This used to be a go-to place when shopping around the south of Edmonton. Since they renovated…read morehowever, the food quality changed drastically. The dosa was crispy and very bland. The indo-Asian menu seemed like someone's best attempt at home cooking, and the Hakka noodles were not fully cooked! The server was either stressed or was unable to understand our order, she walked away while we were ordering and came back several times to confirm our order. When we complained that the dosa was too hard to our liking, she gave us a blank stare and asked if we wanted more dosa. Despite the more modern interior decor, the poor tasting food and poor service unfortunately completely turned us away from returning. Really disappointing!!

Truth be told, I'd been feeling somewhat disillusioned with the Indian food in Edmonton lately. The…read morebutter chicken stopped being as good at the place where I used to love it and every restaurant that I'd try was starting to taste the same. For a city that actually has a ton of Indian food available, I really needed to shake things up and to try something new. Enter Suvai Dosa's, named Best Indian Restaurant 2023 in EDify Magazine. I'd never heard of them before but eagerly headed down to Ellerslie Industrial to taste everything that I could. And boy am I glad that I did. The location isn't much to look at. It's in a strip mall and the windows are covered in brightly-coloured images of their food. Entering the little restaurant, you are not met with a space of fine decor or grandeur. It's honestly more like a hole-in-the-wall cafeteria and I was truthfully filled with feelings of doubt. There are booths along the circumference of the room and the walls are brightly painted in lime green, orange and red. I did, however, appreciate the TV showing only Bollywood music videos and the great Indian music that was continuously playing. We were able to sit wherever we wanted on the Saturday evening of our visit but the restaurant was also steadily occupied with other patrons. Our server was helpful enough but also seemed slightly perturbed by our questions and entire existence? She also disappeared entirely toward the end of the meal and we had to go up to the counter ourselves for further service. Regardless, the food turned out to be good enough for me not to care about any of that. As always, I started with a Masala Tea ($2.75), which is a traditional chai. This version was excellent. They serve it with sugar but I never add anything to it and am happy to drink it straight. As good of a masala tea that I've had anywhere else, this chai tastes real. It's not the too-sweet coffee chain chai latte made with syrup - it's the real thing. Simmered spices that create a warm, flavourful cup. The cuisine at Suvai Dosa's is specifically South Indian food. I'm not an expert (nor am I pretending to be) and I'm not familiar with which dishes originate from which regions. But what I do know is that this food was unlike any of the Indian food that I've had in the past. Had I previously been eating Northern Indian food? Or just a North American white-washed version of Indian food? I'm not sure. All I know is that something different happened at Suvai Dosa's and it has changed my previous perception of what Indian food is supposed to be quite a lot. We started with the Tiffin section which means a "light meal" or "snack." (Not to be confused with the Starters, which are different.) I wanted to try a bit of everything so the Idly (3pcs) Vada (2pcs) Combo ($12.49) seemed like the best way to achieve a full experience. I didn't know much about what I was ordering but was so ready to learn and to try things. Right away, I loved that the chutneys (dipping sauces) were the colours of the Indian flag. I'd never seen any of these items before. Idly (the warm, white spongy pillows that reminded me a bit of Wonder Bread) are a type of savoury rice cake made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented urad dal (lentils) and rice. It's absorbent and made to sop up sauces, hence the array of chutneys that it was served with. I loved the white chutney that tasted like coconut! The bread is cooked in specially designed molds and comes out perfectly formed. With a delicately earthy lentil flavour and a fermented kick, this was enjoyable to eat. Next was the vada, which looked similar to a pakora to me. These are essentially savoury Indian donuts - fritters made of urad dal (lentils), onions, and spices and fried until golden and crisp. Fun and easy to eat, these tasted great dunked into the sambar (a lentil-based vegetable stew) that was also served on the side. In the Starters section I was extremely close to ordering the Chicken Lollipop (they looked really fun!) but changed it to the Masala Fried Fish (Marinated with spices and Tawa Grilled - $16.99) at the last second. I am so glad that I did! If I had to pick my favourite dish of the whole meal, this would be it. Wow! Two big pieces of fish crusted in the most flavourful array of spices. The outside was slightly crisp with amazing caramelized edges, while the inside was incredibly moist and meaty. Plus there was a big spicy kick for anyone who loves some heat! I will have to order this every time I visit because this dish was gorgeous and the execution was perfection. I've certainly never tasted anything like this at another Indian restaurant before. Of course we needed to try the Suvai Special Dosa's especially since it's the namesake dish of the entire restaurant! Going into this, I had never tried dosa before and wasn't sure what to expect. Interestingly, Suvai Dosa's does NOT serve naan. I found this slightly shocking. But then I started to wonder if the dosa was meant to take its

I've been here a few times and have had mixed experiences. On occasion, the food is amazing but…read moreother times it didn't quite hit the mark. The last time I was here, unfortunately, it was the latter. My sisters and I ended up sending back the plate of chaat and didn't really enjoy the golguppa platter which is usually one of my favourites. Something was just off with the cook the night we were there. There are so many Indian restaurants to try out nowadays I feel like you can't be off your game any night or you will lose a customer and they may never come back. I will be considering my choices next time.

They had me at chaat!!…read more I love truth in advertising. Whereas most Indian restaurants offer 2-3 kinds of chaat, there's so many here you have to come back to try them all. Come just for gol gappa (pani puri) or pao (pav) bhaji, which I haven't seen together on a menu in ages. Definitely get the chole bhatura (bhatoori), the bread is perfectly doughy without being greasy. The chole was good too, nice spice and flavour depth, not too runny or too thick, and not sweet. I judge an Indian restaurant by the quality of it's chole (chana masala), and this version was better than average. I had to try the kulfi and it came out beautifully presented with just a little faloodah, a delicious treat. We enjoyed our experience here. The server/owner was keen to explain his future plans for the newly renamed restaurant. He was attentive without being overbearing or pushy as we slowly chose which dishes to try. He showed us to mix the green chilli and tamarind sauces without being condescending, and when we ordered our food as hot spice level, not a hint of food racism was detected. The complimentary pappadams were a nice touch. We came at around 6:30pm, and were the sole customers until about 7:30pm, when the restaurant quickly started to fill. We picked up some sweets on the way out, they tasted not bad, fairly average. There were some pretty and creative sweets shaped and coloured like fruit. Recommended :) All this goodness without the trip to India; great flavours brought back fond memories. Will be back to try the non-chaat dishes.

We eat a lot of Indian food. A lot. An embarrassing amount…read more Soooo I do believe we have a wide range of market samples to compare to. Having lived on the south side of Edmonton most of my adult life, I tried every Indian option over there. Now that I've moved North, I have to try everything to find my new go-to. Royal India Express might be it!!! (I am surprised, because anything "express" has been a let-down to me in the past). This is the second time in 2 weeks we have ordered from Royal India Express (both times via Skip the Dishes)... so I can't speak to the store front as I have no idea what it's like. I can only assume it's a walk-up style place for take-out only, that probably has all the food ready-to-go buffet style, with no dining room. (A quick google search just now confirmed I was pretty much bang on). So, I am even more DELIGHTED that the quality and flavour of this food is TOP NOTCH. Both times we have ordered in the last two weeks the food has been just excellent. ANNNNNDDDD they listen when you ask them to kick up the heat. Everything was a good level of heat. I wouldn't call it EXTRA EXTRA hot like I asked; but certainly one extra... The overall flavour is great, though. So no foul. If you've read my Indian food reviews before, you know I ALWAYS order Daal Makhni. This is the yummiest Daal I've had. 10/10. It's pure comfort food for me. The Butter Chicken was great and had a kick to it. Nice fiery after taste. I will say there could have been a bit more chicken in there for the price though. This is my only complaint here. The Palak Paneer was very very spinachy, and I loved it. Packed with flavour. Last week when we ordered we got lamb. I didn't have it but the boyfriend said the meat was quality cuts and flavoured very well. Good on you, Royal Indian Express. You will absolutely be seeing us again.

Solid 4 out of 5. Ordered it on SkipTheDishes, food was very nicely packed, and huge portions!…read more I'll start with the Saffron Rice. It was crazy good, had lots of flavour, unique spices, and a wonderful aroma. I find Indian food has amazing aromas! The Chicken Chettinadu was excellent, however, I was not made aware it was spicy. I can handle spicy food, but this was a bit much even for me! I'll still give it a very good review, because it was very tasty! And the garlic Naan was amazing! I didn't realize one order gave you two pieces of naan, so I did two orders, and have enough naan to live off of! For it being my first time ordering from them, I was very impressed, and will definitely get the saffron Rice and Garlic Naan again, but, the Chicken Chettinadu was just a bit too spicy for me. My only suggestion for the restaurant, is to have options for spice level.

Last night we went there with a big group and some of them were skeptical about Indian food. The…read morewhole group found the staff very friendly, polite and helpful. Also everybody enjoyed the delicious high quality food even those who were not a big fan! Haha The group decided that this is the best Indian restaurant in Edmonton (I've been trying to prove them) and this group will go back there again to enjoy their awesome food! :)

Chicken Malai Tikka($15.99) boneless chicken marinated in…read morecreamy mild sauce cooked in clay oven and served with dipping sauce I ordered this for takeout and the packaging was stapled which was nice! The chicken was tender and juicy, though there were only about 10 cubes or less of meat in there plus a dollop of side pickled vegetables (eg. radish) and a lemon wedge. The flavour was there but the portion was definitely not. Maybe I ordered the wrong item as this was an appetizer, so the portions may be smaller by default. I'm willing to give this another shot.

Masalaz is another hidden gem. Hidden behind a McDonald's, I'm not sure how you would even spot it…read moreif you don't know about it. I've been meaning to check out Masalaz when I was in the mini strip mall a few months ago. One of my co-workers, who is Indian, highly recommended it so that really pushed me to go. They specialize in South Indian cuisine, specifically dosas. We came on Saturday for an early dinner but pretty much had the place to ourselves. The staff here are super friendly and we chatted with one of the son's who was keen to converse with us. Very genuine guy. They offer buffets for a really reasonable price. It's $13.99 on weekdays and $15.99 on weekends. That is cheaaaaaaaaap! - Mango lassi ($3.49) - we decided to get one to share but L ended up wanting to get her own after she had a sip. She's never had one before! Missing out on the good things in life. The mango lassi was light, creamy and just sweet enough. - Papadum - not sure if the papadum came with one of our dishes but I think it was complimentary. Whetted our appetite while we waited for the main event. - Mysore masala dosa ($9.99) -this dosa came out differently than I'm normally used to but dammmmmmmmmmn, the filling was absolutely delicious. The potato inside had the perfect amount of heat and the spice mixture made you want to immediately eat another bite. - Vegetable biryani ($9.99) - the biryani was a solid choice; just look at those fried garlic bits. Harmoniously well balanced and flavourful. - Uthappam ($10.49) - Indian pizza made with rice and lentil flour. I've only had uthappam one other time in Calgary (see Raj Palace). This one was much different but just as good. Light, fluffy and a touch of sweetness from coconut flakes. - Vegetable masala curry ($8.49) - rich, creamy masala curry but not too heavy. Good variety of vegetables. I like how it's completely different than what you're normally used to with northern Indian food. - 3x Roti ($1.99 each) - three roti's were waaaaay too much for the three of us but we powered through all of them. Not a single piece of roti was left unscathed. - Gulab jamun ($2.99) - milk balls soaked in sweet syrup. Not too sweet; two to share was the perfect way to end our meal. I really appreciated how hot and fresh these were. There's an abundance of Indian places south side but this one is worth checking out. Next visit, we'll come back to try out the buffet. And I don't even like buffets!

Had two masala dosas with my partner - soooo good. Both together were under $20 and extremely…read morefilling. Spice level was a mild throat burn, more than I like but not overwhelming. I added the extra peppers so could easily have added less. With the construction - turn right at the McDonalds or you'll be looping another 10 minutes.

The food was not nice - the crispy cauliflower came bathed in a sauce so definitely not crunchy…read more The naan bread was greasy and the samaso chaan was bland and not intact - just a spoonfull of mush. The coconut chicken curry had a nice flavour but the chicken dry despite the sauce. Will definitely not order from here again.

Great atmosphere, service and Indian food. We had a number of idshes. My favourite was the chili…read morefish which had tender pieces of fish encased in a light and spicy batter. The aloo cauliflower came plentiful and spicy. A really good accompiment to the butter chicken which was my husband's favourite. Rice and naan were good but usual. I would go here again to sit and chat, but it wouldn't be the first place that I would go to indian food. Kinda more on the expensive side without the flavours reaching thier capacity.

I honestly cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. I order from here all the time --…read moreit's easily one of my favorite Indian spots in the city -- and every single experience reminds me why. Tonight, I had an issue with my Uber Eats order where part of it was missing. Uber wasn't willing to correct it, and I was incredibly frustrated. As I was about to leave the restaurant after realizing the mistake, the gentleman there stepped in and completely turned the situation around. Even though it wasn't their fault and they absolutely didn't have to, he generously made up for the missing item out of pure kindness. That level of care and integrity is rare. The service here is always exceptional -- warm, welcoming, and genuinely kind. And the food? Absolutely to die for. Every dish is packed with flavor, perfectly prepared, and consistently delicious. This is the kind of local restaurant that truly deserves support. Incredible food, outstanding service, and people who genuinely care about their customers. Do yourself a favor and order from here -- you won't regret it.

Yum!!!! Was super impressed with the food here. First time trying them out. We ordered through Skip…read morethe Dishes so I can't comment or rate them based on the restaurant itself. Only on the delicious food. We ordered Dal Makhani, a spicy dish with lentils and blank beans in a beautiful sauce. Also Fish Masala, Saffron Rice and some Naan. What a delicious delicious! The Naan was the only negative about that meal. It wasn't very fresh. Otherwise, everything else was so yummy. If you haven't been there or haven't ordered from them I highly recommend you try them. It's now my new favourite Indian restaurant.

So we were looking for somewhere quick to eat after a long day at the hospital. We stumbled onto…read morethe Spice Grill to be honest because it is slightly off of Whyte Ave and had parking. Also we haven't had Indian food for a long time. Inside my heart sank because it looks horrible inside. A couple of tables added as an afterthought, no decorations and a sad counter. Definately made for a take out place. But we were here and took a seat anyway. Menu was full of the usual things. Prices seemed to be congruent of other restaurants but with no atmosphere. The owner or staff were friendly and hospitable and suggested a few things. We decided on the vegetable samosas, lamb vindaloo, and butter chicken. The meals came with naan and rice. It took a bit or maybe I was hungry it seemed like it. But when it came, it was delicous. The samosas were plump and flavourful and for just over 6 bucks for 3 a great bang for your buck. The lamb vindaloo was hot (as we asked for), lamb was tender and plentiful. The butter chicken was swimming in a rich sauce and my husband sopped up all of it with the delicate naan. Will definately be back here but maybe order it to go.

If you're looking for a comfortable, authentic Indian food I highly recommend checking out Spice…read moreGrill. The service was awesome and very friendly. The ambiance was very calming with relaxing music playing in the background. The prices were great and portion sizes were large and quite filling. The food was fantastic, made fresh and served swiftly. One thing to note, seating area is limited. If you're looking to go in a group try to keep it to 4 people