In keeping with my new found insistence on vegan menus or clearly marked vegan options, we revisited Aldergrove Indian Bistro. Even though AIB is only 5 years old, it seems to have become the OG of Indian joints in this little hamlet. Also, they are one of the few places, Indian or otherwise, that have specific vegan options marked clearly on their menu.
So we went for a late lunch on Saturday and had the place to ourselves. Not that parking is a problem here but there is street parking and a few spots at the back of the restaurant as well.
As is our custom, we ordered way too much but brought our own take out containers for leftovers. Each of the dishes came with Basmati rice so that added to the abundance. We started with one of our favourite lentil dishes, Daal Tadka. Warming and complex with spices and crispy onions etc., I could live on this (wait! I almost do live on lentils!).
Next up was Jeera Aloo, a favourite potato dish cooked with cumin and other spices. Comforting and rich. Loved it.
Another vegetable dish that we tried was the Eggplant Bhartha. This is a dish of roasted and mashed eggplant with lots of ginger, garlic, peas and tomatoes. It is sort of a step up from mashed potatoes for us.
Finally, we had Channa Masala, a chickpea dish with tomato and onion in a masala sauce. We ordered all the dishes with medium heat which provided some nice warming without any pain! We startled our server by ordering 4 dishes but we took literally half of it home for later.
This is a comfortable, homey kind of place with seating for maybe 50 (?) but I'm really just guessing and didn't count. We were amused by the service button located at the table but it makes sense too. There are a few more vegan dishes but nothing outside of the main dish section. So there are no vegan appetizers or breads. We feel like they could try a little harder with that. Still, delicious vegan Indian food without having to ask a lot of questions! Very nice folks too. BTW, we paid $70 including tax and tips and took half of it home so very good value!
Food 4 out of 5
Vegan Options 3 1/2 out of 5
Comfort 4 out of 5
Service 4 1/2 out of 5
Value 4 1/2 out of 5
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