Good Indian in Montreal

[Suvir Saran]

Or limited to certain areas?

I keep hearing from taxi drivers I meet from the Indian subcontinent how Indian food is much better in Canada in comparison to the US.  

Any thoughts anyone?

[Jinmyo]

Indian food is fairly popular in Canada. However I hear from my friend Gaurav that most of the other Indians he knows primarily go out for Mexican food. In Canada. "Mexican" food. In Canada.

As to whether Indian food is better here than in the U.S., in that Canada is supposed to have a "multicultural mosaic" approach rather than the U.S. "melting pot", this might be so in that there tends to be much more tolerance for different cultures being as they are. And so there might be more readiness on the part of diners to encounter a cuisine as it is. Maybe.

But having only eaten Indian food in Florida at the most dire spots imaginable, I can't really say.

edit full disclosure: I meant to say "Indian food in the U.S. in Florida" etc.

[Lesley C]

Hmm Suvir, interesting question. I have some friends who could tell you quite specifically how Indian food in Montreal compares to Indian food in London or Bombay. But considering the sheer size of Canada and the US, I think they could only give a very general impression.

Indian food is very popular in Montreal but according to local authority Ashok Chandwani (my restaurant reviewing colleague at the Montreal Gazette), what we have here are many Bangladeshi restaurateurs who offer formulaic London-style Indian dishes as opposed to any specialties from their own country.

What we’re also lacking in this city are upscale Indian restaurants, or restaurants that attempt to serve Tabla-style modernized Indian cuisine.

[Fat Guy]

I haven't been to all of them, but I'll nonetheless nominate Vij's in Vancouver for best Indian restaurant in North America.

[Lesley C]

Yes, the "Urban Peasant" (Vancouverite and popular cooking-show host James Barber) told me the same thing about Vij's.

[Suvir Saran]

Steven... what makes Vij's the best Indian restaurant in North America?  How do you judge it as being that?  

It sounds like a great accomplishment for Vij's that you feel like that.  

Would love to know what your experience was when you ate there.  And how it was so different from the other restaurants in North Ameirca.

[Fat Guy]

Suvir, to be more precise: Vij's is the best Indian restaurant I've eaten at in any Western nation. It is possible, slightly, that I had a better Indian meal in Singapore, which I know some say is the best place outside of the subcontinent to get Indian food. But even then the comparison would be apples-and-oranges. I haven't been to India. I have had Indian in the UK on several occasions. That's my body of knowledge in this matter.

So, why I like Vij's? First of all, I like the wine list. A strange way to start the discussion, since there isn't much of a tradition of making wine from vinifera grapes in India. But Vikram Vij, the owner, chef, and master of the domain, is seriously into wine. As a result, he has assembled a small list of the best Canadian and West Coast wines (but mostly Canadian). He's an idiosyncratic individualist, and so are some of the best Canadian winemakers, like Jane and Ian Mavety of Blue Mountain Winery in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. Blue Mountain is one of the handful of British Columbia wines I've tasted that I'd characterize as world class, and it's extremely difficult to come by -- I doubt you'll find a bottle in a wine store. The Mavetys are apparently such loners that they've refused to join the VQA, which is sort of the local DOCG equivalent. I guess you'd call Blue Mountain a Super Tuscan by Canadian standards.

Anyway, the point is this: Vij combines his deeply rooted traditional Indian cooking style with a respect for what is local and best in British Columbia. This is not fusion of Eastern and Western technique, mind you. Vij's is an Indian restaurant, period (if there is any fusion, it is in fusing the regional cuisines of India into something that can be presented on a small menu in a small restaurant). But I think Vij feels that a chef must work with the best ingredients he can find, wherever he finds himself. I think he very much does not believe in trying to get all your familiar ingredients shipped to you in cans (though I assume he gets his coconuts, jackfruits, etc., from Asia -- but most likely fresh).

So you will see dishes such as tiger prawns (if there is an ingredient from British Columbia that I'd advertise as best, this is it) in serrano pepper and coconut masala with grilled sweet potato. I'm pretty sure that except for the coconut and the spices, all those ingredients are local and mostly organic from small farms. With regard to the spices, Vij does what you have described, Suvir, on several threads on your India board: He hand sifts them for impurities, grinds everything fresh, slowly roasts and otherwise activates their essential oils, and blends them with a deft hand. Tiger prawns possess such a subtle flavor, it is essential that one really understand spices in order not to drown them out. Vij achieves the miraculous balancing act of a firmly spiced dish that feels not at all heavy and that enhances the briny sweetness of the tiger prawns.

Vij is particularly celebrated for his garam masala, which you might find him combining with portabella mushrooms in a porcini cream curry (mushrooms, again, are one of British Columbia's great achievements). The restaurant is called Vij's "curry art gallery" for good reason. Just reading the short handwritten menu, you get a sense of great things in store: Garnet yam and green chili dumplings in pureed onion and tomato curry; fresh dried mint and cauliflower crepe with mango and green onion curry; spicy garlic mutton grilled on skewers.

It's such a delightful dining experience, with Vij's personality filling the room. The customers know him, his family, his life story. There are no reservations. Prices are quite reasonable. The entire place is decorated by Vij, with items he designed -- it has none of the phony appearance of a colonial Indian restaurant. It reminds me a bit of the photographs of that hotel that you talk about on your Web site, Suvir. He also serves up a wicked ginger-lemon drink. It is as close to a home hospitality experience as one can get in a restaurant.

1480 West 11th Avenue

Vancouver, BC   V6H 1L1

Tel: 604 736 6664

Cash only, no reservations

[anil]

I haven't been to all of them, but I'll nonetheless nominate Vij's in Vancouver for best Indian restaurant in North America.

Dang !! How did I miss that -- I guess I'll have to do a mileage run just to check it out    

Seriously YVR here I come........

[Fat Guy]

Anil, I think Vancouver is one of the world's most exciting restaurant cities right now. That's not to say it's anywhere near being the best, but it's tons of fun to dine there. It's vibrant, friendly, and cheap, and the quality and diversity of cuisine are amazing. We all can help you plan a stellar Vancouver dining itinerary when the time comes.

[mamster]

What I like about Vij's is the free appetizers.  While you wait at the bar you get free pooris, naan, and chai.  Obviously it's not really "free"--they're making the cost up in other ways, although the menu is cheap, but last time we went to Vij's we waited over an hour for a table and actually enjoyed our wait.  That's a restaurant doing something right.

[Suvir Saran]

Vij's sounds wonderful.  Not all dishes seem very classic but still deeply grounded with their Indian link to spices.

Steven, Ginger-Lemonade is a top seller in parties I cater in NYC.  People find it addictive.  It is a common drink had in Indian homes in at least the northern part.  And in the evenings one often spikes it with gin or even rum.  People love it with or without alcohol.  

And free knick knacks to savor as you wait at the bar.. great thing to do.  I have always felt it was the best thing to do.  No restaurant owner I share it with believes me.  They find it hurtful to their food cost.. I think otherwise.

I will have to make my Haj to Vij's soon.  Maybe Steven, you can get me a connection that can save me an hour wait.. I have never done that yet.  But will do if absolutely necessary.

[ckbklady]

Here in Vancouver, two other choices come to mind - Sami's and Maurya. Sami's is a tiny, lively and inexpensive place. The cuisine would loosely be called "Indian fusion" - Cardamon Crab Cakes, that sort of thing. Very Raji Jallepalli. The proprietor wrote a great little cookbook of recipes from the restaurant called Go Ahead, Make My Curry. (Cheesy, perhaps, but utterly charming.) This place is a helluva bargain for lunch and is a fun and casual place for dinner. The Butter Chicken is unbelievably splendid.

Maurya is more of a "take the boss to dinner" place (does anyone actually do that?). It feels much like the serious "statement restaurants" of Toronto.  Expensive decor, gentle subtly piped Indian music, semi-formal service. Wonderful wine list, elegant dishes. It is my favorite Vancouver restaurant for out-of-town guests.

For those who can get it, the current issue of VANCOUVER magazine March 2002 (www.vancouvermagazine.com) has a detailed article and review of several Indian places here. Caution - reading it will make you ravenous!

Cookbook Lady

[Suvir Saran]

Cookbook Lady,

How are those cardamom crab cakes constructed and served?  They do sound very fusion.. would love to know more.

Vancouver sounds exciting.

[ckbklady]

Hello Suvir!

Sorry about the delay in replying - I am not a daily eGulleteer.

(A shocking admission, yes.)

Yes, Sami's crab cakes really are marvelous. They are constructed like "regular" crab cakes - mashed fishy bits shaped into patties as usual, but these babies have fennel seeds, cilantro and Sami's curry powder mixed in (and sometimes shrimp as a special). They are served in a folded roti-like bread and to make the fusion of ideas even wilder, the presentation looks like Falafel.

Sami Lalji is an East Indian from Uganda who has lived in Canada since the 70s, so he knows diversity. I have had celestial Smoked Salmon Pakoras (yes!) at Sami's and think his spicy Osso Bucco and Baby Back Ribs are amazing. If you go and his Pappadum Crusted Salmon is on the menu, don't even think of ordering anything else.

The restaurant is in a little corner strip mall beside a 7-11. Do NOT allow that to put you off - it means that Sami can offer entrees for two with wine for under $50. And the constant coming-and-going of the 7-11 crowd guarantees only a short wait for a much-coveted free parking spot.

Anyone can do a fancy meal and charge $100+. I am much more fired up about bargain spots, because they do more with less. I want imagination, not silver serving dishes. Sami Lalji is, for my money, the most inventive restauranteur in Vancouver. Vij's is fine, but sometimes you don't WANT to take the boss to dinner.

I also must add that Sami does his best to teach patrons about wine pairings with Indian food by putting a copy of his little book on each table for reference. Not only can you look through the book and find the recipe for the meal you plan to eat, but you can compare the wine suggestions listed with the current wine list on the menu. Dare I call it "interactive"? Of course, buy a book on the way out - you'll want to make the Butter Chicken again and again. (Incidentally, I have made that recipe and found it to be EXACTLY the same as Sami's - now THAT'S a souvenir!)

SAMI'S

986 WEST BROADWAY (near Oak)

Vancouver, BC

604-736-8330

(no reservations)

GO AHEAD, MAKE MY CURRY! New Indian Cuisine

Sami Lalji

Vancouver, Whitecap Books, 2001

$14.95 CDN  ISBN: 1-55285-210-5

Cookbook Lady

[Larry]

I'm looking for a good new Indian restaurant to try in Montreal. I usually go the Taj on Stanley because it's close by but does anyone have any other recommendations?

Thanks

[pss999]

My current favourite is Bombay Mahal (1001 Jean Talon St W, 273-3331). Ugly little place in "Little India", but truly excellent food. Their Chana Samosa is a meal unto itself (not just a samosa, but a samosa in a soup-like sauce served in a bowl) and VERY flavourful. This is not "Indian lite" like in downtown restaurants though, so be prepared for some bold and hot flavours!

Also, I haven't eaten there yet (it's supposed to be excellent too though, so I will soon!), but I sometimes stop by Pushap's for a selection of their excellent (but unusual by our standards) Indian sweets and great selection of breads and other baked/fried Indian goodies. They're at 5195 Rue Pare (514-737-4527).

If you do want to stay in the downtown area, I often eat lunch at Allo Inde on Stanley. The owner is a nice guy and their food is generally pretty good, but like most downtown Indian, overpriced (but their lunch specials are pretty cheap) and under-spiced.

Actually, my favourite downtown Indian is probably Chicken Tikka on the top floor of the Faubourg food court. Also nice guys there (but I haven't been by in a while, I'm assuming it's the same guys...), and their Tikka and Seekh Kebabs are nice, as are their "mixed salads" and sauces. Above average nan and samosas too. The Indian place in the basement food court of Montreal Trust is okay (decent Seekh kebabs, other stuff a bit bland and limp) and good if you're hungry as they have big portions but definitely not on a par with Tikka at Faubourg.

Man, I'm getting hungry for curry at 7:30 AM in the morning just thinking about these places!! Yes, Indian is probably my perennially favourite cuisine :-)

Paul

[SteveW]

Paul what are the best Indian restaurants for nan bread in the city?

-Steve

[pss999]

Paul what are the best Indian restaurants for nan bread in the city?

-Steve

Nan (like most flatbreads) isn't terribly complicated. As long as a place has a wood-fired tandoor, the Nan will probably be okay. Most Indian places I've seen in Montreal all have wood-fired tandoors. Gas fired are okay too, but you miss out on some of the ash and smokey flavour. If they don't have a tandoor, then the nan will be second-rate (to be kind), and the food almost surely will be too. If you ask, most waiters/owners will gladly and proudly tell you about their tandoor if you express an interest :-)

The nan at Bombay Mahal was great, and it's fine at the other places I mentioned too. It also depends somewhat on who's baking it, and the state of the dough (it could be too fresh, or too old) and ingredients used for that batch (flour changes!), and the state of the tandoor (it has to be REALLY hot!).

Paul

[ademello]

Try Gandhi on St. Paul West in the Old Port or Masala on Wellington. Both are fabulous and more authentic IMHO.

[VivreManger]

I sometimes stop by Pushap's for a selection of their excellent (but unusual by our standards) Indian sweets and great selection of breads and other baked/fried Indian goodies. They're at 5195 Rue Pare (514-737-4527).

Is Pushap's a restaurant, bakery, or some combination of the two? What is the cross street on Pare?

[SteveW]

Pushap, is a restaurant. Haven't been there for awhile. I think they do a brisk take-out business, mainly for their Indian sweets. The cross street is Mountain Sights.

-Steve

[pss999]

Pushap, is a restaurant. Haven't been there for awhile. I think they do a brisk take-out business, mainly for their Indian sweets. The cross street is Mountain Sights.

-Steve

Yep, they're a restaurant (with a sweets counter) and they do a brisk take out for just about everything... when I was there on a Saturday morning, the guy said they'll sell over 2000 samosas that day. Their big thing there I think is vegeterian thali plates...

Paul

[Larry]

Has anyone tried Asha on Parc?

[carswell]

Has anyone tried Asha on Parc?

Yep. It's your classic, same old same old Montreal Indian restaurant. Same old list of dishes (onion bajhi, korma, vindaloo, dansak, etc.). Most of the sauces, meats and vegetables are prepared in advance and combined at the last minute. Not bad but nothing special; get a decent cookbook and you can do much better at home. The waitrons are friendly, though, and they have Double Diamond on tap.