Vancouver’s Most Inspired Indian Cuisine
©Layne Tisdel Martin for AAA TravelViews
4 October 2012
As veteran international foodies with a special fondness for the avant-garde, my husband and I were eager to experience Vij’s Restaurant in Vancouver, BC. We had heard enchanting tales of the legendary pan-Indian cooking philosophy, the all-female Punjabi kitchen crew, and the outlandish wait times. We had an early lunch, took deep breaths, and arrived five minutes before the 5:30 p.m. opening. Alas, we were already at the end of a line that stretched the length of an entire city block.
By 6:00, we had inched beyond the leafy open-air patio of the proprietors’ casual next-door café, Vij’s Rangoli, in the door and past a massive and intricate work of wood-carving, between the closely packed tables already filled with delighted diners and all the way to the tiny lounge in the back of the lantern-lit space, where a gracious but utterly swamped hostess kindly informed us that we could expect to be seated in approximately two and a half hours.
Amazed but wholly resigned to what we knew would be a worthwhile wait, we strolled north on Granville Street for aperitifs and snacks at West, a nearby restaurant and bar. Upon settling into a pair of cinnamon-colored barstools, the bartender appraised us with a knowing smile and asked, “Waiting for Vij’s?” We ordered drinks, oysters and a lush cut of pork belly dressed with a tantalizingly tart rhubarb compote and were generously treated to a delectable halibut-cheek salad amuse bouche and a basket of freshly baked breads accompanied by a rich, earthy olive oil.
West’s award-winning Beldi cocktail incorporates saffron and ginseng-infused Bombay Sapphire, cinnamon syrup and toasted coriander mist and tastes like a liquid distillation of a Marrakech spice market. Soothed by our exotic nibbles and tipples, we ambled back to Vij’s and were soon invited to our tiny table nestled next to the kitchen window.
The distinctive menu paints a mouth-watering tableau of dishes steeped in the time-tested heritage of India and yet seemingly effortlessly fused with the freshest regional BC ingredients. The owners, Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala, are committed to an unusual palette of spices and flavors that combines many of the diverse culinary traditions of their homeland in unexpected ways. The tandoor oven is avoided precisely because of its ubiquity and the conceptual focus is on innovative and experimental renditions of indigenous Indian recipes that cross regional boundaries.
We indulged in flawlessly flaky samosas filled with a juicy and fragrant mélange of beef, lamb, fennel and cloves, followed by two delirium-inducing entrees. The lemon ghee-marinated chicken arrived perfectly grilled and cloaked in a tangy tomato-based curry garnished with rich roasted garlic and crunchy cashews. The unrivaled highlight of the evening was the beef short rib dish, braised in an extraordinarily complex yogurt, tomato and cumin curry until it could be shredded with a spoon. Soft jasmine rice and moist, pillowy naan bread completed a feast to remember.
The sort of TLC-intensive labor that goes into every culinary detail in Vij’s kitchen is evident in every bite you’ll savor: the hand-roasted spices, the house-made butter, the painstakingly reduced Hindi khoa cheese melted into the local meats. As a certified sommelier, Mr. Vij carefully crafts wine lists to compliment his seasonal menus and also serves a selection of local beer and creative cocktails like the Indian Mojito.
Long after retiring to our tastefully designed quarters at the Loden Hotel in the Coal Harbour neighborhood, we were still marveling at the exquisite flavors and unusual details of our most memorable dinner in Vancouver. Vij’s can add another two food aficionados to its already tremendous following.
Vij’s Restaurant :: www.vijsrestaurant.ca :: 1480 W 11th Ave, Vancouver BC :: 604-736-6664 :: Dinner served starting at 5:30 p.m. :: No reservations accepted
West Restaurant :: www.westrestaurant.com :: 2881 Granville Street, Vancouver BC ::604-738-8938 :: Dinner served from 5:30 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.
The Loden Hotel :: theloden.com :: 1177 Melville Street Vancouver BC :: 604-669-5060 :: Weekend rates from 199 CAD
©Layne Tisdel Martin for AAA TravelViews
4 October 2012
As veteran international foodies with a special fondness for the avant-garde, my husband and I were eager to experience Vij’s Restaurant in Vancouver, BC. We had heard enchanting tales of the legendary pan-Indian cooking philosophy, the all-female Punjabi kitchen crew, and the outlandish wait times. We had an early lunch, took deep breaths, and arrived five minutes before the 5:30 p.m. opening. Alas, we were already at the end of a line that stretched the length of an entire city block.
By 6:00, we had inched beyond the leafy open-air patio of the proprietors’ casual next-door café, Vij’s Rangoli, in the door and past a massive and intricate work of wood-carving, between the closely packed tables already filled with delighted diners and all the way to the tiny lounge in the back of the lantern-lit space, where a gracious but utterly swamped hostess kindly informed us that we could expect to be seated in approximately two and a half hours.
Amazed but wholly resigned to what we knew would be a worthwhile wait, we strolled north on Granville Street for aperitifs and snacks at West, a nearby restaurant and bar. Upon settling into a pair of cinnamon-colored barstools, the bartender appraised us with a knowing smile and asked, “Waiting for Vij’s?” We ordered drinks, oysters and a lush cut of pork belly dressed with a tantalizingly tart rhubarb compote and were generously treated to a delectable halibut-cheek salad amuse bouche and a basket of freshly baked breads accompanied by a rich, earthy olive oil.
West’s award-winning Beldi cocktail incorporates saffron and ginseng-infused Bombay Sapphire, cinnamon syrup and toasted coriander mist and tastes like a liquid distillation of a Marrakech spice market. Soothed by our exotic nibbles and tipples, we ambled back to Vij’s and were soon invited to our tiny table nestled next to the kitchen window.
The distinctive menu paints a mouth-watering tableau of dishes steeped in the time-tested heritage of India and yet seemingly effortlessly fused with the freshest regional BC ingredients. The owners, Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala, are committed to an unusual palette of spices and flavors that combines many of the diverse culinary traditions of their homeland in unexpected ways. The tandoor oven is avoided precisely because of its ubiquity and the conceptual focus is on innovative and experimental renditions of indigenous Indian recipes that cross regional boundaries.
We indulged in flawlessly flaky samosas filled with a juicy and fragrant mélange of beef, lamb, fennel and cloves, followed by two delirium-inducing entrees. The lemon ghee-marinated chicken arrived perfectly grilled and cloaked in a tangy tomato-based curry garnished with rich roasted garlic and crunchy cashews. The unrivaled highlight of the evening was the beef short rib dish, braised in an extraordinarily complex yogurt, tomato and cumin curry until it could be shredded with a spoon. Soft jasmine rice and moist, pillowy naan bread completed a feast to remember.
The sort of TLC-intensive labor that goes into every culinary detail in Vij’s kitchen is evident in every bite you’ll savor: the hand-roasted spices, the house-made butter, the painstakingly reduced Hindi khoa cheese melted into the local meats. As a certified sommelier, Mr. Vij carefully crafts wine lists to compliment his seasonal menus and also serves a selection of local beer and creative cocktails like the Indian Mojito.
Long after retiring to our tastefully designed quarters at the Loden Hotel in the Coal Harbour neighborhood, we were still marveling at the exquisite flavors and unusual details of our most memorable dinner in Vancouver. Vij’s can add another two food aficionados to its already tremendous following.
Vij’s Restaurant :: www.vijsrestaurant.ca :: 1480 W 11th Ave, Vancouver BC :: 604-736-6664 :: Dinner served starting at 5:30 p.m. :: No reservations accepted
West Restaurant :: www.westrestaurant.com :: 2881 Granville Street, Vancouver BC ::604-738-8938 :: Dinner served from 5:30 p.m. until 11:00 p.m.
The Loden Hotel :: theloden.com :: 1177 Melville Street Vancouver BC :: 604-669-5060 :: Weekend rates from 199 CAD
