DESILICIOUS

PANI PURI SHOTS? OH, BROTHER!

By SUVARNA SHASTRI

At The Host in Richmond Hill for lunch some months ago, I was surprised to see a billboard announcing a new vegetarian eatery, Bhai’s Indian Canteen.

Why would they do that, I wondered out aloud.

“Bhai’s is part of The Host group,” a friendly staff member informed us. “We all call chef Sanjeev bhai!”

Bhai’s is located just across the street from The Host and the smaller venue promises a “canteen” feel.

While the pared-down menu, hammered metal plates and glasses and a rickety (though I doubt if that was intentional) table do stay with the theme, there are touches that are not seen in any canteen that I have ever been to.

The colourful jars at the entrance for one. The table with an eclectic collection of teapots and containers. And the wash basin set in a tyre in the ladies washroom. It’s a spotlessly clean tyre in a spotlessly clean washroom, and there is also a little step-stool thoughtfully provided for little ones, but still... it’s just a little odd.

“They must have been going for the dhaba feel,” says my husband, when I come out and describe it. “You know, dhaba, truckers, tyres...”

Which might well be the case, but then what’s with the black-and-white tiles with images of men on the walls? I’m guessing the better-informed (and younger) women will probably identify the faces, but I was at a loss to explain their presence.

However, as we were there for dinner and not to critique the decor, we checked out the menu.

I saw pani puri shots ($6.95) and visualized the pani being served in shot glasses. It turns out to be way more fun than that.

The pani arrives in a coconut shell with a syringe with which to fill the puris. Get it? Pani puri shots?

The choley of the choley bhaturey ($9.95) are delicious, and the bhaturey not too oily and a good size, not the gigantic ones that one struggles to finish at other places.

My masala dosa ($11.95) arrives as a cone sans the masala. I point out that I’d asked for a masala dosa.

“Please pick up your dosa,” the server says with a smile like a kid waiting for you to applaud his neat trick.

I oblige, revealing a generous amount of the masala below. The chutney, served on a strip of banana leaf, is authentic.

On a subsequent visit, my friend Kanta and I try the Purani Dilliwala Matari Kulcha ($9.95). Served on a wooden board the “kulcha” is more like a puffy pita bread, but the matar is yum. It is also a lot of matar and we end up asking for phulka rotis ($1.65 each) to finish the matar with. Our dahi puri ($6.95) arrives in a hammered metal bowl and is a tangy, spicy, treat.

Saunf in little pressure cookers, the kind kids might have as part of a play set, accompanies the bill.

“It’s like they had to find a place for the all stuff they have collected from all over the place,” observes Kanta. “But it’s fun stuff, I like it!”

And as that’s what counts, we decide we will be back soon for another round.

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Bhai’s is located at unit 8, 115 York Blvd. in Richmond Hill, and their telephone number is 905-731-7272.