Calgary Cray !!! Nawab – The Best Indian Restaurant in YYC

The Lowdown
Restaurant Name: Nawab
Cuisine: Indian
Average Price per Person: $20 to 45 CAD or $18 to 40 USD.
Location: Calgary, Canada (see map below for details).
Recommendations: Samosas, Chicken Tikka Masala, Vegetable Korma, Lamb Vindaloo, Chicken Kashmiri, Saag Paneer, Eggplant Baratha and Garlic Naan

Ratings (out of 5)
Taste: 4.5
Creativity/Authenticity: 4.5
Atmosphere: 4.5
Service: 4.5
Bang for Buck: 4

Crayscale !!!

It’s been a few years since I’ve been home. My friends and family kept telling me about how Calgary’s food scene has evolved with a plethora of new restaurants popping up. I  honestly wasn’t that interested though. I was more drawn to restaurants that reminded me of home and gave me a reason to come back to visit. All I wanted was my grandparents’ Chinese soups that they would spend hours cooking, my dad’s overly seasoned #veryrare barbecued steaks (just how I like em’), big bowls of cheap pho from the hood and to relive memories at restaurants that I loved going to before moving away. One of the restaurants I missed the most was Nawab, my favorite Indian restaurant.

Nawab has been my main Indian squeeze in Calgary since forever run by the sweetest couple in the world Jim Mann and his wife Pam. Jim spends most of his time perfecting curries in the kitchen while Pam takes care of guests and manages the front of house. The restaurant’s original location was on 5th Avenue in downtown, but has relocated to southwest Calgary near Springbank Hill and Aspen Woods. The new location is amazing surrounded by bright windows, high ceilings, and a long comprehensive bar if you’re looking to get turnt.

The menu consists of your usual suspects including samosas, kebabs, paneer, lentils, naan, pratha, rice, tandoori, chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetable curries. If you have a low tolerance for heat, GTFO. Kidding, just avoid the vindaloo or let your server know ahead of time since some dishes can on the spicy side. Start off with some samosas or pakoras then move onto the tandoori. Be sure to order some garlic naan and rice for the curries. My curry rotation usually consists of the chicken tikka masala, vegetable korma, chicken goa, lamb vindaloo, and chicken kashmoneymiri. Don’t forget about your veggies – the saag paneer and eggplant baratha are my go-to’s.

Chicken Samosas ($7 CAD for 2). The samosas are legit, handmade with a flaky pastry filled with peas, sautéed onions, mild spices, and chicken.

Garlic Naan ($3.50 CAD). YASS! This stuff is crack. Naan over everything.

Murgh Kashmiri ($16 CAD). Another one of my favs is the murgh kashmiri consisting of chicken cooked in a cream sauce with apples, fresh herbs and spices.

Vegetable Korma ($14 CAD). Love the vegetable korma made with mixed vegetables cooked in a milk Mughalai sauce, with saffron, herbs and spices, garnished with raisins and almonds.

Murgh Malai Tikka ($17 CAD). You have to cop that murgh malai tikka made with succulent chicken fillets. It’s the best, trust me!

Gosht Vindaloo ($16.50 CAD). I’m all about that lamb vindaloo made with lamb marinated in fresh tomatoes and lemon, then cooked in a spicy red chili pepper sauce, potatoes, ginger, garlic, spices and herbs.

Murgh Makhani ($16 CAD). Otherwise known as butter chicken, this dish is essentially the ginger beef of Indian cuisine. By that, I mean it’s a dish that was created for the western palate and doesn’t actually exist in India, just like how ginger beef is nowhere to be found in China. I personally love this ish, but if you want the real deal, let Nawab recommend some of their more authentic curries to you.

285 St Moritz Dr SW Calgary, AB T3H 5X8 Canada p: +1 403-282-1002