Hey, what happened to Dairy Queen? Mango Shiva returns in warm new ...

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When the Penny Lane Mall closed in 2007, several joints foundthemselves homeless. Mango Shiva, a Western-Indian fusion favouritewas one of the unlucky exiles, but has resurfaced in a prime spoton Stephen Avenue, right across from Flames Central.
I was blown away by what they’ve done with the room, whoselast occupant was a Dairy Queen. Any hope I had for a cookie doughBlizzard, however, was instantly quashed by the beauty of the newroom and the aroma of Indian spices.
The new space is long and narrow, with benches along the outerwalls. The lighting is dim with candles at each table provide mostof the light, accented by a few chandeliers and other lights. Atthe farthest end of the room, the kitchen is squared off by thedark wood walls of the restaurant, its well-lit fluorescent glowgiving it a dissociative feeling, almost like it’s part of adifferent experience altogether.
The walls have been taken back to the original stones and aredecorated with mirrors cut in an Indian style, giving atemple-esque feel to the room. There are other subtle touches, likepillows on all the benches, which add to the overall tone.
Before I get to the food, I must address the bathrooms. Continuingwith the overall feel of Mango Shiva, as you head down thestairwell — again taken back to the original stone —you enter what feels like a mini-lounge. Ambient music fills theroom, and there’s even a row of couches with pillows used asa waiting area. It’s all very subtle, but much appreciated.It’s obvious that quite a bit of money was spent in creatingthe new Mango Shiva and it was money well spent.
Now, onto the food. Mango Shiva serves westernized versions ofgreat Indian food for the masses. We arrived on a rainy Thursdaynight about 6:30 p.m. and were seated on the left-hand side of theroom, next to the long bar. We started off with the tandooritaster, consisting of three appetizers: pork tikka, chicken wingsand beef kabobs ($27).
It was a decidedly meaty option, but it did not disappoint. Allthree dishes featured familiar Indian spices and werewell-prepared. The wings were charred, having been thrown on agrill before serving, which added an extra element of flavour. Thebeef was tender with a citrus-like freshness that revealed itself amoment after tasting. The pork was the weakest link of the three,but it was enjoyed as well. There were also roasted onions andkashmiri roasted potatoes served on the side of the teardrop-shapedplate.
For our mains, I could not resist ordering the curried duck breast($22) with two sides: naan ($2.50) and assorted vegetables ($2.50).I have to admit it seems like a cash grab that vegetables are notincluded as a standard part of the meal.
My guest tried the butter chicken ($17) with a side of rice($2.50).
The duck was cut into medallions and seared nicely. It was slightlysalty, but not so bad that I was worried about my blood pressure.The bowls the sides came in reminded me of Dr. Evil’s egg podchair from Austin Powers, and was a bit clumsy. As I tried to grab a piece of broccoli fromthe bowl, all it wanted to do was roll over. Eventually I justdumped the mix of red peppers, snow peas, onions and othervegetables onto my plate where they should have been from theget-go.
The duck came served in a curry sauce that had a very strongundertone of cumin, which, like Food Network personality AltonBrown, might just be my favourite spice.
My guest wasn’t thrilled with the butter chicken, citing thesame dish he had for lunch at the downtown Sunterra Grill as abetter meal. After the comment, I did sample some and found it tobe fine, but not extraordinary either. It absolutely reaffirmed mydecision to try the duck.
Overall, the atmosphere was great. The food was worth the cost, andmy meal at Mango Shiva was an enjoyable experience. Fans of theoriginal Mango Shiva will be happy to see an old favouritereopened, and for those who never had a chance to sample itsIndian-oriented fare, it’s simply another welcome addition toStephen Avenue Walk.