Let the flavours of resto Ganges sanctify your home
Some gourmands believe that the environment in which you nosh is as important as the food itself. Doesn’t linguine alla vongole taste better eaten from fine china in posh settings than slorped back from a chipped dollar-store bowl in front of the TV?
Well, maybe not.
I like a luxurious dining experience as much as anyone, but if the food is good, it’ll dance in your mouth no matter if it was placed there by cheap hand-me-down cutlery or sleek styled silverware. No need to deny yourself a restaurant’s gastronomical pleasures just because you don’t want to get out of your bathrobe. Why do you think nature gave us fingers but to dial a phone and order in? And a certain torpor of spirit shouldn’t relegate you to mediocre pizzas and soggy souvlakis.
If you want all the pleasures of fabulous food you haven’t prepared yourself and want to lounge about chez vous, the place for takeout or delivery is Ganges in NDG. Besides, where better to receive the sacrament of India’s holy river than in the comfort of your own home?
Takeout from Ganges is satisfying on so many levels. It’s one of the top Indian joints in town, and the portions seem bigger than at the restaurant. I’ve eaten more of their sublime tarka dahl in front of my friend’s TV set watching old Star Trek episodes than at the resto’s white clothed tables.
Ganges’ food is prepared fresh and the dishes taste distinct (unlike that sweeping generic "curry" goop that permeates lesser establishments) and have the flavour of whichever chili they use, rather than just being merely hot.
One recent takeout experience, combined with a rousing game of Taboo and the lesser-known word game Moot, was an unparalleled success. (One benefit of home eating: rousing competition and loud merriment among friends.)
The aforementioned dahl was a split pea stew redolent with cumin and dry roasted peppers, topped with fresh coriander. The vegetable sambar was tomato-rich and spicy, contrasting nicely with the fresh spinach and roasted potatoes of the dry curry, sag aloo bhaji. The Eastern Indian-style shorshe bata shrimp were a mustardy rarity in Montreal, while the chicken rejala was sour-hot and quick to be devoured by all.
Of the mattar paneer (peas ‘n’ cheese) one picky paneer eater happily declared it the best she’d had. (Often the cheese in other places has the consistency of tofu with even less flavour.) This cheese had been gently fried before being added to the peas, maintaining its firm texture, and it had hints of the sweet-pungent taste you find in Indian sweets.
We hadn’t ordered all my favourites, but I know if someone were to whisper "chicken jahl frezi" in my ear, I might tremble a bit at the thought of its spicy-hot charms. And the words "lamb pasanda" make me melt as sweetly as the fruity/creamy sauce rolls on the tongue.
Ganges
6079-83 Sherbrooke W., 488-8850
Dinner for two, no tax, no tip: $20-30
4 comments
While I have never eaten at Ganges, although I plan to now, it is great to know that great food can be found in NDG. While this neighborhood definitely not impoverished as far as restaurants are concerned, with trendy Monkland, it pales in comparison to the choices downtown and on the Plateau. It is nice when food is not only wonderful, but also affordable, and Ganges seems to offer both.
Indian food is truly an acquired taste.
It’s also a dangerous place to start if your taste buds have beed conditioned to years of exposure to poutine, canned tuna and mac n’ cheese. Some Indian places dive right into the deep end of the spices and hot sauces so an unsuspecting virgin is very likely to get his stomach lining singed if he’s not careful with which place he eats at.
That’s why I recommend this place.
It’s moderate enough in its technique that you’ll know if Indian food is for you. Personally, I aim for the higher register but this place does rather nicely if you’re a neophyte. The selection is good and the service expedient. You really can’t ask for more. Well, I can but that’s just me.
I went to this restaurant with a friend in our search for good afordable indian food. So far we have tried many indian restaurants, we try to find go to a new one whenever we crave this velvety, complexe combination of spices. But this time we decided to try take-out. This is indeed a test for a restaurant as cold butter chicken is not the best thing in the world.
We were amazed at the quality of the food! Not only was it tasty, not too sweet, not to hot but it was still warm and steamy when we got home. The staff is also very friendly, they offered us papadan while we waited for our order. For once, next time we crave indian food, we probably won’t rush to a new joint but likely go back to Ganges.
Bon Appetit!!!!! Namaste!
We truly enjoyed dining at this quaint yet authentic Indian restaurant. The décor was pleasant and the waiters were extremely courteous. Our curry lamb dish
was very tender, spicy to our liking and truly delicious. We were served the best nan bread we have ever tasted. Our curry shrimp dish was also very succulent and spicy. This restaurant is very original and refreshing offering great Indian food at affordable prices. We were never rushed to eat and enjoyed a hot and spicy supper. I would recommend this unique restaurant serving well-prepared and fresh Indian food.