I love "discovering" new places that AREN'T chains or franchises. Welcome to Edmonton Punjab Parantha Hut restaurant & catering. So here's the best place to start, start with the food. The service was perfect, I ordered take-out and it was ready in less than 10 minutes. I can sit in the greasiest place anywhere in the world and not even notice, that is, if the food transports you.
I asked the owner, Harprit, what he recommends, I wanted one appetizer and one main dish. I foolishly asked, 'Do you have naan to go with the curries?' to which he graciously brought me up to speed, 'We don't have naan, we're a parantha house so we make paranthas...' For those of us not too familiar with paranthas, they are like a chapati, a simple unleavened flat bread, except kicked up 100%, made with a number of filling options that are cooked *get this* inside the layers of the bread. It's like having a pita with stuff already inside it. Like seriously, holy cow, man. I got the suggested popular chick pea filled parantha, (garbanzo beans for you other folks who know such a rose by another name). Just the parantha on its own, savoury, filled with protein-rich spicy chickpeas, was good like saying Starbucks is good compared to Timmy's. Yes, it is that good, it took me by surprise.
Chef suggested the chickpea curry ("Chole" [cho-lay] on the menu) as a good standard choice. Asked me how hot I would like, now there's 'hot' for people who don't eat spicy food every day, which is actually mild and then there's "hot" where you pray for a quick death. I know I'm in the middle somewhere, so I asked for medium, and did mention that I do eat Indian food and can handle some spice. The chole is a generous amount, easily feeding 2 people. The chole also not what I am used to, where the chick peas are served in a more saucy curry over rice. This was dark and thick like a meaty stew that you can fill a sandwich with, and the flavours were hitting me in all corners of my palate. Smells flipping amazing. To combine all those flavours in one dish without killing it is tough, very tough. Chef also suggested some plain paranthas to eat with it on the side, which were thick and crispy on the outside, they were buttery and perfect to go with a spicy meal like this. Don't be shy, tear a piece off and fill it with stuff, like a tiny taco.... and.... enjoy. Sooo good.
On the side, Chef included some marinated carrot sticks, fresh red onion and my favorite bit, a jalapeno pepper filled with mixed pickle spices. I love Indian mixed pickle, a tiny bit taken with each bite of your spicy food fills the flavours out. Round out this meal with a full bodied IPA or lager and you can just go ahead and forget about me. I'll catch up with you later. I'm in my happy place and I don't need a thing from the world right then.
Well done Chef, well done. He said they use only natural ingredients, so he was apologising he didn't have red chillies to add to the sides, so he offered green Jalapeno instead. I almost gasped, you're veg only (meatatarians need not bother because you won't find any hunks of meat here, everyone else will be pleasantly surprised with this little gem) given the amazing flavours in your mouth from this amazing food, you won't even notice, but they are also are all natural. Cool. They offer all veg substitutes in their "butter chicken" etc, which I am eager to try next.
Now I have to pinch myself, this is almost too good to be true for a South Side restaurant yet here it is waaaaaay off Whyte and in my backyard. I think I'm gonna shed a tear :) They opened 10 days ago in Main Street Mall on 28th ave and 66 street right where the old Blockbusters was, 10 am to 8pm weekends, 10 to 7 weekdays. Skip the Subway, eat some real food, go to Punjab Parantha Hut. Do it. read more