For its third Vancouver location, Sula Indian Restaurant is embracing its heritage while leaning into all things bold, bright, and modern.
Opened at the end of February, Sula's newest outpost is located steps from beautiful English Bay at 1708 Davie St in the West End.
The new Sula location joins its well-established and popular siblings on Commercial Drive and Main Street to the east in Vancouver.
Led by Executive Chef Balvant "Bal" Ajagaonkar, Sula Davie Street's menu features an array of traditional dishes alongside a fresh selection of street food-inspired fare, featuring exciting flavours and visually-arresting presentation.
Menu at Sula a meld of modern and traditional Indian food
A dish like the Raj Kachori is a feast for the eyes. A crispy sphere is filled with a cold filling of potatoes and chickpeas in a vibrant mint chutney with tamarind, drizzled with a cardamon yogurt. The meld of crunchy and soft and sour and sweet is a wonderful way to kick off a feast, with each spoonful rousing the tastebuds.
The starters, styled after chaat fare (snacks), are fun and engaging, like the buttery buns stuffed with a spiced mince lamb and a bit of cheese (Keema Pao) or the plump, juicy, marinated prawns with mint sauce and slaw (Aagri Zinga). Plant-based diners will enjoy the Kerala-style "Jackfruit Fry," which are thick chunks of the meat substitute tossed in a hearty sauce; the bites are immensely satisfying.
From the bar, a fun set of contemporary sips includes a refreshing option like the Tamarind Margarita - one of Sula's most popular drinks, and rightfully so - with smoky mezcal, tangy tamarind, and a cricket salt rim. The cocktails were created by award-winning Vancouver bartender Jeff Savage.
For those not imbibing, the mango lassi is sweet, tart, and creamy and will spell you from any of the dishes' spice and heat.
Sula's more traditional dishes occupy the rest of the menu, from the tandoori selections to the curries and stews best enjoyed with shreds of seed-studded roti or garlicky naan. The Nihari Lamb Shank is fork tender, while the Kairy Prawns are succulent, swimming in a punchy sauce made with mango and coconut.
Paneer is a great meat-free option for a curry, and it works beautifully in the Makhani. This is essentially the same sauce more commonly referred to as "butter chicken" - it's a creamy tomato sauce - which when ordered mild clocks in as more sweet than spiced (and yes, you can get the Makhani with chicken, aka murgh).
The desserts at the new Sula carry out the restaurant's vision of offering a contemporary, elegant, and inspiring Indian dining experience. The Parsi Mawa Cake is a tea cake infused with reduced milk, which here gets a bright green hue and earthy flavour from pistachio. Much like a tres leches cake, the crumb is soft and moist. Sula serves it swimming in a pool of pistachio milk with sweet swirls of jalebi.
Sula's third location not merely duplicate of its predecessors
For its newest restaurant, the Sula team is still proudly deploying its elephant motif, but the design is decidedly contemporary and luxurious. The tables come with the trendy feature of a wireless touch lamp with three light level settings.
In the works for over a year, Sula's team took over the space that had previously been Keshari (and Pacifico Pizza, then Relish, before that). The interiors were designed by Vancouver-based architect David Wong, Principal of WHG Designs.
Sula began on Commercial Drive in 2010, and, in late 2020, revealed its second location was headed for the vacated Reef restaurant space on Main Street.
The new Davie Street branch of Sula Indian Restaurant will offer lunch and dinner service daily, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Video: Checking out the new West End location of Sula Indian Restaurant
@forkingawesomevia Let’s chaat about the new location of this Indian restaurant in Vancouver. #vancouverbc #forkingawesome #chaat #indianfood ♬ Lo-Fi chill beat(886457) - 平松誠
Find more delicious Vancouver food and drink video stories by following V.I.A's Forking Awesome TikTok account, @forkingawesomevancouver on Instagram, and signing up for our Forking Awesome newsletter delivered fresh to your inbox every Thursday.
