Delhi-6 Indian Bistro — Restaurant in Vancouver

My wife and I ate a late lunch at Delhi 6 on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

The menu is table a la carte and not table d'hôte; the sides such as salad, naan bread, and rice are also separate dishes. We ordered:

Samosa with chutney Mushroom masala Lamb curry Peas and onion pulao (i.e. rice) Garlic naan bread

I enjoyed the samosa because the outside dough covering was just the right thinness (or thickness), crispy, and fresh. I also liked how the potato filling inside the samosa was cut into bite sized pieces. For me, biting into the just right thinness and seeing the inside ingredients chopped to the appropriate size speaks to the restaurant caring about the preparation of food. The opposite samosa would be one with an overly thick covering and inside potato filling cut into chunks, which I have unfortunately eaten plenty of and generally find lend themselves to falling apart during the first bite resulting in needing to quickly bend over so it doesn't spill all over or disintegrate on my clothes - not pleasant at all.

The mushroom masala was excellent; it contained plenty of mushroom, and more mushroom than sauce.

The lamb curry was also excellent.

The rice was fine, but next time I would order the plain rice to go with the lamb curry because the flavour of the pea and onion pulao is lost when covered in lamb curry. I may have ordered the wrong type of rice to go with curry i.e. the pulao is meant to be the accompaniment for a different dish (e.g. a tandoori dish and not a curry dish).

While I tasted bits of chopped garlic in the garlic naan bread, I thought it was a touch on the oily side and also too thin and airy. I had to fold the bread over before dipping it in the curry sauce so that the bread wouldn't bend under the weight of the curry. Not the end of the world by any means, but more dense and doughy naan bread for dipping would be preferrable.

Our server was friendly, and came by often to check on things and to refill our water glasses.

The total meal was $64.50 before taxes and tip. Definitely pricey from a dollar perspective for lunch, but the food came across as prepared (and not fast and lazy) so worth it in terms of value. I believe the menu is the same for lunch and dinner (but did not confirm).

I recommend anyone who goes to this restaurant to go in at least a party of two (think of it like dim sum where it is better to go in a bigger group so one can try a little of...

Restaurant: Delhi-6 Indian Bistro Location: 1766 W 7th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 4Z9 Dish:

Kadai Chicken Chicken semi-dry tossed with fresh tomatoes, onions, & bell peppers Delhi 6 Daal Slow cooked urad daal & split Bengal gram with onion-tomato masala & fresh coriander Bhindi Masala (Okra) Okra stir-fried with onion, tomato, Indian spices & herbs

Naan

Food: 8/10 Service: 8/10 Wait Time To Get A Table: Takeout Wait Time To Get Food: 20 minutes (as mentioned on the phone) Vibe: A great Indian restaurant located near downtown Vancouver. Delhi 6 specializes Delhi style Indian cuisine.

Price: / Total : Kadai Chicken($15.95) Delhi 6 Daal ($14.50) Bhindi Masala (Okra)($14.00) + Naan ($2.50 X 6) = $59.45 + TAX

Good :

The staff at the restaurant are always nice and friendly. They have staff that can speak fluent Hindi and English As a person who has eaten Delhi food for years I can confirm that the spices and ingredients used in the food here are very similar to what you would find in Delhi cuisines The naan were soft and had the right amount of chew to it Delhi 6 Daal is one of the best daal I have tasted in Vancouver in a very long time Bhindi masala is a classic which has bhindi (okra) fried with delicious onions The Kadai Chicken was a well balanced dish of chicken, peppers and onions.

Bad :

The coriander seeds used in the dishes become overwhelming. My dish had several pieces of burnt chillies.

Improvement/ Suggestions‍:

Reduce or remove the coriander seeds from the dish or use powdered coriander instead I would love to see thighs being used in chicken dishes. Do I recommend this place? Would I come back?

Yes, I recommend this place. Yes, I would love to come back for another meal but I will try a different dish.

*This review was not paid or the by the restaurant. The views express above are my own and were not influenced at all by the restaurant. Should the restaurant try to influence the review or offer complimentary service I will make sure to inform...

I had three things off of the menu, and each one was literally the best of its kind that I have ever had in any Indian restaurant anywhere; and that is not hyperbole.

Starting with the atmosphere and the greeting when I first walked in, I was impressed. The ambiance is spot on for a comfortable dining experience, and the hostess, although shy, was very friendly and prompt. The service followed in the same vein, and struck a perfect balance between professionalism and friendliness. It was a pleasant experience before the food even arrived.

I ordered three things, the veggie samosas; chai tea; and eggplant bharta. All three were exquisite. They all took a bit longer than what you would normally find in a restaurant to arrive, but the wait was beyond worthwhile. The spices in the tea were perfectly blended, it had the aroma and flavour of what I would guess you would find in the Taj Mahal [I don't even know if they drink tea at the Taj Mahal, but if they did, I would picture them drinking this]. The samosas may have been fried, but they tasted baked, were utterly delicious, and were filling enough to probably constitute a meal in and of themselves. The eggplant was the most flavorful of all, actually felt quite light, and genuinely overwhelmed me in the best possible way with how perfectly balanced and delicious it was. I have not been this impressed in a restaurant in a while. I actually almost felt bad rolling in with a sweatshirt and track-pants; like I wasn't doing the restaurant justice coming in like that.

If you skipped all of the above because it got too long then leave with this one sentiment: Go try this place for yourself. If the other dishes are as incredible as the ones that I had, it is hands down the best Indian restaurant in Vancouver; regardless of prestige. I've eaten a lot of Indian food over the past decade, and I cannot wait to come back to try more...