I stopped by this new Indian restaurant for lunch, and overall I felt the food was ok…read more
I spoke with the owner a bit and it is the same owner that used to run Urban Tandoor Indian Cuisine in Bells Corners and Urban Turban Indian Cuisine in Kanata. He decided to close both full service restaurants and switch to a more fast food model, which is what is in place here at Urban Indian Cafe.
They have a good sized menu and I was really happy to see that they serve Hakka dishes, as Hakka cuisine is still relatively difficult to find here in Ottawa.
I wish that they had some Hakka lunch specials or platters. Since they didn't, I went for the Chicken Curry Quick Platter ($9.95), which consisted of chicken curry, basmati rice and a small salad.
The curry chicken was lean boneless chicken breast, which I really appreciated (I hate it when restaurants give you gristly pieces, and I also don't like picking through bones, so definitely points for lean boneless meat). It was pretty mild, which I guess is the default, so if you like more spice, you need to let them know. The rice was fluffy and not clumpy. The salad was mostly iceberg lettuce, with some cucumbers, tomatoes and red onions. The dressing was a yogurt based dressing. The salad was really small, but ingredients were fresh.
Overall, it was an alright meal, but it lacked any wow factor for me. This may be because I ordered a pretty standard item. I think what I ordered would be good for someone new to Indian cuisine. The owner said that the Malai Chicken is very popular. It was around $18 though, and I think that's just for the chicken and no sides. I was also eyeing the Chilli Chicken but that was around $15 and I also think it comes with no sides. I personally find these prices a little high, especially for a takeout place, but I have to remind myself that this is Ottawa and not Toronto where I can get a lunch special at a sit-down restaurant consisting of Chilli Chicken, rice, a spring roll and a can of pop for $6.99 and it's all delicious and I'd be stuffed silly. I find it hard not to make such comparisons. However, to be fair, their prices for Hakka dishes are similar to those of other restaurants in Ottawa serving Hakka cuisine.
I may come back to try some of the more expensive offerings for dinner sometime.
The place is bright and clean looking. There are lots of tables to eat in.
I will say that I was a tad disappointed that even though I was eating in, my food was served in a styrofoam container (I was given metal cutlery though). I'm not a huge fan of styrofoam for many reasons (environmental and health - hot foods in styrofoam means chemicals leaching into the food). I prefer aluminum, but I realize there is a cost difference. I would suggest that real plates be used for dine-in guests though.
Service was nice. The owner even asked me how I was enjoying the meal partway through, which is something I didn't expect at a fast food place.
Right now there is a 10% discount offer with a Yelp check-in. I did use this discount on my meal.
The restaurant is a nice addition to the area, so I really hope that they do well. It's in the Elmvale Mall, in the same strip as Capital Shawarma and Pies, and Oh Basil, so lots of free parking.