Taj Curry House
Darbar was closed for a week when I was having a wicked Indian craving. Rahim’s wouldn’t answer my calls. Curry Original was too expensive. I was stuck. I checked out Kingstonist’s poll and decided to try out Taj Curry House given its third place ranking. I typically order delivery when I get Indian as I am always irritated by how much they charge for naan and rice. Also, when I inevitably sweat, I can change my shirt at home.
This is the Chicken Tikka Masala (medium spicy curry cooked with extra yogurt, fenugreek leaves and other spices) for $12.95. As you can see, there are a total of maybe 7-8 small pieces of chicken. The chicken was texturally quite tough, almost artificially so. However, it did have quite a bit of smokey flavour.
Whether or not this is a good thing… I use Darbar’s Vindaloo as the baseline for all vindaloo. I just really really like their balance of heat, tartness, sweetness, and saltiness. I also love wiping my face down after I eat it. This is the Lamb Vindaloo from Taj (Very, very spicy curry cooked with lemon juice, potato, extra-a-a-a-a red chilies and spices) for $13.95. Again, there is no meat! I count 6 small pieces. The price was pretty steep for such little lamb… There was also a lonely potato. The heat was there but it just didn’t satisfy the way that Darbar’s vindaloo does. The flavours didn’t pop as much as I would have liked.
This is the Beef Ragan Josh (A medium spicy curry cooked with many spices, garnished with sliced tomato sautéed in clarified butter) for $11.95. This was a nicely balanced dish. There was enough meat, some tomatoes but what I loved was how buttery it was. I like my curry really hot but for a milder curry, this was really satisfying.
A close-up of the Tikka Masala on rice.
Disclaimer: I am not a connoisseur of Indian food so my palate may be a little “Western” but when I like something, I really like it. Overall, I wouldn’t order Taj Curry again. Maybe their in-house portions are more generous but for the price, I found the paucity of meat a little much. I found the flavours a little muted and at the end of the night… my curry craving was not satisfied.
I was disappointed with Taj. Small, saucy portions, and everything was salty – it tasted like jarred curry. If you want take-out curry El Asador is a better bet, although it is a bit of a hole-in-the-wall.
In fact, looking at the curry poll ranking thing, I posted a comment (the first comment, so as we all know, the most accurate according to the Laws of the Internet) stating that I had been disappointed by Taj and its small, salty portions.
Yikes. Harsh review and very unflattering photos. I spent 5 months in India and must say the Taj is the only truly Indian restaurant in Kingston. I have enjoyed the food at both Darbar and Curry Original but when I want a real taste of India I always eat at the Taj. They display their dishes beautifully in house (a shame your photos do not emphasize this) and if you order a Thali (a rare treat that is hard to find in North America) they serve it on the authentic Indian platters one finds all over India. I also really like to support two young and passionate people. The owners of the Taj are passionate about food and their restaurant. Their food is all home-made and they even grow their own chilis in their garden here in Kingston.
It is too bad that someone who knows so little about Indian food chose to write a review. Hopefully your readers will have the courage to decide for themselves.
(ps- if you like it 'hot' be sure to ask them as they often make their dishes a little mild to suit the Kingston palate)
I think that if you look at the breadth of Russ's reviews, you will note that, above all else he is fair and honest. I cannot speak for him, as to whether or not he has been to India, but know that he has travelled abroad, so his ability to compare spans far beyond Canada, North America etc… I will however offer my own comments. I have not travelled the world as much as many, but have dined in many Indian restaurants over the years. Taj is a great spot for Kingston, but it does not rank up there what others that I have tried, and for arguments sake, I think that Darbar is one of the best in the city. For me, Taj is a gorgeous space, putting Darbar, Cafe India etc… to shame, but I just can't say the same about their food.
They grow their own chilis, eh? Do they mine their own salt, too? They seem to have an abundance in the kitchen!
I don't feel that this negative review is reserved and I also feel that it is ridiculous that you would write a review on food that you ordered in. I'm sorry, but no food is as good when you get delivered to your lazy ass. The young couple who own this resaurant are honest, friendly and they are just trying to make something for themselves. Shame on you for creating such a huge visual camgaign against them when you haven't even set foot in their restaurant and given them an honest chance. It is people like you who deter others from local business's downtown and then bitch about the fact that places are closing and that the chains are coming to town.