In Curry Heaven

Vij's Restaurant
Indian Cuisine
1480 11th Avenue West
Vancouver, BC
V6H 1L1 Canada
(604) 736-6664

I always believe that Indian cuisine is for the more adventurous palate. It's not as daring as eating blood porridge or cow's tongue in mushroom sauce but I have seen people being hesitant in taking morsels of palak paneer in their mouth. I think it's more of the "journey to the unknown" is what scares people the most. My mom and my sister on the other hand claims that the overwhelming scent of the spices turn them off and for this reason they can't even set foot in an Indian restaurant. I tried to convince them though to take that first bite because I know that if they do, it would completely change their mind. As for me, I have immersed myself in the wonderful world of Indian cuisine. I am a big fan of the spices and anything that would take my senses to that world of exoticism. I am looking for that experience and Vij's world renowned dishes has that reputation.

Vij's had taken the crown as the best Indian restaurant in Vancouver but I have been told that it is also the best in North America. There's only one tiny glitch: the horrendous line-ups. Oh well, there is no perfect world. Also, to try the best, you also have to pay good money but that didn't stop us and a hundred of other regular customers or first-timers like me to head down to South Granville to confirm this claim.

For my first Vij's experience, we came prepared, enough cash to blow and a time schedule. Unfortunately, due to the untimely snow fall, we had to sit through traffic and lost precious minutes and sure enough there was a line-up when we got to the restaurant. Vij himself greeted us at the door but we weren't lucky enough to make the early bird cut and had to wait for an hour and 30 minutes. Being first on the list, my friend and I just shrugged it off and made our way to the lounge.

The lounge was very cozy and well-decorated, like the rest of the restaurant. It is modern and yet there is that feeling of ethnicity. As soon as we sat down, the server immediately offered us appetizers. Having to wait for hours, the appetizers surely made it less torcherous to be surrounded with mouth-watering aroma. An added bonus, you also get to mingle with the rest of the anxious customers and hear their stories of why they were there squished in the lounge with you. The appetizers were unforgettable and the fresh taste of the cracker with the mung bean salad topping took the cake for me. We had this spiced mango and rum cocktail called Dark Army, it was an interesting mix although the spice overshadowed the taste of the mango which I was actually looking for when I took my first sip. The servers at the lounge served us well, we had an abundant supply of appetizers which I had to refuse after a few rounds. I didn't want to get too full for the main course.

After an hour of wait, we were eventually seated and the sever took care of us right away. We knew what we wanted: the paneer appetizer, ling cod in tomato curry sauce and the ever famous lamb popsicle. I couldn't help but notice the classy but ethnic kitchen ware, which added a special touch to to the dining experience. The owner also came by our table a few times to check up on us which made our Vij's experience more intimate.

It felt like 5 minutes when our paneer appetizer came and my friend and I attacked it like we haven't eaten in months. Very flavourful. The tamarind curry sauce complimented the paneer and eggplant and there is a nice spicy kick to it, not too hot but enough to savour the dish. The lamb popsicle arrived with a bowl of basmati rice and a new batch of naan. First bite and it is confirmed. Vij's does derserve to be the best Indian Restaurant. This dish had every right to be famous. The lamb was very tender and the creamy sauce was so decadently delicious. Our ling cod arrived very shortly and it was delicious as well, the cod melts in your mouth and the smoky taste of the grilled green beans was just to die for. I was too caught up with the creamy sauce though that I was just mixing it with the cod dish. I was in curry heaven. We polished every dish and did it with a smile and though we barely had room for dessert, I convinced my friend that we should try the mango kulfi. It was a perfect end to a perfect meal. The kulfi was light and delicately sweet, just enough to make the curry aftertaste disappear. I have to admit that receiving our bill did make our smiles fade a little but it was well worth it. It wasn't the price that made me feel a bit of a pang of guilty pleasure but it was the guilt of eating too much that lingered in me a little.

*picture stolen from viewauckland.co/nz