We last visited My Shanti in March of 2018 (so many restaurants, so little time) in our pre fully vegan days. You can read about it by searching on the web version of this blog. Vikram Vij is one of the heroes of the Vancouver restaurant scene and specifically an amazing promoter of excellent Indian food (and this is one of his restaurants; that is the point). I am not sure if My Shanti had vegan options on the menu 5 years ago or if they have evolved as all restaurants should to the point of making plant-based cuisine available.
Located at The Shops at Morgan Crossing, My Shanti is open for dinner every day but Monday. We were able to sit outside on the patio on this beautiful day.
Oh sure, we've had samosas before. We have never had Cashew, Date and Potato Samosas before. These were ever so slightly sweet from the date and a little richer than what we are used to. Also, as it happens it is a dish native to Lucknow (we love that the menu spans all of India and mentions the regions of origin of many of the dishes). The tamarind chutney was sublime and we would put it on anything!
Oh sure, we've had pakoras before. We have never had Jackfruit and Cauliflower Pakoras (actually maybe we have but not like this). The batter was moong dhaal based this time with a Kerala origin story. Also more wonderful tamarind chutney.
Next up was Dehli Style Eggplant Bharta with Sweet Peas. Flavoured with garam masala and topped with pickled ginger and cilantro, I would eat this every day. Rich and comforting, this was great with either rice or roti.
Finally, we enjoyed the Green Jackfruit Curry from Tamil Nadu (so our meal spanned India from north to south). The jackfruit was "meaty" enough that we did not feel like the dish lacked any substance. It could have been spicier but there was a little heat and I think they are obliged to cater to the heat tolerance of all kinds of people. Again perfect with rice and roti.
The roti was vegan-friendly which just meant that they didn't butter it! It did not need butter as we were using it to dip and pick things up!
The patio is lush with grape vines etc, and shields you from the bright sun (at least these days) and the adjacent road and creates a very pleasant area. Service is amazing as you might guess and our guy was very tuned in to the whole vegan option thing. This is not cheap Indian food but considering the quality and experience, was not nearly what we would call expensive.
Food 5 out of 5
Vegan Options 4 1/2 out of 5
Comfort 4 1/2 out of 5
Service 5 out of 5
Value 4 1/2 out of 5
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