raavi's cumin @ burlington st., crows nest

We asked K to find us a place for dinner and I probably shouldn't have been as surprised as I was to find that he'd picked an Indian restaurant. He always picks an Indian restaurant and I suppose the reason I'd been surprised, he hadn't picked the one that we'd been going to for the last couple of times but one that was also in the same suburb (and one that I'd actually been reading about in the sunday life magazine the week before). The place I'm talking about is Raavi's Cumin in Crows Nest.

Perusing the menu, you'll read that Cumin's chef is one of India's Top 20 chef's. K had been eagerly trying to tell us this (in spite of our groanings that he'd picked yet another Indian restaurant). Well K, I have to admit, you've consistently picked some good places to eat (despite them all being Indian!).

Murg Tikka - boneless pieces of chicken steeped in a yoghurt marinade of spices and grilled in the tandoor.

Lahoree Chap - lamb cutlets studded with freshly ground peppercorns and chargrilled. This one is a must order - so tasty!

Lasooni Jinga - prawns steeped in a marinade of aromatic spices and hand tossed with garlic. This one has a bite!

Now I have to admit - I really can't remember what curries we had here (as K&M were in charge of choosing them, J&I had chosen the entrees). I do remember though that the rice was cumin flavoured (Jeera Pulav) and it was as the menu had indicated, a great alternative to plain rice.

As usual, we each ordered a Mango Lassi (served in a tall milkshake glass).

And not to forget the naan bread - definitely recommend the Cheese Naan; so filling yet so tasty!

Maachi Rarra - pieces of fish fillet smothered in spices and cooked in a tomato based sauce. To be honest, I didn't think it tasted that great (more or less a battered fish smothered in curry) or maybe it's just that I always associate Indian curries with meats and vegies, rarely seafood.

What's dinner without dessert?! A mango kulfi please!

And yes we were full - it was a lot of food and it was a struggle with the last couple of bites. Love the fact that the place has a modern edge to it, service is friendly and attentive, and the great thing is that the tables are spacious (all the better for when you've ordered a lot of food) and nicely spaced apart so that you have a bit of privacy from the tables next to you. K was saying how there was an offer on eatability to get a free bottle of wine if you spent more than so and so amount here. We didn't end up asking (largely cause we didn't feel like wine) but definitely check it out!