Butter Chicken Perogies at Naanolicious

Butter pirogies #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 9, 2017 at 5:06pm PDT

One of the few things I have not tried at Naanolicious are the perogies in butter chicken sauce. Talk about fusion - the perogies were fried to perfection, covered in the rich sauce. This is not something I would want every day, but it was delicious.

Hakka Noodles with Beef at Naanolicious

Hakka noodles with beef #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on May 28, 2016 at 4:40pm PDT

I first had Hakka noodles at Naanolicious a couple of years ago. This Indo-Chinese noodle dish is like a spicy chow mein. This time, I tried beef added to it. The beef was so soft and tender, it practically melted in my mouth. The portion was also incredibly huge - two people could easily share. If you like noodles and want to try a chow mein fusion, these Hakka noodles would be an excellent choice.

Butter Paneer Poutine at Naanolicious

Butter paneer poutine #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 5, 2016 at 12:01pm PDT

One of the favourite menu items at Naanolicious is the selection of poutines. You can get fries with butter or curry sauce, or you can add meat or paneer. I added paneer to my butter sauce, and the result was a rich, decadent treat. The fries carried the sauce quite well, and were literally soaked in buttery goodness. I could only finish about half because it was so rich. Fortunately, Naanolicious has take-out containers!

Paneer with Lababdar Sauce at Naanolicious

Paneer with lababdar sauce @naanolicious #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Feb 13, 2016 at 5:13pm PST

One of the things I really love about the new menu at Naanolicious is a section where you can pick your protein and your sauce and create your own curry. I absolutely love how the paneer is done - often perfectly grilled on the outside and soft on the inside - so I had that with the lababdar sauce. This was a creamy, tomato-based sauce with onions, not as rich as a butter sauce with slightly more kick. The delicate flavour of the paneer worked well with the spice of the sauce, much of which was mixed with the side of saffron rice.

Vegging Out: Vegetarian Appetizer Sampler Platter at Naanolicious

There is a special at Naanolicious on Thursday evenings that vegetarians will definitely want to check out. The vegetarian appetizer platter, paired with a beer, for $14.95 is a huge portion on a large plate: one samosa, several veggie pakoras, a couple of aloo tikka patties, naan bread with a dipping sauce, and two chutneys. I managed to devour this flavourful feast myself, but if I was less hungry, I also certainly could have shared.

Beef Wrap at Naanolicious

I tried one of the wraps on the new Naanolicious menu for supper tonight - the beef one, to be precise. The beef curry was wrapped with some of Naanolcious' signature cabbage salad in a plain naan, cut into two easy-to-hold pieces, each wrapped in foil. The wrap was well-filled, and came with a side of masala fries. This is a perfect portion for lunch or a small supper, and at $13.95, is one of the most economical choices on the menu.

Coffee Break: Vanilla Chai at Naanolicious

Vanilla is the chai flavour of the month for January at Naanolicious. I didn't find it too sweet - it had just enough vanilla to enhance the milky, black tea.

Thali Box at Naanolicious

The new Thali Box lunch at Naanolicious could be Whyte Avenue's best-kept dining secret. Served only until 2 p.m., this is like the East Indian version of a Bento Box, and features rice, naan bread, a chicken dish, a vegetarian dish, and salad. The specific dishes are the chef's choosing, so you're getting both a surprise and something like a buffet - but brought directly to your table, and always fresh. My Thali Box had rich butter chicken, a lentil dish which was superb, saffron rice, a cucumber-yogurt salad, a shredded cabbage salad, and garlic naan. At only $16.95 the price point is excellent for the amount of food you're getting. It's not on the menu - you have to ask for it, and you'll be glad you did.

Tandoori Fried Chicken at Naanolicious

One of my favourite additions to the new menu at Naanolicious is the Tandoori Fried Chicken. Instead of being finished on the grill, the marinated chicken is plunged into the fryer. It is not breaded - the outside spices and skin crisp up while the inside stays moist. Served with masala-seasoned fries, this is a very comforting and filling meal.

Beef Short Ribs at Naanolicious

My favourite East Indian restaurant, Naanolicious, has a new menu which is much simpler and streamlined from the previous one. Fortunately, most of my favourites made the cut, but there are a few new things for me to try. One of them is the beef short ribs. Three Korean ribs (or, Miami ribs, as these were known in my household) are cut into small pieces with the bone in the middle, and grilled with Naanolicious's signature spices. The result is a crunchy, dry rib that makes an excellent appetizer, or meal if combined with some naan or rice. Naanolicious is a Halal restaurant, so while pork dry ribs are not an option, this is a great choice and a welcome menu addition.

Just Desserts: Gulab Jamun at Naanolicious

I have pretty much worked my way through the entire menu at Naanolicious - at least, until the new menu comes into effect - but have had few of the desserts that go so well with their new chai bar. The gulab jamun was a small portion of intense sweetness: small, round cake bites in a warm syrup. A perfect way to end a spicy meal.

Bhel Puri at Naanolicious

Sometimes when I go to Naanolicious with another person, we order an assortment of finger foods and share. In addition to the delicious (and gluten free) vegetable pakoras and fish bites, we tried the bhel puri for the first time. It reminded me of a bagged mix my dad used to sometimes bring in from the grocery story, with rice-based crunchy noodles, puffed rice, and peanuts on top of coriander and tamarind sauce. It was crunchy and fun and I could see it going very well with beer. I would have liked it a little wetter - the tamarind sauce was very sparse at the very bottom, and a little more cilantro would have made the drier top part be a little less one note.

Just Desserts: Indian Sweets at Naanolicious

Naanolicious has a new chai bar with dozens of kinds of flavoured chai. I had a chocolate chai recently, and it tasted like hot chocolate with a spicy tea twist. A new addition at the chai bar is a showcase of delicious Indian sweets. The milky, dense, sometimes chalky sweets are very hard to find in the city other than in the extreme southern neighbourhoods, so I am very excited that I will be able to enjoy them more often. And if Indian sweets are not your thing, there is also in-house made chocolate mousse. I like that too.

Tandoori Chicken Popsicles at Naanolicious

I stopped in for a quick lunch at Naanolicious on Saturday, in between attending a couple of events and heading to the afternoon jam at Blues On Whyte. I was eager to try a new menu addition: Tandoori Chicken Popsicles. Two freshly fried chicken fingers on a stick were presented to me with Naanolicious' signature dipping sauce and a small cauliflower salad. The chicken tenders were not overly seasoned, with just a hint of sweetness from coconut milk. Really good bar finger food.

Sizzling Paneer Wraps at Naanolicious

These sizzling paneer wraps at Naanolicious were listed under the Lighter Fare section of the menu, but it was a hearty serving of paneer which sizzled, as promised. It was amongst some cabbage and other veggies like a paneer stir fry, topped with some crunchy noodles. I ordered some naan bread and declined the lettuce wrappers. If you like paneer, this is enough to satisfy and also enough to share.

Fish and Chips - Indian Style

I have to start this off by admitting that this dish was my idea. I suggested to the owner of Naanolicious that she offer a fish and chips made up of her delicious, crispy white fish pakoras, Bombay roasted potatoes, and cauliflower salad. All things already on the menu in different places, but brought together for a perfect fusion of a dish that everyone is familiar with, especially the bar patrons next door. The portion was huge and it was fish and chips like I have never tasted anywhere else. However, it is not on the main menu - yet. Ask for it.

Karhi Pakora

Monika, who owns Naanolicious, has been talking to me about trying some of her mother's traditional East Indian cooking. I had the chance when I went to the restaurant for supper this past weekend, and one of the specials was created by her mom. The Karhi Pakora is something I would never imagine: vegetable pakoras in a light yoghurt curry sauce flavoured extensively by cilantro and turmeric. I find pakors, being fried, to be quite heavy and can usually only eat two or three of them in one sitting. However, in the sauce, they deconstructed into smaller bits of dough and potato. It was surprisingly one of the lightest dishes I have ever had at Naanolicious, and the abundance of the sauce made rice a perfect pairing. I encouraged Monika to add this to her vegetarian menu.

Just Desserts: Strawberry Nutella Naan

I don't often have dessert at Naanolicious but when I do, it is something like this: a sweet version of the signature naan. In this case, Nutella and fresh strawberries were generously put on top, creating a chocolatey sensation that was not to sweet. The strawberries added natural sweetness without being overpowering.

Mango Butter Chicken at Naanolicious

It's Saturday evening. You guessed it - I went to Naanolicious for supper. Believe it or not, there are still a few menu items I have not yet tried. The mango butter chicken dinner is one of them. A generous portion of creamy, delicious butter chicken is served with basmati rice, a wedge of mango, and a shot glass with mango puree, to sweeten things up to taste. If you like butter chicken, you can't go wrong with this.

Fish Bites at Naanolicious

I missed a couple of Saturdays on Whyte due to work/community obligations, but managed to drop by Blues On Whyte for a shirt time this past Saturday. In doing so, I had supper at Naanolicious, my go-to Saturday night place. I tried the fish bites for the first time. Delicate pieces of seasoned white fish were fried in a lentil batter. This was a portion made for sharing, and went well with the accompanied dipping sauce. It was sort of like fusion fish and chips, without the chips. I can see the restaurant preparing a smaller amount of fish, with some curry fries on the side, for a really delicious experience.