In anticipation of the World Cup, poor translational Afrikaans review to follow:

One of the best things you can do in India is to stay at a HAVALI which is an old private mansion. For about 20 dollars/night you get 2 or 3 servants and a comfortable bed. I can only assume that "HAWALI" (with a W instead of V) is a reference to the same thing. Maybe that's not fair. After all, the owners of this sweethouse weren't German. And we didn't get any servants. Vhatever!!!

Hawali Restaurant is located in Falconridge so you know the curry is gonna be good. We walked in at 4:30 in the afternoon and aside from a small group of 14 year old boys milling about, we were the only ones in the place.  The owner let us sit down at the table of our choice and shortly thereafter we were perusing the menus.  The restaurant appeared to be new and still quite clean. In my head I wondered how long it takes a place to go from looking "brand spanking new" to "Baba Ka Dhaba spanking new".

We ordered the Aloo Tikki with cholle (deep fried potato with chickpeas) for an appetizer. Shortly thereafter we were brought a complementary pappadum. I must be out of practice with the curry thing because I was nearly going to complain that this was not what we ordered. In the end, I got a hold of myself and the Aloo Tikki arrived shortly after. Unfortunately, we were only given one plate so I had to find my own serving platter. That seems to be a common theme amongst curry houses in this city: "Here's the food, find your own cutlery and side plates". Maybe they just want you to feel at home. Luckily, we were sitting next to the buffet table so I didn't have to go into the kitchen and root around for the needed dinnerware. The Aloo Tikki plate was amazing. And also amazingly cheap ($4). I began to remember why we love the northeast.

While we chowed down on the appies, the 3 teenage boys discovered testosterone. Cursing and swearing loudly, they vowed to "beat that guy's ass, next time we see him walking down the street". I don't really know who they were referring to but it was very distracting from the dining experience. I can say with adequate certainty that if the owner reads our review, he will probably be the one inflicting the beating (on the teens).  Being a teenager is probably as hard these days as it ever was. Certainly not any easier. Being a teenager in an ethnically strife community probably doesn't make things easier. I once did a "Gangs of New York" walking tour in New York. It was a 3hr tour guided by a history professor who laid out a perfect dissertation on the historical and societal prerequisites to the formation of gangs. She didn't mention anything about hanging out in your dad's curry shoppe as a prerequisite.  Then again, Daniel Day Lewis was a butcher in that movie...does that count?

For main entrees, I went with Chicken Tikka Masala while I think I remember Ren having a Lamb Korma. It's always a good sign when the curry takes a little while to get to your table. It means that you can be reasonably sure that they are preparing the meat and sauce from fresh ingredients and not just microwaving an 8 day old sauce and throwing chicken in it. My dish had a lot going on. If this was any one of countless Food Network competitions and I was judge on that show, I might say something like, "The dish works on so many levels". Then, as punishment for losing, I'd make Havali's rival chef wax Martin Picard's hairy back while Picard showed viewers how to prepare an 8 course meal from a musk ox he killed with his bare hands somewhere in Northern Quebec.  Crazy French bastard!

Midway through the meal, Ren was so enamored with my dish that he ordered one for himself for takeout. I made a note to our waiter that it should be put on a separate bill. Understandly, my cheapness offended Ren. I don't know why I always have to disgrace myself. I totally owe Ren a meal next time round for being a jerk.

All in all though, it was great meal. We highly recommend this place. Just watch out for the gang of thugs at the door and maybe bring your own cutlery. We give it a generous 9/10.

Not at the Restaurant

1. Laura Calder ( She needs a more prominent role on the Food Network)
2.  Matt Dunigan (He needs a less prominent role on the Food Network)
3. Chuck Hughes (Any guy who has a tattoo of arugula is okay in my book)

Rating:

Afrikaans translation:

Een van die beste dinge wat jy kan doen in Indië is om te bly by 'n HAVALI wat is' n ou privaat landgoed. Vir ongeveer 20 dollars / nag kry jy 2 of 3 slawe en 'n gemaklike bed. Ek kan net aanneem dat "HAWALI" (met 'n W in plaas van V) is' n verwysing na dieselfde ding. Miskien is dit nie regverdig nie. Na alles, die eienaars van hierdie sweethouse was nie Duits. Vhatever!

Hawali Restaurant is geleë in Falconridge sodat jy weet die kerrie is nou eers 'n goeie ding. Ons stap in by 04:30 in die middag en opsy, weg van 'n 14-jarige seuns kere oor, was ons die enigste wat in die plek. Die eienaar laat ons gaan sit aan die tafel van ons keuse en kort daarna het ons die spyskaarte nagaan. Die restaurant verskyn moet nuut wees en nog steeds baie mooi. In my kop het ek gewonder hoe lank dit neem om 'n plek om te gaan om na "merk king nuwe" na "Baba Ka Dhaba king nuwe").

Ons het beveel dat die Aloo Tikki met cholle (aardappel diepgebraai met kikkererwten vir' n aptytwekker. Kort daarna was ons 'n addisionele pappadum gebring. Ek moet uit die praktyk met die kerrie ding, want ek was byna gaan om te kla dat dit nie is wat ons bestel het. Op die ou end, het ek 'n versamelplek van, ons het net' n bord gegee sodat ek het my eie opdienbord te vind. Dit lyk na 'n gemeenskaplike tema onder kerrie huise in die stad word: "Hier is die kos, vind jou eie eetgerei en borde kant". Miskien is dit maar net wil hê dat jy tuis voel. Gelukkig is ons sit langs die buffet tafel sodat ek nie hoef te gaan na die kombuis en 'n wortel wat nodig is om vir die serviesje. Die Aloo Tikki plaat was amazing. En ook ongelooflik goedkoop ($ 4). Ek het begin om te onthou waarom ons die liefde van die noordooste.

Terwyl ons chowed neer op die Appies, die 3 tienerseuns ontdek testosteroon. Vloek en vloek hard, het hulle beloof om "beat dat die man se gat, volgende keer as ons hom sien loop in die straat". Ek het nie regtig weet wie hulle is verwys na, maar dit was baie afleidend van die restaurant. Ek kan met voldoende sekerheid sê indien die eienaar dat ons resensie lees, sal hy waarskynlik die een wees wat die instorm en klop hard aan die tieners. Om 'n tiener is waarskynlik so hard hierdie dae soos dit ooit was. Beslis nie 'n makliker te maak. Om 'n tiener in' n etniese twis gemeenskap waarskynlik nie dinge makliker te maak. Ek het nie eens het 'n "Gangs of New York" walking tour in New York. Dit was 'n 3u toer gelei deur' n geskiedenis professor wat 'n perfekte uitgelê verhandeling oor die historiese en maatskaplike vereistes tot die vorming van bendes. Sy het nie gepraat oor iets wat uitgehang word in jou pa se kerrie Shoppe as 'n voorvereiste. Dan weer, Daniel Day Lewis is 'n slagter in die fliek was ... beteken dit tel?

Vir die hoof entrees, ek het Chicken Tikka Masala met terwyl ek dink ek onthou met 'n Ren Lam Korma. Dit is altyd 'n goeie teken wanneer die kerrie neem' n kort tydjie te kry om jou tafel. Dit beteken dat jy redelik seker kan wees dat hulle die vleis en sous voorberei van vars bestanddele en nie net 'n 8 mikrogolwing dag oud sous en gooi dit hoender in. My bakkie het 'n baie gaan op. As dit was een van die talle Kos Kompetisies Netwerk regter en ek was op daardie show, ek kan sê iets soos, "Die bakkie werk op so baie vlakke." Dan, vir die straf vir verloor, wil ek se mededinger Havali president was Martin Picard se harige rug maak terwyl die Picard het kykers hoe 'n 8 gang maaltyd voor te berei uit' n muskusos vermoor hy met sy kaal hande iewers in Noord-Quebec. Crazy Franse baster!

Halfpad deur die ete, was so verlief Ren met my bakkie wat hy bestel een vir homself vir meenemen. Ek het 'n nota aan ons kelner dat dit moet geplaas word op' n aparte faktuur. Understandly, my goedkoopte Ren aanstoot. Ek weet nie hoekom ek altyd myself te skande. Ek is dit heeltemal te danke Ren 'n maaltyd volgende keer vir die feit dat' n opname. Al met al asof, dit was groot maaltyd. Ons raai hierdie plek. Net kyk uit vir die bende diewe by die deur en dalk bring u eie eetgerei. Ons gee dit 'n vrygewige 9 / 10).

Nie by die Restaurant
1) Laura Calder (Hulle het' n meer prominente rol in die Food Network)
2) Matt Dunigan (Hy het 'n prominente rol minder op die Food Network)
3) Chuck Hughes (Enige iemand wat 'n tatoeëermerk van arugula het, is goed in my boek)

Rating: