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Bombay Talkiz

Bombay Talkiz:
Indian street food cravings – not anymore Rahil Verma

Yes, you heard it right!!!! Let me take you through what I came across and how it has addressed my deepest craving from my days in India. When we move to another country from India, we miss our families and friends and other things we left behind. But there is one thing that we all can agree on that we miss unanimously, our very own Street Food!!!! You name it – Paani puri, pav bhaji, masala sandwich, bhajiya, kathi rolls, paneer tikka, dosa, masala chai etc etc…

I am already drooling as I reminisce and write this, and I am sure you might be too as you read these names that bring back vivid memories and nostalgia. Most of us surf YouTube videos to learn and cook these, but it’s never the same. Well now the wait is over. Introducing- Bombay Talkiz – the one stop shop for your street food cravings, as owners Girish and Punita Pandit state. Chefs Kedar and Yash, who carry a deep passion for food and culinary skills from India promise to deliver street foods to your palate’s fancy. 

We had the pleasure of trying some delectable dishes.  The Pani Puri is just perfect to satisfy your taste buds, you’ll want to keep drinking the pani long after the puris are gone. The Paneer Tikka and Soya chaap are done to perfection maintaining the softness, the texture and the haunting tandoori flavour. The Masala Dosa tastes close to homemade. Kathi rolls or Frankies are quite a filling and nutritious option as they not only satisfy your taste buds but satiate your hungry tummy. 

The chicken masala and tandoori options has a kick that stays with you, long after you leave the restaurant. Overall Bombay Talkiz don’t fail to impress further with their ambiance and reflections of great movies – bringing you back yesteryears Talkiz nostalgia all the way.

Kerala Restaurant: A taste of home for the Southies and health freaks

As you walk into the tiny little restaurant, you are apt to notice the “vallam” from boat races back home in God’s own country. The bright orange and black chairs spice up the décor. Shaji Mathew the owner greets you with a warm handshake and a welcoming smile. 

Body Cleanser

He serves up a feast: starting with the Body Cleanser, a light detoxifying juice accompanied by Beef Dosa, we savour the flavours. The appams and roti with Kadala Curry, Mushroom masala and Fish Moily are very appetising. The fish itself wasn’t too soft as I expected, yet the appams and rotis made up for the gap being light and fluffy to consume.

Sambharam

The sambharam was just right buttermilk with ginger, onions, chillies and salt…. Yumm!

Shrimp Biriyani

The Shrimp Biriyani was delicious too but could’ve been drier with some fried onions. The shrimp tails seemed to interfere with the feel of the biriyani. We closed with South Indian coffee. Overall a scrumptious experience, a feel of home for the South Indian tummy.

Savoy’s Health Café opened in July 2012 with 700sq ft opp. SouthGate Mall. In 2015, when partners moved on to start Savoy restaurant on 34 Ave, this old place was renamed Kerala Restaurant. As Shaji plans to launch a new brand 5000 sq ft restaurant shortly, he is excited about the vision for the new spot on 34 Ave that is getting built as we speak. 

Edmonton’s pure vegetarian destination: Bombay chaat and paan house

Being from Bombay, this name has a special draw for me and is reminiscent of the street food we used to gorge on. As you walk in the sweet scent of paan wafting through the air is inviting. If you haven’t enjoyed the Dahi puri, you must try it. 

Vinod Patil, one of the partners welcomes us. Vinod spoke about the launch of the restaurant in March 2016 with partner Sunny Dhanani as a go to place for vegetarians. A great space for private parties, at least 3-4 parties take place every month catering to approx. 30 -40 people each time. Winters are bad during the days especially with the economic slump we’re experiencing. BCPH plans to move into veg thali and franchise options soon. 

 We set off on our taste testing expedition with Dahi Puri, which is always the best way to begin.

Indo Chinese Schezwan Fried Rice is deliciously addictive. Grilled Cheese Sandwich is a must-have.

Misal Pav came as a surprise to me. Bhel puri is pretty good but not as spicy as I like it. Rabri Falooda is sweetly delectable on the tongue and the tummy. Party space and catering options are available where the menu is not limited. We closed with Meeta Paan, the best in town. 

Here’s your go-to destination for vegetarians whose numbers are increasing by the day. 

Tastebuds: For Authentic Hyderabadi Cuisine

As we walked into this unassuming little space tucked away in Riverbend, we were greeted enthusiastically by Masih and his wife, Tazin Mohammad. A line up of customers gathered their many Take away orders and Masih cheerfully engaged each one before he turned his attention to us. A beautiful smile lit up his whole face as he related how his culinary journey began way before the restaurant opened May 1, 2015. He did his training in Hotel Management in Hyderabad and worked at some leading chain hotels as F&B Manager before he realised he’d rather work for himself. 

Lakhni Beef Kabab 

He spoke energetically about the patience required for authentic Hyderabadi food as he served the starters: Lakhni Beef Kabab Chini, Shammi Mutton Kababs and Chicken 65.

Shammi Mutton Kababs

This was followed by the most delicious Hyderabadi Biriyani with the dahi ki chatni and mirch ka salan.

Hyderabadi Biriyani

A falooda with rose syrup, basil seeds and icecream made in a base of yogurt settled the tummy.

Falooda with Rose Syrup

Desserts came in doubles: Double ka meetha with a richer flavour than Shahi Tukda and Ananas Kheer. 

Double ka meetha

Each recipe was unique and specially flavoured to reflect the tastes of his childhood. As we ate and relished each morsel, the pride and joy on Masih’s face just grew by leaps and bounds. We left with not just our stomachs but our hearts full! As my friend quipped, “If you haven’t tasted Masih’s Biriyani, you have not tasted anything!” Surprise your family one evening by getting them a take-out of the yummiest Biriyani in town. 

Daawat: Indian food with a touch of Nepalese hospitality

As we walked into this 30-year-old establishment, with a rich décor, we were greeted by the middle enterprising and innovative owner, Prakash Neupane. Prakash has been in the hospitality industry for many years but purchased Daawat just 2 years ago.

We tasted samples from the buffet while most dishes tasted lovely especially the Butter Chicken, some felt a wee bit mundane. The first dishe served that Prakash seemed proud of was the Paneer Tikka and true to its name, it was succulent and delicious.

There were a lot of mainstream community families dining there. Prakash explained that the SE Asian community visits at the later part of the evening.

 

We slurped on the delicious Chass and ingested the naan and saffron rice with the unexpected Parsi dish Lamb Dhanshak and Goan dish, spicy Fish Vindaloo.

These sauces could be improved to match the flavours I was used to in Mumbai and South India. 

The best dishes were the Nepalese staple: Chicken and veg Momos with spicy sesame chutney to die for and the Taas Lamb sizzler: crunchy lamb sliced fine, marinated and fried… yummm!

As well as Chicken Sekhuwa with Saffron rice! 

The hospitality of the servers added to the taste of the dishes and made it a special experience: one that you can bring your family or friends to safely! 

Zaika: Refreshing Memories of Pure Ghar-ka-khana home made food

You walk into the restaurant and the ambiance is modern with simple yet great décor; a separate space
for the bar folks and another section for families. You’re greeted by Garry Gill, the youthful owner who
could pass off for a model but has no airs whatsoever. A look at the buffet tells you it’s not the same old
“thakela” food; every dish on the menu sets off the saliva and tastes uniquely like home-cooked food.
Garry is an epitome of customer service; he makes us feel entirely at home, we literally forget it’s not.
We relish the range from dahi wadas and salads to papads.

The nan platter came with 4 varieties: garlic nan, coconut nan, butter nan and tandoori roti.

With an accompaniment of vegetables, chole, tandoori chicken, paneer korma and goat curry, it was a riot of flavours not overpowering yet not mild either…


reminiscent of a mom’s loving hand! The dal on plain rice was comfort on your palate! Followed by Veg Pulao with Butter Chicken and Gulab Jamun,

Berry Lassi was unique and filling. The masala chai was light and set the over worked tummy just right!


Zaika opened in Ellerslie August 2009 and has had a steady flow of clientele from the thoroughbred
Punjabi to mainstream Canadians, everyone seemed to enjoy the ambiance and the food. If you haven’t
tried it yet, make it the venue for your next candle light dinner with a loved one!

The Punjab Parantha Hut: The only pure vegetarian joint in town!

Harprit, Yash and Mary at The Punjab Parantha Hut

You walk into a busy restaurant while delicious aromas assault your nose.This is the place all vegetarians come home to. Harprit Dhillon launched The Punjab Parantha Hut in December 2016 catering specifically to the vegetarians from India who had no other place that catered to their pure vegetarian palates. His integrity is visible in the quality of the food he serves and the delicacy it is embellished with. 

We were served Masala Dosa with sambhar and chutneys like I was used to eating in restaurants in Kerala. Medu wada and idli were incredibly authentic and soft for a North Indian restaurant.

A platter of a variety of parathas: aloo, gobi, pyas and mixed veg all tasted delicious.

The Aloo Gobi and Bhendi Masala were smooth and just right with parathas.

We then had a yummy Vegetarian Biriyani with Paneer Tikka and vegetarian Chilli Chicken. 

Lime soda was the perfect closure, more like a carbonated JalJeera, great to settle any overworked tummy.

Mumbai Dakar- filling the under represented niche

Being a foodie, I totally loved moving to Edmonton a city with a diversity of food options. However, I had never seen many fusion food

Mary, Solo, Yash and Ahmed at Mumbai Dakar Restaurant

restaurants, so Mumbai Dakar same as a surprise to us. When Yashji asked me whether Dakar meant “burp” in Hindi, I couldn’t but agree with him. Only when we landed at the restaurant bang on 118 Ave. did we question the owner Solo. Solo is from Dakar, Senegal and his partner Ahmed is from Mumbai, India. So that’s how the name was coined. We had a hearty laugh and wondered how many Hindi speaking folks might be misconstruing this term.
The décor seemed basic and informal and so was the eclectic crowd that seemed to relish the interesting menu. For a 4-month-old restaurant, this was a good sign:

they had already acquired a mixed clientele.
Solo took special care to treat us to some of the best on his cuisine. We enjoyed a variety of favours from the Buffet: pakoras, rice, vermicelli, Joloff rice and garlic naan with a wide variety of Indian and African accompaniments: Aloo Gobi, Butter Chicken, Yassa and Maffeh.

Thieboudienne (Fish Dish from Senegal)
Thieboudienne (Fish Dish from Senegal)

The deep red Bisap juice, a flavoured juice made from dried hibiscus flowers, indigenous to Senegalis totally worth a try. Along with this came Thieboudienne, a traditional dish of Senegal made with fish, broken rice and tomato sauce with vegetables. It had a fishy scent but was a unique divergence to the palate accompanied by the deliciously spicy chutney. This was followed by Ginger pineapple juice that settled the amazing fusion menu we had ingested.
There aren’t too many places around town that offer Indo-African food. While I’ve had better Indian food elsewhere, Mumbai Dakar Restaurant (#4322 -118AveNW, Edmonton) seeks to fill an underrepresented niche.

Masalaz Restaurant: food that feels like home for every malayalee

We walk into Masalaz Restaurant on a chill Tuesday evening, a very simple setting, Wilson Mattamana welcomesus in with an effusive smile. While there’s not too many folks sitting down for supper, a few orders getting packed as people rush in to pick up, pay and leave.
Irresistible aromas of South Indian curries assault our noses and as our mouths begin to water, we’re served Duck Roast and Palappam with care and nostalgic stories of life in India. We settle into the calm feeling of home. Then Masala Dosa with sambhar and chutneys. Later we progressed to Paratha and Beef Ularthu. Lip Smacking, Kappa and Meen Curry followed by Fried Fish reminiscent of the Karimeen from the Kochi coastline. We had some rice with Kadai Paneer, Chilli Gobi, and though yummy the mix veg mezhukuperatti was a little too mixed and then Mutton Biriyani with papadum. Totally sated and pleased by a delicious evening, we closed with some delicious Kerala Kappi: Coffee that reminded me of the Indian Coffee House, I was a regular visitor to when I worked in SEEPZ, Mumbai. Yash Pal Sharma echoed my sentiments remembering the coffee at ICH, Chandigarh.
Wilson and Mary started Masalaz a long time ago and sated the appetites of Indians travelling from far and wideto Edmontonseeking South Indian food. Whether it’s biriyani or paruppuwadas, it’s a big order spot for most Malayalees in town: be it a small get together or a Christmas party. The Chicken Roast is my favourite. Do try, if you feel like some authentic South Indian home food; unmissable.

Spot On Indo Chinese Cuisine at Masala Wok

 

Mary Thomas

Masala Wok originally opened by Mr. ShymalRahain 2006 wasrefurbished and renewed at the able hands of young and enthusiastic owner, Richa Vashisht in 2012. At an early age, Richa would serve imaginary chai to family and friends displaying her interest in food. She is a versatile young lady whose parents have been teachers and she herself has a Pharmacy degree. As a family run business, the dishes at Masala Wok seem pretty authentic with a nice variety offusion dishes not available elsewhere. As we stepped in, the simple and clean décor calmedthe senses, we were welcomed by Richa’s parents. Fresh lime soda reminiscent of Jaljeera set us off on a tastebud popping trip through a diverse supper feast. Crispy chilly babycorn was a first for my palate and truly a dish, I would recommend to all lovers of IndoChinese cuisine. Sizzlers were something, I relished in Mumbai and was pleased to be served the Mixed Sizzler with vegetables, Chicken, Rice and Noodles; a treat indeed. KangPao Chicken, an interesting dish but didn’t feel very unique on the tongue as did the Chilly Masala Fish. The Indo Chinese food at Masala Wok raised my spirits as I gently savoured every morsel. I probably wiped down more than I would otherwise. Then came the Mutton Biriyani, which surprised me by the taste and flavour, though the pieces could have been a tad bit tender and the rice a little tighter. Chill down with a beer or any type of alcohol from their well-stocked bar. The customer service made us very much at home and I can safely recommend this restaurant when you are looking for a place to eat well, feel sated, relax and calm your nerves with family or friends.