Reviewing India’s Most Wanted: Bringing the best of India to Langley Township. 

While growing up in the Lower Mainland, my family would celebrate Mother’s Day by going to dinner at an Indian restaurant. It sounds simple enough, but at the time, it meant driving 45 minutes (a lifetime for a child) to Vancouver’s Main Street to dine at the only Indian restaurant in the area. We made the journey to the iconic Himalaya Restaurant, which still exists today, just to taste their renowned Chole Bhature. It was always a fun adventure and a great dining experience, which I’m sure many other families experienced as well. 

Now, nearly 20 years later, there are a plethora of local options for Indian food all throughout the Lower Mainland. There has been a restaurant explosion in recent years, and it’s been fascinating to see the direction these new restaurants have taken. 

The Indian restaurants of today are sleek, modern, and comprise of an East-meets-West menu to satisfy their clientele. The modern aesthetics and interesting food items in these establishments are quite impressive. This emerging renaissance has allowed some restaurants to prove themselves to be fine dining establishments in their own right. 

Langley’s newest Indian restaurant is India’s Most Wanted. With an exterior reminiscent of Punjab mansions, the small but spacious restaurant stays true to its roots. Superb food, impeccable service, and bargain deals are the hallmarks of an authentic Indian restaurant, and India’s Most Wanted lives up to all three.

Creativity is also apparent with dishes such as Jackfruit Fritters, Desi Videsi Tacos, and Tik Tok Samosa Chaat. A lot of the items have amusing names in Punjabi/Hindi, which add to the fun and lively vibe of the restaurant. 

Not only do the dishes sound good, but they taste good too. For instance, the Gol Gappe were the best I’ve ever had. For those not familiar with the snack, they are crispy shells stuffed with potatoes, chilled yogurt, and spicy-tangy chutneys. These particular Gol Gappe also contained pomegranate, which really elevated the dish to another level. 

The Chole Kulche was listed as an appetizer, but the portion was rather large and came with a large number of flatbread and chickpeas. It was served with pickled onions, which were so tasty that I could have just eaten them as a stand-alone dish! This meal is a must-try for anyone that visits the restaurant.  

Among the other appetizers we ordered was the Butter Chicken Pizz-an (freshly baked pizza on naan), which received a big thumbs up. We also had the Gunpowder Prawns, which were incredibly delicious and came with a mango chili sauce and jalapeño cream sauce. 

Since it is an Indian restaurant staple, I had to order a serving of the Butter Chicken, of course. The Delhi-styled meal did not disappoint and was inexpensively priced at $9! It was creamy, spicy, and packed a punch. The naans were buttery and disappeared off the table as quickly as they came! For the table, we got Chaap Masala and Makhmali Paneer, which were both equally tasty.  

For drinks, I ordered the Mumbai Frozen Martini, which consisted of vodka, lime jaljeera, amchoor (mango powder), mint, and Indian spices. The stiff drink was delectable and perfectly complemented the food we ordered. 

Our waiter, Gurmukh, provided exemplary service. He was polite, attentive, and very professional. As it was Mother’s Day, every mom who dined at the restaurant received a single stem rose, which was a thoughtful gesture. We were also pleased to receive complimentary kheer, a traditional rice pudding that is made with sugar, nuts, saffron, and cardamom. The dessert was the perfect finale after an exceptional assortment of starters and entrées.  

India’s Most Wanted is a great new addition to a growing ensemble of memorable Indian restaurants. It masterfully combines the traditional with the hip and contemporary to make it the intriguing restaurant that it is. It’s exciting to see how else Indian cuisine will evolve in the future. In the meantime, I’ll be coming back to try the Illegal Hummus with Cheesy Naan as well as the Cash$$U Chicken Curry. Any dish that sounds as fun as those two is sure to be a crowd favorite!