These past two weeks I have had a few friends from home come visit. In the air of celebration, I have done a fair bit of eating out at really spectacular restaurants.
Long awaited was my meal at Vij's, an Indian restaurant that has been around since 1994 and has since gained a highly respectable reputation as THE Indian food destination in Vancouver. I have browsed through his cookbook, a sure way to make me salivate, and have been waiting for the right person to accompany me on my dining experience there. My dear friend Kate, whom I met during my stint living in Banff, has also been to India and is a true food lover. I couldn't think of a better person to come along. Vij's opens at five o'clock every night and takes no reservations. Seats are on a first come first serve basis and it is always lined up at 5:01. They seat the whole restaurant at 5:00, so when we arrived at 5:10, we were told it was to be an hour to an hour and a half wait. We had the option of leaving our names and coming back, or staying in the courtyard enjoying some cocktails and conversing with the other hungry, waiting folk. I also heard rumors of delectable tidbits being passed around during the wait, and that alone was enough to convince me to stay.
The rumors were true: the first plate that came around was stacked full of Puri, an Indian potato chip of sorts, seasoned perfectly with fennel seeds and just the right amount of salt. I'm not even a fennel fan (much to my fennel-loving sister's chagrin) and I loved these. They were hot enough that they prompted a quick intake of breath to cool them down, followed by a melting sensation on my tongue. The restaurant is smart in their strategy of feeding the hungry waiters only small amounts, making our stomachs and mouths yearn for more!
Second round of tantalizing tasters: Pakora, potato fritters. The potatoes are dipped in a spicy batter and then deep fried until golden. They had the texture inside of something close to chickpeas, but the simple, comforting flavour of potatoes. They were unreal.
The last teaser was something that I had never had before: Papri Chaat. It was a homemade crisp topped with date relish (sweet and complex flavour), mint chutney (my all time favourite) and a mung bean salad. It was one bite, but the most perfect, delicious bite of the night yet. I probably could have eaten at least a hundred of them.
Finally, at 6:45, we got our table. The restaurant is quite small, but has a distinctly exotic feel that makes one feel like he has stepped out of Vancouver and into India. Beautifully carved, ornate lanterns hanging suspended in the red mood lighting made me feel like I was back in Mumbai. The serving style was quite different than most restaurants, as it was seemingly section-less and perfectly fluid. Servers floated effortlessly from tables and seemed to show up right at the moment I was about to lift my head and ask for something.We agonized over the menu. Even after sitting outside waiting for an hour and a half we were still having a hard time deciding what we should eat. After careful consideration, we decided on an appetizer and two entrees to share.
To start we had braised Portabello mushroom in Porcini mushroom cream. It was a spicy curry, enough to make my nose run, but the cream in the sauce cut it nicely. It was served in a beautiful wooden bowl with smooth and creamy celariac puree on the bottom to add body and texture. On the side was an unleavened roti (flat bread) for dipping. Superb.
We decided to share a simple, albeit delicious, Saag Paneer and Dhal dish for our first entree. The Saag Paneer (spinach and cheese) was good, although not my favourite, but the Lentils blew me out of the water. They were the ultimate texture, toothsome enough to have a bite, but soft enough to sort of fall apart and partially dissolve into the curry. This one was served with chapati (another unleavened bread) for dipping.
The main event was a dish to be remembered: BC spot Prawns (the most tender, tiny, succulent shrimps I've ever tasted) with Halibut in a lemon coconut curry. There were black chickpeas (sort of like a black bean but smaller and firmer), potatoes, beets and onion. The halibut fell apart like it was butter. The curry was warm, but not too spicy. This one was served with rice pilaf with caraway seeds and naan bread.
I had to will myself not to lift the bowl to my lips and drink the remains when we were done. It almost brought tears to my eyes it was so delicious.
We had the Joie- A noble blend wine with our meal and it was a splendid accompaniment. It went smoothly and was complimentary to all of the dishes we enjoyed.
It was the single best Indian meal I have had outside India, and I do not take lightly the delicious things I have eaten. YUM!!
If you haven't had a chance to check this place out, I highly recommend it.
Onto a different country's delicious food that seems to have a hold of me: Thai! I have been searching for a place that can recreate my favourite bus stop food in Thailand: Pad Kaprow and I have found it. There's a little hole in the wall restaurant near my house, on West 12th ave just off of Granville St. that has succeeded. They do a wicked lunch special for 8:50 and the combinations of what you can choose are endless. I had Pad Kaprow, which in their interpretation of it was chicken, chilies, basil leaves, red and yellow peppers, and green beans (amazing), a spring roll stuffed with mushrooms, bean sprouts, cabbage and taro, Tom Yam soup, with scallops, shrimps, mussels and lime leaves in a spicy broth, and sticky rice. I couldn't believe it. It was superb! Yum Yum Yum.
If you have a favourite Thai restaurant, let me know!
More soon, this city is so full of good food I can barely keep up!
