Spices of India — Restaurant in Quebec

I had a late lunch/early dinner at this restaurant yesterday. I love curry and where I live in the US, there are no Indian restaurants nearby. So, what a treat to find one while exploring Quebec. First, the restaurant is located in a desirable section of Quebec where the street is a pedestrian-only street that is lined with many cafes, restaurants, bars, and small shops. A must see! Spices of India is located down basement steps in an historic building. So there are no windows in the restaurant which means the ambiance is a tad dark. Not a problem for me. Because it was mid-day, the place was empty except for one other table. I ordered two dishes and some naan. While I was waiting for my meal to arrive, the other table, a party of six, complained that the food did not taste authentic. The waiter explained that’s how they cook it in Quebec. The table and the waiter exchanged some more words about the food, they paid, and left. My food arrived. It looked so yummy. But at first bite, I could see what the other table was complaining about. Both dishes were very bland. Not one hint of curry spice in either dish. I was disappointed. I stole a salt shaker from a nearby table to help bring out some flavors. The salt made it more palatable. I was super hungry when I arrived, so I ate both dishes. And I told the waiter the food was good. But in reality, I think the chef missed the mark. Or perhaps the locals prefer bland foods. IDK. The naan was yummy, however. The service was good. But the food could use more spices to make it more flavorful. I am not talking about adding spices to make it hot to the taste, just enough to taste like a real authentic curry dish. Lastly, if you hope to order a stiff drink with dinner here, as an FYI, this restaurant is a...

A few weeks ago I went with a colleague and friend of mine to have lunch at this place, which is the successor of a previous Indian restaurant called Garam Massala. The latter no longer exists at that address and that phone number (actually, I was told by the new owners that the previous owners moved to another city). Therefore, the Garam Massala reviews no longer hold.

We both ordered one of the lunch specials (soup, main dish and dessert of the day). We first had soup Mulligatawny, sweetly spiced and tasty. Then the main dish was Korma lamb (korma is a slightly spiced curry cooked in yoghurt and cream with raisins). That was served with a mixture of cooked vegetables, white rice, a slice of nan (an Indian bread), and a mixed salad (lettuce, tomato and cucumber slices, green pepper pieces, in a house vinaigrette). Both the soup an the lamb dish were delicious. Then the waiter Youssef (from Morocco, although the chef Sayed is from India) brought us the dessert, called Gulab jamon: a ball of cooked dough in a sweet sauce. Both my friend an I were disappointed with the dough taste, kind of stale, but the waiter told us that this was the normal taste of Gulab. We discarded half of it. Maybe we were on a bad day, for the chef changes dessert every day. The price was very reasonable: 25 Canadian dollars for both of us, for food only. Actually, this new restaurant does not serve alcohol, and advertises "Apportez votre vin" (bring your own wine).

NB.- When I returned there at night to enquire about the previous restaurant Garam Massala, I was offered some of the new dessert Sayed had just prepared (and of his own making, like all the dishes served), called Suji ka Halawa, a semolina prepared with milk, raisins and...

The worst food experience in any Indian restaurant in Canada. Zero customer skills, Unclean basement, Suspect hygiene. Doesn't deserve even one Star.

We were visiting the area on Spring Break and stopped at this restaurant for our bi-weekly fix of Indian food.

First things first.... The food that they serve as Indian, particularly the North Indian Chicken dishes that we ordered, tasted unlike anything we have had in Canada (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary).

We were the only family in the restaurant and they still messed up the order. The server brought out the wrong dish and on pointing it out insisted it is exactly what we ordered. Finally we called the other dude (behind the counter) who took our order and he agreed that it was indeed the wrong entree but then blamed the mix-up on too many orders. Go Figure. They however declined to rectify the issue and bring out the correct entree. Kept insisting that we continue with what was on the table.

The food itself was bland, flavor less watery curry with boiled boneless chicken. No taste, nothing, just like chomping on rubber. The quantity was also pitiful, with the entree not enough for a 10 yr old kid.

We later realized that we were also shortchanged as the wrong dish came with a side which they didn't serve.

We also have concerns around the hygiene. The dude who we paid was having his dinner behind the counter, in full view and, continued to serve us just putting his half eaten plate on the side, without any effort to wash hands.

This seems to b a bottom of the barrel eatery when it comes to Indian cuisine. Do not recommend this place one bit whether you are a traveler looking for your fix of Indian food or a local contemplating...