When Ren and I heard about Rasoi Kitchen in Marda Loop we were instantly skeptical. Marda Loop is the Kensington of the SW quadrant and we really haven’t had a lot of successes in Kensington. My personal theory is that you can get good food anywhere but if you want GREAT food, you probably need to feel a little squeamish about the neighborhood you’re eating in. And clearly Marda Loop doesn’t fit with the theory on that front. Lined with posh boutiques and over-priced real estate, Marda caters to the aristocratic yuppies of Calgary. (matt)
Clicking on Rasoi's website link, you'll quickly realize that they are going for a very different indian themed experience than any of the other curry joints that we've reviewed, except maybe Mango Shiva. It's all about “indian-inspired” fancy pants cuisine, not actually Indian food. Matty and I generally avoid places that describe food as cuisine.....so this was way out of our comfort levels. However, we are an Indian Food reviewing site, and we will be judging Rasoi by the same merits as any of our regular places, which seem to be a lot different from the merits that they have focused their efforts on. (ren)
After further investigating Rasoi’s pretentious menu and pricing, we were definitely put off. Ren actually had no desire to even acknowledge this place with a review. With mains priced as high as 36 dollars a plate, we’d need a pretty good excuse before even considering eating in the general vicinity of Rasoi, let alone inside it. That excuse came when my Mom was visiting from Saskatoon and offered to buy us a curry. I had planned on suggesting the Punjabi Sweethouse for a cheap (and tasty) 6 dollar main, but when she specified nothing dodgy, we decided to try Rasoi. (matt)
I had suggested to matty that we should just throw up a “joke” review on Rasoi and not even go there. However he suggested that this would severely compromise our journalistic integrity. I then reminded him that in a way all of our reviews are a big joke....and that we have no integrity. And if we did decide to visit Rasoi, we would have to wear pants. And that's just not any fun at all. However when matty said it was “his treat” I relented. He didn't mention that it was actually going to be his parent's treat, but I guess that didn't matter. I will admit that Rasoi seems like a place that you could safely take anyone's mother. (ren)
Ren reluctantly agreed to join us and we went for an early supper so that Ren could make it to his hockey game. Their website stated that they opened at 5PM and as such we showed up at that time. We were greeted at the door by the owner who immediately turned us away, informing us that they needed to clean up from the photo shoot that CBC was doing about the restaurant. Maybe they should have scheduled it earlier in the day. (matt)
I've never actually been to Marda Loop before so I took a little walk around before matty arrived. I spotted a nearby Sheesha bar that had butter chicken on the menu and made sure to point it out to matty when we were turned away from Rasoi. Perhaps I would be saved? (ren)
We killed about 10 minutes browsing the nearby shops while the camera crews cleaned up. When we attempted to make a second entrance, it was clear that the interview was still in full swing. We stood awkwardly in the foyer before leaving Rasoi in anger. As we stood outside in disgust pondering the nearby Hooka and Butter Chicken shop, the waitress chased us back into the restaurant. Rasoi didn’t really deserve a second chance but we gave them one anyways. (matt)
Oh well, our quest to sample all the curry in town had led us here, we couldn't really leave without giving Rasoi a fair shake. Also I had remembered to wear pants so I didn't want to waste that. (ren)
The inside of Rasoi is exactly what you would expect. It’s all about drinking wine and sitting in stylish chairs. We were out of place. The waitress explained that they were not an Indian restaurant but rather Indian “inspired” restaurant. Other “inspired” restaurants I can think of include Taco Time and Swiss Chalet; neither of which does Mexican or Swiss food very well. She then went on to explain that the chef uses “only seasonal and organic ingredients”. Let’s face it; this type of statement only really impresses actual food critics. To the average man on the street, like Ren and I, it only makes you sound like a wanker. (matt)
We were seated in a table for 4 right beside the wine storage rack. Given all the open seats, I wish we'd been seated elsewhere, but no one else seemed to mind. It's just that I'm left-handed and having a bunch of $42 bottles of $15 wine stabbing me in the left elbow kinda inhibits my eating movements. (ren)
Things only got more pompous when the waitress brought us cucumber flavored water. Sometimes it’s best not to mess with a classic. And really, there can be nothing more classic than water. It’s been around since nearly the start.(matt)
Matt's mother seemed to like the cucumber water. I didn't really care for it. Of course this would be because I don't actually like cucumbers. I don't mind pickles though. However pickle juice should never be served as a beverage. (ren)
If there is a common error amongst restaurateurs, it’s over diversifying the menu. This is clearly not an issue for Rasoi. They offer 6 mains (1 fish, beef, chicken and lamb, 2 veg dishes). This being said, it seemed to take an eternity for the 4 of us to decide on entrees. I could see the wheels of frustration turning in the faces of my fellow diners. I think part of this was the exorbitant pricing of the food and part of it was the ostentatious descriptions of the main courses. My Dad and Ren chose the most traditional Indian dish (if such exists at Rasoi) and went with the “Marinated Grilled Free Range Chicken Supreme in Tomato Curry with Garam Masala Beans and Roasted Yam”. If this dish was to ever appear on a menu at any of Ren and I’s usual haunts, it would probably be labeled “Chicken curry with Yams” and would cost 10 dollars instead of 26, as was the case here. (matt)
I'd had over 2 months to digest the Rasoi menu between discovery and actually visiting the place, however I was still not ready for it. I mean, how do you choose between meats you recognize covered in spices and herbs and underbrush that you had no idea was edible? I finally decided on the chicken simply because it was the cheapest of the 4 meat dishes, and my parents always taught me to not order the most expensive thing on the menu when you're not paying yourself. (ren)
I went with “Phyllo stuffed curried green lentils with goats cheese and phyllo stuffed with portabello mushroom and goats cheese served over a Tomato Curry Coriander Chutney.” If it was my menu, it would be called “Vegetarian Sausage Roll with Curry Sauce” My mom got some type of Paneer and Okra farce. (matt)
The only things I could really get behind on the menu was the beer list. Kingfisher (indian), Innis & Gunn (scottish) and Steamwhistle (torontarian). No Coors Light. No Canadian. No Bud-anything. Perhaps a bit steep at $8/bottle, but a fine selection nonetheless. (ren)
While we waited for our meals to be prepared, we were presented with complimentary yam chips with tamarind and coriander chutneys. They were decent but we prefer the Masala Chips at Samosa Express in Forrest Lawn. We sipped on a selection of premium beers (including Kingfisher) while my father regaled us about stories from his youth; including an odd tale about the smell of burning human flesh from a house fire he discovered while collecting dues from his Edmonton Journal paper route. (matt)
When finally the food arrived I will admit the presentation was amazing. Just think of any of the pretentious cooking shows on the food network, or even Iron Chef and you'll have the right idea. The main part of the dish was in the middle, with a drizzle of something and a sprinkle of something else around it for looks. Very nice. We were also given a bowl of steamed white rice to share amongst us. However none of our dishes had a sauce base and white rice on it's own is only one step above eating raw potatoes, so it went mostly untouched. (ren)
I guess in fairness the food tasted alright. But if we’re really being honest, we were left a little unfulfilled and disappointed. The portion sizes and ingredients probably constitute healthy eating, but hell, this is North America. Land of Excess and Diabetes. Give me a bowl of cream! Those of you who love the “Dive Bar curry experience” complete with octogenarian South Asians serving sweaty beers, while men with too much hair gander at your whiteness, will probably not enjoy Rasoi, or its price tag. On the other hand, if your favorite restaurant in the world is Mango Shiva, you might find a home there. (matt)
The food was good. It was by no means “indian food” but there were some familiar flavors. There wasn't nearly enough to fill me up, and if I didn't have a hockey game later I probably would have found a burger or kebab or something to fill me up. As stated at the beginning, we decided from the start to judge Rasoi on the same scale as any indian restaurant, so we are definitely working away from their strengths. If you are looking for a fairly fancy place in the SW to take a date, then maybe Rasoi is for you. If you're looking for a “curry”, you'd have better luck hitting a pub. (ren)
The CBC and FFWD magazine might be gaga over Rasoi. But as curry snobs, you won’t find us drinking that Kool-Aid. Or cucumber flavored water for that fact.
When Ren and I heard about Rasoi Kitchen in Marda Loop we were instantly skeptical. Marda Loop is the Kensington of the SW quadrant and we really haven’t had a lot of successes in Kensington. My personal theory is that you can get good food anywhere but if you want GREAT food, you probably need to feel a little squeamish about the neighborhood you’re eating in. And clearly Marda Loop doesn’t fit with the theory on that front. Lined with posh boutiques and over-priced real estate, Marda caters to the aristocratic yuppies of Calgary. (matt)
The inside of Rasoi is exactly what you would expect. It’s all about drinking wine and sitting in stylish chairs. We were out of place. The waitress explained that they were not an Indian restaurant but rather Indian “inspired” restaurant. Other “inspired” restaurants I can think of include Taco Time and Swiss Chalet; neither of which does Mexican or Swiss food very well. She then went on to explain that the chef uses “only seasonal and organic ingredients”. Let’s face it; this type of statement only really impresses actual food critics. To the average man on the street, like Ren and I, it only makes you sound like a wanker. (matt)
