| There are a few locations in Calgary that experience an unusually high turnover of restaurants, with each business lasting no more than a few months until another one moves in and ultimately suffers the same fate. Such is the case with the former Salvation Army building on Fifth Avenue S.E.
The end of 2003 welcomed Quebec restaurant Élisabelle, and then the Québécois-themed pub Merci Buckets followed in the spring of 2004, both of which seemed a good fit with the neighbouring Auberge Chez Nous hostel. The newest occupant, which moved in seven weeks ago, is South Asian restaurant Nawab, the second restaurant from the family that owns Moti Mahal ("pearl palace"). Translated from Urdu, nawab means a noble gentleman and originally was the term for the provincial governor of the Mogul empire in India.
Moti Mahal opened in Calgary in 1983. It is hands-down one of the best Indian restaurants in the city and, because I truly adore it, it pains me to say that Nawab pales in comparison.
Again, the same problems that afflicted the previous businesses in this space – location and venue size – also beset Nawab. Situated close to a number of office towers, any restaurant here is clearly pursuing the lunchtime crowd. Nawab packs the house for its $12.95 weekday lunch buffet, its brass serving pots gleaming like a row of prayer bells. Owner-chef Jim Mann is even planning on creating an exclusive cigar room for lunchtime business meetings. But this section of downtown becomes desolate at night, leaving us to brave the 60-seat restaurant with three other tables of diners on a Saturday night.
And unlike Moti Mahal, which embraces you at once with its warmth, coziness and culturally rich decor, Nawab is drafty and sparsely decorated. But we came hungry and ready to feast, so to give the restaurant a fair shake, we decided the proof would lie in the pudding, so to speak. However, after sitting in a cold dining room, both in temperature and atmosphere, where we waited through long gaps to give our order and for the arrival of the appetizers and entrées, our spirits had deflated by the time the food appeared. (The one cold thing I did like was the fact that our Kingfishers arrived in frosted beer mugs.)
What reason could there be for the slow service on such a quiet night? Empty dishes lingered on the table for too long, a dish was forgotten – though quickly delivered when the waiter was prompted – and a basic cocktail order was unknown to the staff, although the bar stood ready and waiting.
With a fantastic selection of south Indian, north Indian, Kashmiri and Punjabi dishes, Nawab offers virtually the same menu as Moti Mahal. One new addition is the 12-oz. rib-eye steak that’s cooked in a tandoor clay oven in your choice of Kashmiri, korma, rogan josh or vindaloo sauce ($25.95).
We began with a mixed vegetarian platter for two ($9), featuring samosas, pakoras, onion bhaji and finger paneer with a side of mint chutney. The papri chaat was a lovely dish with light and crispy papri chips, cool yogurt, chickpeas, potatoes and sweet chutneys ($5.50).
The murgh makhani (butter chicken) is always a winner at Moti Mahal, although it was a tad too heavy on the tomato sauce this time ($14.50). The saag paneer was a tasty dish of homemade cheese cubes cooked in a blend of spinach, ginger, onions, herbs and spices ($9.50). The masoor dhal ($8.25), featuring yellow lentils cooked with aromatic herbs and spices, had a subtle hint of sweetness. I prefer the richer, more full-bodied Punjabi dhal with mixed lentils, but this is not a criticism, just a personal preference. After marinating in yogurt and tandoori spices, the chicken tikka arrived sizzling in a skillet with its tender pieces of spicy chicken ($11.95).
Overall, the food that night was good, but no one dish was exceptional. And Nawab is clearly more attractive as a lunchtime destination, when it’s warmed by natural light and abuzz with chattering patrons.
Nawab is located at 137 - 5 Ave. S.E.; phone 282-1002. |
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