“Exotic” Indian food on campus

Samantha Osaduke
Staff Writer
Since the age of four, I have virtually grown up on Indian curry and cuisine, thanks largely to my best friend’s father’s cooking. I’m a huge fan of authentic Indian food – no surprise, then, that I was enticed by the strong smell of curry when walking past Indian Flavour in York Lanes and had to come in.
The atmosphere was set with Indian music, and the restaurant packed with students. For someone who had never gone to Indian Flavour, the layout was a little confusing; you order combos and daily specials at the counter, but order wraps at the cashier.

The tables were placed against the left wall and the counter on the right, making the restaurant appear busier, because all the students coming in and out were right in the centre.
There are reserved seats that patrons are prohibited from using, and this becomes an inconvenience. Although I understand they may reserve seats for professors and university staff, they will shout at you to move even if there are no seats left in the restaurant.
Students may not be staff members, but we still paid for our meal and should be allowed to have a seat anywhere in the restaurant.
The food at Indian Flavour has no MSG, no additives or preservatives, no artificial flavouring and no commercial sauces. There were a variety of combos and daily specials. They have numerous vegetarian options, such as spiced chick peas and cauliflower. There are also Indian desserts that can be enjoyed after your meal, or as a snack.
I settled on the butter chicken tandoori naan wrap, and a sweet lassi to drink. The service was relatively quick, but it was at quite a steep price: the total was $9 for lunch. At three times the usual cost of my noontime meal on campus, I was expecting a treat.
As I took a bite of my large wrap, my mouth was filled with the butter chicken sauce and lettuce. The sauce was not spicy enough and the chicken was drenched in it. Maybe I should have opted for the hot sauce, since I grew up on spicy Indian curry.
Though the chicken was a bit soggy, the wrap was good and held together. The naan wrap was my favourite part of the meal, which is unfortunate.
I took a sip of my sweet lassi and was disappointed to discover it tasted like a mixture of rosemary water and yogurt. I have had several lassis in the past, and this sweet lassi seemed to lack ground cardamom. Although some people don’t like it, a hint of the spice would have added complexity and flavour to the drink without overpowering it.
Overall, I wasn’t impressed. I personally think Indian Flavour is the fast food version of actual Indian food; it lacks authenticity.
The sauces in Indian cuisine are often complementary and don’t drown the food. The food was mediocre and simply too overpriced for a student budget. Based on my experience, I wouldn’t go back, even though prior to my meal at Indian Flavour, I was planning on returning occasionally for lunches and trying some of their desserts.
If you’re looking to try Indian food for the first time and don’t want to be overwhelmed with the spices, Indian Flavour may be the place for you to get some exposure.
If you’re a diehard Indian food fan, Indian Flavour won’t impress, and as a result, it would be best to try another restaurant for your Indian food fix.