It goes without saying but Surrey, BC is one of the best places for Indian. Immigration has been strong for the city and with it comes heightened expectations for Indian food and stronger competition. One of the latest additions to the suburb of Vancouver is Raga Indian Restaurant. This spot is a premier hotel restaurant destination which adds a heightened level of dining if you are any level of fan for pakora, paneer, or curry.
Disclosure: This was a complimentary provided in exchange for a blog post.
Food:
Team Tastic came here for a Sunday dinner and I had a great taste of the following:
- Mango Lassi ($7)
- Garlic Butter Naan ($5)
- Honey Chili Cauliflower ($15)
- Reshmi Paneer ($20)
- Chicken Chettinad ($21)
- Lamb Biryani ($24)
To start things off, we had a classic mango lassi. This was a Indian yogurt-based drink made from mango pulp, yogurt, milk, and sugar, with a hint of cardamom to give it an herbal kick. You can see the elevation of the cuisine here because they even drew a fun design with syrup in the drink.
To accompany our curries, we opted for a garlic butter naan. I'm typically a fan of flavoured naan because I am a junkie for umami. This garlic butter naan delivered that umami and the only shame was in not ordering more.
Our formal food began with the honey chili cauliflower. This was a traditional Indo-Chinese dish featuring crispy cauliflower florets coated in a sticky and sweet sauce. I enjoyed the crunchiness of the deep-fried cauliflower which had an extra shell coated with all the seasonings in its sauce.
For our curries, first up was the reshmi paneer which was a traditional Indian cheese marinated in an onion & tomato gravy. Like all elevated Indian dining, the curry came in a metal dish kept warm by a candle underneath. The paneer had a tofu-like texture but an undeniable cheesiness. There was much more curry than paneer to go around and I had no qualms about slurping up every drop.
Our other curry tonight was a chicken chettinad which was a mix of tamarind, coconut milk, and curry leaves with chicken. I thought this had an incredibly herby taste, almost enough to make you think the chicken was vegetarian (which it certainly was not!). Again, there was more curry than protein to go around but it was a privilege to be able to scoop up all the remaining curry with my spoon.
Finally, we had the lamb biryani. I order biryani whenever I see it on a menu. This stuff takes so long to make and eating it has the homiest of feelings. Biryani is known for its distinctive method of cooking, where rice and meat, and vegetables are cooked together, often using an Indian "dum" technique (slow cooking with a sealed lid to trap steam). The result was an incredible mix of seasonings with tender lamb in the mix. The best part of this biryani was how well it combined with our leftover curry sauces.
Vibes:
Raga Indian Restaurant takes up residence in the Sandman Suites in the Guildford neighbourhood of Surrey, BC. Indian food is highly competitive in this area so Raga distinguishes itself with an elevated dining room and an all-black uniform for its staff.
Inside are a variety of dining spaces, with seating for about 120 people. You have traditional booths for families, lounge-y round booths for big groups, and high tables for people who want a fast drink. The atmosphere inside was quite relaxed on a Sunday afternoon but this was definitely a blacker, sleeker, experience than most Indian experiences I've had in Surrey.
Final Thoughts:
One-liner: Surrey's newest elevated dining for Indian favourites as well as herbs and spices you might not see at every fast-casual Indian spot
Highlight: Chicken Chettinad
Price per person: $30-$50
Would I go back? Yes.
