Over the last few years, I have gotten better acquainted with Indian food. This is thanks to me working in Delta, on the cusp of Surrey, and having such accessibility to the cuisine. This is between being able to grab a plate here and there after work, having my coworkers share their lunches, and being treated to meals at work. And one of the most popular food stuffs that I have been given most exposure to is the samosa. This pocket pastry is eaten any time of day: a quick grab and go for breakfast, as a light snack throughout the day, or you can grab a couple to have as a full meal. Tasty as is, but best when submerged generously in a tamarind-based chutney.
So, I was pretty confident that I knew what constituted a good samosa. Therefore, when I caught wind that the best out of them all is from Gold Samosa, I knew I had to try them for myself. And while at it, grab a few extras to share with and poll my colleagues. We would put Golden Samosa to the test and see if they really do have the best samosas in the city. A few of my coworkers thought so as they grew excited over my idea in anticipation.
They do not have a cafe or restaurant space and are hard to find, you need to know where to go to get there. Located in the back corner of a warehouse area, I was surprised by how much foot traffic they saw. I came at a good time and didn’t have to wait to place my order, but a lot of folks who came after me did. The space is a shell, there is not a lot seating made available and the purpose is not to dine in. You basically pick up your order and go, everything is packaged in brown paper bags for easy transport.
Most of the customers were picking up chicken samosa, as their best seller. They simply stated “chicken” and the number of samosas wanted and they came out of the back fairly quick. Most impressive was that the shop did not smell of the grease. There is no build up, and nothing acrid lingering. And thankfully this cleanliness of equipment and fresh oil used was reflective in their food.
I would pick 7 of each of their samosa flavours in Original, Mix Vegetable, Butter Chicken, and Beef. They also have pakoras which I am told are worth trying, and if you order samosas, you have to get it with a side of their tamarind chutney; so those came home with me as well. I wish I had planned to eat and serve them fresh, as driving home with my order was a tease.
The fragrant green onion from the pakoras were especially alluring. Once again, neither the pakoras nor the samosas smelled greasy. Each batch of samosas were beautifully crisp. And as per their bakery’s name, each had an even a golden-brown hue. The ones with the deep-fried encapsulated air bubbles looked especially tasty.
As promised, I would share my gold brown bounty with the coworkers, taking the time to use our workplace’s air fryer to fry up batches for 5 minutes at 350, then allowing to cool before serving. The result was a group of happy individuals. Everyone enjoyed the treat and agreed that Golden Samosas had some of the best samosas they have tried. The secret is in their crispy shell, a smaller triangle with a more even ratio between coating and filling. Their bite sized portion also forces you to savour each morsel more, and they are much easier to dunk for an even coating of chutney.
The pakoras were the first to go. “Pakoras” are crispy fritters made with vegetables like onions, potatoes, gram flour, spices and herbs. Doughy and full of herbaceous flavour, they were delicious as is.
The Original, which is the classic combination of potatoes and peas were the next to clear. This also may be because the majority of my colleagues are vegetarian. I liked the density of the potato and how its starchy-ness coupled with the sweet peas were the most filling.
By comparison the mix vegetable and paneer was leaner, with less potato and on the dry side.
The beef and vegetable were also popular, given how flavourful they were. Although I would say they all benefited from a dip in chutney.
And the Butter Chicken was the least popular, I did find it the driest, with ashy shredded chicken. Especially as when you think of butter chicken you reflect on its thick and all-encompassing sauce. This did not live up to the grandeur of Butter Chicken for me, which is sad, because I have never heard of or seen a Butter Chicken flavoured samosa from anyone else. Maybe the solution would be to provide a dish of butter chicken sauce on the side for dipping into, instead of chutney. This would definitely appeal to a wider array of palates.
In closing, if my colleagues who grew up eating samosas and have had many from their place of origin in India, love the ones from Golden Samosa, so will you. So, complete the Golden Samosa challenge for yourself and see if they are the best, you have ever had.
Golden Samosa Bakery
8342 130 St #411, Surrey, BC V3W 8J9, Canada
+1 604-594-9696
goldensamosa.ca
