Shanti’s Curries

3 ½ because the people were nice. Had the fish curry and found it to be good at the beginning but the flavour was missing something. It was a bit too salty or missing some tang or sweetness. The heat was dry but again missing something which made it harder to eat towards the end. I agree with other people’s comment on needing some variety such as veggies. The dish just had slices of fish with nothing else in the curry. I’m curious to try other dishes but the thought of having only chickpea and rice isn’t very appealing. The rice was on the dry side. Other people seemed to enjoy their samosa though.

My new fave for Indian takeout! I had the Chicken Roce Curry & Onion Pakoras; perfect spice level in the Curry, not too hot, just enough. The Pakoras were a nice treat, but next time I think I’d pair the Curry with the Raitha, to balance the spicy Curry dish.
Another thing I like is for takeout, they separate the rice from the curry, so it’s not a mushy mess when you get home… makes sense, but not all takeout spots do this.
BTW, very friendly staff, both front counter and kitchen!

Friendliest owners who have good clean food on the menu: organic chicken, grass-​fed beef, non-​GMO oils. My favourite is the chicken rose curry — amazing! You can bring your own bottle of wine for an $ 8 corkage fee. Enjoy!

My boyfriend and I came back to Shanti’s Curries on a hot Saturday afternoon, after what was – for me – a gruelling bike ride. I was so relieved that they were open at 4:30pm because I was starving and thirsty. We had the place to ourselves and sat at the table by the window.
I ordered a samosa, chicken roce curry, and a coconut water. While I waited, the girl working there was nice enough to give us a pitcher of water (rather than helping us refill each glass one by one) because I needed intense hydration. The samosa was as good as I remembered it – in one word, yumzorz! – and the chicken roce curry was delicious but quite spicy (the menu does say medium spicy but I took the risk!). Thankfully the chef gave me a bit of yogurt to make it milder.
I’ve added a star since my last review because I appreciate the uniqueness of Shanti’s Curries – I really like their bright space, friendly service, and the fact that they offer something different from a traditional Indian restaurant. And most importantly, their samosas are the ideal savoury treat!

Clean, simple, hip décor. Friendly staff. A menu that satisfied the meat-​eaters and vegetarians in our party. And great food: flavourful, filling, inexpensive for the quality and quantity. The dahl was a lovely lemony surprise. The chickpea curry was heavenly. The samosas were delicious. We ate too much, and enjoyed every bite. Definitely going again. Note: if you don’t like sharing a table with strangers, go outside peak hours.

Being out-​of-​towners, we tried all the «recommended» restaurants during our Vancouver stay. For Indian, we were going to head to East is East, but decided on Shanti’s simple menu.
No regrets at all. Easily our favorite meal of the entire trip. So flavorful in the best way. Not super heavy and coma-​inducing like Indian can otherwise be. Phenomenal food and deserves to be packed with patrons every night, with a line out the door.

Owners were friendly but the food was just ok. Had better Indian cuisine at Mezbaan on kingsway. The curries were bland and the rice tasted funny. And they had no naan!
Argh!

This place serves some great curry. Fantastic owners who know the food they serve and the quality shows just that. I came here for lunch so it was a bit on the pricey side but the portion size was more than enough. I tried the vegetable korma and boy was it hearty.
Partner had the malabar fish curry. Excellent balance of spice.

Very tasty, quality, flavorful food. I like all their dishes! The samosa chaat is so yummy. The food is not greasy at all.
Friendly owners and staff. It’s always super quick when I do a take out order on my way home.

Shanti’s Curries is a Vancouver must-​do! The owners, Danila and Sonny, put their heart and soul into their restaurant, and it shows. The dishes are all made from fresh ingredients, and the vibe is as fresh as the food! Try the samosa chaat. To. Die. For. Not sure what you want to try? Danila is able to suggest any of her awesome curries for whatever suits your taste buds. On one of my trips, an unusually hot day many months ago, I STILL just had to have the hot chai.
Good things are in store for this gem!

Rave Rave Rave
What a wonderful addition to the neighbourhood, and by choosing organic and hormone free meats and pulses it looks they know their Main St customer too! The menu is small but with meat to vegan entrees and appetizers available no one is left out and you always know with a short menu that bases, sauces, meals are not cooked in advance and reheated; they focus on what fresh food they can offer and we have yet to have a less than stellar bite.
The chicken curry is so flavourful, the veg korma is full of freshness, mild enough for anyone and so filling but make sure you have the Pakoras, they are the best around!
The space is small, bright, clean and friendly. HIGHLY Recommended

Wow, this place is so good! Finally had a chance to try it out and I was not disappointed. The owner was very informative & so friendly that they had already won me over before my food even arrived. Also the fact that they use quality ingredients in their food was a huge plus– non-​gmo, non medicated& free range meat etc).
When the beef curry arrived at the table I tried so hard not to eat the entire bowl but couldn’t because it was so delicious and perfectly spiced. The meat was tender and the rice was cooked to perfection. Honestly I can’t say one bad thing about this place. I can’t wait to go back, I’m hooked!

This was a return visit… and even better as Danila and Sonny approach their first anniversary… so they told us this evening. Warmly welcomed.
Recommend:
* Samosas appetizer, 1 or 2 to share
* Vegetable Curry
* Malabar Fish Curry, made with Pacific Cod
All curries served with Basmati Rice
While Shanti’s Curries has a full booze license, they serve only beer. Guests are welcome to bring own wine for a $ 8 corkage fee.
Tips: Reachable via 25, 33 or 3 buses. Or ¾ mile East of Canada Line
Trial Item: We tried a dessert without a name. Reminded us of a Fresh Lemon Mousse. Perfectly refreshing. Hope they put it on the menu.
We’re from NY, and return to Shanti’s Curries whenever we’re in Vancouver.

Great! I loved the layout of this place– clean, modern, simple. You can see right into the kitchen which looks very clean and organized. Served as a great backdrop for the excellent curry — well spiced and very flavorful. They use many organic and/​or non-​GMO ingredients. Not a very extensive menu, but I like the focus. I tried the fish curry, and I recommend it. Heat was medium but certainly tolerable even if you don’t like your curries super spicy.
Service was really friendly. I will definitely be back again.

This place opened in February, therefore, it is still young. My best friend and I had lots of room inside. The prices are mid to high for what you get, however, it is really good food. My best friend and I are on a gluten free/​vegan diet, therefore, we happened to walk by this place. I am a fan of the coconut curry veg. I tried the chickpea one which I wasn’t too much of a fan of. I wish they had more rice since they gave tons of curry… equal out the curry to rice ratio. Customer service was awesome.

We stopped by here after feeling a bit peckish from exploring Main St. The early reviews looked promising so we were excited.
Upon entering, you see right away this is not a typical Indian restaurant. It’s hipster chic in terms of décor, modern with sleek wooden tables and minimalist white chairs. The design lets the tiny room breath and gives it a bit more spaciousness, aided by the sets of mirrors adorning the north wall.
The menu continues the minimalist «less is more» approach with a handful of select curries for entrees as well as appetizers. I tried the fish curry and it was solid, but nothing to Unilocal about. It was well balanced coconut milk curry sauce, but the fish itself didn’t have much flavor on its own, it just felt like it was dropped into the broth. It definitely wasn’t worth $ 15. Maybe the extra cost is for the unnecessary pound of rice served with it? Not sure.
My wife’s samosas and pakoras were good, with the samosas being the standout. They were made from scratch and it showed.
We didn’t finish the pakoras because we were already quite full, and the owner noticed this as we were bussing our dishes before leaving. This is when shit got weird. He asked us «You guys don’t like pakoras?», clearly hurt that we weren’t licking our plates clean. We told him we were full but he was clearly still bummed. Nice enough guy, but dear owners: never say something like that to your customers, it just makes you sound needy. It felt like an awkward breakup («It’s not your pakoras, it’s me»).
Anyway, this place is ok, just ok, and not worth the prices they charge. Either they should up the quality or reduce the costs, but the current formula is a bit out of whack.

Shanti’s Curries is a fairly new Indian restaurant that is nestled between a convenience store and an hair salon on Main street, close to King Ed.
Gone are the tacky Indian paraphernalia one anticipates when going into an Indian restaurant — instead, we get a cozy and modern restaurant that fits right into the Main Street vibe. Long communal tables, plenty of natural lighting, tons of wooden tones; if I didn’t know this was an Indian restaurant, I would have pegged Shanti’s Curries as a coffee shop! The space is by no means huge, but they’ve done a pretty good job at making it seem spacious.
The price for the curries were a bit on the high side (12 – 15 $ per plate), but I was already committed to getting curry. It’s nice to have something to go with the curry, so I also got the Masala Chai.
The Masala Chai is made in-​house using organic milk and spices. It was a bit mild for me, as I generally prefer my chai to be really spicy. This would have made a lovely iced chai though!
Sonny and Danila (owners of Shanti) suggested for the curry that we go with the Chicken, as it has been pretty popular. The other recommendation was the Samosa Chaat.
The Samosa Chaat consists of two samosas, 2 chutneys, yogurt, onion and cilantro. Sonny described it as being like an Indian poutine, and I think he’s quite right (except for it not having fries, gravy, or cheese)! I thought the samosa variant is brilliant, and this is a must-​have dish at Shanti’s Curries.
It’s got the right combination of crunch, starch, sweetness, and spice flavour. The only downside was that the samosas were a bit cold on the inside, but certainly not a deal-​breaker.
The other dish we had was the Chicken Curry. It is a «classic spicy South Indian curry, made with local Organic free range chicken thighs, spices, tomatoes, onions, homemade chicken stock and finished with coconut milk and fresh cilantro». Looks pretty basic, but the curry was a mouthful of flavour. I was pleasantly surprised that the curry had a lot of heat to it. It’s a fine curry, and I think any curry lover would do well to they it out.
On a separate occasion, I came back with some friends and had their Chick Pea Curry. It looks a lot like the Chicken Curry, but this Chick Pea Curry is much milder and is loaded with organic chick peas. I prefer the Chicken Curry more, but if you’re not too into spicy curries this a pretty good alternative. The Beef Chettinad (beef curry), is also milder than the Chicken Curry! Also, the rice that accompanies the curries are refillable!

Clean space, adorable décor, fantastic service, good food.
My date and I opted for some samosas, the beef chettinand, the sambar dahl, and some raitha. The samosas were really good — flavourful, not greasy, mild on the spiciness. I would definitely come back just to try the samosa chaat. The beef chettinand also had a really nice flavour. Admittedly I was not a fan of the sambar dahl (my date’s pick), but I don’t really like lentils to begin with, so don’t take my word for it. The raitha rounded out the meal nicely. What more could I ask for? Actually some naan would be a great addition to the menu!
I agree with the other reviewers that the prices are a bit high, however I can appreciate that they use all organic, non-​GMO, not going to kill you slowly ingredients. The meals were also a decent size — with the samosa appetizer we were only able to finish about half of our mains, so had a good-​sized portion left over for lunch the next day. I’m interested in trying the fish curry and the veggie korma, so I’ll be back.

Came here for some curry goodness after being recommended by a friend.
Parking is available along the side streets to the W of Main.
The inside is very clean. There are only 3 – 4 tables (6 seats each). Nice light wood trim, and very spacious.
My friend and I had several items here. There are only 9 or so menu items, but as long as you are into curry, there is something for you here. I personally like places that make a few dishes well, and this place definitely fits the bill.
Prices are a little high, at $ 15 for a dish of curry. Reminds me of food truck pricing. With that said, you do get what you pay for here.
Chai tea — nice and hot. Ginger kick is there, but could be stronger. (for a good Chai I recommend East is East nearby)
Samosa chaat — 2 samosas, with chutney and yogurt. Wow this is good. Special mention. The chutney adds a bit of tang that adds a nice complexity to the flavour.
Malabar fish curry — really nice kick. Fish pieces are long and thin. Very delicious. All curries are served with basmati rice.
Chicken roce curry — also very good. The subtleties of the flavours (especially the coconut) really shine with the ingredients.
Sambar dahl — vegan curry. Lots of lentils inside.
Raitna — bowl of yogurt, with slices of cucumber. Can be used to counteract the spiciness of the curry.
I had a chance to chat with the owner Danila, and learned a few things. Very nice and friendly lady.
1) Shanti is the name of Danila’s mother. Danila learned many of the recipes from her mother while growing up.
2) The food is somewhat inspired by Sri Lankan cuisine, as she is from the coastal area.
3) All curries are made from scratch.
4) The theme of the restaurant is «fast casual» — the food can be grabbed in a pinch, but has an air of classiness. I would say she has succeeded in this front. It honestly reminds me of Vikram Vij’s food truck.
5) Danila’s personal favourite dish is the fish curry.
Overall, I was very happy with this place. Some of the best Indian cuisine I’ve had in town. Will be back. Recommended.

Well the choices for good food in our neighbourhood just keeps getting better and better.
After our first visit we were very impressed and look forward to trying out the rest of their menu which shouldn’t take us too long.
The vegetable Korma was a hit and my Chicken dish was a winner too. Love the fact that all the ingredients are Organic, non GMO and fresh.