With two of this year’s three Best Indian restaurants sitting south of 30th Avenue, it’s clear that something spicy and delicious is happening in Edmonton’s south side, South-Asian food scene. And with Bay Leaf Fresh Indian Bistro opening in Windermere, the south side could complete a hat trick on next year’s list.
“Fresh” applies to many things at this Indian bistro, including the storefront itself, which opened about three months ago in Windermere Crossing, just downstream from the Currents of Windermere in what’s quickly becoming an Edmonton dining destination. Compared to the more common, home-style Indian restaurants, Bay Leaf has contemporary flair. But new is good, as long as the quality is there — and Bay Leaf has quality to spare.
The clay oven-roasted Tandoori Prawns are the most well-textured shrimp I’ve had in a while, and would be the star of the meal even without being perfectly seasoned and mixed with onions and green peppers. They delicately mince and clay oven grill the Lamb Seekh Kebab enough to easily press it apart with a fork and spread it on not nearly enough naan bread (to be fair, I’ve never had “enough” naan bread at any Indian restaurant).
It doesn’t take a food detective to figure out why the south side’s bringing so much Indian heat: many people of South Asian descent and South Asian immigrants live there. It’s a mulitcultural area, and that leads to another one of Bay Leaf’s “fresh” takes: its Indo-Chinese menu that includes Fried Rice, Szechuan Chilly and Spring Rolls which, along with the perfectly plump Vegetable Samosa, help keep said heat relatively at bay. Do I sweat like stereotypical westerner while eating the perfectly textured Tandoori Shrimp? Yes. Will I stop? Not as long as it tastes this good.
Bay Leaf Fresh Indian Bistro
Windermere | 1317 Windermere Way SW, Edmonton | bayleafrestaurant.ca
