Today Joyce of @vanfoodies, Diana of @foodologyca, and I were visiting Surrey to check out Dhaliwal Lounge.
And what we encountered was nothing we’d expect from this commercial plaza, with an over abundance of boxy lettered signs assaulting the eyes. It is definitely the polar opposite walking into the lounge space.
The hostess booth entrance is a spacious waiting area. The restaurant’s logo on the wall and the dual rows of wine flanking it on either sides reminded me that of a popular causal chain restaurant.
The following is what we ordered for our party of three, a little bit of everything as recommended by the owner, to get a true picture of the place.
But first drinks. These are some of the most original creations I have ever tried. The inclusion of Punjabi mixes and Indian spices really made this its own category. Not being familiar with majority of the ingredients listed in each, I went into this with an open mind; and to be honest, majority of them were not to my tastes. Thankfully the food was the complete opposite, but more on that below.
The Banarasi Paan is a mix of Tanquery Ten gin, fresh lime juice, gulkand syrup, and punjabi mix. It smelled like an an Indian grocery store with its mix of savoury seasonings and sandalwood from the incense section. As for the way it tasted, it was overwhelming with the rose water and rose petal garnish combination. And it felt like I was drinking out of a potpourri basket, especially when I caught a loose petal between my lips. In hindsight it tasted like paan, and therefore would be best suited as an end of meal beverage, to help wash the palate. A point I wish our server could have offered, knowing we were unfamiliar with the cuisine.
The Spicy Peyara Martini was probably the best of the lot with Patron Silver, guava juice, tabasco, and tajin. The cocktail starts guava forward, and ends spicy on the tongue. I felt it was missing some body, and a nice fizzy tonic or soda water would have done well to brighten up the glass. It was nice to have the tajin on the rim to help curb some of the heat, and offer the self-directed ability to spice up your glass. Whereas the yellow flower crowning the king cube did little to express the drink.
Sailors Blanca is Sailors Jerry spiced rum, Bacardi rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, lime juice, and a hint of roohafaza. This one too tasted flowery in fragrance, similar to what I would imagine sipping on perfume to be like. This is probably due to the roohafaza, which is a concentrated rose syrup. Not for me as I found it fruiter than the Paan cocktail, but it left me with a baby powder after taste, or something similar to deodorant that stays on the tongue. I am not even sure how they got this flavour and it is one I rather not revisit.
The Passion Fruit Smash is Alize Passion, Peach Schnapps, Triple Sec, white cranberry juice, orange juice, and lime. I did appreciate the interactive element of pouring liquid over the cotton candy and having it melt down into the drink. Although at the end of the day this was just melted sugar with the punch of liquor and came across as boozy cough syrup.
The Cloudy Martini was hard to swallow with its overwhelming artificial cherry flavour. Absolute Raspberry, St. Germaine, freshly squeezed lime juice, cotton candy, and Kool-Aid cherry mix. Not for me.
The Basil Lychee Martini was a mix of Bombay Sapphire, Soho Lychee, grapefruit juice, and fresh basil. A battle between sweet and savoury where the basil and lychee fight it out, and no one wins. And as a result, there was no balance in this.
At the end of the day, we all agreed the classic lassi was the way to go with mango being the best, even though it ended with a salty finish. Whereas the Banana and peach lassi had too much peach, that didn’t necessarily marry well with the rip banana flavour.
Thankfully the food was the complete opposite and almost everything we had we liked. Although we did had to enlist the help of the owner for recommendations. If you are unfamiliar with the cuisine, the name and the description may not be enough to help you through the ordering process.
The Tandoori Fish Tikka is spicy and tangy seasoned fish pieces, cooked until succulent in clay oven. A wonderful start with the fish easily breaking apart. It is so tender and the cilantro and citrus helps to add zest in between bites.
The Paneer Tikka is house made paneer, prepared with only two ingredients, then marinated in their blend of spices, before getting roasted in their clay oven. Served with a house made cilantro chutney for a tangy pop. The paneer had an excellent texture of chunky yet smooth tofu, but with a more neutral taste. I found it more ideal as a side, rather than the main component of the dish.
The Signature Chops are marinated lamb chops served with a segment of stuffed zucchini and some roasted broccoli. The lamb itself was chewy, well seasoned with an elevated style of plating. The leaner sides paired well with the fattier cut of meat.
It doesn’t matter the Indian restaurant, I have to order the Butter Chicken. This is boneless tandoori chicken cooked in garlic, ginger, and tomato cream. No complaints, but I also didn’t meet a creamy and rich butter chicken sauce I didn’t like. Although with the smaller chunks of meat, parts were tougher than others, and the dish felt more like an appetizer, rather than an entree for one.
The Kemma Hari Mirch was described as an “All time Mumbai favourite” by the menu. This is essentially a goat meat masala curry. We all didn’t expect the meat to come minced, and probably would have liked it more in chunks, similar to the butter chicken. It was very heavy and spicy as is. Whereas we were looking more for a traditional curry to have over rice. This felt more like taco topping, especially when we had it with naan, like a wrap.
If looking for something to dip in to all the sauces above and below, I recommend getting an order of the Bread Basket. It is a plate stacked with rounds of garlic naan, tandoori roti, butter naan, choor choor naan, and missi roti. Each with Their own texture, given the ingredient used to bake it. My favourite was the classic garlic naan for mostly its air texture, like a pillow, it easily and tastily holds any dip or sauce.
I also really liked the Bhindi Masala, chopped up pieces of okra sautéed with onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic. Although I expected the vegetable whole, which probably would have served as a better presentation, aligning with the space. Overall, a wonderful vegetable side that ate just as well as a main, offering some texture and freshness for the minced goat above. I would order this one again.
The Goat Biryani is also a great order. A whole dish with chunks of goat meat on bone mixed into basmati rice cooked with onions, tomatoes, and aromatic spices. Given the number and volume of exotic flavours, this does not lend itself to be a good base, I found it distracted from everything else. Best to have this as is.
The presentation of the Pista and coconut crusted salmon with malabar sauce and bharawa vegetables matched the elevated setting, and is what you would expect given the aesthetic. Although, sadly the fish fillet was dry, hard, and over cooked. The generous amount of sauce pooled under it saves it a little. However this dish would have been just as nice with chicken, goat, or lamb as the principle protein.
In closing, a great spot for a dressier and stylish night out in central Surrey. I do recommend ordering drinks for a good time, but maybe stick with wines or beers, to have as a more neutral glass to pair with your would be punchy and flavourful appetizers and entrees.
Dhaliwal’s Lounge
#112 – 7938 128 St, Surrey, BC V3W 4E8
(604) 543-2222
dhaliwalslounge.com
