Enjoy classic cooking without the bells and whistles
Mark Laba
Province
With a toast to fine Indian food, diners prepare to sample two of the many dishes on offer at Handi Cuisine. Photograph by : Nick Procaylo, The Province
HANDI CUISINE OF INDIA
Where: 4432 Dunbar St., Vancouver
Payment/reservations: Major credit cards, 604-738-3186
Drinks: Fully licensed
Hours: Daily, 5 to 10 p.m.
Oddly enough, I find that sometimes two of the most disparate things have more in common than you think. Take Greek and Indian food for example. Essentially both have remained unchanged for thousands of years and to this day have remained somewhat fusion-free as opposed to other cuisines. Japanese, especially sushi, Chinese, Mexican, Italian, French — all have felt the deft mitts of the Pacific Northwest fusion chef attempting to experiment with their essential natures, to squeeze, knead or pummel new flavours out of them by rearranging and introducing a menagerie of ingredients and unique or sometimes downright wacky pairings. Even the time-tested tradition of schnitzel has undergone some strange transformations.
But in my books, Greek and Indian food — well there are no great surprises when you walk into one of these restaurants. Souvlaki, butter chicken, calamari, aloo gobi, each as steadfast in its way as a CEO of a major company taking the fifth amendment in front of a board of inquiry over insane leveraging and credit practices and robbing the public and investors of millions of dollars in the process. In other words, this food doesn’t give an inch when it comes to its original game plan.
So really, in the end, it’s all about the quality of the dishes rather than the innovativeness of their construction. And with everything I’d heard about Handi Cuisine of India, this establishment was top notch in the classic-cooking department. Maybe a little on the expensive side but I’m always willing to fork out a bit extra for handcrafted spicing in the sauces.
Peaches, Small Fry Eli and I ensconced ourselves in some sumptuous red velveteen banquette seating that had the faint echo of Parisian brothel about it. The long, narrow room is actually comfortably atmospheric with a smattering of small bits of artwork and mood-inducing music. Sunny golden walls offset the dark woods and earthy red tiling and some ornate wrought-iron railing work beefs up the bartending zone.
We started with an order of veggie samosas ($4) and aloo chat ($6.50), a spicy potato recipe very popular in street stalls across India and in this version the potatoes are turned into fried patties and topped with tamarind-mint yogurt, chickpeas and onions. Both very tasty, the samosas denser than most I’ve encountered and the crust perhaps not as flaky but, hey, it ain’t a bad way to start. On an odd note, as if to reinforce my Greek-Indian cuisine theory, there was a calamari appetizer but a recent run-in with tentacles has made me wary of cephalopods.
Next up: A bunch of old standbys that have bobbed about on the culinary waves for centuries, resisting the tides of change, but imminently satisfying. Butter chicken, aloo gobi (both $11.95), lamb vindaloo ($12.95) and a Goan prawn curry ($15.95). The vindaloo was especially savoury with a fiery finish that ignited my palate. Butter chicken was a favourite of Small Fry Eli due to a sweetness in the sauce that was a new experience for me. Not altogether unpleasant but kind of like having your cake and eating it with poultry. The Goan prawn shlimazel was tasty and the aloo gobi with its turmeric-tinged ‘taters and cauliflower was cooked to veggie perfection. And, if you’re crossing the Lions Gate, check out their original location at 1340 Marine Dr., West Vancouver, 604-925-5262.
This is classic Indian cooking without any bells or whistles because sometimes letting an old dog perform the tricks it knows best is far better than watching a new dog trip over itself trying to jump through flaming fusion hoops.
© The Vancouver Province 2008