I dunno – I’ve seen some weird things at the All India and I’m not a fan (I once saw an employee scrape a plate back into the buffet). However, the Himalaya at the other end of the block on the same side of the street is fantastic – I’ve been going there for years and it’s never disappointed me. I haven’t tried the buffet there, but the menu is really reasonable.

I second the Himalaya suggestion! I used to go to All India pretty often when I lived in that neighbourhood but the service was always terrible and the food was so-so. Then I discovered for a couple bucks more you can get all you can eat that involves butter chicken at Himalaya and they’ll bring you your drink in a reasonable amount of time. Hurrah!

I do not like it up on Main.
I do not like the gastro-pain
I will not eat it on a bet
I will not eat it with a vet
I would not eat it on a caper
I don’t have enough toilet paper
I will not, would not, could not hurry
To eat Vancouver’s worstest curry

I’d rather be like Edmund H.
And climb the mount to better taste
And take you to a better place
That will not rip me a new ace.

So let’s to Himalaya go
no precipice or mountain snow
but aloo parantha on the go
And even dosas don’t you know

We’ll order it all a la carte
buffets are where the trouble starts
where goras try to show some heart
by setting off a week of farts.

You win this round, Demers!

So I’ll buy YOU dinner at Himalaya.

I’ve been reading Green Eggs and Ham to my son a lot lately and I believe the moral is “If you can’t beat em, join em”. Although it was supposed to happen the other way around I’m finally accepting defeat, Charlie; I will dine with you at the Himalaya, and I will like it. I might even like it on a boat, with a goat, with a mouse, in a house, on a train and (of course) in the rain.

amazing.

this exchange brought a tear to mine eye

Pretty much the best comment on a blog… ever. Well played.

Charles, we all owe you lunch at himalaya now. Wow.

HIMALAYA is way better! I once went to try All India Sweets… but we left shortly after being seated because we just couldn’t trust it would be as good as the Himalaya…

still a soft spot in my heart for this place….the meagre price turned me onto indian food and gave me the strength to eat anything….

I’ll make up special haggis samosas as a special prize for Charles Demers….

I think he liked the deep-fried haggis won tons with sweet & sour plum sauce that I served at the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner… or maybe he was too polite to mention.