Punjabi Dhaba?

Nicholas, I’m sorry to say, but you kept me waiting way too long, so I did the unthinkable…went for Indian food at a placed not called “Tandoori Hut” with a couple of friends. Don’t be mad.

One might speculate that I would’ve gone for Indian food soon after I returned home. Truth is I was afraid of the stuff in Canada. People would come up to me and say, “Oh, I had butter chicken yesterday.” All I could think was, “Butter chicken wasn’t even that good in India…I much preferred <something you probably never heard of>.” There was also the issue of paying $1.85 for naan that cost me 15 cents in India, or a channa masala that cost 12 bucks here, but only a buck in India. Granted, that’s not an excuse, but it was a deterring factor. So, when my friends asked me if I’d “go for Indian food so I could show them what on the menu was good,” I was a bit hesitant.

Off I went to Moti Mahal, a little Indian restaurant just off of 17th Ave. on 14th St. On first impression I must say that the place was way to clean. I was tempted to go to the owner and ask if he could dirty it up for me a bit. Upon sitting down, I noticed copper cups were being used…that’s definitely a plus. After explaining the menu to my friends, we ordered some lassi, paneer tikka, chicken masala, and daal, with naan and puri. It was a solid Punjabi meal and a decent introduction to anyone that isn’t familiar with North Indian food.

Overall, I was impressed by the food. The flavours were solid, but I could definitely detect the Canadianization element. Near the end of the meal, I was chewing my food when my molar struck something hard. It turned out to be a little rock that had snuck its way into the daal. Some people might freak out and complain. But not me…I rejoiced in happiness. The fact that the restaurant was able to incorporate one of the finer points of Indian cuisine was extraordinary. I’ll give it top marks for that. We finished the meal off with some Gulab Jamun. It was pretty similar to what you get in India, so I was indeed happy.

I must say that it did feel eating Indian food in such a nice place and for such a long time. Normally, you’re in and out in 20 minutes…we were in there for over an hour and a half. That’s ok, though, it won’t stop me from recommending Moti Mahal to anyone looking for fairly authentic Indian cuisine.