Vij's

Vij's Review

At Vancouver's most innovative Indian restaurant, genial proprietor Vikram Vij and his wife and business partner Meeru Dhalwala use local ingredients to create exciting takes on South Asian cuisine. Dishes such as lamb "popsicles" in a creamy fenugreek-scented curry, or B.C. spot prawns and halibut with black chickpeas, are far from traditional but are spiced beautifully. If you're adventurous, start with the cricket paranta, a spicy flatbread made from, yes, ground crickets. Mr. Vij circulates through the room, which is decorated with Indian antiques and whimsical elephant-pattern lanterns, greeting guests and suggesting dishes or cocktail pairings. Expect to cool your heels at the bar sipping chai or a cold beer while you wait for a table (lineups of more than an hour are common), but if you like creative Indian fare, it's worth it.