Dinner at Guru

I had lunch at Guru recently, but have never had supper there until this week with my father who loves Indian food, but doesn't get the opportunity to have it often. He ordered the Guru Daal, which was a colourful and flavourful combination of lentils. I had the Palak Paneer, which had smoky undertones and was made with pine nuts. It was the most uniquely flavourful Palak Paneer I have ever had. We shared a saffron rice, and he had an order of roti and naan for me. An order of naan is actually two pieces - we could have shared that too. As it was we had plenty to take home to enjoy later. Plus, our server was very personable. The prices are high end but the portions are large an the quality incredible.

Kadhai Paneer at Guru

I visited Guru for the first time in ages, to join a friend for lunch. The lunch menu has a number of pre-plated vegetarian and non-vegetarian options that are served with rice, fruit salad, and naan. I opted for the Kadhai Paneer, which is fresh cubes of cheese in a tomato-based sauce. The paneer was firm and absorbed the flavour of the sauce nicely, which was spicy without being overly hot. The finely diced melons mixed well with the rice and the sauce, adding an element of sweet coolness. And the naan was perfect: hot, buttered, and full of bubbles. At $17 this was not an inexpensive lunch, but it was not overpriced either. To drink we had the masala chai ($5), made to order and very aromatic.

Pretzels and Steak Bites at Sherlock's

Sherlock's Downtown is a good place to head for a late night snack. The pretzels and steak bites hit the spot for something not too heavy and to go well with drinks. The steak bites were soft and tender, with some spice on the outside to give them a kick. The pretzels were served warm with a ranch dip. Nice place, excellent company, and great food.

The Pho Files: Beef Stew at La Pagode

I have been to La Pagode (17020 90 Avenue) a couple of times this past week as I have been in the area, and tried the beef stew with rice noodles. La Pagode is owned by the same people who own Pagolac in Chinatown and the south side, and has the same great menu. The stew was packed with thick chunks of brisket and loads of noodles, in a slightly spicy broth. Definitely a great choice for lunch on a cold day.