Reuben Roth In a city thats quickly grown to have a competitive and lively mix of south Asian restaurants, Oshawa now has many options that take us from South to North Indian, Sri Lankan, and Punjabi cuisine and everything in between. We have Delhi street food served on Simcoe St. North, momos can be had downtown, dosa on King Street, and and now we have Northern India cuisine at Dhaba NH 1. Located off King Street at number 8 Midtown Drive, tucked away in an unassuming location near Midtown Mall, Dhaba NH1 offers delicious Indian cuisine thats a cut above the rest.
Im a food snob whos had his fill of butter chicken, kormas, and tikka masala and I had no idea what to expect when I called in a small order to Dhaba NH1, but the first taste brought home the fact that theres something special happening in the kitchen of this small establishment.
We skipped the extensive vegetarian menu and opted for the chicken lababdar and karahi chicken. The chicken lababdar was astonishing: filled with complex flavours and depth, there was a richness to this dish that went well beyond the average butter chicken dish. It could be described as a flavour bomb with subtle fragrance and buttery deliciousness. The chicken itself was moist and cooked to perfection but the star was the sauce. It was composed of a complex palate of spices, and to say it was flavourful and loaded with umami would be an understatement. The Karahi chicken -- presumably wok-prepared and mildly spicy -- was made with equal care and attention to detail, with wonderfully luxurious, mouth-filling flavours. That said, the lababdar in particular was a unique sauce that stands out from the typical offerings of butter chicken. In a city now-crowded with south Asian restaurants, Dhaba NH1s chef obviously has plenty of talent and their offerings must be tasted to be believed. After this experience Im heading back to try their other offerings, vegetarian and meat. Ill follow talent anytime, and theres plenty of talent at the stove of NH1.
