by MARK SLUTSKY

After a couple of months of renovations that led some regular customers to worry that the place might just close down forever, Punjabi restaurant Malhi Sweets has finally reopened in the same location on Jarry it’s occupied for the last few years.

This is good news for fans of Indian food. The new-and-improved Malhi Sweets has a slightly smaller dining area, as they’ve expanded the previously tiny kitchen to a more workable size, but the place doesn’t look drastically different. The new décor is simple and not opulent, save for a couple of incongruous chandeliers on the ceiling. It seems like they’ve changed a few recipes, but if anything, the food’s gotten even better.

Punjabi cuisine is marked by a reliance on dairy products and breads. It’s not rice-heavy, though of course you can order the stuff at Malhi if you like. Gravies and sauces are also the thing, and the various baked goods make for nice sopping-up material.

Malhi has a fairly extensive menu, and since much of it is good it’s hard not to over-order. This is especially true of the appetizers. On our visit last week we threw caution to the wind and ordered nearly a meal’s worth of starters. They sell their pakoras by the pound here, interestingly enough, so we ordered up a plate ($4). They’re some of the best in the city - little assemblages of various vegetables (with spinach being a stand-out) fried a dark, crispy brown, and served with a side of savoury turmeric sauce.

One of my dining companions is nuts about the lentil soup ($2) so we all shared a bowl of that. She swore that the recipe had changed, though the soup is still great. It seems to be tangier now, with a mid-tone of spiciness that you only really feel on the roof of your mouth. We also ordered the channa samosas ($3), which no one had noticed on the menu before. A pair of the triangular vegetable pastries, each cut in half with the whole thing covered in a big mess of tomato, yogurt and chickpeas, this is quite an addictive dish. As good as it was, I think Bombay Mahal, down the street (1001 Jean-Talon W.), offers a slightly superior version. Yet both accomplish the unlikely feat of improving on the basic samosa.

Our main courses were accompanied by a selection of Malhi’s breads: regular naan ($1.25), garlic naan ($2.25) and onion kulcha ($1.99), which is stuffed with fried onions. As to be expected, they’re served hot and fresh, and their flavours mingle well with the food. One nice touch about this place is that they serve everything in gleaming stainless-steel dishware, which makes soaking up the last of the sauce a very satisfying experience.

If you like butter chicken, the restaurant’s version ($7) is a must-order. The sauce is deep orange and incredibly rich, with a strong showing from the tomatoes. Importantly, the chicken itself isn’t treated as an afterthought: it’s downright velvety. The malai kofta ($6) is served in the same sauce, only instead of chicken there’s cylinders of paneer (cheese).

Another good choice, and veggie-friendly, is the aloo mattar ($6), a green pea and potato curry. This one definitely errs on the side of the chilli-powered hot and spicy. In fact, all of our dishes were satisfyingly fiery, though not insane. That included the eggplant curry ($6), a plate of roasted eggplant and onions, cooked to tenderness. This one’s appealing to aubergine-lovers and haters alike, as it’s got none of the sliminess that turns some people off the plant, while retaining its flavour-sponging powers.

Order a punjabi lassi ($2.50) if your palate is sensitive - the yogurt drink, flavoured slightly with cardamom, is the best way to take the edge off, not to mention ensure smooth digestion.

Malhi Sweets
Address: 880 Jarry W. (a couple blocks east of Acadie)
Phone: 273-0407
Hours: 11AM–11PM, every day but Tuesday
Best features: Either the hot, fresh breads or the endless pakoras
Alcohol: Yes
Vegetarian friendly: Yes
Credit cards: "Coming soon," and they do take Interac
Wheelchair access: Yes
Non-smoking section: No specific section is marked, but nobody seems to smoke in there
Price: $7–$15 per person before tip
Rating: *** out of ****