– Once again I was foiled, in my venue of choice – it was closed for the holidays. However, instead I discovered a jewel of a restaurant, JR's INDIA CURRY HOUSE.
From the outside, its a very unprepossing place, sandwiched between a hair dressing salon and a coffee shop a the back of the building. Inside the decor is inviting, the lighting subtle, the greeting is warm and we are made to feel welcome.
The menu is not large, but between soups, appetizers, entrees and house specials there is a good variety. Since we are in a cold spell, soup seems in order.
Mulligantawny Muglai soup ($2.45 a cup or $3.65 a bowl), is an excellent version of a curried chicken soup. There's lots of chicken and the broth is spiced just right for my taste. But the soup of the day, Lentil (10 cents more), is truly outstanding. A perfect blend of exotic spices and garnished with fresh coriander, it leaves my guest profuse with praise.
Appetizers include samosas, either ground beef or veggie with homemade chutney ($2.95), baleta champs, mashed potatoes stuffed with spiced ground beef ($3.75), and tossed salad Indian style with carrots, celery, tomato and onion marinated in special spices ($2.55).
We've decided on the House tidbits ($4.55) an appetizer combo platter composed of a samosa, ka-bobs and buteta-chumps. The samosa, a deep fried pastry packet filled with aromatic ground beef, is nice and light and full of meat.
The kabobs, three small skewers of ground beef, with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and dipped in the homemade chutney, are delicious. Bateta-chumps, sort of potato croquettes stuffed with spiced ground beef, compliment the platter.
The portion is more than ample, and if I were to have any critizism – not in regard to the food itself – it would be that all the dishes use ground beef, although a choice of meat or veggie is available in the samosa.
All entrees are offered mild, medium or hot and we have selected today's special Tandoori chicken (hot), marinated with yogurt and spices and grilled. It is served with a salade and chutney ($8.55). Portions (as with all the dishes we sampled) are very generous. And, as a bonus, it is offered at a special price; if you order two Tandoori chicken meals, the second is half price.
Half a chicken, with a large salade and a bowl of hot dipping sauce produces a perfect "10" from my guest – he's tried this dish in other Indian restaurants and found portions to be skimpy.
We're enticed by the idea of chicken curry cooked with a special blend of curry spices, and beef kofta curry, spiced meatballs prepared in a special sauce ($7.95), both with nan (an Indian flat bread), rice and salade.
We order them medium and are happy with the subtlety of the spices. I am advised that the degree of heat is based on the type and amount of chili peppers used along with the other spices that combine to make a curry. The spices include cumin seed, fennel, cardamon, cloves, cinnamon, saffrom, mace, nutmeg and sometimes more.
Both dishes are perfectly cooked with lots of sauce to dip the nan in and rice to accompany the meat and potatoes. The side salade is a small dish of the appetizer Indian salade. Fresh and cruchy, it lends a nice balance to the meal.
For dessert, we've elected to share the homemade mango ice cream ($2.45). We decide it's more of a cross between an ice cream and sherbert. With a light refreshing flavor of mangoes, rose water and a blend of almonds and dried fruits, it provides a palete cleansing end to an excellent lunch.
I do not profess to be an expert in Indian cuisine, merely a lifelong aficionado. But our lunches, on both visits, were consitently delicious. My guests and I are agreed, we'll definately be back
– Times Colonist