If you find yourself in the West Island searching for a warm, tasty pick-me-up on a cold night, look no farther than Tandoori Taste. One bite of their onion naan and you’ll be a believer.

In a quiet strip mall at 6878 des Sources in D.D.O., Tandoori Taste offers traditional Indian food for a price that will leave your wallet just as happy as your stomach.

Appetizers are $2.95 (soups) to $7.95 and main courses range from $10-$12. Their daily lunch buffet is only $8.99. Tandoori Taste’s menu contains traditional Indian staples including chicken tika, butter chicken, and regular and stuffed naan bread.

We started our meal with a pair of mango lassis, a popular Indian drink made from mango pulp and yogurt with a thick, creamy texture.

The mixed grill appetizer was a huge hit. A sizzling platter of lamb, shrimp, two types of chicken and mixed vegetables, it’s a sin not to order this appetizer.

The chicken tika and tandoori chicken stood out. Both were cooked to perfection—tender and juicy with distinctive spice combinations.

The shrimp and lamb were also tasty. The lamb was particularly earthy and meaty, with a sharper spice that contrasted nicely with both the chicken and the grilled vegetables in the dish.

The fish pankor may have been the highlight of the meal. Deep-fried to perfection, the golden brown balls of flaky white fish fell apart after each bite and were spiced just enough to take it from fancy fish sticks to killer appetizer.

A polite, smiling server was always there to answer our questions and fill our water glasses. Eating Indian food, that kind of water service was vital.

Next came butter chicken, vegetable korma and veggie lamb. The lamb was the most interesting of the dishes, and is part of Tandoori Taste’s menu of meat alternatives. This side menu offers traditional Indian dishes made with veggie-friendly tofu.

While this dish tasted like lamb, the lack of complexity in the spicing made it hard to eat more than a few bites.

The butter chicken was my favourite, with its rich, buttery sauce warming the taste buds in a way only butter and cream can. The vegetable korma had a slightly different seasoning that allowed it to shine.

Rice and naan accompanied the main dishes. The basmati rice offered little more than a canvas for the main courses, but did its job admirably. The naan was crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.

Dinner finished on a sweet note with Indian-style ice cream on a stick. Made with milk, cream and flavouring, these little desert popsicles calmed our palates after the heat of the meal.

Tandoori Taste is a “come hungry, leave happy” restaurant. You can even bring that crazy vegetarian cousin.

Tandoori Taste: 4878 des Sources in D.D.O.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story carried an incorrect address. Tandoori Taste is at 4878 des Sources. The Senior Times regrets the error.