Desi Indian Lounge in Downtown Vancouver serves regional Indian cuisine with a contemporary approach under Executive Chef Bal Ajagaonkar. Their menu brings together familiar dishes and newer interpretations, incorporating West Coast ingredients into traditional techniques.
I visited for dinner and found the space comfortable and a menu suited to sharing. Our meal covered a range of flavours and textures, from spiced mango chutney with burrata to coconut and cashew stuffed eggplant curry.
The Mango Burrata brought a touch of sweetness to the table, with creamy burrata, spiced mango chutney and toast.
The Gunpowder Cassava Kebab had a crisp exterior and a noticeable kick from the gunpowder spice, with chutney served alongside the cassava fritters.
The Karwari Shrimp featured grilled prawns seasoned with warm, aromatic Goan spices.
The Auckland Lamb Lolly was tender, with a subtle fennel note from the sauce and spinach accompanying the grilled lamb chop.
The Khumb Miloni Pulao featured BC mushrooms with herbs and spices, giving the rice an earthy flavour.
The Bhareli Vangi, a curry of baby eggplants stuffed with coconut and cashew, was rich and aromatic.
We had two breads at the table. The Lamb Keema Stuffed Naan came filled with spiced minced lamb, making each bite warm and satisfying.
The Laccha Paratha, a whole wheat unleavened flatbread, was flaky and easy to pull apart.
For dessert, the Moti Chur Cheesecake combined a creamy cheesecake with moti chur crumble, a tuile and pista yogurt sauce. The crumble added texture to the smooth filling.
The Malai Ghawar offered a lightly crisp honeycomb pastry with pista, berries and cardamom cream, with gentle sweetness throughout.
To drink, the Virgin Strawberry Mojito was refreshing, with strawberry, mint and citrus.
The Mango Lassi was smooth and familiar, blending yogurt with mango.
Desi Indian Lounge is located at 1355 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC.
