If you’ve walked on Crescent street (who hasn’t?), you’ll have noticed the score of restaurants and bars lining the strip. Some have been around for ages and are Montreal classics, while some seem to do a little rotation every other year, so Crescent is always a mix of old and new. But we’re sure that you’ve walked by a Crescent classic time and time again without realizing what a gem you were passing by. Devi is that diamond in the rough.
Devi is a beautiful Indian restaurant that has stood the test of time and has been on Crescent street for 10 years! We were invited to sample some of their Indian fare on their 10 year anniversary, and we must say, we regret not knowing about this spot sooner!
Devi isn’t your typical hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant. The décor is beautiful and authentic, with two floors, the top floor perfect for a private party (hint hint: if you have any Christmas parties coming up…). To give us more of an Indian feel, they had a henna station by @vivalahenna and handed out colourful bangles and bindis.
We got to try many delicious Indian treats that we may not have tried on our own. We tend to stick to our favourites when we go for Indian, but it helps when you get recommendations from an authentic restaurant!
One of our favourite appetizers was the Manchurian Cauliflower. Cauliflower is such an underrated veggie… The cauliflower was fried with tomato sauce filled with garlic, curry leaf, and black pepper, and it just sang in our mouth!
If you love cheese, you’ll love the Kurkuri Cheese. It’s kind of like an Imperial roll, but filled with ooey gooey cheese. Once you deep fry cheese, you never go back.
Of course, we tried the classic, Butter Chicken, and they did not disappoint! The creamy goodness danced on our tongues and we gleefully dipped our naan bread into it, devouring as much sauce as we could. Because of course there was naan bread. And it was fresh and delicious.
Another main that we’ve never tried before was the Lamb Rogan Josh, and it will definitely be on our to-order list from now on. The lamb was slow cooked in an onion tomato sauce with tantalizing spices like fennel and black cardam.
Since Indian food in India is predominantly vegetarian, they of course offered us a vegetarian main. We tried the Dum Aloo, a potato based dish, where the potatoes were first fried and then cooked slowly in its creamy sauce.
We definitely recommend this spot for an authentic Indian meal that won’t disappoint. Who said you can’t dress up to go for Indian in Montreal? Devi will impress all the senses, but mainly the eyes, nose, and mouth (we don’t recommend eating with your hands or trying to listen to your food). Anyone craving Indian?
1450 Rue Crescent, Montréal, QC H3G 1R1
(514) 286-0303
Photos courtesy of Devi Restaurant.
