Velvet Cafe's potato tiki

Type of cuisine: Modern Indian Cuisine

Hours: Tue-Fri 12pm­-2pm; 5:30pm-10pm. Sat 5:30pm-10pm. Closed Sun & Mon.

Seating: 28 plus 6 at the bar. Handicap accessible

Price guide: $$ Two can dine for $25-45. Visa, Amex, Diners, Master Card, Interac accepted.

Reservations: Recommended especially on weekends

Chef speciality: Chicken skewers, rose vegetable with prawn, pistachio encrusted prawns, yam and apple curry.

Spirits: +Red wine+ Wyndham Estate, AU; Tommasi, IT; Robert Mondavi Woodbridge, US; Chateau de Cabriac, FR; Rosemount Estate, AU; Ravenswood, US. +White wine+ Dr Loosen, DE; Wild Goose, CA; Wyndham Estate, AU; Carmen, CH; Oyster Bay, NZ. +Dessert wine+ Batasiolo Moscato d'Asti, IT. +Import and domestic beer+ India Pale Ale, Raven Cream Ale, Sleeman Silver Greek Lager, Shaftebury Honey Pale Ale, Stella Artois, Unibroue--La Fin du Monde

The Scene: For many, a fusion of Indian and Korean cultures seems odd. However, that can be found at Velvet Cafe. "Not so traditional Indian Food" is its motto. Take their chicken skewers for example. The Chicken is first marinated in Korean BBQ sauce and then grilled over charcoals. It is served with Indian achar (pickles in balsamic vinegar).

The sesame salad, made with fresh vegetables topped with special black sesame sauce, is a must-try. The potato tiki is just as delicious--two humongous deep fried potato cakes are served with the chef's killer sauce.

Customers mustn't leave without trying the heavenly pistachio encrusted prawns with spicy ginger dip.

The restaurant's trademark dish is the rose vegetable with prawns. A more adventurous dish is the ginger roasted yam and apple curry with scallops. Velvet Cafe's main dishes are served with basamati rice, achar and a choice of naan or chapatti.

For dessert, there is Gulab Jamum which is golden milk dumplings in a warmed cardamom sauce.

The food is the soul of restaurant, and the physical space is the body. Velvet Cafe is intimate, warm, yet modern, and sleek.