Wham, bam

>> South Asian eatery Zam Zam packs in the spices

One recent Friday, under cover of night, I set out on a trek in search of one thing, and one thing only: Sri Lankan string hoppers, delicious steamed rice-flour strings. Sadly, there were none to be had in the first restaurant I set foot in that evening, nor in the second—even though they figured prominently on both menus. So, I may not have uncovered the perfect hopper on my journey, but I did rediscover the spice route, that strip of South Asian eateries that runs along Jean-Talon in Park Ex. The second stop, where I stayed, was Zam Zam, a Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Indian eatery, located on the corner of Bloomfield .

India and Pakistan are among the world’s biggest producers of spices, turning out millions of tons of the stuff every year. No doubt a good chunk of that tonnage ended up in my veggie kotthu ($4.50). They sure don’t skimp on the spices at this joint. Ginger, cumin and mustard seeds: they’re all in there. And there must have also been a sale on cardamom somewhere, as hardly a bite failed to produce that distinct burst of flavour.

A kotthu can best be described as a matted dish harbouring the elastic and doughy consistency of a shredded pancake fried with a slew of ingredients like mutton, beef or chicken ($7–$8). Along with the aforementioned spices in abundance, my veggie dish incorporated mashed basmati, fried onion and fresh spring onion bits, tiny green peas, potato and hot chilli peppers. If dreadlocks were a spicy dish, this would be it. It was served a little more lukewarm than I would have liked, but—between cardamom blasts—I thoroughly enjoyed this Tamil and Sri Lankan treat.

Whereas the kotthu was chock full of flavour, the same can’t be said for the vadai (two for $1), which was noticeably lacking in the spice department. This South Indian deep-fried appetizer resembles a plain doughnut, but the similarity ends there, I’m afraid. It won’t trigger a sugar rush or soothe your sweet tooth in any way, as this concoction is fashioned with dahl (lentil) or chickpea paste. Despite the addition of a few sparse cumin seeds and onion bits, the ones this place serves up amount to little more than a dense, bland piece of dough. My advice is to skip it altogether and opt for the beef roti. A soft, yet well-cooked doughy blanket envelops a flavourful minced beef and tender potato inner shell spiked with cinnamon and cumin. Quite tasty, and at $1.50 apiece, you simply can’t go wrong.

Observant Muslims will be pleased to hear that the food here is 100 per cent halal. The beef biryani ($7) is one such dish packed with oodles of hot and spicy fun. In addition to the spices above, mustard seeds dominate, with the occasional bay leaf and clove putting in an appearance among the beefy chunks and multi-hued basmati grains. It comes topped with sweet but tangy pickled carrot and hot pepper, and is crowned by a cold, hard-boiled egg that I, frankly, could have done without. A prune’s stone turned up in the mixture at one point, so there must have been some of that in there as well.

Zam Zam is one of those somewhat kitschy, but charming establishments with a steady flow of locals who seem to appreciate the food. My guess is that they don’t show solely because of the refrigerated display case filled to the brim with nothing but soft drink cans about a hundred strong, the wall-to-wall mural depicting some sort of tropical forest scene, or even the light fixtures in the shape of little glass partridges swinging from the ceiling. They like the chow and they like the prices. That having been said, unless you’re planning on bringing your own Tupperware, you’ll be out pocket an extra 50 cents for a doggie bag if you can’t finish it all, so eat up and save.

 

ADDRESS: 634 Jean-Talon W. PHONE: (514) 270-1108 HOURS: Every day 11 a.m.–11 p.m. BEST FEATURES: Generous use of Indian spices, halal eats, very affordable ALCOHOL: No WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: No VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes CREDIT CARDS: Cash only PRICE: $10 per person after tax and tip
RATING: ** out of ****