I’ve attended curated culinary experiences before, but something told me to expect the unexpected when we received an invite from Sumit Paudyal, owner of Sabitri’s Nepalese And Indian Food in Owen Sound’s historic downtown core. You know you’re in for a good time when the chef’s email asks ‘what kind of spice level are you good with?’ I replied with a grateful and confident ‘whatever you want to serve me, I’m good with’ kind of attitude.
On the night we arrive, it’s a cold and blustery Sunday night and the restaurant looks like a warm beacon of hope, spilling light out into the otherwise quiet street. It’s snowing hard and we’re chilled from a day at the rink with the kiddos. The restaurant is packed, the traditional Nepalese music is bumping and we’re greeted at the bar by Sumit. We place a drink order and await the first course under the sway of the peace flags.
“We’re going on a bit of an adventure tonight,” he says, greeting the crowd. The experience is carefully laid out to mimic a standard day of eating in India or Nepal, weaving in and out of the street sampling small marketside delicacies, friend’s houses, a small lunch spot, and then back home for an evening feast. The first dish is an homage to Canada and a Canuck tabletop staple, the humble potato. A beautifully smashed spud arrives in front of us, spicy and warm. My chill is immediately vanquished as I sip down a juicy Side Launch IPA (that was recommended to me as a good complimentary beverage, no less).
Cleansing my palate and overcoming the heat, the second meal comes out; momo’s. If you know you know. Nicely spiced, and floating in a warm, creamy coconut broth with chili oil, this is easily my favourite dish of the night. It comes from a special place in Sumit’s heart, a memory from home where he would steal change from his mother to sneak out and buy them for himself. I lap up the spicy broth and start to understand why he’d accept the risk of confronting maternal wrath – totally worth it.
Further to the awesome food, the space is delightful and we enjoy some time to chat and catch up with some friends who are also in attendance. It feels like a spot you’ve frequented for years, comfortable and accommodating.
The next dish arrives, a curried yoghourt chicken, puffed rice, and an intimidatingly large dried chili. The chicken is bright and flavourful, beaming with colour. The rice offers a nice light crunch. Then the pièce de résistance of the main meal, a large platter of chicken, rice, curry’s, a small soup, and spicy pickled veggies. We gorge ourselves, sampling different combinations of sauces with different textures. This is no doubt an ‘extraordinary experience’ s the sign at the front of the restaurant says. For dessert, a cold taste of sweet rice pudding, the perfect cleanser for a spicy, warm meal that’s successfully fended off the minor hockey rink chills.
We take a few moments to chat with Sumit and his staff before parting and heading back out into the snow. We’ll most definitely be back – those momo’s are calling my name. Do yourself a favour and book a table for this coming weekend, you’ll be glad you did.
Words and photos by Nelson Phillips
