Elizabeth Nyland
left: Sizzling Tandoor owner Narpinder Bawa. right: :Lentil curry over basmati rice, paneer masala, pakoras, cauliflower and peas, pakora curry and tandoori chicken. bottom: Chef Ram Chander
Sizzling Tandoor, 637 Johnson St. between Douglas and Broad, 250.388.5450 The quality of Sizzling Tandoor restaurant is best encapsulated by one dish on the $12 lunch buffet: butternut squash curry. With its intriguing base of mango powder melded with garlic, ginger, onions, mustard seed and split chick peas (no skimping on ingredients here), this is hardly standard buffet fare and I appreciated seeing it on the table. The initial sweetness of the mango flowed gently into a smooth warmth as some heat started percolating. This is not to say that the buffet basics at Sizzling Tandoor don’t also stand up well. The classic Daal Makhni, a lentil dish, was rich but not heavy, with a surprising floral note in the flavour. The butter chicken was mellow and earthy, with the scales tilted more toward tomato than cream in the sauce. The Channa Masala, a chickpea dish, is where you’ll get your heat kick; the spice simmers innocently, then builds up to a volcano two minutes after you’ve put your fork down. A must-try is the Aloo Gobhi, a potato and cauliflower curry with enough intense umami toastiness to give me that peculiar joy one gets scraping drippings from a roast beef pan. Some practical notes: not every dish will always be available. Dishes rotate based on season and ingredient availability. Lunch buffet hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, and noon to 2:30 p.m. weekends. And yes, bring your child. Children 6 to 11 are halfprice, and, generously, those 5 and under are free. I scoped a potential preschooler meal from the buffet: tandoori chicken, naan, rice pudding, carrot pudding and melon would do it. If you have a colleague who is unsure about Indian food, the menu offers a tandoori chicken Caesar salad, which may be a safe transition for the uninitiated. ~
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EAT MAGAZINE JULY | AUGUST 2012
WE
Ope
240 CO Natural
$5
EXPIRE