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 Honest spices for honest Indian food: so boasts the menu at Class Indian Restaurant. Another point oft repeated is that the food here is healthy. Their take-out menu states "All our preparations are made with your HEALTH IN MIND." With all of this honesty and health, the fact that the food is truly delicious creates a trilogy of dining delight.
We discovered Classic Indian Restaurant due to their huge sign on the corner of Northfield and Wissler, which screams about the samosas and dosas they serve (incidentally, the dosas are apparently exclusive to their restaurant). If one doesn't notice the sign, they also have a van used to deliver food aroound the area, which has been plastered with pictures and information about the restaurant.
The interior of the restaurant is slightly less funded. The space still looks like the sub shop it may have been, complete with the original arborite tables with attached spinning chairs. Our food was served on Correl dinnerware, and our water jug was a Winnie the Pooh juice pitcher. Although the ambience was thrifty, it was comfortable, and the high quality food soon drew our attention away from our surroundings.
Owner and chef, Thiru, lived and cooked in many parts of the world before calling Waterloo his home about a year and a half ago. He opened Classic Indian Restaurant just under a year abo. The restaurant has been doing quite well and includes "Rush Hour Luncheon Specials," catering, and a weekend brunch among its many points of service. We were the only ones dining in on this Monday night, but a couple of people did come in for take-out. The menu states that they also do home delivery. It seems they will provide any service their patrons require to ensure anyone has access to their yummy options.
There are a great many selections on the menu, including a special section for chutney dips and a vegetarian section. If one cannot decide which appetizer is best, there is a platter, which includes all the appetizers listed and more. My friend and I shared this platter and were thrilled to see how large it was. All the items were deep-fried but delicious.
Included were two spring rolls, one fire-starting spicy and one mild, two samosas, one chicken and one vegetable, two mini samosas, four lentil dumplings, two similar to falafel and two more doughy, and five onion bhajias, which resembled onion ring haystacks. These were served on a bed of shredded cabbage with three different dipping sauces. We enjoyed the different flavours of each item, only differing in opinion when it came to the garlic salt shaken over the whole plate--I found it overpowering, my friend felt it was a nice addition.
Our main dishes came served as a bowl of perfectly steamed basmati coloured with parsley and a separate bowl of curry. My friend's chicken tika masala combined cubes of tandoori marinated chicken breast swimming in a creamy tomato and almond sauce. This dish was flavoured perfectly, with neither the tomato or the almond flavours dominating but instead becoming a wonderful blend of mild tastes. My shrimp khorma was equally delightful. At least ten good-sized shrimp were smothered in curry sauce and enriched with almond. I had requested it mild with just a bit of a kick and that is exactly how it came. The amount of heat hid not overpower any of the flavour or become the focal point of my meal.
When we inquired about dessert selections, we were informed that the mango lassi we ordered as our beverage, a creamy sweet blend of mango juice and yogurt served in a tall frosted glass is very often requested as a dessert by other patrons.
With a bit of a chuckle and giving in to my penchant for sweets, I ordered the alternative dessert option. I didn't catch its name, but it consisted of vermicelli swimming in a vanilla cream, topped with warmed chocolate sauce, cashews and raisins. It was a bit messy to eat but a real treat. We then topped our meal off with traditional masala chai tea made the traditional way, boiled with milk on top of the stove.
For those who love Indian food, I recommend Classic Indian Restaurant. Wonderful traditional Indian smells and flavours are waiting to greet your senses here. Our complete meal cost less than 50 dollars and we left fully satisfied, leftovers in hand. With so many options offered and the choice of heat, even those with a timid palate are sure to find something they will enjoy.
Honest! |
