Ravinder moved to Canada around the same time I arrived here to study at university. While we both were disappointed with the lack of authentic Punjabi fare in the Ottawa area, only one of us decided to do something about it.

During one of his visits to Ottawa around 2010, Ravinder’s friend convinced him to open a restaurant that would serve food familiar to folks from Punjab and neighbouring states in North India. After racking up around 20,000 kilometres in mileage commuting between Brampton and Ottawa to find a space and equip it, Ravinder and his wife Navneet finally opened the doors in 2013. In a nod to Brampton’s iconic Punjabi community, they decided to name their new restaurant Brampton Authentic Indian Food.

Full disclosure: this is my favourite South Asian restaurant in Ottawa. Their curries, regionally conscious cooking and excellent service transport me back to my childhood, every time, without fail.

Today, the newly renovated space is abuzz with students from nearby Algonquin College and others driving from across the city to try their excellent food. They even opened a paratha stand recently, serving up the delightful savoury stuffed bread at almost all hours of the day.

But success didn’t arrive overnight.

Ravinder originally worked at a warehouse which shut down. Moreover, his nascent dreams to open a restaurant were tempered by the fact that he didn’t have much experience in the kitchen.

“You don’t even know how to chop onions,” Navneet said to her husband when he told her of his plans to open a restaurant in Ottawa. Over time, however, Ravinder learned the tricks of the trade, hired chefs trained back home to replicate authentic cuisines and soon business started to pick up. They still occasionally receive orders from confused patrons in the Greater Toronto Area who need to be reminded the restaurant is in Ottawa, not in Brampton.

Eat the Strip co-writer and my partner Danielle and I were joined by two friends visiting from Quebec City on our most recent excursion to Brampton Authentic Indian Food. We ordered an assortment of classic North Indian dishes, including palak paneer, dal makhni and goat curry. We also tried the fish pakora and a round of masala chai.

The fried fish, battered and coated with a spicy masala mix, was served with a tart green chutney and was the perfect appetizer to whet our appetite. We ordered some garlic naan to be able to scoop up the curries.

The goat curry is a must-try. The meat served was so tender it was falling off the bone. As is customary with a good dal makhni, it was served creamy and pared well with the palak paneer.

For those worried about heat, you can order each dish adjusted to your spice level.

We washed our food down with the excellent chai and chatted well into the evening. Eventually, we paid our bill, which came to around $120, thanked the couple for their wonderful hospitality and headed home, our Quebec City guests promising to return to try the best Punjabi and North Indian food east of Brampton.