dhaba Express

I want to start by saying thank you for your support! Food has always been a passion of mine whether it be cooking or eating and I am more than happy to pass along my thoughts to all of you.

Here it goes!

dhaba express is located at 8 Oland crescent in Bayer's lake, just next to Freddy's Fish and chips (yes, I will add Freddy's to the list).

As we entered dhaba express, I felt like a kid at Christmas, filled with the anticipation of things to come. The new owners have done a great job with the decor, keeping in mind that we're in a business park not entering the Taj Mahal itself! What I really enjoyed was the fresh flowers at every table, gives me the feeling that there's a great effort being put into the business.

We were greeted right away by what I think was the owner, either way he was quite the jolly man.

Our server is very polite. The staff give off a good vibe. This is a big thing for me. A bad mood amongst the staff makes me think that the kitchen staff is not happier and that will show through to the food. Happy staff gives you better odds in receiving a good meal!

The menu is nicely arranged including, vegetarian meals, combination plates, and halal dishes (proper slaughtering methods for animals, which obeys Islamic law).

Just after we ordered our meals, our server returned with some papadums, a very thinly fried dough with the crispness of a potato chip but with it's own unique flavor.

The appetizer selection was limited but I shouldn't complain I enjoyed my selection.

For an appetizer Gary and I both chose samosas. They had a choice of mango chutney or green chilli sauce to accompany them. Of course we chose one of each. We dove in when they arrived, and they were great. The pastry was crispy and the filling was flavorful. The two sauces were a great accompaniment, one spicy and the other sweet with a bit of tang.

For my main dish I selected the dhaba chicken biryani, a curry chicken and rice mixture which came with a small side salad and raita a wonderful yogurt and cucumber sauce. I also ordered a side of Naan bread. It was a nice amount of food. The flavors were nice and it had just the right amount of seasoning.

Gary had the beef vindaloo combo with salad rice and a smaller version of Naan bread although he substituted regular for a small additional charge. The vindaloo wasn't as hot as he's had before but the flavor was good, I found it quite enjoyable but I'm not a fiend for the heat like he is!

I'm usually a water girl when it comes to beverages but I figure why not try a specialty beverage, so I ordered a Mango Lassie. A thick Mango drink, pretty good but second one might start to fill you up. I blame the drink for the inability to order a dessert item. Couldn't do it, just couldn't do it....

Our bill came to 41.00
Two appetizers (approx3$each)
Two combo plates (approx11$each)
Specialty Drink (approx4$)
Pepsi (approx2$)
and of course the taxes.

I had a smile on my face and my belly was full. It's also a good sign when Gary says, "Next time we'll get dessert".

Happy eating everyone!

P.S. If you've never tried Indian food and you don't really know what you'll enjoy, give their Saturday lunch buffet a try! 11:30-2:30. Try a dabble of it all!

http://www.dhaba-express.ca/