Rasa: Flavours of India
Elevated Indian Cuisine on Birmingham Street
BY LAURA OAKLEY
PHOTOS MICHELLE DOUCETTE
The spacious dining room at Rasa: Flavours of India is dark with deep blue-grey walls, royal blue tablecloths and napkins, and similarly dark blue carpet. On the walls hang colourful art and tapestries, and warm lighting from golden chandeliers hits the space, providing a comforting ambiance with a touch of formality. Tables set with long-stemmed glasses and even unopened bottles of wine await guests. “The service style at Rasa resembles that of a typical upscale restaurant in New Delhi. Guests receive towels to wipe their hands and complimentary papadum with condiments before food is served,” says Deeksha Bhaskar, director of Indo Food Service, the parent company of Rasa and its neighbouring cocktail bar, Sura Lounge. She and her father, Bijay Sharma, opened Rasa in 2018, following her move to Halifax in 2015 to pursue her undergrad degree at Saint Mary’s University. Sharma was a restaurateur in Gurugram, India, and when Bhaskar’s parents followed her move to Halifax in 2017, they bought the long-standing restaurant, The Fireside. Taking notice of the need for a higher-end Indian dining experience, they transformed the space into Rasa.
“We have consistently worked to dispel any misconceptions about Indian food for those unfamiliar with the cuisine, and provide a comforting taste of home for our local Indian community,” says Bhaskar. Found at the corner of Birmingham Street and Artillery Place, Rasa almost straddles the line between the Spring Garden Road and downtown Halifax districts. The formal dining room features upholstered chairs, with soft cream-coloured banquette seating along the north-facing windows, offering a peek at the south side of Citadel Hill, a flash of green just past Sackville Street.
Today is a special treat—a tasting of several Rasa dishes. As is customary, my dining companion and I get papadums made with lentils and cumin to start; they come with pickled onion, yogurt mint sauce, and mango pickles. Baked, not fried, and delightfully crispy, the papadums and bright condiments fire up your tastebuds without the weight of heavy, deep-fried textures.
Although listed as a side dish, I ask for dahi bhalla-papdi as an appetizer, one of India’s most sought-after street foods. Lentil balls with a light, fluffy texture and strips of fried dough dipped in yogurt, covered with sweet tamarind sauce and cilantro-mint chutney, and garnished with pomegranate seeds. It’s a super satisfying combination of bright flavours and textures anchored by the soft lentil balls. I also sip a traditional mango lassi, the ever-popular yogurt-based drink akin to a smoothie, sweetened with sugar and flavoured with mango and cardamom. A rose lassi featuring rose syrup or plain, sweet or salted lassi is also available. I also try the house-made ginger ale, crafted from fresh ginger juice, lime, sugar, and club soda for a refreshing take, perfect to sip between courses.
Another appetizer I try is gazab ka chicken tikka, a tandoori dish. It is boneless chicken in traditional tandoori yogurt marinade cooked with butter and mint in a clay oven. The warm spices in the marinade (black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, fenugreek, nutmeg, star anise, ginger and garlic, to name a few) make it amazingly tender and flavourful. It comes topped with sliced red onion and mint yogurt sauce.
Deeksha Bhaskar
The other starting dish, shahi kofta, is one I am not familiar with. These soft cottage cheese dumplings of dried fruit and nuts come drizzled in a sweet-ish white gravy-like sauce made from cashews. The plating is beautiful, featuring three dumplings in golden gravy with a drizzle of yogurt. This dish is rich and sweet, very different from any Indian cuisine I’ve had.
“The menu and style of cooking at Rasa is predominantly North Indian. North Indian dishes tend to be the most well-known internationally and the majority of our team hails from North India,” says Bhaskar. “We try to represent flavours from the wider Indian cuisine by introducing specials from time to time.”
Vibrant saffron rice joins the table alongside a beautiful lamb dish—Kashmiri lamb shank. The lamb is marinated overnight and then slow-cooked for three to four hours in a sauce of caramelized onions, tomato and Kashmiri spices. The result is an entire shank served in a rich gravy, topped with fresh cilantro and a few shiny pieces of gold leaf. The meat is succulent and tender, and the flavours of the sauce are deep, complex, and caramelized. It’s a comforting and hearty dish. I’m anticipating the palak paneer, a personal favourite involving a generous portion of paneer cheese stewed in a thick spinach gravy topped with drizzles of yogurt. I can’t get enough of the dense cheese and rich, creamy, deep green gravy.
Rasa and its sister property, Sura Lounge, have dedicated bartenders and sophisticated cocktail programs. The menus feature local spirits and seasonal ingredients. I tasted Spice Empress, which featured Hennessy VS, chai liqueur, creme de cacao, and Angostura bitters. The warm spices from the liqueur took front and centre in this nicely balanced drink. “The cocktails are aimed to complement the dishes on our menu,” says Bhaskar. “Our team is constantly inspired by the wide range of spices used in our kitchen and loves to explore ways to introduce them.”
Butter chicken appears on the Rasa menu in two different iterations: Old Delhi style and “regular” butter chicken. I’m not familiar with the differences. It turns out that Old Delhi butter chicken is a richer and spicier version. Bhaskar says, “It includes copious amounts of cashew, butter, and a range of additional spices. The dish is inspired by the distinct culinary style found in Old Delhi.” Both dishes taste rich, creamy, and delicious; you can see the deeper colour of the Old Delhi style and taste its more complex flavour profile with more pronounced heat. “The Central district area in Delhi that is popularly known as ‘Old Delhi’ was the central region of commerce, food, and culture during the Mughal period. It continues to be home to landmark eateries, some of which have been operating since the 1800s.” Says Bhaskar.
Too full for dessert, I sip on a Lucknow Lavender before I go, a cocktail featuring Compass Distillers Royal gin, Barreling Tide haskap liqueur, lime, rosemary syrup, and egg white. It’s tart and a little sweet and the perfect palate cleanser at the end of a long and delicious sampling of Indian dishes, familiar and new.
With the wide-ranging menu—tandoori classics, biryani dishes, meat and seafood curries, plenty of vegetarian curries, and even platters—Rasa has indeed elevated Indian dining in Halifax. Aside from the excellent food, Rasa stands apart with its cocktail program, extensive spirits list, and carefully curated wine offerings.
Rasa is open at 1542 Birmingham Street from Wednesday to Monday for lunch and dinner and on Tuesdays for dinner only.
