Can I confess something to you? Growing up, I was not a fan of Indian food. Like, at all. I also knew nothing about Korean food beyond at-your-table BBQ, so there’s that. A lot has changed over the years and while I certainly don’t consider myself any sort of expert on food from the Indian subcontinent, I enjoy the cuisine a heck of a lot more. Chakra Indian Restaurant is, to the best of my knowledge, the only Indian restaurant in Burnaby Heights. But, is it any good?
In the not too distant past, the same spot on Hastings near Gilmore was occupied by King Mahal, also an Indian restaurant. It was okay, but really nothing to write home about. Let’s see how Chakra Indian Restaurant compares.
Paneer Pakora
Seasoned chickepea batter fried cottage cheese ($8.99)
We often order vegetable pakora when we visit Indian restaurants. Sometimes, we get fish pakora. In both cases, you usually get irregularly shaped nuggets of fried goodness. We decided to go a bit different this time, opting for the paneer pakora. Paneer is a very mild cheese. It’s not really “cottage cheese.” It’s almost more like pressed tofu.
You get four squares of paneer pakora to an order. The paneer itself had a firm, bouncy texture to it. The seasoning on the outside batter gave it just enough saltiness too. While I think I liked this, I still prefer vegetable pakora overall.
Garlic Naan
Plain naan flavored with garlic ($2.99 each)
Photos don’t do this justice. The naan at Chakra Indian Restaurant is huge. You only get one piece per order (we got two orders), but each piece measures about a foot across. It had a good chew with plenty of garlic flavor. I do wish they left it in the tandoor oven a little longer, as I prefer a bit more char and crispness to the outside.
Lamb Rogan Josh
Boneless lamb cooked with onions, garlic, ginger and traditional Indian herbs and spices ($14.99)
I have another confession to make. This is not our first time ordering from Chakra Indian Restaurant. Some time back, we got the Lamb Methi. Our primary motivation is the inclusion of fenugreek in that preparation, which we really enjoyed with the lamb popsicles at Vij’s Restaurant. While the Lamb Methi was fine, we really couldn’t taste the fenugreek.
More often than not, my preferred lamb curry at an Indian restaurant is Lamb Korma. Just as we veered away from veggie pakora, we took a different approach with the curry this time too. The Lamb Rogan Josh was rich, creamy and aromatic. It’s great with garlic naan. The lamb morsels were large and tender.
Chicken Karahi
Chicken cooked with onion, bell pepper, tomato in light curry ($14.99)
Maybe there’s a bit of a theme here. Everyone gets butter chicken. It’s the chicken souvlaki or sweet and sour pork of Indian food. Going a bit off the beaten path, we opted for the Chicken Karahi. I think they also have it at Agra Tandoori Restaurant on Canada Way. To my understanding, Chicken Karahi traces its origins to Pakistani cuisine with variations in northern India.
It’s much chunkier and full of texture, especially when compared to the Rogan Josh. There are whole chunks of onion and bell pepper in there. The tomato adds a noticeable sweetness, which cuts through some of the heat. Chicken morsels are large, though on the dry side. Of the two, I think I still prefer the Rogan Josh.
Harness Your Chakra Indian Cuisine?
The Paneer Pakora came with mint and tamarind chutneys for dipping. I like both for different reasons. All in all, Chakra Indian Restaurant is a solid choice for this type of cuisine in North Burnaby. Our takeout containers were a little messy, with the curry almost overflowing past the lids, but they survived the trip home. Flavors are solid and, as mentioned, the naan is huge.
Our total bill came to $47.20 before gratuity. There’s a lunch (and dinner) thali with butter chicken available too, as well as a vegetarian option. Chakra Indian Restaurant is located at 4051 Hastings Street in Burnaby Heights. They’re open daily from 12:00 pm to 9:30 pm. Visit their website for the full menu and more information. You can also order online via Skip the Dishes, Doordash or Uber Eats.
For more, be sure to check out my full list of the best food in Burnaby Heights and Brentwood. As Chakra is the only Indian restaurant around here, it wouldn’t really be fair to create a “Best Indian” category for that post. But, there are plenty of other gems you’ll want to know about!
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