Fringe Foodie
Spice Up Your Life Without Breaking The Bank
There is a taste of India hidden a hop and a skip away from Plamondon Metro. Unbeknown to most Montrealers, restaurant Dev (at the corner of Victoria & Linton) offers an extensive menu filled with Indian delights. Authentic cuisine is hard to come by these days, even moreso when you’re looking for something vegetarian friendly. This place has the best of both worlds: a home-cooked meal guaranteed to please omnivores and vegetarians alike.
Restaurant Dev might not look like much from the outside, but their authentic Indian cuisine and fair prices make up for the kitschy décor. This restaurant used to be a kosher pizza place called Foxy’s before Dev took over.
This was the first place I tasted Indian food, and after that experience I fell in love with the cuisine. Since then no other Indian restaurant can compare; it’s the perfect place to bring newcomers to this type of food. Dev is where I always bring my friends and family members who have never tried Indian.
To begin our taste adventure we start with two appetizers. Some are fairly priced, ranging from $1.99 to at most $5.00.
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For my mother the newcomer I chose Vegetable Pakora, vegetables fried in a spicy batter, and we shared a Chana (chickpea) Samosa. Both dishes came out piping hot and boy did they smell and taste good. The array of curry, spices and coriander fused together brought an aroma and flavour sure to please anyone’s palate. We were getting full before our main dish arrived so the remnants of our apps came home in a doggie bag.
For our main course we each ordered a Thali plate, the main reason why I return to Dev again and again. Most Indian restaurants only offer Thali plates for lunch, but here it’s available all open hours. The meal is served on a plate with sections for meat, vegetables, rice and naan bread. Since there is a little taste of everything it’s always my top choice.
At Dev they offer veggie or non-veggie Thali’s, us opting for butter chicken. Though not on the menu it is an option amongst the other curies like chicken, beef and lamb or veggie options like cauliflower or eggplant (to name a couple). A thali plate costs $6.99 for veggie and $7.99 for non-veggie, a much better (not to mention and tastier and fresher) deal than a Big Mac. Other main dishes include lamb, seafood, vegetables and rice which are prepared a dozen different ways. Prices range from $7.49 to $9.99.
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Our food was excellent; the naan was so hot and fresh that I would have been satisfied eating that alone. Don’t be scared by the perception of Indian food being very spicy, at Dev they cater to spice lovers and more timid tastebuds alike. I opted for spicy while my mom asked for medium. The spice was not overbearing, adding an enjoyable heat. If you order beyond your spice threshold, each table is equipped with a pitcher of water and if that’s still not enough Dev has a selection of beers and Yogurt drinks that are sure to calm your burning tongue.
Dev has a take-out service, and it’s always reassuring to hear the phone ring non-stop when they offer such a service. The restaurant was just beginning to get busy at six o’clock and it was heartening to see that 50 percent of their clientele were in fact Indian. By the end of the meal we were too full to order dessert but those too are made in-house. What I love most about this place is that when you leave you don’t smell like curry (at least I don’t think I did).
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Dev is open everyday 11:00 am to 10:00 pm except Tuesdays
visit www.devrestaurant.com for more information
Restaurant Dev, 5987 Rue Victoria
