Vij's Restaurant, Vancouver

My wife and I were very impressed by this restaurant. Everything we ate was delicious. The curried deviled eggs, bell pepper fritters, curried jackfruit, saag paneer, and halibut with mango reduction were sublime. I am also a big fan of the vodka mojitos, which are a must. The almost all female staff seemed good at multitasking, and even waiting for our table was pleasant with drinks and little snacks brought out to us. If you want traditional Indian dishes, this isn't for you, but if you want fun, creative, delicious food exploding with spicy Indian flavor this is the place.

Beginning with the personal greeting from the owner, Vikram, to the delectable potato fritters and chai tea to enjoy while waiting in the lounge to the most exquisite Lamb Popsicles I've ever had the pleasure of eating - this is my best Indian cuisine experience by far. When I come back home to Vancouver, this is the restaurant I want to visit the most and the wait is worth the reward of dinner and the cozy ambiance. Thank you Vikram for this experience!!!

Me & my husband didn't like the restaurant at all. It was a small restaurant with lots of people. Lights were too dim. Most of the people had to stand and wait for more than an hour to get their turns to dining. There was no parking available, so had to park 2 blocks away. The food was not good also, I am from India so I know how Indian food tastes like, and the food there was no where close. As we were not able to finish all food, we got it packed, but next day when we ate the food, my husband found a piece of glass in the food, were they trying to kill their customer or something? I will never go to that restaurant and not recommend anyone to go there as well.

Vij's surpasses its high reputation. Food and service are both stellar. What they're doing with the food is extremely sophisticated; it's not overdressed nonsense, like what's found at Bobby Flay's tourist joints. This is food for people who can tell when the cooking is Punjabi versus Bengali versus Goa-style, and who will recognize the adventure being served to them. Detailed review: Doors open at 5:30; we arrived at 5:15. The line was already huge; the last table was filled by the party four ahead of us. We were directed to the tiny lounge to put our name on the wait list and have a drink. The lounge doesn't offer appetizers, but they thoughtfully brought around trays of munchies to keep the waiting diners from getting cranky. Simple but delicious. We got our table at 6:45. To start, we ordered samosas and curry-stewed jackfruit. Both were delicious. The samosas were expertly made, the meat stuffing flavorful and lightly fluffy; the jackfruit was fascinating, a deeply layered flavor. Both had exactly the right amount of spicy heat. For entrees, we got the shortribs (beef, in a cinnamon-and-curry red-wine braise, plus gently cooked kale), and the sablefish (marinated, quickly grilled, with asparagus and grilled zucchini, over a reduced-mango curry). The shortribs were as good as any I've had anywhere. The sablefish was perfectly cooked, moist, flaky, and flavorful. And the mango sauce was one of the most spectacular things I've ever tasted, with deep layers of flavor. First a sweetly pungent aroma; on the tongue, a burst of spicy curry; then the sweet mango counterpoint sneaks in; then the curry spices present themselves, a chorus of individual voices; then everything combines in your mouth and the aroma returns. I almost cried: each bite was a tiny little orgasm of flavor. By the third bite, I was wishing for a bathtub of the stuff, so I could submerge myself in it. For dessert, we opted for a small selection of spiced chocolates made by a local candy artisan. Chocolate + garam masala = my new favorite twist on dessert, and soon a subject for experimentation in my own kitchen. What really made the night was the phenomenal service. Vikram Vij himself greeted guests at the door, and circulated on the floor, taking orders, supervising staff, monitoring both kitchen and lounge. Nothing missed his eye. Passing our table, he saw we had neglected the kale alongside the shortribs, and encouraged us, with charming pride, to try them. He also played busboy, refilling my companion's water glass from the carafe on the table. The regular wait staff was equally professional, present and available, but with a light, unoppressive touch. Truly a first-class operation. When diners were finished, Vij made a point of saying goodbye. As we stood and gathered our coats, Vij bustled over and asked us how we enjoyed the meal. We were effusively complimentary, which he accepted with grace and humility. Highly recommended for the right sort of foodie. If you're a rube, pass.

I'm not sure how this place has a decent Yahoo rating. The food is over-priced and too hip for itself. Forget getting a soda (they only have ginger ale) and don't even ask for a straw (they don't have straws). I'm not sure how a resturant so pretenious does not implode on itself. I feel sorry for you in Vancouver that thinks this is good Indian food. The food was ok, but between the awful service, over-priced food, and extremely long wait - forget it, you can do much better.

Some of the other reviews may say other things about how great this food was, however i went with my family but only to discover that our service was terrible. What we recieved was cold food and terrible service. Out of ten, i would have to give this place a .5/10! There you go Mr. Vij, the food was terrible and you did nothing to help make our stay more enjoyable. We will never go back, and I suggest you never go!

Rarely do restaurants live up to their hype but this one does! The appetizer provided while waiting were fresh, hot, and tasty. Although the wait was a bit long (as expected) the time went by quickly. Menu selections were far from the ordinary, arrived promptly, and were as good as advertised. The signature lamb popsicles in a fenugreek-laden sauce was wonderful. The eggplant was gently spiced and was definitely out of the ordinary. Saag aloo was not the conventional preparation at all. Service was a little less than attentive but responsive when servers were solicited. A lovely experience!

The restaurant itself is inviting and comfortable. The wait to be seated can be long (no reservations taken) but there is a bar area in the back where you can relax and be treated to free appetizers before you are seated. Everything we tried was delicious. They are most known for their lamb kebabs which I sadly did not try after having terrible lamb at another restaurant the night before. However, I will return to find out for myself just how good they are!

We waited a very long time in line. Unfortunately we were too far behind in the line to get a seat for the first sitting. What was very dissappointing was that the poeple behind us had actually made a reservation and were seated eventhough they waited less time than us. (they obviously knew someone who worked at Vijs) If there are no reservations then the policy should consistant.

Everything was just awesome, I couldn't ask for anymore. The food was so delicious, especially the desert. The service was excellent, more pleasing than other restaurant that was what I find, and the mood of the restaurant was welcoming, I enjoyed the whole feeling from the time I entered till the time I left. I say it's the number one restaurant in Vancouver, no doubt about it.