First Visit: Maurya Indian Cuisine

Vancouver's large south Asian community has enriched the city in many ways not least of which are some wonderful restaurants and Maurya Indian Cuisine (1643 West Broadway, 604 742-0622) is definitely one them.

If Vij's chaotic coolness served up with exuberant energy by Vikram Vij is one great end of the Vancouver Indian dining spectrum, then Maurya's serene and sensual food and space is the other.

Maurya's room is magnificent. Beautiful but not over the top south Asian decor. Calm with stimulating but not grating and not sleep inducing music. In a word, classy.

And the food (which of course is the main thing) is rooted firmly in tradition but somehow seems modern in that it has the classic flavours of Indian cuisine without much of the fat and richness.

Highlights of our meal included the Amritsari Machhi starter (about 10 bucks, cod in chickpea batter with tamarind) which was lightly battered and beautifully sauced and chicken korma (about 20 bucks) which had a fantastically flavoured korma sauce that amazingly enough was light!

The whole meal came to about one hundred dollars for three people for two starters, three mains and two bottles of sparkling mineral water. Courtesy of our visiting brother-in-law, we also had a glass of white wine and a bottle of red wine which together cost just as much as the food!

Happily, the huge wine list has wines by the glass and bottle that will please every palate and budget. And they also have beer for those who are seeking a more traditional accompaniment.

Can't wait to go back for a second visit and write a mini-review!