The Thursday before last I went to Punjabi Palace for lunch. For some time now, Punjabi Palace have been offering competitive lunch specials. One can select a curry with rice and salad for $9.95, with plain naan only being one dollar extra. Of course the curry selection is limited, and the portion smaller than what the regular menu offers, but it still remains one of the better value lunch options in the West End area. On this occasion I ordered chicken tikka masala (obviously with rice, naan, and a salad which I had absolutely no intention of eating). It was certainly good, but not as good as I have recalled it to be in the past. The main reason for this was the presence of sweetness. Many Indian places serve their chicken tikka masala on the sweet side, but I cannot recall this being the case at Punjabi Palace. As far as I can reckon there are three reasons for this. One is that the lunch special chicken tikka masala varies from the chicken tikka masala on the set menu. Two is that Punjabi Palace have altered their chicken tikka masala recipe. Three is that my taste memory is somehow faulty. Whatever the case, the sweetness was subtle and it really did not sour the experience. All the other elements I have come to expect from Punjabi Palace where there: the right balance of spices and flavours, well cooked meat, and so forth. I have mentioned in this blog in the past that the naans served at Punjabi Palace are large; so much so that on this occasion after starting my meal by soaking up the sauce with the naan, I became full and had to order the bulk of the curry to go. This was by no means a bad thing as it furnished me with a satisfying dinner that evening. While I certainly enjoyed this chicken tikka masala, it was perhaps one of the weaker quality curries I have experienced at Punjabi Palace. Having said that, a curry that is slightly weak by Punjabi Palace standards is better than some other Indian places strongest quality curries.
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