New Passage To India
About
Indian
Price Range : $11-30 ($$)
Location
Adress: 33790 Essendene Avenue, Abbotsford, BC V2S 2H2
Phone: (604) 855-7100
Business info
- move_to_inboxTake-outYes
- accessibilityGood for KidsYes
- volume_upNoise LevelAverage
- local_barAlcoholFull Bar
- transit_enterexitOutdoor SeatingNo
- tvHas TVYes
Reviews
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Brett J.
I'm a bit of a refugee in Abbotsford right now and my partner drove up from Portland in Oregon to visit for a couple of days. As some of you will know Portland has an incredible food scene happening right now so we went out in search of dinner with not too high expectations of regional BC. We wandered around a little then came upon this little gem.
Upon entry we were greeted by olde English style decor which threw us a bit but the aromas coming from the kitchen were incredible. I suspect that this had been a part of the bar in a larger pub at some stage.
I've read a review on google saying that the menu is limited but this can't be further from the truth if you're after traditional east Indian cooking and not some modern fusion translation of the same. Both the vegetarian and meat/seafood options were more extensive than I'd experienced before in this context.
For starters we ordered vegetable samosa to share. It wasn't the usual deep fried dripping with oil fare you normally find. The taste was crisp with all flavours of the ingredients discernible and full unlike most in my experience outside India. I had a glass of the house red and she the white which was half decent for 4.95CD a glass.
Next on the agenda was 2 serves of plain Naan with steamed rice and I ordered the chicken tikka and she the lamb korma, medium and mild spiciness respectively. The chicken was moist and full of flavour with the spiciness bearable by my partner but a little on the mild side for me but the texture and flavours were great with hints of every ingredient present. The lamb korma was wonderful, they weren't even afraid to leave a little of the fat there to add to the texture which we both loved. Anyone that orders a spicy korma does not know indian traditional cooking and completely misses the point of the korma countering the spicier dishes. I'd actually ordered saffron rice but plain arrived which was a little disappointing but steamed rice is steamed rice. The naan was crispy in the right places and soft in the middle; just how we like it.
Service was good but not great but it's obviously a family run business where the emphasis is on the food.
Overall a very pleasant experience and at $63CD in total and with more quality food than we both could eat in 3 sittings very worth while if a little spendy compared to our Portland norm. -
Kirsten S.
We dropped by for dinner tonight and had the thali specials, one veg and one non-veg, a sweet lassi and a mango shake. Wasn't expecting much between the unassuming, slightly dated decor and the reviews here on Yelp. But it was actually awesome! Every dish was tasty and FRESH, and in plentiful portions. And I don't know, the decor grew on me after a while. Despite looking like a converted English pub, the atmosphere did remind me of restaurants in India to some extent. It all made me pretty happy.
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Matthew S.
I've been to India for close to a year. I know Indian food. It was wonderful food, a good atmosphere and good service.
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Shantala A.
This is now called New passage to India. We stopped for lunch buffet on our way back from Banff, hoping to treat our taste buds to some authentic Punjabi fare and were thoroughly disappointed. I haven't had such bad Indian food in the BC area in the last ten years. Mutter paneer was so watery. Aloo tikkis were ok. Had to wait for sometime for the tikkis and naan. Dal was ok. Cauliflower and potato curry was flavorless. I am shocked that the place is run by punjabis and yet the food is horrible. Rice kheer was *barf* worthy. Never stop by here. And the tea, if one may so call it was burnt. Never again!
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Dennis W.
We've been here quite a few times and usually have the lunch buffet. You just can't beat it for the price - $10. The food is good, authentic Indian cuisine. The service is both prompt and friendly.