Taj Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Ottawa

I was introduced to this restaurant by a friend who knew I was missing combinations of Northern Indian flavours, years ago, and have been going ever since, bringing more new people with me each time. The food is delicious and the portions are large (not sure what one of the other reviews was on about for portion size), and are priced in the range of $10-$20 per dish ordered. It definitely pays to go in groups and to split the tab and share dishes, but never - not once - have I been able to finish the entirety of any one main dish with two people at the table sharing - there are always delicious leftovers to take home. Favourites on the menu include the paneer pakora (eat them with both tamarind and the mint sauce*), vegetable pakora (crisp and light), beef samosa (rich and greasy), vegetable biryani, malai kofta (potato balls with cheese in a rich sauce), chicken passanda (like butter chicken, but richer and deeper flavour, and with almonds), butter chicken, mattar paneer (peas and cheese in sauce), vegetable korma (mixed veg in a cream sauce), bhainghan bhurta (beyond compare rich, roasted curried eggplant), gulab jamun and rasmalai. Hands down, the eggplant is my favourite, but it is an oily, sumptuous dish and pairs really well with the rice or naan. We are always asked at what level we would like the spiciness of our dishes. The flavours are rich, warm, comforting, heady. During the week, there is a simple but delicious buffet for about $14, but I prefer picking and choosing from the menu. The owner is a wonderful lady and I and my guests have always been treated very well there, regardless of whether or not we have reservations. There are times when the restaurant is quiet, but this contributes to the intimate atmosphere. The restaurant is narrow and long, and they have made excellent use of their space. At either end, there were tables with mirrors behind them on the wall and benches on one side, but after renovations to update the colour scheme, I think they may have only retained that on the far side from the door. I think this will be the restaurant's 30th year in business. I remember once doing a take out order to bring to a friend who's child was not feeling well - the very friend who introduced me to the restaurant! When Mrs. Sharma found out I was intending to carry everything down the road on foot, she insisted that one of the lovely staff drive me. This is a gentleman who has served us and guided us through the menu for years. He not only drove me, but helped me carry everything to my friend's apartment. That was absolutely above and beyond any expectation of hospitality I could have had, and I was deeply touched. This place will continue to have my business as long as...

I haven't been there in years because of negative past experiences. I figured that I would give it another try....

Our experience: We ordered drinks... The mango Lassi had huge chunks of icecubes in it... I've never seen this in my life and I know full well it's to reduce the amount of liquids you give by watering it down. Instantly my daughter was disappointed. We were starving though so we ordered a few things off the menu. The samosas was very dry and bland... thankfully it came with sauces. We ordered another appetizer which was alright. My daughter ordered the Chana masala, and I ordered the Mattar paneer... My favourite dish, and her favourite dish. The Chana masala was so bad, we didn't even eat it... It had so much oil in it and it had a really bad flavour. We ended up doggy bagging it and throwing it out when we got home. Since my daughter didn't like her food, she ate most of mine which was ok... The peas seemed either frozen or dried out... They were definitely not fresh... And there was barely any cheese in the dish.

We ordered regular naan bread and brought us the garlic naan...

As vegetarians, we eat a lot of Indian food, I cook it at home and we dine out at a lot of Indian restaurants.

I really don't mind paying a high price for good quality food. But we walked out of there with an eighty dollar bill... I was extremely hesitant to tip, but I tipped 15 per cent as I was a server and bartender for years.

It wasn't even worth a quarter of what we paid... Disappointed and will definitely not be...

Buying halal meat and selling it with alcohol in a haram place is still considered haram, even if you have a certificate. However, if you buy halal meat and cut it with a haram-contaminated knife, that meat becomes haram for Muslims. This is just one example among many precautions we must take and be careful with. Putting up a halal signboard does not guarantee that a place is halal or meets all the halal requirements.

For instance, if I’m not mistaken, cows are considered sacred in your religion. If you sell your sacred cow’s meat to Muslims, it means you are not being honest with your religion. Therefore, how can you be honest with Muslims? It seems to me that you are merely using the terms halal as a way to deceive the market. Remove the Halal signboard. This is 100% Haram.

This message is for information, not only for this specific place; it applies to everyone who sells haram alongside halal foods in the market. May Allah SWT grant us the guidance to stay on the right path, In Sha Allah.

References: “There is clear scripture that explains this matter. Prophet Muhammad said: Allah has cursed intoxicants, its drinker, its server, its seller, its buyer, its presser, the one who demands it to be pressed, its carrier, the one to whom it is conveyed and the one who consumes its price (recorded in Sunan Abi Daud”

“قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : ” من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فلا يقعد على مائدة يشرب عليها...