Bao and Sesame Garlic Fried Cauliflower.   Although the dish was essentially charred cubes of fresh pineapple, the Tandoori Pineapple Chaat was so refreshing and truly appetizing.  Sweet and juicy, the pineapple was beautifully charred giving caramelized with smoky vibes.  This was further enhanced by the wheat papdi.  It added a light crunch that was the perfect foil for the juicy pineapple.  With chaat spices and accompanying herbs, we got the usual earthiness combined with tangy, sweet and herbaceousness.

Probably the most filling appetizer was the Chicken Tikka Bao as it was a large steamed bun stuffed with shredded chicken tikka, cucumber, red onion, cilantro aioli and tandoori aioli.  Beyond the fluffy bun, the chicken tikka was tender and moist with a good amount of spice (not heat) and mild tomato tanginess.  Naturally, the cucumber and onion provided some fresh and vibrant crunch while the aiolis added creaminess.  In particular, the cilantro aioli did its herbaceous thing.  The Sesame Garlic Fried Cauliflower was solid with crispy florets that were cooked all the way through but not being soft.  The crispy batter remained as such despite the coating of sauce.  It was appealing being tangy and sweet.

In between the appetizer and entree courses, we were presented with a palate cleanser in the Wildberry Sorbet.  It isn't often we get this at an Indian restaurant and it was literally a refreshing change.  Light and sweet, this helped us get ready for the heavier dishes.  There are special cocktails ($14.00 each) available for the Dine Out menu and we had 2 of them including the Bombay Blue and the Lemongrass Lyric.  With a pronounced liquorice essence due to the star anise-infused Bombay Sapphire, this also had elements of red apple and lemon.  The sweetness of the lychee meshed well with the bright lemongrass with the Lemongrass Lyric.  Really nice cocktails that helped bring the heaviness down a notch.

For the mains, one can choose from Mango Chicken Korma, Kolkata Lamb, Mushroom Coconut Curry and Paneer & Green Beans Biryani.  Sweet and aromatic, the chicken in the mango korma was in big tender chunks.  They were juicy despite being white meat.  The nuttiness of cashews came through in both aromatic as well as texture (making the curry thick).

With large chunks of meat, the Kolkata Lamb was full of rich spices that were earthy, fall-tasting and spicy.  I asked for this one to be extra hot and it definitely was, yet at the same time, wasn't overwhelming.  The sweetness of the onions and bite for the ginger were evident. The lamb was tender with that unmistakable gelatinous texture.  It was definitely lamb-tasting with an appealing gaminess (for me at least).

For me, the best option for the mains happened to be vegetarian.  Creamy and rich, the Coconut Mushroom Curry was a flavour bomb that hit all the right notes.  The combination of coconutty aromatics and sweetness with the earthiness of the mushrooms gave out strong umami vibes.  Salt levels were just right as well as the sweetness. Combined with the choice of naan (this went well with the just the plain one), this was a fulfilling dish.

Another vegetarian option is the Paneer and Green Beans Biryani.  Naturally, without any meat, the rice was less robust and ate almost fluffier.  It wasn't devoid of spice though as it was earthy with some heat.  Loved the cubes of squishy paneer as it added body to the dish and the green beans were soft and almost juicy.  This came with some a spicy and creamy peanut salan to kick up the richness and aromatics of the Biyani while the raita on the side cooled things down.

All of the meals included a choice of Basmati Rice or Coconut Rice as well as a choice of Tandoori Naan, Garlic Naan or Onion & Cilantro Naan.  Naan was great as it was fluffy with elasticity while the outside was nicely charred and blistered.  In addition to dessert, a cup of Rose Chai was served as well.  It was fragrant and purposefully sweet.

Desserts include a choice of Macha Rasmalai Cake or Classic Coconut Payasam.  Although the sponge cake was on the firmer side, the Macha cake ate quite well.  It was not overly sweet and was rather aromatic.  Really enjoyed the payasam as the rice pudding was creamy with measured rich sweetness from the jaggery.  Definitely could taste the cardamom and also the sweetness of the fried raisins on top.  Nice textural contrast with that and the cashews.  Overall, the meal was delicious and well-priced considering how many items that were included.  I would do the Coconut Mushroom Curry all day, even if it didn't have meat.  Shockingly, the Tandoori Pineapple Chaat was my favourite appie.  So no meat to be seen in my meal.  If you do that combination and you have a heartier appetite, you might best stick with at least one meat dish.  Be aware that the Dine Out menu is different at all Sula locations.  This particular one is only for Commercial Drive.

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

The Good:

- Well-priced

- The menu includes enough food and sides

- Delicious

The Bad:

- Not that it wasn't any good, but unless you are vegetarian, best not to get the Biryani as it is mainly rice and then it includes more rice and naan