For the Love of...: ...Nawab Restaurant (Calgary)

Overall - 8/10
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Food - 9/10
Service - 7.5/10
Ambiance- 8/10

Since the weather has finally improved I've been able to get out more regularly on my road bike. On my way back from Bragg Creek one Sunday, I rode past this restaurant which had just opened up in the new neighbourhood of Montreux in the city's southwest. If the name sounds familiar its because their original location was downtown at the intersection of 4th AVE SW and Macleod Trail. They have been open at this location for only 5 weeks and even though there were a few tiny kinks in service to work out the food hit all the marks!

We started off with the paneer pakoras which are little cubes of freshly made cheese coated in an aromatic chick pea batter and deep fried. The little fritters were light, crispy and aromatic of fennel seed. The mint chutney on the side was tart and very cooling.

Our mains included the prawn masala and the lamb tikka masala. The prawns were fresh and cooked perfectly while the curry sauce was made from onions, tomatoes, ginger, herbs and spices. The lamb was very tender and smothered in a rich and creamy tomato sauce. Both were delicious and had many complex layers of flavour that came out with each bite.

Prawn Masala

Lamb Tikka Masala

Perhaps the best part of the meal though is using various starches to soak up the wonderful sauces. We opted for a Kashmiri pilau which was a dish of steamed rice, crispy fried onions and sticky-sweet dates. A single garlic naan was enough for the two of us and was crispy and buttery with a subtle garlic flavour. Just for kicks we decided to try the 'Keema Kulcha' which is essentially a naan stuffed with ground lamb. On its own the Kulcha could have used a touch more salt but when paired with the curries it was perfect.

Garlic Naan

Keema Kulcha

Kashmiri Pilau

Finally if you opt for more spicy dishes the sweet lassi is the perfect drink (other than an ice cold beer).