Yes... I tried Indian Food

In journalism class we were given a review assignment. We could either review play/show, an independent film or a restaurant. What an excellent way to tie my blogging in with an assignment! So, I went and tried something that I’ve wanted to try for a loooong time: Indian food. I did do a review on it, but this will be much more laid back.

So I dragged my picky self to Clay Oven. I’ve heard tons about it from friends and coworkers who love this place, and from them I was told what my mission was: butter chicken.

When I found my way to my international food adventure, I was already impressed by the atmosphere. It was modern, and had nice warm lighting. From working in the event industry I found lighting makes the whole experience.

I did have an issue with service though. I had a young waiter, who I told I have never eaten this type of food before and I feel like he refrained from explaining things to me. I asked him about a combination dish and ordered the chicken thali platter. When it came it was a large metal plate with nine grooves for different food. I was kind of surprised he didn’t even tell me what I was eating.

I’m also not a spicy food person, and I definitely needed refills on my water, but it was hard to call the waiter over. I tried to get some ‘hey over here’ eye contact going, but it didn’t work too well. I asked the waitress who came over to fill my water what the things on my plate were called and she brought me back a takeout tray. It’s fine she doesn’t know English, but she was working on the floor with customers.

So, I got my plate, and at least I had some familiar foods. Rice, salad (no dressing L) and a hard chip like taco. The naan bread was amazing though. Soft and warm, it was perfect for dipping. Without it I for sure would have headed to McDonalds for a cheeseburger.

I felt the food was mostly sauce, which I’m not too crazy about. There were a few things on my dish that I just could not eat. Raita was a white creamy sauce with lentils and other things in it, but it tasted like goat yogurt. Yuck. Bitter. I only dipped my fork in it to taste it. And the palak paneer was not my cup of tea. It was a mossy green baby poop colour and there were cubes of cheese in it. The cheese was gritty, and I do like spinach but I didn’t like the spices. I was impartial to the allo gobbhi, which was some veggies covered in a red sauce. It was alright, a little soggy, and not that exciting. Let’s just say I didn’t finish it.

But I loved the butter chicken! It was so soft and melted in my mouth! It was spicy and I tasted garlic, but not too spicy for me. The dal makhani was also delicious. It had lentils in it, but I mostly just dipped my naan bread in it. I tasted garlic but it was a bit spicier than the butter chicken. My favourite was the rice pudding. This desert was on the same dish as everything else, and it looked watery but it was so sweet. It was the one thing I scraped clean.

So it’s mixed feelings for Indian food. I wouldn’t go out of my way to have it, but now I know that some aspects I like and I can go along with friends who do like it.

I’d give it *** out 5

Clay Oven