Ottawa Foodies

We finally made it out to Orleans to try this place after hearing recommendations from trusted sources. We had the lunch special and it was excellent value. $7.99 gets you the platter in the photo -- a big Naan, a pile of Basmati, a delicious miniature samosa, a dish of raita, a dish of excellent dal, and a dish of your choice. We chose beef curry (pictured here) and butter chicken.

The beef curry was tasty but wifey found it to be too "salty" (and she likes salt). The butter chicken was tasty as well but had an unusual distinct anise flavour, so beware if you aren't a fan. Our kids shared the "vegetable korma" option, and they liked it.

Towards the end of the meal, we both started to feel a bit body-drunk, as though the food was loaded with MSG. It's possible it was a strange reaction to something else in the food but the only other time we feel this way is at Chinese restaurants that use lots of MSG. It would certainly explain the sensation of saltiness that was present in the food.

The dessert selection looked awesome but we were too full after eating a full special plus some of the kids' food. If it weren't for the MSG weirdness, we'd be rushing back to this place often for its great food and excellent value. Even so, we might give it another shot sometime...

The second time I ate here, I got food poisoning from their coriander chutney and was violently ill for 24 hours. Never, ever again. That was about four years ago, though, so hopefully they've improved their food handling conditions since then. In spite of that, I found the food acceptable for the price, and a welcome addition to the lack of culinary diversity in Orleans.

This is one of my favorite Indian restaurants. I have been several times, and the food is always tasty and plentiful. The butter chicken is excellent, as well as any of their saag (beef, chicken, or lamb). As Andreas points out, the naan is big. They have a huge selection of indian sweets, but I've only tried a few (gulab jamun, jalebi, and one other), as I'm usually quite full after dinner.

I've been there twice now, having ordered the lunch special involving butter chicken each time. I have enjoyed it thoroughly each time! The naan is bigger than your head (unless you have a really big head).

I've only been here once. I found the desserts to be quite wonderful but the main meals tasted like they were using canned sauces, which I did not enjoy. I could do that myself at home.

My family and I certify this as authentic Indian (punjabi) and delicious.

Vegetable samosas were excellent -- possibly the best I've had. I found the filling to be drier than usual but not at all in a bad way. The pastry was crispy but not greasy.

The condiments were top notch. The cilantro-chili stuff was fresher and nicer than I've had anywhere else, and the tamarind sauce was less pungent than usual.

Highly recommended.

Tastes good, without being too greasy. Sized bigger than your head (unless your head is extremely large).