Lots of nut-free, gluten-free, and/or vegan items! Curries felt slighty on the watery side but otherwise taste is good. Price for portion OK.
TIP: Online menu is very different from the actual menu in price and menu items.
Siddhartha's Chai ($3) unique mix of spice and fresh ginger, called masala chai
- Waste of time. Tasted like a weak chai and you have to concentrate hard to maybe experience some ginger flavour.
- Zero ginger bite. Definitely do not order this for any gingeriness.
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Bhalla Papri Chat ($7) Popular Indian summer dish with yogurt and relishes.
- If I remember correctly this was described as fried dough made from chickpea flour. Not sure the fried dough pieces are of chickpea, but there's definitely chickpeas here.
- Cool to cold dessert that's a nice refreshing start as an appetizer, or possibly a light meal all on its own. Really quite decent and a nice change from straight deep fried appetizers like samosas.
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Onion & Cilantro Naan ($3) Fresh baked, buttered naan with fresh onion and cilantro.
- You can obviously see the onion and cilantro but it didn't really make much of a flavour difference. I recommend any of the other naans.
- Normally $3, but if you ask to substitute the rice that comes with your curry with naan, it is only $2.
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Sabz Coconut Korma ($12.50) Rich Mogul style sauce of caramelized onions and raisins with aromatic flavours and spices.
- Chunky with veggies as well as cubes of paneer, which help give this vegetarian curry a "meaty" texture.
- Curries come standard with token green salad, roti, and about a bowl of rice.
- Roti quite good with some flakiness to it. Definitely not the doughy stuff you get from the supermarket.
- Good coconutty flavour. Overall rather decent.
- TIP: Save some roti or naan to wipe up the last of the delicious sauce from the bowl.
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Banarsi Kheer ($5) Banaras style coconut flavoured rice pudding with mint and rose.
- The rose petals, mint, and cranberries go really fast unless you mix it in. If you don't you'll be faced with a lot of "just kheer" left over in the cute pot.
- Really light on the rose / rosewater flavour, which was great for me as I don't like the strong rosewater. Also not as sweet (almost on the bland side) as other kheer I've had.
- Quite thick. Definitely not soupy, which is the case with some kheer, especially if you are getting it from an Indian buffet.
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Gulab Jamun ($5) Traditional dumplings made with condensed milk in syrup. Served warm.
- These actually came hot inside, so be careful!
- Thoroughly soaked in syrup. Rosewater flavour not very strong but present.
- Tender, and gold flakes on top a really pretty touch.
- If the syrup or rosewater flavour bugs you, try to eat it with one of the mint leaves to freshen up the taste (and flatten any other flavour).
- Overall one of the better presentations of Gulab Jamun. Would be even better if they plated it a bit less haphazardly.
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Overall price is okay, ambiance is very good, and food is good, but small things like disappointing chai, and curry on the thinner side add up. Not quite 4/5 but close enough.
I should probably dock one whole point for the spider in the washroom but that's probably a fluke occurrence for the day. Besides, it's not like it's a cockroach.
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