I’m a pretty devoted reader of a few Chowhound boards, including the discussions around Montreal and Quebec. Some of the most interesting discussions arise from the simplest questions. A one sentence query about the best Indian food in Montreal has resulted in a few dozen replies so far, and the number of growing.
A few highlights: it’s apparent that Bombay Mahal is one of the strong contenders, at least among the Chowhound crowd. It also popped up in the 2005 Reader’s Poll from the Mirror. (not in 2006, though)
Bombay Mahal (1001 Jean-Talon W., 514-273-3331)
Others getting a number of mentions:
Maison de Cari Golden (5210 Saint-Laurent, 514-270-2561)
Ganges (6079 Sherbrooke W., 514-488-8850)
Chuck and I are both partial to Indian food. (Actually, we’re partial to any food.) In Montreal thus far, our exploration of Indian food has been limited to Gandhi in Old Montreal. Gandhi isn’t what I would call a bargain. Lunch there has cost us $35 for two; dinner, $90, including wine. But I think we’ve been impressed by the quality of the food. Gandhi seems to specialize in subtle, balanced flavors. So while I could say that the food is never as spicy as I’d like it, the balance is right, and that seems to be one of the key elements of Indian cooking. The first time we were there, I thought the naan was astounding – the best I’ve ever had. It may have been true – it may simply have been my overjoy state at having just arrived back in Montreal. I’m not sure. Even though I’ve not had this same experience subsequently, I still measure all of my naan encounters against that standard. I’ve written elsewhere that Gandhi offered a dinner on Christmas Eve in 2006. They might have done this in years past – I don’t remember that they did.
In any case, there’s likely to be another visit to Gandhi this year while we’re in Montreal, but I think we’ll also consider branching out – perhaps to Bombay Mahal.
Gandhi (230 rue St-Paul ouest, 514-845-5866)