Neighbourhood: Downtown
Address: 330 Kennedy St
Phone: 204-783-3000
Entrees: $8-$17
(2014 review)
It is clear that the owners of the newly renovated Hotel Royal Plaza, set up as a home-away-from-home for international students, understand hospitality. The restaurant, tucked into the left side of the hotel’s lobby, across from the cafeteria where students take their meals, is stylish and welcoming, radiating homey comfort.
Service is warm and friendly, a perfect match for flavourful East Indian specialties, either from a budget-friendly buffet or the expansive menu. Curries are intricately spiced, like the fragrant and creamy vegetable korma, or the beef curry, which offers a hit of heat. Lamb bhuna is a fiery mix of vegetables and lamb cooked to meltingly tender perfection. The menu offers several variations of flatbread to accompany these delights, like sweet, chewy pashwari naan, filled with cashews, raisins, and cherries.
Samosas are encased in crispy, flaky crusts and stuffed with potatoes and bright pops of green peas, complemented by a dollop of tart tamarind sauce. And of course, perennial stand-by butter chicken will not disappoint. The tender meat swims in a savoury tomato gravy, rich with cream and a complex blend of spice. Biryani is another standout, a heaping pile of rice dotted with meat, vegetables, nuts, and dried fruit, generously garnished with a juicy wheel of orange and an egg. A selection of refreshing beverages, like the silky, tangy and sweet mango lassi, are the perfect pairing for rich dishes.
Finish off with gulab jamun, donut-hole like pastries soaked in a sugary syrup. Chai is not listed on the menu, but a request was gladly accommodated for the milky, spicy tea, the perfect complement to a sweet dessert.
Waves is open Monday-Saturday 11:30 am to 9 pm.
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