Mehfil Curry and Kebab — Restaurant in Calgary

So, on my way home from work ... a little hungry. Stopped at a light... looked over and saw the Mehfil Curry and Kebab restaurant. Never noticed it before, however, not near my house so, since I enjoy Indian food tremendously, why not. Changed lanes, parked went into the restaurant. Wouldn't you know it, I embarked on an adventure of taste, texture and scrumptious cuisine that was simply marvelous. Was greeted at the door by a young gentleman who showed me to a booth. We exchanged pleasantries and when asked about a drink, I asked for a Mango Buttermilk, then perused the menu. Pulled out my phone and played a very quick game of chess. Quick? Of course, I was probably playing a 3 year old.?? The 4 year old would have cleaned my clock... lol Ali, my server, saw this and we had a quick conversation on Chess, and the fact that I play chess, am not a chess player... There is a difference. I then placed an order for a Tandoori fish appetizer, Goat Curry, rice and garlic Naan. Anyway, the Mango buttermilk was scrumptious, not the usual diluted slushy of ice. Very refreshing and did I mention tasty. Am I a food critic?, you ask? NO. for that I'd have to have an icicle where one should not. I will say that Mr. Gordon Ramsey, love or hate him, has opened to all, the love of great food and a discovery in flavors in fine cuisine. Thank you Sir. Back to Mehfil ... the arrival of the appetizer and a taste of amazement. Done just right. I asked Ali who the person was, who prepared it, and when he replied the chef, I countered that no, not the chef ... a wizard. And Ali graciously offered and brought him over to hear the compliments from me, personally. The Chef was visibly surprised and pleased, at my enjoyment of the appitizer, and in my opinion, being humble, spoke volumes of the care and attention the prepared the meal. Not kidding. The taste, texture, aroma and presentations were awesome. Now you can heat up a lot of foods but NOT fish. So an appetizer that could easily be shared by 4 people went down the hatch ... did I say I wasn't a food critic? Good, I'm not one to Foo Foo an opinion. Delicious to the the last piece ... and I'm guessing I might end up waddling out at that rate. By the way, I keep saying Amazing, because the food served demonstrated the fact. I was not let down by the goat curry and rice, and was astounded by the garlic Naan. The flavor and aroma of the curry, simply delicious. The Naan? You ask? Great. Not thick, not burnt, beautifully done, light flakey and very tasty. None of the flavors competed with each other and to me that was amazing. The Indian music in the background set a nice mood and lulled me into a satiated state after enjoying the meal. Desert? You say? Oh yeah. Consisted of rose Kulfi and Mango Kulfi and heck if I remember the name but I was seriously WOW'D. All in all, a very pleasant end to a long day of work, and can definitely recommend this spectacular restaurant to one and all. The entire experience was top shelf, and a hearty thank you to the entire staff and owners. Every one and everything made it feel homey, cosy and memorable. Well done. If I could score it as a six, I would. Try it, you'll like it. Can one ignore it? You might, however...

Ordered 2 plates pani puri and 3 samosas on DoorDash. The pain puris came with the green water and red chutney and the filling. The pani puris were very good, but one star less as the filling quantity was very less, it was just for one plate.

The samosas were very big and filling and tasty. The outer crust too was very tasty.

Edit June 13, 2021 - Changed rating from 4 to 5 stars

Today we visited Mehfil Curry in person, and it was our best dining experience in Canada! This restaurant hits the right flavours, the right spice levels, their quantities are great and the food tastes better than what you get back home in India.

We tried the following dishes:

Bihari Beef (starter) - thin slices of beef cooked to perfection, marinated with such great flavours. Dahi Bhalla - I have never been a Dahi Wada fan, but my husband ordered this and I tasted it and loved it. Chicken Biryani - Really good flavors. The chicken is well marinated and not bland and served with raita on the side. Butter Garlic Naan - Oh my gosh, I wish I had place in my stomach to order more of these. These were so soft and melted in my mouth, unlike the rubbery ones. Mehfil ki Kadhai (Goat) - this is a thick gravy with onion and peppers, the mutton was so well cooked, it was sliding off the bone. This was a perfect combo with the naan. Nimbu Paani and Mango shake - both of these were so refreshing. The nimbu paani was really good for digestion, as they had added jeera and black salt and it gave it a nice tangy flavour. This one stole my heart - SHAHI MEHFIL - if you visit this place, you cannot leave without trying their dessert. It's the best dessert ever. It's a a mixture of gulab jamuns and kulfi slices served in a sweet milk gravy like rabdi. Thank you Deepu for this complimentary dish.

The quantities were great, all of the above ordered dishes were shared by 3 of us and it was so filling (we're quite big eaters). The service provided by Deepu (the chef), was great. he explained the dishes well and was very warm and friendly. The ambiance of the restaurant made us nostalgic with instrumental 80s music playing in the background.

If you are an Indian food lover, you definitely HAVE TO visit Mehfil...

I recently revisited Mehfil Restaurant, and it seems like they have undergone a change in management. Today's experience was better compared to my previous visit, although there were still some areas that could be improved upon.

To start with the positives, the new management surprised us with complimentary gulab jamun as part of their anniversary celebration. It was a sweet gesture and a delightful treat. The gulab jamun was delectable, and it added a positive note to our dining experience.

However, I must mention that the issue with the Manchurian quantity persisted. Once again, we received a disappointingly small portion of the dish. It was disheartening to see that they hadn't rectified this problem despite the change in management. It left us feeling a bit let down.

While the quality of the Manchurian seemed slightly better than before, the fact that the quantity issue wasn't addressed and no apology was offered made it hard to overlook completely.

On the upside, the service was more attentive this time. The staff was courteous and prompt in taking our orders and ensuring we had a comfortable dining experience. Yet, when we brought up the issue of the Manchurian portion size, they didn't seem too concerned or apologetic about it. It would have been nice to see a more empathetic response from them.

It's evident that some improvements have been made under the new management, and the complimentary gulab jamun was a thoughtful touch. However, addressing the previous shortcomings, such as the portion size of certain dishes, would make a significant difference in enhancing the overall dining experience.

In conclusion, my recent visit to Mehfil Restaurant was a mixed bag. The complimentary treat was appreciated, and the staff seemed more attentive, but the lack of improvement in the Manchurian quantity and the absence of a sincere apology for the previous issue dampened the overall experience. I hope the management takes customer feedback seriously and strives to provide a consistently pleasant dining experience...