Debu's Nouvelle Indian Cuisine - Mount Pleasant and Davisville
I started a thread because it looks like this place has been neglected and not gotten the attention it deserves. For those in search of high quality Indian with some creative touches, I would highly recommend this spot.
The room is nice – modern, with a good South Asian soundtrack. It looks like they’d recently changed their menu, as some of the higher-end options on their online menu – halibut three ways for example – were now gone.
We were four, and got two appetizers, four mains and some lassis. The bill came out just over one hundred befor tip, a very reasonable amount given the quality.
We had tandoori shrimp and chaat for appetizers. The chaat was lovely – nuts, tamarind, raisins, shredded carrot. The shrimps were nice as well, though nothing mind blowing.
Our mains were a malai shrimp dish, goan fish curry, a multi-pulse dish (a nice mix of black eyed peas and lentils) and Bombay style lamb. The fish in particular was exquisite. Tender, in a lovely sauce and perfectly cooked. The multi-pulse dish was especially surprising, as it was a very lightly spiced with tomatoes. It was a homestyle dish that you ordinarily wouldn’t see in restaurants.
The shrimp was also very nice, in a coconut milk sauce. The lamb was well executed, although probably a mistake in ordering on our part, as there may have been other lamb options that were more unique. But it was a very nice dry lamb with tomatoes.
We didn’t order desert, but the waiter was kind enough to bring us a rice pudding with berries and silver leaf on the house. Quite pleasant and a nice touch.
I’m very picky about the Indian food I order. I’m not from India but am of Indian background and am used to eating more plain and less cream/butter laden Indian food at home. This place had several dishes of that kind as well as some very well executed dishes that were the mark of a skilled chef. There were some great looking vegetarian options (eggplant with yogourt and mustard seed, an intriguing paneer and corn dish) that I’ll try next time.
I’d encourage anyone tired of the downtown places or who are looking for something on the higher end (akin to but different from Amaya, Tabla, Kama Sutra, the Host) of Indian cuisine to check this spot out.
