Zaika Indian Bistro Bar: Edmonton Alberta

This Indian restaurant in Edmonton, is a fresh spin on traditional Indian cuisine. As soon as you enter, the fragrance of Indian spices and fresh naan fills the air. As a lover of Indian food, I have been here a few times without disappointment. I have tried both the buffet and the menu, and have loved both. Very busy this specific evening we were fortunate to be seated immediately. The decorations in the restaurant are ultra funky and modern. The light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, provide a soft light which illuminates the entire dining area and establishes an ideal ambiance for relaxation. Ordering our usual cocktails we decided to peek at the drink menu and were enticed into trying one of the unique drinks that they serve (more detail further down). When our drinks arrived the waitress had missed the “tall” glass, making my drink stronger than I usually like, however, with only two waitresses serving this entire restaurant, I can understand. Sharing the responsibilities of hosting and serving, a second waitress (which we would discover was the owner) came by to take our orders ensuring to ask our preferred spice level. Ordering the Samosa trio, (substituting the vegetable Samosa with another beef as SJ is not a veggie man) and chicken wings (hot) for appetizers, we decided upon something different than our "usual" as entrees. Now I LOVE butter Chicken, and Beef Vindaloo, and this place does both very well, but as we opted to step outside the normal Indian food box, we ordered the Lamb Korma and Mint Chicken (medium). Each entree comes with Basmati rice and naan bread, so no need to order more.

Mainly occupied with patrons of Indian descent (always a good sign), this restaurant never ceases to deliver a wonderful modern Indian meal. The Samosas were easily the best we have ever tasted, not greasy at all, and accompanied by a house made chutney and sauce. Excellent combination of spice and flavour, the meat wasn't over cooked or tasteless, and we dove in and devoured them without a second thought. The chicken wings were mildly disappointing however. They came presented well, however were drenched in a tomato based sauce. The sauce had the consistency of a typical Italian spaghetti sauce, and although it was rather good, it was still all over the wings making them very messy to eat. In our opinion, a little less sauce would have done the trick. Furthermore, although we asked for hot chicken wings, they were far closer to medium than hot. Maybe looking at SJ’s white face the owner thought his stomach couldn’t handle hot sauce. SJ tends to eat spicier food than I do though, and that’s saying a lot...considering my Caribbean roots. He is definitely full of surprises!

The basmati rice was cooked perfectly and presented in a small bowl off to the side. The naan, was great as well. The Lamb Korma was exceptional. Cooked tender and juicy, and didn’t have the overwhelming lamb taste as it was likely steeped in the Korma sauce. Not being a lamb eater, I thought it was great. The mint chicken was very similar to Butter Chicken, however infused with a mint in the sauce, making it a unique and "must try" dish.

Owned by one of two sisters, this restaurant (located beside the other sisters spice shop) is simply amazing. This being our third visit, and having sampled both the buffet and several menu items, this funky upbeat gem is absolutely great. The food is amazing and the service matches. Furthermore, the drinks are unique, and the mango mojitio was ridiculously addictive. Infused with mango and mint, this drink goes down too easily, and had us ordering more (and more...and more). Definitely our newest drink addiction. (A combination I will make at home as well on my way to the closest AA meeting...lol)

Location visited: 2303 Ellwood Dr

Ratings:

Ambiance: Trendy and Fresh
Cuisine: Indian
Presentation: Good
Price: $15/serving
Service: Average
Value: Great



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