Indian in Montreal.

[Withnail42]

Hi,

Does anyone out there have any suggestions for a good Indian place in Montreal?

[Plateaumaman]

For authentic food like excellent masala dosas try Maison Indian Curry at 996 Jean Talon West near Blvd. L'Acadie or Bombay Mahal across the street.

Indian friends of mine say the best food is at the Golden Curry on St-Laurent near Laurier. I have had a curry there so hot it made me cry. None of these have overwhelming ambiance but the food is great.

[Mr F]

I love Golden. I'm surprised to learn that your Indian friends consider it the best, but so much the better. For the uninitiated: always reserve, as it's a ridiculously narrow little place that seats perhaps 30 people in full sardine-can mode.

Digits:

Maison de Cari Golden
514-270-2561
5210 Saint-Laurent

[jasongogal]

I second Maison Indian Curry. It was by far the best and most authentic of the places I visited. I wish I had known about Golden while I was there.

[hungryann]

Kuljit India in Ville St-Laurent
Malhi Sweet in Parc-ex
Bombay Mahal buffet on Crescent Street
Bombay Choupati in the West Island

[Chai Latte]

<<Kuljit India in Ville St-Laurent
Malhi Sweet in Parc-ex
Bombay Mahal buffet on Crescent Street
Bombay Choupati in the West Island>>

I went to Malhi Sweet in Parc X this Monday. It was a disappointment. It certainly wasn't the worst indian food I've had, but it didn't live up to the raves. I ordered a beef briyani, butter chicken, sag paneer, and aubergine curry. All the dishes came slightly over salted. The butter chicken was ok, the chicken pieces were tender but scant; the sauce rich, perhaps overly so, and yet somehow still lacking in flavour. The beef briyani was under spiced, with little to no cardamon, ginger, cloves or other spices present. It was basically beef fried rice jazzed up with cilantro and onions. The sag paneer had a bit of a bite, but the cheese cubes were "squeaky" and dry. The best dish was the aubergine curry; being nicely spiced, redolent with chili, garlic, tumeric, onions and topped off with cilantro. The nan bread I ordered was crunchy and hard by the end of the meal.

I'm really surprised that my meal was so underwhelming. Malhi Sweet has garned good reviews in the media and by word of mouth. The restaurant has had clients such as Catherine Deneuve and Leelee Solibyaski praise it.

Incidentally, I didn't see any sweets in sight. The restaurant is called "Malhi Sweet", yet I didn't see any mithai (indian sweets) anywhere.

My favorite Indian restaurant is Curry House on Bishop. Ben, the owner, is a real nice guy - AND a good cook. When he's in the kitchen or supervising, the food is always good. I love his version of butter chicken. It's not as rich as other versions, it's even slightly sweet with the addition of sultanas and dried papaya, and it's absolutely delicious. I've taken two south east asian friends, one a pakastani, the other a sikh, and both loved the butter chicken at Curry House. In addition, their nan bread is one of the best in the city. Soft, tender, melt in your mouth good; it's just great for mopping up the gravy from the curries.

Incidentally, both Bruce Willis and Sir Ben Kingsley have eaten at Curry House. The actors were in Montreal filming a movie and stopped in for a meal. Bruce really enjoyed the meal and told Ben, the owner, he would eat indian food more often but his wife (Demi Moore at the time) didn't like it. Ben Kingsley, half indian himself, and no stranger to good indian food said that Curry House had some of the best indian food he ever tasted. And no, I'm in no way affliated with the restaurant. I'm only repeating what Ben, the owner, told me during a late Saturday lunch I had several months back.

BTW, has anyone ever been to a indian restaurant called, "Nuehevli" in parc x? I'm not sure if I spelled that right, but it translates into "New Castle" in English. I think this restaurant is now defunct, but a couple of years ago, I use to go there and order up a storm. The food was absolutely fabulous; every dish was delicious. The prices were very good too. Unfortunately, the owners sold the place, and the food was terrible thereafter.

I use to go to Allo Inde on Stanley fairly often. I stopped going for a while, went back a year later and found the food to be subpar. Don't know if that was just an off night, but I wasn't impressed.

[reelection]

Not surprised at your mediocre experience at Malhi, mine was very similar.

I'm told that this place was one of the first Indian restos in the area. Either the quality was better back then or people just didn't have anything to compare it to. Maybe the celebrity visits are from that era.

[risuma]

I had amazing Indian food last Thursday in the west Island at a resto called "Karma" on St. John's blvd.

Was rather expensive but well worth it. Presentaion, decor and overall taste was great!

Nice place to impress some people and introduce to Indian.

[LIONESS]

I too have been to Karma and was equally impressed although for a much lesser cost and just as good taste, you can't go wrong with Bombay Choupati on Sources Blvd.

[grobi]

I'll second Bombay Choupati! The food is excellent and the waitress (she might have been the owner) was so attentive and helpful when I went.

[Frenchie]

I was very impressed with the restaurant called Masala on Wellington (corner of Peel and Wellington). I think it's only opened on Friday evening though (the other nights are booked for Indian cooking lessons).

[mbe]

Maybe it's improved lately but I had lunch at Masala about 6 months ago and it was very very boring. I know that Illyas can make good curry but this was toned down to the level of boiled brocoli and beyond-bland dahl soup. Maybe dinner is diffrent.

[Eat_Right]

My favorite restaurant is Sahib in the West Island, I love the setting, there's a section that resembles a British Style Pub and then they have an amazing dining room. The service is great too. I simply love the Chicken Tikka, Butter chicken and the Patiala. It's a must try.

[Simon Patrice]

I've heard really good things about Ganges on Sherbrooke st. West. Has anyone tried it?

[buzz_sapien]

Been loyal to Ganages for many years. I have tried many others, nothing has come close yet, and frankly their prices are great. They have a cool 'menu for 2' for well under $40. The butter-chicken is one of a kind.
Funny story about Ganges - Years ago I was trying to explain to a date how they make Nan bread - the waiter overheard, yelled something into the kitchen, and then we saw a flurry of activity. The guys in the kitchen started clanging around and finally I saw one of them passing a mop... As it turns out, they cleaned up the kitchen in order to take myself and my date into the kitchen and demonstrate how they use the tandoori oven and made a Nan right infront of us.
One of those truly memorable experiences...

[bomobob]

Ganges is consistently good, but my loyalty lies with Star of India II across the street and down a bit. They have been standouts since the 80s when they were Nataraj, then Taj Mahal, then Raj Mahal, and finally SOI. I may have missed a couple of incarnations along the way. The original Star of India on Ste. Catherine next to the Faubourg is still my all-time favourite in the city, and the food there has been mind blowing since the 1970s.
I've fallen out of love with Dev on Victoria, and haven't gone back after two very mediocre meals in a row.
Bombay Palace (the original one, also called Pique Assiete, a name which I always found a little rude:) ) used to be very good, but since moving to near the old Forum is now probably the worst Indian resto I've ever eaten at, save for that horrible buffet on Rene Levesque and Guy, which I was dragged to once. The one that advertises on TV all the time. Yech!

[cherylmtl]

Sorry, have to disagree with you about the original Star of India. It's highly ordinary. When I tried it, the food was oily and flavours were just not there. Even the "spicy" dishes weren't spicy. It was very disappointing, as far as Indian food goes.

[bomobob]

Wow, that's a surprise. It's the best Indian food I've eaten outside of India.

[cherylmtl]

Either I've hit it in really off nights, or we don't like the same kinds of Indian food. But it didn't even come close to anything I've had in India, or even near many of the so-so Montreal Indian restaurants.

[bomobob]

I'm sure we like the same kinds of Indian food....
It's a shame when there are inconsistencies like that in a restaurant.

[BLM]

What did you like at the Star of India restaurant? I'll try to see for myself soon((with you & cherymtl having totally different views on their food). Went by the place all the time, but never ate there.

[bomobob]

Their sag shrimp is really nice, and I also love the phal beef, but it's too hot for many people. Lamb dopiaza is also delish.

[BLM]

Went to Star of India a week ago, & tried their phal beef. Very good(sauce I found excellent, the beef could of been more tender but still good). Didn't find it too spicy(about the right spice level I prefer).

According to what they say at the front of their take-out menu, they have "many more dishes, ask for details." What's good at Star of India, that's off the menu? What specific dishes can I order 'off the menu', at good Indian restaurants? I'm still in a learning phase for Indian food.

[RAMGOD]

EAST INDIAN COMPANY-corner of Cote des Neiges and Queen Mary. Eztensive, delicious buffet or innventive a la carte also available. Beautiful decor and good service. Best of all, v. reasonably priced.
RAMGOD

[porridge]

Sorry but East India Co offers a very run of the mill "office lunch out" buffet. Nothing to rave about. The table service was a little slow and one person in our group was given the wrong change at the cash. You can find tastier if you make the trip to Jean-Talon. I agree about the decor though, nice statues.

[jennina]

Bombay Mahal for the butter chicken and palak panneer and malagatany

Punjab Palace for the rest it really is one of the best
( also this place actually has some "cachet")
it is cute and good crowd. you should reserve.
p.s. must have the chicken jalfrazi

Punjab Palace
514-495-4075
920, rue Jean-Talon Ouest,
Montréal, QC H3N 1S6

if your looking for pakistani
SANA on jarry ( near sweet malhi which is also very good indian)

[roarlaura]

Another vote for Punjab Palace. The vegetarian menu is expansive and the prices are incredibly low and INCLUDE TAX!

[MangiaMuse]

The food was good at Punjab Palace, although spicier than usual Indian cuisine, but the service was horrendous. So bad that we had a miserable time. There was one waitress for an extremely busy restaurant, and every now and then, the owner, who moved like he was in an underwater Tai Chi class, would come to help out. We ordered an appetizer, which arrived with the regular meal, an hour after ordering our meal (it took 20 minutes to get a menu). The prices are dirt cheap, but I would not go back.

[hungryann]

Similar experience at the West Island branch. See my post below from Aug. 2nd 2007.
BTW "who moved like he was in an underwater Tai Chi class": laugh out loud funny!! :D

[kit]

I have to put my vote in for Punjab Palace. Dirt cheap & hearty! AND BYOW! But always crowded. We usually go without a reservation after 9pm and still wait a good 15 minutes.

Apparently many of the indian restos in that Jean-Talon/Acadie area are good.

Dev on Victoria Ave was also excellent but when I went last time after they moved next door...it was so so. But it could be an off day.

[GreenCheese]

Dev is one my favorites for eating in because it's close by. For really good South Indian (Keralan) style food I prefer Jolee. You could eat in, but the place itself is really grimy and don't expect much in the way of service. I really prefer Jolee as take out only. It's also ridiculously cheep and they have different fried appetizer options every time I go. Between Dev and Jolee, it's like a one two punch here on Victoria.

[braydin]

East Indi co is an amazing buffet. iv lived in montreal for years now. other places so clearly cut corners in cooking its disgusting. this place is great, too many people in this city care only bout money when they go out, and to them i say stay home. dont bother hardworking induviduals who dedicate themselves to this industry, such as those at the east india co. Truly amazing place, worth trying.

[kmeyersvt]

Restaurant Ghandi on St. Paul Ouest in Old Montreal is one of my favorite places to eat in Montreal. The flavors are very well balanced, the atmosphere is great, and the service is very good. The only complaint I had on my last trip there (this past weekend) was the wine. The wine list started with Jacob's Creek Chardonnay ($6 at my local drug store) and the middle of the list had a Fetzer Chardonnay ($9 at my local drug store). There may have been some good wines on there that I'm not familar with, but seeing those on there did not impress me. I ordered a glass of sauvignon blanc that was OK but not great.

I recommend reservations on the weekend, it is not a large restaurant and despite the streets being deserted, the restaurant was packed.

[Campofiorin]

I know these wines are not quite impressive but bear in mind that the first sells for about $13 and the second for nearly $16 here in Quebec.

[mtl22]

Ganges in NDG has definitely been my best experience in Indian food restaurants. The atmosphere is very nice, and so is the staff...as well as the food...delicious! Their tandori chicken is very tender as well as this chicken dish I had with almonds, unfortunately I don't remember the name. I had then heard about Punjab Palace, and unfortunately was qiute disapointed. The restaurant is a little dingy, and our waitress seemed a little annoyed at our question asking. I also found the chicken there a quite dry. I guess for a BYOB it was quite alright but I would definitely suggest to all of you diehard indian food fans to visit Ganges since it is a cut above these BYOB restaurants and it is worth the few extra bucks. It is on Sherbrooke in NDG.

[eatsies]

I am amazed that no one has mentioned 786 Halal in here. I know it is Pakistani and so not technically 'Indian', but it deserves mention. Their kormas and bbq dishes are among the best in the city and rival the best that Toronto's much larger Indian community has to offer.

In fact if I wasn't looking for a good Indian resto on a recent visit to the t dot I never would have found 786 as the new Toronto franchise was highly praised on the Toronto chow board.

and the best thing in these snowy cold winter months is that they deliver!

[Moosemeat]

I have to second the praise for Halal. Their mustard greens are just about the tastiest thing I've ever had the pleasure to eat.

[phedre]

786 Halal is my favourite Indian/Pakistani restaurant in the city. Avoid the gulub jaman though, it's icky. Stick to Pushap (Namur Metro) for the desserts!

[Moosemeat]

Why not the pushap right nearby on Jean-Talon? Is the one near namur that much better?

[emerilcantcook]

Bumping an old thread, but nice to have "meta posts".

Finally got a chance to try Halal 786. It was fantastic.

Chapatis were well made, fresh from the oven with the telltale tava smell. Yum. We tried the mustard greens. I was expecting the leaves to be intact, but they were pureed, baby food style. Very flavorful, complex and surprisingly filling (esp for a pureed vegetable dish). It was a tad bit on the saltier side, but since I oversalt my food it was no problem for me.

We also tried the Haleem, the Friday special. It was basically a slow cooked stew of wheat, lentils and meat, mashed (and perhaps beaten) to the consistency of a sticky mush. This is an interesting dish that is made in Anatolia, Middle East and Central Asia; most cultures associate it with some kind of celebratory situation (weddings, Ramadan, Fridays?). But wherever you eat it, they make it differently. Sometimes the grains are visible, sometimes it is sweet, sometimes the consistency is runny rather than sticky... This was one of the best I had. Byblos also makes it for breakfast (calls it Halym, and adds turkey), but theirs is more like a sweet hot breakfast cereal and is not as complex as Halal's.

Anyhoo. We scooped our Haleems up with our chapatis in two seconds. It was odd to have to pureed dishes on the table. If I were smarter (brain doesn't work properly when hungry) I would have ordered the greens with chickpeas to add some textural variation. But oh well, they both tasted good. The dessert was OK though. The rice pudding was creamy, but wasn't seasoned as well as other dishes. From other postings, it looks like desserts are not their forte anyway.

The lassis on the other hand were frothed and well balanced (neither too watered down, nor thick enough to be still considered as yogurt).

Our neighbors in the next table were eating the Lahori fish. It looked awesome, they looked happy. I know what I will be ordering next time.

[morebubbles]

Yes, we have mentioned it, and it is excellent. Check here:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/34760...
I didn't know they had delivery! This is interesting. Within the ParkX area only I guess (I have friends who live there so it's not a problem).

[eatsies]

(Sorry ... I meant on this particular thread.)

We live at Parc and St. Viateur and they deliver to us... I have the impression that they will go pretty far so its worth checking...

even more interesting perhaps is that the last time we sat down to eat there they were preparing a wedding banquet; huge cauldrons full of all sort of delicious things were being stacked up in the dinning area waiting to be hauled out! I would love to have been a guest at that wedding (and I am sure the couple will have a long and happy union).

[ios94]

Someone mentioned DEV, I used to be a regular there but we got turned off with the cleanliness of the place after they moved next door and I haven't been back in over 1 year. I'm now a regular at Taj Mahal on Sherbrooke and we'll try Etoile des' Indes, Maison du Curi on Bishop and Golden Curry (that's the narrow one, right) every now and then. I'm actually trying Karma tonight, not a big fan of these "trendy" restos but since the gf and I enjoy Indian we figured we'd give it a shot tonight. I'll let you know how it was, tomorrow.

[FlavoursGal]

I've had two meals at Indian restaurants while visiting Montreal in the last few months. The first, at Ganges in N.D.G., was probably the worst Indian food I've ever eaten - everything was sickeningly sweet, from the butter chicken to the mattar paneer. To top it off, the service was absolutely horrid.

A subsequent visit to Montreal found us driving around aimlessly on Christmas weekend, myself and my teenaged kids each wanting something different. Mom won out (this time!), and we ended up at Gandhi in Old Montreal. We had a lovely meal; the dishes were prepared with more finesse, by someone who understands the need to balance flavours. And the service was delightful.

[carswell]

Funny, my take is the exact opposite. In my experience, Ganges has always been one of the better Montreal-style (i.e. derivative London-style Punjabi) Indian restaurants, with food that has a real home-cooked feel to it (sweetness, which I'm acutely sensitive to, has never been a problem). Ghandi, the twice I've eaten there, was thoroughly lackluster and way Westernized. Sadly, the cooking at neither can hold a candle to similar-style dishes I've made in my kitchen or eaten in restaurants in other cities, especially New York.

[FlavoursGal]

Strange...I found that there was no depth at all in the flavours of Ganges' dishes. They were one-dimensional, and lacking in spiciness.

While the dishes at Gandhi were not extremely spicy, there were elements of heat, a very subtle sweetness, and slight tangy elements that to me, anyway, indicate a more deft hand in the kitchen.

I do agree with you that neither of these restaurants' dishes can compete with the food I've eaten at Indian establishments in New York and London, England.

[kpzoo]

I too have had only good experiences at Ganges. As an NDG-er for over a decade, I've eaten there & had take out dozens of times - FG, perhaps you were there on an off night, because your experience sounds like nothing I've ever had to go through!

My favourite Ganges dishes include the delectable spicy tarka dal to the lovely aloo sag. Their samosas are also the best I've ever had anywhere - full of flavour and not a whiff of greasiness.

I used to work in Old Montreal near Gandhi (I think that's the one you mean) and admit I never tried it - I was always very put off by the fairly high (by Montreal standards) prices. Usually ended up at the sushi place on St-Paul instead, which was excellent and reasonably priced!

[hhost.ca]

I was going to write a review but I think this one will do.

Horribly sweet food for no reason and terrible service.

There were a couple of friendly waiters but the guy who appears to be the head honcho was an absolute dick.

Way to many good Indian restaurants out there to bother with this one.

[BLM]

Talking about Ganges or Ghandi? I'm not sure, from your response here.

[ios94]

So I made it to Karma last night, real nice place (again, ambience is not important to me) but the food was nothing special especially not for the price. The bill pretty much came to double (if not more) what you pay at any of these other (better) places. The ingredients were very fresh but the main dishes lacked some punch, the lamb for the price was not tender (not the best cut of lamb). All in all I enjoyed it but would not go back due to the price and the fact that you can get more taste for your buck at other Indian restos throughout the city as mentioned in here.

[mangoetc]

Bombay Mahal on JEan Talon wins hands down. Forget about Indian in London, Toronto, Vancouver, or any of the other places where Indian entrepreneurs have set up shop- Bombay Mahal compares to Indian in India... Some of their dishes are as spicy and flavorful as roadside Indian fare -doesn't get more authentic than that. They used to be the cheapest bet in town. Biggest problem at THAT time was the NO WINE situation - for me, anyways. Now, that minor inconvenience is history with their new BYOW resto... Used to see a lot more brown faces in there (i can say that, I'm brown) than the other kind... not anymore! The restaurant features a true masala of all complexions... testament ot the fact that the non-brown type prefer wine with their meal because Bombay Mahal is still as good as it always was!

A close 2nd is the Goan-owned restaurant on the corner of Clark and Prince Arthur. The only Goan owned restaurant that I'm aware of in Montreal which therefore makes for the most authentic vindaloo dishes... Most restaurants feature North Indian dishes, a handful will dish out South-Indian fare, and the amazingly rich portuguese culinary spirits of Goa get their representation with the Vindaloo section on a menu... Hardly enough praise for all the other incredibly exotic dishes that come from this country. I guess, Goans aren't into the business of selling food- they prefer eating, drinking, and making merry with the clientele!!!!!

A quick spurt on the fire hydrant before I run off to conduct some Goan cooking classes which accounts for all spelling and grammatical mistakes, if any?!!

[MaeveH]

Goan? I know the owner is Bangladeshi (or at least the owner from a couple of years ago was. That space used to be my dep and his wife made the best samosas...ahhh). Did he bring in a Goan cook? Or has it changed hands? I'd love to have more deets.

[Infomaniac]

Allo Inde
1437A, rue Crescent

This is a failry new Indian place that has come through with another memorable meal for my second visit.
Ali the manager remembered me from my last visit and knew I was not that familiar with a lot of Indian food, so, Ali guided and explained to me what he would have prepared for me and my guest.
Service was excellent, and the staff is friendly and attentive.
Highly recommend.

[chilipepper]

Are these guys on Crescent the same guys at Allo Inde on Stanley? (which is also pretty good BTW)

[Infomaniac]

I'm not sure and will ask the next month when I'm in town again.

[priotoma]

Yes they are, take it from their ex-hostess! I think the hilarity that is Ali and Team Hello India has to be experienced first hand to be believed-trust me on this one and try it! ;)

[Infomaniac]

You know them better than I do, but there was something about Ali that i enjoyed. Funny thing is, he remembered me and my friend, and said he remembered what we ordered last time we were there, but when the food came it seemed totally different from what we ordered the last time we were there. It was all very good but just seemed different.
Can I ask you a question?
Ali gave us a little dessert item. It was like a sticky orange colored pretzel, with a liquid inside. It was very good, but I don't know what it was called. Do you?

[stationearth]

You are probably refering to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalebi

[Infomaniac]

YES....that's it...thank you.

[priotoma]

They'd changed the dessert from that when I was there; now they serve "gulap jamun" which is a round, soft, spongy and very sweet dessert in a syrupy sauce. It's actually a type of cheese, according to Ali!

[Infomaniac]

Thanks....Sounds interesting.
I should be in town next month and will certainly give it a try.

[hungryann]

FYI: it is not a type of cheese. It is rather a fried dough ball but it does contain milk in the dough. What you are referring to is ras malai.

[priotoma]

Well Ali told me it was cheese, what an eejit! I didn't think it was, but hardly thought myself an authority on the subject so just nodded and agreed. Apparently he has left Hello India! It'll never be the same

[Infomaniac]

I just saw your post mentioning Ali left. I was up for the Jazz Festival and didn't see him and thought he had the night off. I'd be interested if he resurfaces anywhere good.

[mrbozo]

This may be apostasy but during my recent trip to la ville natale a friend took me to the Maharaj on René Levesque between Guy and McKay. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. We gorged ourselves on the $10 AYCE buffet and the quality was at worst good. Plenty of vegetarian and non-vegetarian selections.

FWIW I've lived in Toronto for the last couple of decades and there is a sizeable Indian population here compared to Montréal, and consequently many food options. For $10 and AYCE the Maharaj is good value IMO.

[moh]

First business: East Indian Company has closed. I don't know if they have reopened elsewhere.

Second: It has been mentioned by someone else: Bombay Choupati on Sources in the West Island is well worth the trek (As someone who lives downtown). Really great dosa (the fire dosa is extremely spicy but delicious). If you don't like spice, stick to the masala dosa. The butter chicken is fantastic. I also love the fruit chat, a really unique appetizer consisting of deep=fried puffy shells, yogurt, tomatoes, cilantro and a tamarind sauce. I've never seen anything like it in Montreal.

[hungryann]

To my knowledge it's the only indian restaurant that serves any chaat in Mtl. I wonder why that is? Chaat is very popular in Indian restos in the US (especially NYC and SF). I was recently at Bombay Choupati and sampled some of their chaat; all were very good except for the pani puri which was subpar to my previous experiences in the SF Bay area. I am hoping Indian restauranteurs in Mtl will smarten up and start offering these delicious indian snacks.

[RhondaB]

I can't say that I'm sad it burned down a few weeks ago; this was the worst Indian food I've ever experienced. It was not worth the $10, I went through that much $ in spent t.p.

[CowboyMike]

I have to strongly recommend Dev on Victoria near Van Horne. Everything is made fresh to order, and some of their more unique dishes are worth the trip alone - specifically the Fish Pakora (spicy little fish nuggets) and Spinach and Keema Naan (round, flat, flakey bread with a layer of spicy spinach or spicy kefta-like lamb in the middle).

Dev also has a whole selection of chaats, the Indian equivalent of Tapas. I particularly recommend the Chaat Papri, which has crispy noodles, yoghourt and homemade tamarind sauce.

The decor is a little .. idiosyncratic .. but it's a family-run establishment with very reasonable prices.

One more thing : when you're there, make sure you ask for a Chili Pakora, which they don't always offer. It's a giant green chili pepper, fairly mild, stuffed with homemade cheese, battered and deep-fried. It's not health food, but damn.

[Moosemeat]

Dev has good food, but just about the worst service I've ever encountered (really slow and unattentive ). I once tried to order a really different and interesting looking dish there, (I think it was a cornbread spinach combo of some kind) and was basically told it was off limits to me because I'm not Indian. (The server was apparently worried I wouldn't like it.) When I insisted on ordering the dish I was then told that they were out of cornbread. To this day I still don't know what the real reason was for my not being able to order the dish, either way I was unimpressed. Add to that the cafeteria-like ambiance, and Dev falls off my list of "must go to" Indian places in montreal.

Now that I've got my rant out of the way I will admit that quality of food is really good for the price, and that I've been back several times since the incident described above, and while the service hasn't improved, the food remains worth the inconvenience. Barely.

[hungryann]

You have piqued my interest..there is chaat in Mtl !?! Do you remember other chaat items, like pani puri, bhel puri or chole batura? Also does anyone have info on the indian restaurant a few doors next to Dev? I can't remember its latest name (Bombay something?) but for a brief while it was called Greenlands.
Lastly, there was very good Indian place in Lasalle that closed down a few years ago; it was called Shan E Lasalle. Very good home cooked food. Does anyone know if the owners opened up another place somewhere?

[stationearth]

In fact I know more than a couple of places serving chat. My most recent experience has been Bombay Choupati in West Island. There are a few restaurants around that area which have chaat too.

Chaat is also available at Pushap (near Metro du Parc) and the restaurant opposite it ( I forget it's name). Bombay Mahal in the same area also has some chaat dishes.

By chaat I am referring to bhel puri, pani puri (less common), chole tikki, papri chaat, sev dahi batata puri, samosa chaat, chole bhatura etc. To be honest most of the chaat is not as chat pata (not sure of an exact translation, maybe sour and spicy, zing, piquant) as I would like. But the restaurants do make an effort if you request. Not perfect but gets me through the pangs of Indian food that I miss.

A few of these restaurants also have South Indian preparations like dosa, idli and it's variations.

Dev is one place I've yet to try out. As to the spinach cornbread meal referred to in the above post, it is traditionally called "makke ki roti aur sarso ka saag" (literally roti (bread) made of corn and mustard). Those among you in the know will see that it is mustard greens and not spinach. But I guess spinach is a close substitute. And there is usually a dollop of butter to go with it. It is a favourite in the North Indian state of Punjab.

[hungryann]

I have tried the chaat at Bombay Choupati; the pani puri were disappointing (the puris tasted a bit stale). I never thought of trying Pushap on Jean-Talon. I always go to the one on Pare and IIRC there is no chaat there. Are you refering to MAISON INDIAN CURRY across the street from Pushap? I will check them out next time I am in the neighborhood. Also IIRC the selection of chaat at Bombay Mahal is very limited. I have never seen the chole batura anywhere in MTL indian restos. Anyway, I will try out Dev in the near future also.

[CowboyMike]

Greenlands is a Sri Lankan place, but I'm not sure if it's still there. There are a couple of Tamil / Sri Lankan places on that stretch of Victoria.

[Venusia]

Made it to Karma this weekend. It's mainly Punjabi cuisine. My husband liked his lamb, but my butter chicken was too tomatoey. Prices were higher than what I am used to paying for Indian food (5$ for a bowl of rice!) but then the decor is expensive (quite reminiscent of Maiko on Sources, actually).

What annoyed me most was the inexperienced service by waitresses in their uniform of low cut, short dresses. Our waitress leaned across the table, affording me a great view of her cleavage, to hand me my dish in my hands rather than serving it on my plate from behind me, put our champagne glasses on our left, and waved the bottle asking: "Does anyone want more wine?"

I'll stick to the family restos.

[LemonLauren]

any word on Mysore? (4216 St.Laurent)

[edhazer]

Mysore is great. A bit too expensive, but the food is outstanding.

[BLM]

Any with experiences at a Indian Pub Restaurant in the West Island named Sahib Indian Pub? Wonder if it's any good. They were showcased in the Montreal Gazette food section 2-3 years ago.

Edit: I see now that 'Eat Right' above has made some positive comments on Sahib.

[Venusia]

I went to Sahib for a buffet lunch yesterday and I just loved it. I didn't want to try the butter chicken b/c that colors my whole appreciation of a restaurant, but it was very good, very tender (as opposed to the beef curry which was a bit dry). My bill was $8.45, I couldn't believe it. When the meal is that inexpensive, I tend to be very relaxed about the service whereas I am usually horribly picky. For example, the waitress asked me to hand her my glass of water so she could fill it, my friend and I were cracking up.

[JFK1]

Yes Sahib is a great place especially when you consider that people spend as much on rushed junk food meals as on this great food in a relaxed setting. For 10$, a buffet
will satisfy both vegetarians and meat eaters. It is always good everytime we go and its a 5 minute drive for us.

[morebubbles]

Where is this (Sahib Indian Pub) please? address or cross streets will do, thanks!

[cuisine_miche]

Sahib is on Hymus, just west of St. John's Blvd, in Pte Claire.

http://canada411.yellowpages.ca/busin...

[hungryann]

Good to know I have often wondered. By the way, does anyone have any feedback on the other indian places on Sources?
About a month ago, we went to the newly opened Punjab Palace (since we have enjoyed our meals at the one on Jean-Talon although their service is slow). The West island one was really a disappointment. The service was equally slow (took over 1 hour to get our food and we were the only table) but also very inexperienced (the waitress who was an Indian girl of about 18-20 y.o.) told us : "Thank God, you know what to order b/c I don`t know what most of the menu items are" and then made other inappropriate comments to our group. The food was average to good. We had a dosa which was greasy, the salad bar which was underwhelming (canned beans, corn, onion, & tomato slices and some stale poori), butter chicken (average), naan (good) and the non-veg (dahl really good, lamb curry excellent, butter chicken ok) and vegetarian thali (very good). Overall, I would not return. I have better memories of their other location.

[elisheva]

I personally love Pushap (several locations, I go to the one by Namur) but it's all-vegetarian.

[harmony1969]

On the West Island I like Kawality on Sources, purely for the food, there is no ambiance, and their sweets are to die for.

Non veg thalie for $6.99 and I'm stuffed when I leave.

[morebubbles]

Thanks for the Kwality recommendation. Checked it out today, it's great. The thalies are definitely the way to go. Excellent, all of it, the veg. dishes (one with peas and paneer in a cardamom & cinammon sauce was amazing for instance), excellent rice with toasted cumin in it--the butter chicken was the best! Generous portions too, with plenty of fresh naan bread placed separately in a basket to accompany your meal. The mango lassie was better than others I've tasted. Prices were reasonable as well. Very satisfied, thank you!
I would go to Bombay Choupati for the dosas, but to Kwality for the other food. I did have a chana samosa at Kwality which was very good (it's not avail. at BC). btw, there was a line up for take out food.
Kwality, 4771 Boul. des Sources [phone], open 10am to 10pm, 7 days a week

[maisonbistro]

Anyone have an opinion of the Taj Mahal (I think that's what it's called) on Sherbrooke near Claremont? Where the old MacDoherty's used to be (years and years ago)?

[phedre]

I still lament the passing of Shan E, the tiny little Indian restaurant in a strip mall in LaSalle. The service was always so friendly, and the food so good!

[Venusia]

I went to Devi on Crescent last weekend and was a bit disappointed. I had read the glowing reviews in Montrealfood, Voir and The Gazette, and was expecting more. Decor-wise, it's lovely, but I didn't find the food had the complex flavours of my favourite resto, namely, Bombay Choupati. I keep comparing it to every Indian restaurant I go to and the others always come up comparatively short. The naan was very uneven; some parts were charred and crispy and others were thick and doughy. I don't think the chicken was cooked in a tandoor. We shared a butter chicken and it was absolutely bland and boring. I couldn't even finish it and usually I inhale the sauce. We were there on a Saturday night and the restaurant was very quiet; I'm not sure the location is working for them. The Crescent crowd is not really a good fit for walk-ins. Also, I feel they are trying to compromise to skew to that crowd and it's not really working. Eg, beers on offer: Molson Ex, Molson Canadian (!), Bud, Bud Lite, Labatt Blue. Imported: Heineken and Corona. Microbrew: Rickards Red (!). Rickards is a microbrew? No British beers or anything approaching thoughfulness on the beer list.

[BLM]

Joshua Karpati reviewed Devi in yesterday's Hour paper. Certainly less than glowing review of the restaurant(pretty much everything was a disaster, except for their naan bread & basmati rice). He got some of the facts on the Devi restaurant wrong. Yes, the flagship NYC Devi closed several months ago. But they reopened in latter part of October. Devi didn't re-opened in Montreal(Devi in Montreal opened around 6 months ago, when Devi NYC was still open in its first incarnation).

[minisma]

Has anybody tried Mumbai on Notre Dame O? My sis-in-law eats there frequently and also orders take-home.

[Moosemeat]

I've tried it a couple of times, and found it average. There's nothing wrong with it, but nothing in particular to recommend it either. I haven't eaten there in over a year, so things may have gotten better or worse for all I know. Not too far away (on Center a block or so east of Charlevoix) there's a really good mom & pop Indian place. The name escapes me at the moment, sorry.

[jensie]

I live right near there, so I eat there fairly often. I really like it. It's never very crowded, so the staff take good care of you, and the food is always good. It's a solid place to go, and not too far from the AMC, so it's nice before a movie (and then you can walk up the hill and burn off your butter chicken). But it's probably not the most exciting or innovative Indian food in Montreal, so if that's what you want, the Chowhounders probably know their business. But I think it's worthy.

[morebubbles]

Just wanted to save someone a trip - just to let you all know that Bombay Choupati is closed 'for holidays' from 23 Nov. 07 to 18 Jan.08. I was so craving their great dosas too!

[moh]

Arghh, a day too late! Yes we made the trip for nothing. I'm counting the days. We went down the street to Punjab Palace for the lunch buffet. It was acceptable. The butter chicken sauce was excellent, rich and creamy and not too sweet (although we went late, and there was not much chicken left! No problem for me, i actually prefer just the sauce.). The lamb curry was the standout dish for me, savoury, powerfully spiced yet balanced, with tender chunks of lamb. The muttar paneer was also very good, although the paneer was crumbled into smaller pieces, and I like big chunks of it. I was a little disappointed by the vegetable dishes (vegetable curry, spinach and eggplant) as I thought they were a bit heavy handed and a bit too sweet ( and I usually like sweet in my curries). The naan was over- buttered, but tasty. The fried puri when fresh is fabulous (wait until they restock the pan! then cover it in the butter chicken sauce....) Rice was disappointing. The salad/chat bar was good, with some interesting items that I had not seem before and quite enjoyed, in particular something that resembled fresh mung beans? I didn't try the tandoori chicken it looked quite dry (confirmed by my partner). Overall, an acceptable experience given the price ($30 for 3 people) but a bit of a letdown when you are expecting a masala dosa from Bombay Choupati. Fly time, fly....

[hungryann]

Maison Indian Curry on Jean-Talon also has excellent dosas, although a tad greasier, but they will definitely satisfy your craving.

[moh]

Thanks, I hope they'll tide me over!

[Venusia]

Last night, we unexpectedly found ourselves with a babysitter and so of course could not go to any of the foodie restaurants on my list on such short notice (although we tried). Indian is always a good fallback plan, and since Bombay Choupati was closed we decided to try Punjab Palace. Hadn't realised it was going to be a BYOB buffet. For 10.95$ per person I can hardly complain about the meal; it was okay but not great. There was also hardly any chicken in the butter chicken sauce, and we were there early and there was only one other table. Not sure I would go back, for an evening meal I found the place lacking in atmosphere and for lunchtime I prefer Sahib's buffet.

I hope the Bombay Choupati folks are enjoying their vacation Miss those chaats! And that naan!

[moh]

Hmm, I thought they were out of chicken because we got there late for the lunch buffet.... Must be a chronic thing. Anyhow I can honestly say from the few pieces of chicken i did snag is that the sauce is the best part.

Indeed, punjab palace is acceptable for the price, but it is no comparison to Bombay Choupati: 38 more days! Now the big question is are they open on January 18 or are they closed until the 19th?

[Venusia]

I am also wondering that! Does anyone know if they are they open this Friday?

[morebubbles]

Here's a photo of those great dosas taken on my last visit (forgot to attach to my previous msg.) I'll have to make do with this until they re-open!

[bomobob]

Mmmmmm, mango lassi!

[rosief]

Check out Karma in the West Island. The decor is just stunning. Food is really good.

[bomobob]

Anyone been to Mysore recently? How is it? Some friends want to get together there, but I haven't been in years.

[emerilcantcook]

We passed by Mysore last evening, freezing and hungry, trying to find a place that would accommodate us without reservation. The place was literally deserted, with an only waiter waiting for a miracle. We thought that was really odd, considering that three other places we called were all booked; so decided to pass and and have some quick snacks at Reservoir instead. I am curious about that place, but honestly didn't have the guts to try anything when it was ridiculously empty; relates to certain phobias of freshness and etc. Please report if you ever go.

[zekesgallery]

Howdy!

You don't need to worry about freshness there, most of their business is lunch and delivery, and it is a good business.

[emerilcantcook]

After getting the courage we tried Mysore for delivery last night. I must say I wasn't impressed. Nothing was "bad", but nothing was memorable as well.

Must trek to Parc Ext... must do it... must not be afraid of snow...

[zekesgallery]

Howdy!

Glad to hear that you didn't get botulism :-) They are nice friendly folk, although it might sound like hindsight, I never would would think of them as serving memorable meals. Nice solid, reasonable and in weather like tonight's Very Convenient.

[bomobob]

I was there last night with two friends (they chose the resto), and I feel exactly the same way. It tasted fine, but that's not enough to make me run back. Completely unmemorable. Nothing stood out, nothing had particularly delicious flavour. In fact, most the the dishes tasted quite similar, but shouldn't have.
What really surprised me was that they actually charged us for the papadums we had with our beer! It's like the Chinese restaurants in Europe that charge you for tea. I mean, come on...

[jaiveerd]

check out delhi bombay on jean talon and l'acadie try thier paneer manchuria chicken 65 and chilli chicken.

[ginger07]

For dining out we usually go to the standards listed above, golden curry, bombay mahal, pushaps, and recommend them all, however we've been desperate to find good Indian delivery in the plateau area (oh Golden Curry, why don't you break down and deliver). Took a risk last night and derailed from the usual mediocre options and got vegetrarian combo for 2 from Lumiere de L'Inde on St. Laurent. A bit greasier than necessary and fairly mild (though I am sure they would adjust this), the vegetables were fresh, the servings plentiful, and the food was delicious. This stands as the best Indian delivery I have found so far (other suggestions anyone?). http://www.lumieredelinde.com/

[londonbound]

By far the best Indian food in Montreal is Bombay Choupati in DDO. It's located in a strip mall on the corner of Sources and Gouin. It's a tiny restaurant and all the food is made to order, from scratch (even the yogurt) by a married couple. The butter chicken, goat vindaloo and masala dosa are especially delicious. It's currently closed until late January as the owners are in India on their annual holiday. My family is in withdrawal.
P.S. Withnail & I is my ultimate favourite movie - I've seen it 18 times.

[Venusia]

Londonbound, welcome to the board - you will find many, many fans of Bombay Choupati here. You are not the only one in withdrawal!

[marcrobert]

There was a buffet corner of queen mary and cdn, can`t remember the name. 12 years ago when they opened if you had a student ID it was something like 5 or $6 at lunch. Does it still exist

By the way, I agree buffet butter chicken usually is nuggets of tasteless hormone fed chicken breast. I go for the sauce.

SUGGESTION: forget the chicken in the butter chicken sauce. Take tandoori chicken and put butter chicken sauce on top. Usually the buffet tandoori chicken is so salty that the sauce helps a bit. The bbq flavor goes well with butter chicken.

Nobody commenting on Taj (?) near sherbrooker and stanley i think. Mediocre buffet and super salted everything - you should drink litres water after this to prevent injury. THe salmon was particularly hard to eat.

I would agree sahib is ok buffet, the usual stuff with some finess. Quite small however and cramped between the bar and cash register, should have its own spot really.

[bomobob]

I think the one at the corner of Queen Mary and Cote des Neiges finally closed, thankfully. We went there once years ago, and it was no better that the big one on Rene Levesque at Guy, which isn't saying much. Everything tasted pretty much the same.
The only really good buffet closed a long time ago. Nataraj, across from the Faubourg. They had the most sublime eggplant bhartha ever.

[carswell]

«Nobody commenting on Taj (?) near sherbrooker and stanley i think. Mediocre buffet and super salted everything - you should drink litres water after this to prevent injury. THe salmon was particularly hard to eat.»

Just noticed that the Gazoop's fine dining critic (the same one who awarded the Chinese crown to L'Orchidée de Chine a few years back) says "Best Indian food in Montreal? EASY, LE TAJ."
http://twitter.com/lesleychestrman/st...

Guess that settles it!

[Withnail42]

Ah, the Gazette restaurant section...better than the funny pages when a good laugh is needed.

[reelection]

I can do you one better, some Indian site that lists the best restos in the world for this cuisine (apparently updated annually) selected the Taj as one of the top 7 best Indian restos in Canada!

http://www.recipedelights.com/restaur...

[hungryann]

That is odd...Canada, China and Costa Rica?!?

[reelection]

Yeah they rank the restos in every country, so that particular page covers the C's!

[hungryann]

Oops missed that, don't I look silly!

[Chocolatesa]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Dad's Bagels on Sherbrooke W. It's more of a hole-in-the-wall takeout counter style (I think they'll reheat food for you if you ask) place with a few tiny tables stuck in the front window, but I loooove the food there. Those who like a lot of spice might not like it though, a lot of their dishes are on the mild side, which suits me fine cause I can't eat spicy things. I especially love the butter chicken and the red chicken legs they have in the display counter (don't remember what they're called, been a while since I've gone there). And the prices are really good. They have a cold prepared food display counter on the left, a row of fridges on the right with more curries, stews, soups, and everything else in jars to go, and a bakery counter at the back, where they get their name from. I haven't tried their bagels yet though. Mmmmm I have to go back there soon!

[Mr F]

Dad's is certainly handy and pretty good quality for pre-made takeout. Some of the dishes have a kick [chili chicken, Punjabi dal] for those of us who like it spicy. (The rice is terribly expensive, only to be bought in case of extreme emergency.)

The frozen soup is not very good.

The bagels are passable if, and only if, you get them hot out of the oven. Since they don't keep the oven going around the clock (as far as I've seen), that means you shouldn't buy the bagels during the night shift.

The rest of the breads are OK, nothing more. The nan is the best of the lot, cheese bagel is pretty good too. Haven't tried the pastries, which look pretty uninteresting.

[kimberleyblue]

I love Dad's too. The chili chicken, spinach paneer and pakora curry are my favourites.

Pick up a few pakora(s?) at the counter - they're a little spicy and delicious to munch on as you're traveling home.

[Pepperfire]

Another vote for Bombay Choupati on Sources at Gouin. Definitely worth the trip.

I just wanted to note that it's not open in January because the owners go back to India for a month.

[C70]

finally made it out to bombay choupati this evening, and loved it. service was fantastic, even though she works the whole room alone- I'm not sure I'd like to be there when it's full, though... food-wise, shared a gorgeous masala dosa, crisp and greaseless, and 2 of their dinner combos, a curry chicken & a goat vindaloo, both ordered 'spicy'. everything was lovely, the spice level exactly what I wanted, a little sweat formed on our brows, without overwhelming the food's flavours. the plate is a perfect portion as well, both dinners served with a buttery-crisp hot naan, a vegetable curry, and basmati with a few vegetables in it.

I was surprised to learn that the restaurant has been there for 17 years. what took me so long?

[EASTENDCURRY]

You have to try Pushap @ Pare & Mountainsights. It is a little family run place in the same place for about 30 years . They have the best eggplant I have ever had . The gulamjam and barfi are really good,. and It is also really cheap . It is noy fancy but it is among the best south asian food I have ever had. They only take cash.

[humbert]

I second that! I really really love Pushaps on Pare....the flavours are so intense! Please ask for mango pickle and raita on the side to mix with the leftover rice at the end of the meal to cool your mouth off ...also the desserts are tasty too.

[kpzoo]

I have never gone back to Pushap at Paré & Mountain Sights after a highly unpleasant episode involving moving critters next to my food. It is certainly cheap though.

[carswell]

Can't believe no one has mentioned Moti Mehal. See http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/576287

[mrs in montreal]

I was very loyal to Punjab Palace until I tried Mirchi. It opened a couple months ago on d'Youville in Old Montreal. Unlike Punjab, you can't bring your own wine and it's not dirt cheap but the prices are not unreasonable and the food is simply delicious It’s the first Indian restaurant that doesn't give me a "spice hangover”. The tandoori chicken was the best I ever had.. The atmosphere is simple, nothing tacky, a great place to have an intimate dinner or a group get-together.
I have tried so many Indian restaurants in Montreal and Mirchi is by far the best, hands down.

[kpzoo]

Wow, at those prices ($5 for an order of samosas?) I hope it's the best Indian food in the world, never mind Montreal...

http://www.sweetspot.ca/national/swee...

[jonny8]

Went to Golden Curry House (5210 St. Laurent) with a friend on St. Jean Baptiste Day and have to say it was very good. We each ordered na'an bread (so good), lamb briyani which came with vegetables, rice and lamb cubes, and butter chicken. Service was prompt as our glasses were continuously filled with water. Would definitely recommend as it seems authentic, although it is quite a small restaurant (more like a long hallway). Price was reasonable with everything coming to $30 (not including tip).

Also tried out Thali (1409 rue St. Marc) where my friend and I both ordered the non-vegeterian thali combination platter. Pretty cheap as it only costs $8 per person. The na'an bread was very fresh but the meat was a bit too cold for my liking, not to mention they are stingy on the amount of meat they give you.
Good place to go if you want something decent to eat over fast food but would recommend Golden Curry House over this one.

[coalex]

Try it and you too will see that it is now the best in Montreal. The decor and service are also tops....very worth it. Until Mirchi came around, was resigned to the fact that I would have to eat my Indian food in less than stellar surroundings.

[kpzoo]

Have you been to Moti Mehal on Jean-Talon & L'Acadie? Its decor is a cut above the other places in Little India and I don't have to pay downtown prices for samosas. ;-)

[Mei]

We had the samosas at Devi today, the skins were even thinner than the already excellent ones at Moti Mehal. Also no historical greasy flavor of meals enjoyed by others before me. Almost as good as my first perfect samosas that as a child I bought wrapped in grease stained paper to eat in the cinema that played only Bruce Lee movies endlessly, somewhere in darkest Africa. Back to the Devi reality, I guess I spent too much money considering all I remember is the samosa.

[amitgoyal07]

Living in Montreal for 1 year...today got a chance to visit Jolee on Cote St-catherine...
Must say great dosas, idlies..all south Indian food exactly as it is made in India....that too very cheap...

Although I love North Indian food...but here no authentic place for that...

[simrit]

I love Punjab Palace, and I've heard very good things about Ganges in NDG, but I can't believe no one has mentioned Kashmir on St Paul E (right before Place Jacques-Cartier).

The service is impeccable, the food is ridiculous and the prices are well worth it. If you look at the execution of simple dishes, like the butter chicken, you'll see exactly how good it can be. I've never had such a complex-tasting butter chicken in my life and I'm Indian.

The chaat is also to die for, as is the matter paneer and the anything vindaloo.

It's a clear winner in the Indian food department (and no, I am in no way affiliated with the restaurant, nor do I know anyone who works there).

P.S. They also do takeout.
http://www.restaurantkashmir.com/

[bigfellow]

I had that old standby, butter chicken from Marahraja as take away brought to me by a friend. It wasn't bad...but it was nothing to remember. The papadums were ok.

[aliris]

We tried Dev yesterday in a everything's-closed-on-New-Year's-where-shall-we-go fit, just like another mentioned a year or two earlier somewhere in this long thread. The restaurant appeared attractive from within a snow storm but indoors its decor was a little sparse as mentioned by another. Still, the food was pretty good considering the price.

We had two veg thalis, one with saag paneer the other with aloo gobi. The gobi was very strange, sort of encrusted with potatoes rather than the more usual chunks and I had to swap my saag for it (a pup was dissatisfied but I found it good-enough if strange). I was a little disappointed that the thalis included only a single vegetable dish; I'm used to thalis having a couple or more small spoonsful of different vegetables and I wanted to try the bangen. Oddest of all was that the thalis arrived with no raita. I had to ask for some. I was looking for our waiter, a rather desultory young gentleman who looked and acted for all the world as if he wished he were out somewhere else, anywhere else, partying in the New Year. But I couldn't find him when the no-raita crisis emerged; his mother instead seemed to be watching the tables at that moment. She seemed -- I don't know, embarrassed? pleased about the request? chagrined? -- hard to say, but she came back right away with some pretty good raita and proceeded to be very attentive to us at our table. So ... I agree with another reviewer that the service was troublesome, only we made it change somehow in mid-stride. The dal on the thali was delicious if scant.

Others in our party had the chicken Jalfrazi and the tandoori chicken. I am not familiar with the Jalfrazi dish but what we were served tasted delicious to me. That is, the sauce was. The chicken itself was so-so but I rarely like meat anyway so my judgment in this quarter is suspect. While I imagine the food was not gourmet fare compared with superb Indian restaurants, it was more enjoyable than most Indian restaurants I've been to (elsewhere). Usually I stay away from them preferring my own remedial Indian cooking.

Oddly, most pleasing was the interactions with the lady who was I believe an owner. We switched our order of thalis to include lassi and desert as we'd already ordered the lassis anyway (!). My younguns had spotted the kulfis and were hankering after them even though they weren't a selectable desert option. But when the lady heard their desire she gave them big smiles and told them to go ahead and take a kulfi each -- "it's New Years". She was so gracious about it all that this really erased any feelings of annoyance about any of the meal (rice was not served with one dish as it should have been, etc). To top it off, when I went to pay her, she crossed out the space for a tip. I've never known anyone to do that in a restaurant. Did she do that because she was the owner and tipping wasn't 'necessary' as it might be for a hired waiter? Did she do it because it was New Years? Because she felt the bill was high enough? Had she included it already in the bill? (I didn't really even look at her accounting). I was too reluctant to ask, just paid as she'd requested and left it at that. Everyone seemed happy enough with the exchange -- we took home a pound of sweets as well. So dunno... I would recommend the restaurant if you're in the neighborhood and wanting a not-too-expensive meal, but it's probably not worth traveling across town for. BTW, the chicken legs were very tasty as well. The carrot halwa was really tasty -- I love that stuff!!! It was better than the gulab jamun but the white sweet whose name I *always* forget (not rasmalai; it's dry) was also very good - way above average.

[mrs in montreal]

Mirchi on Youville. Ambiance is very nice, food is fabulous.

[Curry Cook]

Hi, I'm a new Chowhound. My family although originally of British decent lived for five generations in India. I was one of the last to be born there. I grew in the U.K. learning how to cook at an early age from both my mother and father who are both excellent curry cooks. As a family we traveled extensively throughout India and Pakistan and have many original and hybrid curry recipes in our repetoire.

I am intrigued by many of the comments and reviews on the various Indian restaurants in Montreal. I have eaten at most of them and although many of them that have already been mentioned are very good, I always search for that authentic taste to satisfy my palette. I like it hot and spicy and Vindaloo is one of my favorites and specialties to make.

In my humble opinion from an original taste and value perspective I like the Bombay Mahal, corner of Jean Talon and L'Acadie, Bombay Choupati , corner of Sources and Gouin in the West Island, and Shahi Palace located in the strip mall on Sources road next door to Kwality mentioned earlier.

Alright I admit the places above are not the best decorated, roomy or for that matter clean and service sometimes suffers, but when you see people, especially natives, who are all excellent cooks in their own right eating at these places, you know the food is savory, spicy and very good. All have unique and tasty menu items and as a warning most dishes are traditionally very spicy, so if you want a blander more North American taste choose elsewhere.

BTW, Indian food in general is Vegitarian, Northen Indian cuisine (Punjabi) use various meats in their dishes but a lot of the dishes we sometimes refer to as Indian food are actually Pakistani since they are made with Beef, Lamb, Mutton, Chicken and Fish. Goa was once a part of Pakistan but now is part of India so Vindaloo's originated from the Pakistani Goan community of Portuguese origin.

Ok I'm hungy now, I think I will whip up a quick Kheema curry, some Dhal an serve it with some Basmati rice with some Raita and Papadums on the side

Bon Appetit!.

[Evilbanana11]

Nice post. I frequent Bombay Mahal, it is my favorite indian restaurant in Montreal. What dishes do you recommend there? My favorites are the Lamb Vindaloo, chicken tikka masala and chicken jalfrezi.

[lagatta]

Hello and welcome, Curry Cook. I'm sure a lot of people will be looking forward to your posts, not only on our local board but also Home Cooking and perhaps other topical boards.

I live near Jean-Talon Market so also walking distance from the South Asian strip on Jean-Talon West and other places in Parc-Extension. A post on ingredients, etc would be a great topic - there are already posts on that area on this board.

[anil]

" Goa was once a part of Pakistan but now is part of India so Vindaloo's originated from the Pakistani Goan community of Portuguese origin."

That would be a surprise if not a shock to historians to know that Goa was a part of pakistan. Even an elementary google would set a novice straight :)

Indian food is too diverse to be just vegetarian. Bengali as well as Maharastrian cooking has strong emphasis on fish. While most of south india is known for its veg. dishes, chettinad cuisine is non-vegetarian.
The Hyderabadi and Avadhi cusines have a lot of emphasis on meat too.

[stanpavlik]

In my opinion, nothing better than Kuljit. Husband and wife team. Butter chicken and beef korma use 35 % cream. Excellent pricingm- butter chicken cca 10 in copper plate - rice cca 2. located in st laurent, highly recommended. closed on tuesdays. have been going there for couple of years, regular clientele, still undiscovered by masses.

[HUNYBDGR]

We really enjoyed Gandhi this past weekend on St Paul. We were mulling over whether to stop there when another couple came out and gave this review, "The appetizer was not to our liking but the entrees were great" (unfortunately we didn't ask which app they had).

We were pleased that we gave it a try. The dishes did have more sweetness than we are used to but that didn't make them unpleasant. We thought the naan was the best we've ever had. We were with Indian food newbies(and since we didn't know the quality of the place) we stuck with basics: chicken korma, chicken tikka masala, shrimp sagwala

The prices seemed about what we would pay in Philly, so we weren't upset by them. Service was quite attentive. Not sure if it was "westernized" since we've never (yet) been to India and have only US examples to compare with

[skforce]

I visited KASHMIR RESTAURANT IN OLD MONTREADL over the 4th of July weekend and having experienced authentic Indian food I would call my experience at Kashmir restaurant to be Horrible

The ambience is sleazy and for the taste of food you are much better off buying frozen Indian food from a grocery store.

The food was extremely bad and to top it all the service was horrible.

Eating at such joints I feel there should be some authority to govern the price of food To quality of restaurnat. If there was this restaurant would shut down the next day.
SAVE YOUR MONEY AND EAT SOMEWHERE ELSE.

[BLM]

Which Indian restaurants in Montreal you consider authentic & very good?