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Desi Indian Lounge

Tonight we were invited to a private look at the soon to open Desi Lounge. This was an elevated Indian dining experience, done well over a week before they open to the public on January 15th, 2024. In the future their hours will be evenings after 4pm with the desire to stay open until 12:30pm.

From the still postered up exterior it doesn’t look like much, and truthfully they are located on a hard to pin point block in downtown Vancouver. Albeit there is no other Indian restaurants in the area, but they will need to poise themselves as a dining destination in other to attract the foot traffic they are hoping for.

This is the second restaurant for the owners, their first is located in Burnaby and focuses mainly on their food program. I was able to chat with Deepak, who spoke with pride stating they have aced their food component, so now want to challenge themselves on the setting aspect of a restaurant, and are doing so with Desi Lounge.

Walking in, I was not expecting the whimsy and modern luxury the space provides with its statement decor. Feathered chandeliers over a vaulted bar with arched shelves. Each wall papered in patterned prints.

There was a divide between the lounge and the restaurant seating, offering a rowdier experience with live DJ versus a quieter corner for family meals. The latter had elongated lights that resembled glass hookahs dancing on the ceiling. All together is sounds like a lot, but did flow in its intricate ornateness.

Our visit started with a couple of shots by the bar, an electric blue mix of tequila and blue curacao with a coarsely salted rim.

Unfortunately they were not showcasing any of their would-be signature cocktails tonight. Speaking with the lady behind the bar, she promised that when they officially open there will be a list of signature cocktails that well matches the cuisine, but tonight that listing is still at the printers to be printed. So for the remainder of the evening it was sparkling wine by the glass or a fruity punch, as a non-alcoholic option.

Similarly, there was no food menu to be able to reference, and even with me asking the night of and following up online to the contacts who extended this invitation, there was no menu to forward to me. And sadly? looking at their online menu is no help, because I cannot be certain that the following small plate individual bites were not customized and/or curated for this showing. Therefore I cannot be 100% sure for what we had, but I will do my best to describe what it is we tasted.

We took a seat as a group and proceeded to have a normal dinner, despite the rowdy dance music the DJ was spinning. This was a mix of early 2000’s beats and Punjabi melodies. As mentioned above, each plate a single bite meant for one, and not indicative of what a full and regular serving would entail.

The first was a samosa sitting in a slurry of sauces. The crispy shell of the pastry was quick to soften under the weight of this. It had a good variety of textures from the heavy cream to the crisp of the fried noodle topping, and the pops of the sweetening pomegranate. The latter my favourite element as it also added a needed freshness to each mouthful. Of all the dishes this was my favourite and the least spiciest.

What I think was described to us as a Vegetarian kabob was more like a falafel, but less dry. It had a meatier filling with a spicy back of the throat pepperiness. The green sauce that it sat in offered a mellowed out herbal brightness.

What resembled tikka chicken were hard and dry nuggets of white meat. Enrobed in a zesty rub, served with the same green herb sauce as above. I was surprised by how much I liked the crispy bean sprouts side. Crispy and refreshing this served as a wonderful salad that did well to balance out the density of the meat.

The pieces for two-bite fried chicken retained their crunch despite their sauciness. I appreciated the poppy seeds being used to change the texture in their signature green sauce, transforming it somewhat from the other 4 renditions of what we already had.

Our table was split on the chicken and paneer tacos. Both versions had the same flat bread base and crispy julienne vegetable, but either fried chicken or fried paneer as the main. I preferred the chicken finding that it had enough flavouring to carry the taco and enough vegetables to keep things light and fresh.

Although my guest found it dry and bland and in need of a dip. Whereas he preferred the paneer, that I found it dull by comparison. I could have also used more acidity from this, if not through a sauce than with some pickling.

The momo (Indian style dumpling) came with a warning for heat. By far this was the spiciest of all the dishes and one I failed to finish as a result. And this was despite it being cut with a layer of sweetness and additional saltines.

This dish in particular, but all of the appetizers above could have benefited from cocktails to help wash the palate out in between punchier spices. Once again, a shame that the bar program wasn’t ready on this day, it certainly would have elevated the meal.

For entrees it was served buffet style. Larger qualities kept warm by candle light in ornate metal heating trays. It was a first come first serve, help yourself affair and I piled on my plate.

There was a vegan friendly Paneer Pasanda. Bouncy blocks of starchy Indian cheese smothered in a sweet and buttery gravy.

The meat option was Malvani Chicken, thick chunks of white meat chicken submerged in a coconut based sauce. Its thickness reminded me of a fall stew.

Both this and the paneer had plenty of gravy to enjoy with the available lemon rice and/or fluffy naan, but honestly at the point we were so full from all the passed canapés.

For dessert we had their foxtail millet pudding. The grain gave this a chunky and seedy texture. Coconut milk fragranced with rose water made things both creamy and refreshing, heavy yet a palate refresher.

However, I preferred their classic whipped cheese cake given a twist with Indian flavours and textures. Bright with lime citrus and a buttery short bread cookie- like layer. A wonderful modern take.

Overall this was a great way to explore their food, but I cannot be sure that this will be the quality and experience you get from their Grand Opening on January 15th, 2024 and beyond. I would like to return for a regular meal and to see their flushed out bar program that should pair well with it.

Desi Indian Lounge
1355 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1W7
(604) 681-2131
desilounge.ca

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