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

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

Desi Turka

Most people would say that the best Indian food can be found in Surrey, in particular, along the Scott Road corridor.  I generally agree with this sentiment because I've had my fair share of solid Indian food on Scott Road.  It also helps that I work nearby and everyone keeps giving me suggestions as to their favourite restaurant.  However, if you look hard enough, there are equally good Indian spots littered all over the Lower Mainland.  It isn't much different than the proliferation of great Chinese restaurants.  One place I visited recently was with Jacqueline in Desi Turka in New West.

We started off with the Chicken Momos with mint and tamarind chutneys on the side.  These Indo-Tibetan dumplings were quite good and compared well to the ones I had at Katmandu Restaurant on Scott Road.  The dumpling wrapper was medium-thick with a nice delicate chew to them.  Inside, the chicken was moist and tender while nicely spiced.  I like dipping them into the tamarind chutney since I love sweet tanginess.

Arriving on a sizzling cast iron plate with an intoxicating aroma, the Tandoori Chicken was on point.  As you can see, there was plenty of exterior charring, which meant there was a smokiness to the dish.  The chicken itself was quite moist inside and the marinade did penetrate the meat.  The final touch was a light drizzle of butter sauce that added some added layer of flavour and texture to the already flavourful chicken.

Now we couldn't just have Tandoori Chicken with butter sauce without having the actual Butter Chicken itself right?  The Butter Chicken featured big chunks of breast meat, which were tender and moist.  In actuality, the chicken in butter chicken is tandoori chicken, so this dish and the previous are directly related.  I really enjoyed the butter sauce here as it was rich and creamy with just enough tomato tanginess.  We could definitely taste the spices.

Of course to go with the butter chicken, we had to get some carbs in the form of Pulao Rice, Garlic Naan and Butter Roti.  Rice was nicely prepared where it was nutty and chewy.  We loved the naan as it was blistered and crispy in parts while stiff soft and chewy in others.  Good amount of butter and garlic brushed on top.  As for the roti, it was crispy and nutty with even leoparding.  It was glistening with butter, just how we like it!

Going for a different protein, we decided to try the Bombay Fish Curry.  It was loaded with flaky and soft pieces of fish.  As for the curry, it was thick with a good amount of spice and spices.  We asked for hot and it did have a lingering heat even well after we finished eating it.  Could definitely taste the ginger and the sweetness of the onions.  Naturally, there was also the classic Indian flavours of cumin, coriander and cloves.

Lastly, we had to get a vegetarian dish into the meal and we did just that with the Palak Paneer.  The creamy spinach gravy was earthy from the cumin and cardamom while nutty and slightly sweet.  There was a plethora of squishy and delicate paneer nestled within.  Overall, we quite enjoyed our meal at Desi Turka and I would definitely say that it gives the Indian restaurants along Scott Road a run for their money.  Good option in New West.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Good spice level (we requested hot and it was indeed that)
- On point proteins

The Bad:
- Place is a bit small, so would fill up quickly

Salam Bombay

*Restaurant is closed*

Normally, I'm not really in the mood for Indian food outside of Surrey. Why? Well, you would be hard-pressed to find the combination of value and good Indian eats anywhere else. Sure, there is decent Indian food to be found in Vancouver - for more money. And sure, there is Indian food to be found in the rest of the burbs, yet it generally is hit and miss. However, when Rich Guy and Rich Gal wanted to meet up for lunch in Downtown, I actually suggested we try Salam Bombay. The reason for this was due to some form of ESP between Rich Guy and I. As we were texting, we messaged each other simultaneously that we should go for Indian since that is Rich Gal's favourite cuisine. Furthermore, time was tight since Rich Gal had a massage appointment afterwards (wait, Indian food and then a massage? uh...).

The most popular thing at Salam Bombay during lunch hour is their buffet for $15.00. It's a great way to quickly down some food before heading back to work (not sure if one would necessarily want to work after that). We didn't have to worry about that since we were all off for the day. The buffet started off with mesclun greens and a bean salad. I ignored both since they are fillers and I am a meatatarian. Right next to it was the Tandoori Chicken and Butter Chicken respectively. We found the tandoori chicken to be relatively moist considering it was in a chaffing tray. It was quite mild, yet not devoid of flavour either. The Butter Chicken was more of the tomato paste version rather than being very creamy. We didn't mind that as it was not as heavy. The one thing that was quite appealing was the level of spiciness - it was apparent. Now, we could handle spicier, but it was much appreciated since many versions of butter chicken can be overly mild. As for the chicken, it was a touch dry but that was understandable since it was all breast meat.

The next item was the Beef Curry and we universally didn't care for it. The small cubes of beef were dry and spongy. Furthermore, the flavours were overly one-dimensional. For me, I got a lot of cloves and bay leaves which made this more of a stewed beef dish rather than curry. Up next was the Seafood Curry which was predominantly squid. Therefore, the entire thing had a squid taste to it (which wasn't necessarily bad). I didn't mind it since there was a good level of heat. The Baingan Bharta was one of my favourites but it seemed that I was in the minority. I guess it has partly to do with the texture which is akin to baby food. This happened at East is East where most people didn't like the pureed squash and I did. Anyways, I didn't get much smokiness from the eggplant, but I did like the mild and subtle flavours. And yes, I loved the mushy texture.

Rich Guy was trying to figure out what the next item was since it was so watery and seemingly devoid of ingredients. In reality, it was the Daal Makhni and there wasn't much of it in the sauce. I did like the flavours since there was once again a good kick, but it wasn't exactly creamy though. The "balls" to the right of the daal were Potato Pakoras which were actually pretty good. The potato in the middle was soft and spiced nicely. As with most Indian buffets these days, the Naan was made-to-order and served upon request. I found the naan to be more like puffed flatbread than anything else. The bottom was very crispy while the bread itself was very light and airy. There was some chewiness and in the end, it did the job.

Lastly, there was a fruit salad as well as Kheer which was really sweet and thick. Despite this, I could definitely pick out a substantial cardamom hit which helped distract my tastebuds from the sugar content slightly. After dusting off a few plates, we were okay with the food in general considering it was a buffet. Now the price was a reflection of its location more than anything else because one could get better for less in Surrey. Ultimately, Salam Bombay is located in Downtown, and more or less does the job with all things considered.

The Good:
- Okay for its location
- Clean with nice decor
- Good service

The Bad:
- There is better for less, but can't compare to Surrey

The Original Bombay Palki

*Location closed due to fire*

"The Original Bombay Palki???" exclaimed Nikita about a year ago when she noticed that it had opened up on Scott Road. Were these the same people behind the former Bombay Palki out on 128th and 72nd? It became Sohi's Incredible Indian Cuisine, then now The Yellow Chilli. Well, we did attempt to try The Original Bombay Palki back then to no avail. It was closed and furthermore, it was exclusively vegetarian. No meat? Yikes. Butter Chicken without the chicken is just not quite the same. It's like a Chinese restaurant without a filthy washroom! So we never tried again. However, just recently I noticed that they now serve meat and to boot, they have a lunch buffet for $7.49. Well, that just beckoned for me to try it out, despite the fact I was scheduled to go for AYCE hot pot later that night.

After I took a seat, I asked the server if they were related to the former Bombay Palki. Apparently they are not and in fact, they just took over this particular restaurant recently. She hurriedly set up the buffet as there were no customers prior to my arrival. For $7.49, there was a pretty good selection. Since they were still setting up the buffet, I started with the few items that were ready. The Mutter Paneer was smooth and creamy. The cheese was soft and pleasant while the entire dish exhibited an underlying spice. Due to my hunger, I may have been too excited and scooped up too much Curry Chicken (they were whole drumsticks). I learned to regret that later when more food came out... This was not bad. It had loads of depth with a slight spicy kick. The last item on my first place was the Palak Chicken. I found the palak to be creamy and smooth with meaty chunks of chicken that were moist. There were bits of spice throughout which added flavour and psychologically felt more tasty. As mentioned, the palak was smooth which was not impacted by the spice bits.

For my next plate, I had the standard being the Butter Chicken. There was a good balance between tomato paste and cream (with a slight slant to the tomato). There was good flavour without the liberal use of salt. But the best thing of all was the use of tandoori chicken which was smoky and slightly burnt. This added a rich flavour that is often missing in some versions of butter chicken. I couldn't be as enthusiastic about the Dhal Curry though. The lentils seemed to be overcooked and the curry was really watery and lacking in depth. The Veggie Pakora was pretty good despite sitting in a warming tray for who-knows-how-long. There was good flavour and it was still relatively crisp.

For my 3rd plate (yes, I was getting full at this point), I had the Chana Masala consisting of chickpeas and potatoes. The chickpeas retained a firm texture which was good. The potatoes were fork-tender while maintaining its shape and integrity. The whole dish was only mildly spicy with some sweetness. Lastly, I had the Green Beans and Potato Masala which was one of my favourites despite the complete absence of meat. Although the beans were no longer firm, they still held up in the warmer. The potatoes were similar to the previous dish. Once again, there was an underlying spiciness. The Naan was served fresh. It was chewy and fluffy with a nice char on the exterior. In the end I ate nearly all of the naan and all 3 of the dishes pictured in this post. I was super stuffed while satisfied at the same time.

The Good:
- Cheap AYCE
- Pretty decent food quality
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Not sure if they get any busier, but it was pretty empty thoughout my lunch, would the food stay fresh?

The Bombay

Just a mere 10 hours since we last ate together, I met up with Rich Guy for lunch. Previously, we were doing late night eats at Lucy's Eastside Diner. This time around, it is The Bombay in Coquitlam. Arguably the best Indian restaurant in Coquitlam, it has been on my wish list for awhile. Mind you, it is easy to the "best" when you are the only Indian restaurant in Coquitlam! Hey, I have high expectations coming into this one. After all, I work near the best Indian restaurants in the GVRD.

Normally, I'm a pretty punctual person. Actually, I think it's genetic. Both of my kids were born on their due dates. Talk about punctual! Anyways, due to circumstances beyond my control (road work), I was a full 30 minutes late meeting Rich Guy. He ended up visiting XS Cargo in the meantime. I hope he didn't end up buying some useless junk there. I've had my share of good and bad experiences there. I digress. Anyways, is it just me or are Indian restaurants surprisingly clean? This one is no different. Even the washrooms are exemplary. Try to find that in a Chinese restaurant! Again, I digress. So we were seated by the only staff member at the front of the house... I mention this because he really seemed overworked for the amount of customers in the restaurant (and it was only 1/3 full!). Imagine if it were full! This probably contributed to the long wait between ordering and getting our food.

Now when we finally did get our food, it was quite a lot of it. You see, with Indian food, there are times where there is a whole lot of sauce and very little meat. Not here. In my Lamb Vindaloo, there was enough meat to for 2 portions. Furthermore, it was very flavourful and quite spicy for "medium" (just the way I like it). Rich Guy has been here many times in the past and said that "spicy" is insanely hot. The lamb itself was in big tender chunks. Rich Guy had the classic Butter Chicken and once again, there was plenty of tender pieces of meat. This particular version was a bit more tomatoey than creamy. Nonetheless, it was still very flavourful and smooth. It went well with the wonderful Naan. It had the desired chewy/stretchiness on the outside which gave way to a soft warm inside. Perfect for soaking up the abundance of sauce. Of course we also had Basmati Rice for the curries as well. It was a bit clumpy and hard, not the best looking rice; but it did the job when soaked with the flavourful sauces.

Finally, we got an half order of Tandoori Chicken to share. Probably not a good idea since there was more than enough food already... It arrived sizzling on a hot plate and it smelled wonderful. It also tasted alright with hits of various spices; but the chicken was very dry. That was true for the dark meat as well. In fact, the white meat was quite stringy. Not the highlight of the meal by any stretch of the imagination. But honestly, that was the only real glitch in an otherwise delicious and filling lunch. I was quite surprised at the quality and portion size of the dishes. Although the service was sparse and slow due to the lack of staff, the one server was friendly and tried the best he could. I guess since there is no competition nearby, the prices are on the higher side. With that being said, the portions balance it to a degree. Definitely good enough to compare with the restaurants in Surrey.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Food looks and tastes like it should
- Very clean

The Bad:
- Not cheap
- Lack of staff