After our previous failed attempt to visit Larosh, we made it a high priority to take what we had learned about their hours and days of business and apply it to a repeat attempt. This is what us scientific types do.

• Make hypothesis - the restaurant will be open to serve us a tasty curry whenever we want it.
• Develop experiment to test hypothesis - Visit restaurant when convenient to us, and see what happens.
• Collect and record experimental data - Restaurant closed. No tasty Larosh curry for us this time. Notice sign stating business hours.
• Publish data in relevant scientific journal or professional newsletter - See last review ...

Then being really hardcore science geeks we develop a new hypothesis and run it through "Ye Olde Scientific Method".

• Make hypothesis - the restaurant will be open to serve us a tasty curry, during their regular hours of business
• Develop experiment to test hypothesis - Visit restaurant during business hours, see what happens.
• Collect and record experimental data - Restaurant open. Order curry. Take home to eat. Eat.
• Publish data in relevant scientific journal or professional newsletter - Here it is kids.

If you're looking for any possible clues as to why Matty and I were virgins well into our twenties, that paragraph might just be the droids you're looking for. (that movie reference might not hurt your theory either). (ren)

Co-operatives: Anyone who has ever lived in Saskatchewan or the former CCCP, knows all about them. Be it the Wheat Pool or that storehouse in Minsk responsible for doling out your monthly ration of sugar, collective agreements amongst the proletariat to share the fruits of their labors has a long and storied history when it comes to building communities. The businesses at 4525 52 Street NE have clearly modeled their strip mall around these policies. (matt)

We noticed Larosh quite some time ago, and have been saving it for when we got low on other reviewable properties. Not really sure why. Maybe just to keep as a fall-back after a bunch of bad curries, its location just barely south of the "curry district" giving us very high hopes. (ren)

We pulled up in front of Larosh Caters to find that it was located a couple of doors down from a Halal butcher and food shop. They advertised various cuts of Goat, Mutton, Chicken and Beef including the tastiest bits: brain and stomach. We knew exactly where our food was going to come from and suspected that when the butcher was hungry, Larosh probably cooked him up a tasty meal. Death to the Bourgeoisie!! (matt)

I've always wanted to buy my meat directly from a butcher rather than hitting the supermarket. It just seems so much more grassroots and small-towney. Of course you could end up buying unhygenically butchered goat out of the trunk of a freaken taxi like with this guy.... Otto Huttman/Northeast Halal Meat and Deli . Not implying that any particular butchers are following similar practices....just saying that for now I think I'll stick with Safeway and their listeria-infected, government-inspected meats. (ren)

We walked into Larosh shortly after they had opened (just before lunchtime) to find the owner scribbling the day’s specials on a whiteboard next to the entrance. Speakers blaring Arabic flavored music transported me to a different time and place. Which time and place you ask? How about the 2 hours of my life spent negotiating prices on belts and counterfeit DVDs in the back streets of Istanbul as towering minarets watched over me, while calling people to prayer. Yes. That’s right. I’m hardcore. I’m joining a Kibbutz!! (matt)

Personally I wasn't transported anywhere else. I was just enjoying the smells of the kitchen just getting the days cooking underway, and was salivating at the prospect of eating curry as my first meal of the day. Mmm....we need some kind of curry cereal. Butter Chicken Puffs. Or Korma Krispies. Or Masala Loops. You know the deal. With crazy cartoon mascots and ads every saturday morning, just to whip the kiddies into a frenzy and make them beg their parents for them. (ren)

We quickly picked out some orders for Take-out. I had the Mutton Korma while Ren went with a Chicken Karahi and a Butter Chicken for Ren’s friend. Ren also insisted we get some prepackage kebabs and some “Special Milky” Naan. I’m always leery of food products with unnecessary descriptors attached to their nomenclature. While the descriptor can add a sense of mystery to an otherwise regular item (in this case, naan), it can also add to consumer anxiety to that the food might be acquired or produced in a rather unscrupulous manner. We were told that it would be about 15 minutes and so we decided to check out the neighbouring shops. (matt)

Sometimes you just want to call ahead to order your food, swoop in and pick it up, and escape homewards asap. This was not one of those times. This was definitely one of those little crazy neighbourhood strip-malls that was worth exploring. (ren)

The strip mall is pretty much all serving for the local community and was set up as follows:

Larosh / Hair Product Supply Store for Men and Women of Color/ Carribean Bakery and Cafe/ Butcher/ Liquor Store/Laser Hair Removal Clinic/ Real Human Hair Wigs and Food Store.

I imagined at Rastafarian getting a curry at Larosh before proceeding next door to get some hair goo for his dreadlocks, before meeting his friend for a coffee spiked with booze, then deciding that he didn’t need dreadlocks after all and having them lasered off; at which point he could sell his hair to the Wig and Food Store. Oh, and he’d probably eat some beef brains at some point too.

We were particularly concerned about the practice of selling Wigs and Food in the same venue. Also, the signage outside that particular store advertised “Motion Products”. This just scared us. What type of Human Hair is this anyways? (matt)

We checked out all the shops, somehow withstanding the urge to buy one of everything. We were scrutinized and questioned at the Wig and Food shop. I guess two 30ish white males didn't really look like their usual clientelle. I'm not exactly sure who their usual clientele are, but they're the type of people who like to wear "real human hair" hair extensions and enjoy "motion products"....whatever those are. (ren)

Confused and bewildered, we eventually made our way back to Larosh where our food was waiting for us. We left and Ren wisely checked our order before leaving the parking lot. We were missing our Kebabs. I had to go back to confront the proprietor about this missing item. It took him some time (about 4 mins) to come out from the kitchen despite me ringing the service bell. This unnerved Ren, who oddly assumed that some type of misunderstanding had occurred between me and the proprietor and I was now in danger of a beheading. He rushed back into the store just as we were sorting things out and we left shortly thereafter with kebabs in hand and craniums intact. (matt)

I wasn't necessarily worried about a beheading, however matt and his family have a history of having their discussions with store propietors go sour. His father was apparently thrown out of a violin-makers shop after a shouting match years ago. I did not want my good friend to get banned from any curry joints for life unless it was deserved. (ren)

When we got home, we scooped the meals out onto plates. I immediately assumed that the dish with all the boney processes in it must be the mutton dish and started to chow down on it like a carnivorous beast. Soon after, I was interrupted when Ren noted his was also boney and was definitely not chicken. We switched plates and I continued to tear into the food. The mutton flavoured marrow was nice although I definitely thought Ren had the better dish with his chicken. The naan was decent but probably not deserving of a special name. As for the kebabs, I never really care for those although Ren liked them. (matt)

The chicken karahi was hard to eat, as it was full of little bones and chunks....however it was incredibly tasty and that's what counts. The kebabs were on the dry side, but I still enjoyed them. The naan wasn't any more special or milky than any other naan I've eaten. The taste of butter chicken I had was also pretty good. (ren)

All in all, it was a pretty unique experience. And really, for us, that’s what it’s all about. Larosh scores an 8/10.

Not at the restaurant

1. Calliou (the bald animated child)
2. Anyone who creates a Facebook account for the sole purpose of sending a message to the curators of a C level Internet blog, in hopes that it will make them change their review of a restaurant because it is “under new management” but who is obviously the owner of said business.
3. Le gars qui na pas de bouche (Chick n Swell)

Rating: