Palki Restaurant , North Vancouver

Gluten-free Indian dishes & handmade breads in a spacious dining room, plus delivery service.

By Rasool KpPublished 3 years ago • 6 min read

Photo by: Elvira Becerra/ Google Maps

Want to have a family gathering? How about a date night? Or maybe want someplace new to go with your colleagues for lunch? Then here's our suggestion: palki restaurant. The business has been running since 2000 (two decades in the same place goes to show how good they are), and the owners are a couple (a real mom-and-pop restaurant). As with any Indian restaurant, the experience starts from outside: the aroma of all those fantastic, fragrant foods that you can practically taste on your tongue. Some people think going to an Indian restaurant narrows your choices. But they are wrong. Take a look at their menu. From the appetizers to the main course to desserts, the variety astounds you.

Vegetable Samosa (a fried pastry filled with various veggies), or maybe you'd prefer the beef version. Onion Bhajia (deep-fried battered onion rings) with their natural red colour that comes from Paprika. Don't worry; it's not spicy at all. Or maybe you'd like Dal Soup (made with Lenti and is a special too). They even have different versions of this soup with other ingredients like chicken. Or maybe you'd like the chicken pakora. Those crisp, fried chicken pieces are an all-time classic Indian dish and served with Palki's dips? Well, suffice to say this one dish alone can justify the restaurant's self-claimed title "Best Indian Cuisine." It's served with two delicious dipping sauces for you to devour. One is a blend of tamarind, mint, and onion. The other one is tamarind and jaggery: sweet, tangy, and hot — everything you want in a dipping sauce.

Speaking of chicken, maybe you'd like some Tandori wings for an appetizer. Tandoori is an especial way of cooking in Indian cuisine, which is healthy and quite delicious. They have a tremendous tandoori menu: Tandoori Shrimp (Jumbo shrimp marinated and cooked in the Tandoor), Paneer Tikka (Homemade cottage cheese with green peppers, tomatoes, onions marinated in tandoori spices and grilled in clay oven), Lamb Kebab (Tender lamb minced with ginger, garlic, coriander & onion) and Tandoori Vegetables (Assorted vegetables marinated with yogurt, spices & grilled). Also, they have a Mixed Platter dish, in case you want a little bit of everything. They have Rotiyan, too, a traditional bread baked on the hot walls of a clay tandoor.

But delicious appetizers are not the only part of their menu you can't get enough of. Prawn Pakora is like chicken pakora but with prawns. Talking of seafood, you should know that Palki's is a must-have: Fish pakora, fish masala (Codfish in tomato and & onion based curry with black mustard), Prawn Vindaloo(Prawns cooked with potato, garlic, ginger, vinegar & Indian spices), Prawn Dilwala (Prawns cooked in chef's special gravy finished with whole butter). They have seafood for starters, too, like Curried Mussels (Fresh mussels cooked in a delicious curry). Speaking of curries, their's is one of the best whether served with Paulo or Naan.

There's also a bar. They offer a good selection of drinks, including Indian beers. There's just something about Indian food and beer that really works, and that clear pale ale does hit the mark. There are different brands, Such as Kingfisher, Cobra, Taj Mahal, all Indian. But don't worry, there are a lot of options to choose from: There's Thornhaven Rose, a blend of lifted summer berry, cranberry, spice, and floral aromas. It isn't overly sweet, and it has a nice acidity to it. Then there is Thornhaven Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay, which is delicious. A blend of two wines, it has flavours of grapefruit and green olive, with a hint of mineral. You should also try The Palki, the restaurant's namesake Indian-themed cocktail. Made with white rum and flavours of fresh mint, lychee, and homemade ginger syrup, this is refreshing and perfect for summer.

But there are non-alcoholic beverages too. There is Lassi (mango, sweet, or salt). If you ask me, the Mango Lassi is the one you should order. A yogurt-based drink with mangoes, it's non-alcoholic, perfect for kids and adults. They also have an alcoholic version on their menu if you felt like boozing it up. If you plan on ordering spicy food, it's an excellent drink to cut the spice because of its creamy texture. Then there's The Peacock, made of kiwi, lime, lemon, blue curacao, melon liqueur, and soda. It's nice and fruity and also looks pretty cool.

The menu also offers vegetarian options. As for the quality? Even non-vegetarian love these dishes. One example would be Kofta Dil Bahar. It has minced paneer– Indian fresh cream cheese and mixed vegetable balls stuffed with dry fruits and served in a mild cream sauce. It's not spicy and has a nice flavour to it, and even though it's a vegetarian dish, it's one of the most ordered items on the menu. Speaking about popular items, their Naan Bread is quite a hit. When they have their all-you-can-eat lunch buffets, people eat so much Naan bread that they can't eat dinner. Their menu also offers vegan and gluten-free food: Vegetable Pulao / Biryani or Baigan Bharatha-Tandoor roasted eggplant mashed with tomatoes & green peas (vegan), Dal Makhani / Butter Mixed Lentils- Assorted boiled lentils with butter & spices (gluten-free), and much more.

For side orders, you can have Papadam (Lentil wafers), Achar (Spicy Pickles), Mango Chutney, or Raita (a kind of yogurt), and then there are the desserts. A popular is the Gulab Jamun, a dumpling-like ball or 'Indian Donut,' served in spiced syrup. This dessert is a hit at any table, and once out on the table, they get snatched up pretty quick, let us tell you! Then there's Kulfi Ice Cream. Creamy, salty, and sweet. Unlike western ice cream, Kulfi is not whipped, thus resulting in a dense, solid consistency. Worth a try!

The restaurant offers classic Indian cuisine, true. But they do have their specials, and like the rest of their menu items, they are quite the hit. They have a talented Indian chef who does a great job giving the "genuine Indian food" experience in his dishes. The owners are quite involved in the business; the staff is kind, helpful, and professional. They respond immediately, and if you happen to order something too piquant, they will be standing right there, Yogurt dish in hand like an angel. Until 2012, they didn't have much online presence, but even then, the place would have been packed to the brim on a Tuesday evening. People have been coming to this restaurant for 18 years, and now their children are coming here.

The name and the logo itself is a good demonstration of the tasteful team working there. The inside decor is elegant and classy. The tables can have up to six seats. Dark woodwork, Indian adornments, the metal classic dishware, and those tastefully arranged napkins make spending time inside really pleasant.

It can get jam-packed, though. Fortunately, Palki offers reservations and takeout. Also, it has free street and off-street underground parking available in the evenings. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible. As for the pricing, the quantity of the food the place offers in each order is quite a lot, and usually, there are leftovers you can take home, which means you get your money's worth and then some. The place accepts credit cards (including American Express, Master Card, and visa) and digital payment. In short, Palki is a great place to visit, whether you are local or just visiting the city.