Ren here...Sorry everyone for the delay in posting.  Its been a month since we visited this restaurant and I've had a mixture of reasons for not getting this posted. 

1. Motorcycle driving school
2. Failed class 6 drivers test
3. Retried test and passed
4. Moved computer from nice computer desk to a large disconected pile on top of a dresser
5. Cable modem crapped out 
   

So...now we're back.  Hopefully we can get things going a little more regular again.  (ren)

It’s another Friday night and we’re gonna watch a DVD when Ren suggested we hit the epicenter of North American culture, 7-11, for some snacks before hand. Somewhat hungry, I debated about whether to go for the Taquitos or the “Rat Burgers”. Seeing my confusion, Ren suggested we just get curry instead. Tough to argue.  (Matty).

I suppose you sometimes can call 7-11 an indian restaurant.  But you can also sometimes call it a chinese restaurant.  And I'm not sure if creepy tattood longhaired unshaven college guy is a class of restaurant.  However it is pretty much the only place where you can purchase a banana and then explode it in a high-powered microwave.  (ren)

Ranchlands was a 30 second drive from “the Sev” and Ren remembered a dodgy take out place somewhere in the middle of that community. We looked the address up in a phone book and were off before Sultan, our convenience store clerk, had time to say, “Thank you come again”. 

Ren used to live in Ranchlands. On one or two drunken weekends, no doubt we had stumbled past the Masala Express completely oblivious to the smell of curry. What we did remember about its location was a dodgy pub nearby called the Point and Feather. It’s the kind of place someone with a grade 10 education specializing in cabinet making or roofing might hang out in. Needless to say, we don’t spend a lot of time there. Although, Ren would probably be a good cabinetmaker. (matty)

Personally I was confused of which place in the strip mall was the pub...."The Hair of The Dog" seemed like a much better place to go for a drink...however they only did dog grooming and did not service hangovers.  (ren)

We perused a rather boring and unimaginative menu and then chose Aloo Gobi (potato Cauliflower) for myself, while Ren stepped up to my previous challenge and ordered the Chicken Vindaloo. Top marks to the girl who took our order for fully and completely incorporating herself into the Ranchlands vibe. Indian girls rarely, if ever, show cleavage but this girl was apparently an atypical Indian girl. Ace!

It took 20 minutes to cook up the grub so we hung out at the Point and Feather while we waited and debated the new rules for the NHL season. (October 5th. We can’t wait.) We paid for our 3 take out meals with a mere $30 cash before zipping back to Ren’s place. (Apparently, for what its worth, you also have the option of using Traveler’s Cheques or your JCB credit card for payment. Our friend Jason Howorko, no doubt has maxed his JCB out numerous times over).  (matty)

The smell of the food was very inviting as we drove home.  However I have had delivery from here once before and my expectations were not too high.  One of these days I've got to learn to not expect great international cuisine from a place named like a drive-thru oil-change joint.  Oil Express.  Lube-n' a Hurry. You get the idea.  (ren)

The food: It sucked. This is the last time we’re going to eat at a place whose name implies that Indian food can be prepped as quickly as BK or McDonalds. Real Indian food takes hours, sometimes days to prepare properly. Honestly, my naan tasted like pancake. Last I checked the restaurant wasn’t called IHOP or Grainfield’s. Jackasses. While I will agree that even at the best of times Aloo Gobi is not the spiciest of dishes, I had a difficult time identifying ANY part of my dish as curry.  (matty)

My vindaloo was more than warm enough.  However it really didn't have much of a flavour other than "burning".  Maybe vindaloo never does.....but really...give me something a bit milder and way more flavourful any day.  The naan was bad....just wrong.   I had 2 bites and left it aside.  Also...it was in a paper bag rather than wrapped in tin-foil.  Thats just wrong.  I also ordered the chick-pea curry to eat later....  The chickpeas were a bit under cooked so the texture was off and the whole works had more onion than anything in it so I really didn't enjoy it.  But thats my personal hatred of onion more than anything. (ren)

Big Abnormal Foot Rating: 5/10 (and only because Ren’s Vindaloo was clearly as spicy as it needed to be – Ringer Stinger!)
My friend shazad says they used to have really good samosa's the last time he was there so maybe i'll give it another chance for a snack someday.

Three people not seen at the restaurant but possibly ID’d at Point and Feather

1. Tina Yothers (Family Ties)
2. Lloyd Molsby (Former Toronto Blue Jay)
3. Luciano Pavarotti (Opera Guru)

Rating: