Rating:
Review: An East Indian/East African restaurant with minimal decor that focuses its energy on wonderfully spiced food.
To start, we had one beef and one vegetable samosa and vegetable pakoras served with tamarind sauce. The beef samosa was full of spiced ground beef and the vegetable samosa contained a variety of tasty vegetables. The pakoras had a light crispy batter enveloping tender pieces of potato, onion and carrot. This kitchen has a light touch when it comes to deep fried food--no greasy residue on the fingers or in the tummy.
For our main courses, we had the house specialty Butter Chicken and Tandoori Chicken. On the side we had Rice Pillau and Roti. The Butter Chicken consisted of tender chunks of chicken breast in a silky smooth sauce that hit the tongue with an explosion of complex spice and cream. The Pillau Rice was perfectly cooked basmati, each grain separated and flavoured with cardamom pods and saffron. The roti was the perfect wrap for chunks of chicken, rice and sauce to be popped in the mouth in bite sized pieces.
My companion had the Tandoori Chicken Breast which came with curried potatoes, raita, tamarind sauce and salad. The chicken had a red, slightly charred crust and the meat was moist and succulent. The yogurt cucumber raita provided relief for the palate from the spicy chicken and the medium spiced potatoes.
The portions were large enough that with one other dish we'd have enough for three people. (Next time we might order two entrees with rice and bread.) Service was good without being obtrusive. Each meal is prepared to order--but rest assured, the food is worth the wait. Definitely on our list of where to go in Victoria. Under $50 with tip and no alcohol or dessert.
Reviewed by: Chris Churchill (chris@cks.bc.ca)
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