Restaurent Review: Canters Tandoori, Fairview

Sometimes when you do a restaurant review, the very act of reviewing takes away from the experience, because you are trying to take in everything about the premises, the staff and the food. It’s like trying to photograph a spectacular sunset, as opposed to simply enjoying it. My recent visit to review Canters Tandoori in Fairview was a pleasure, however—if only every day at work could be like that!

Upon arrival I was greeted by Fahim, the manager, who’s originally from India and has been working in the restaurant sector in Ireland for the past 12 years. Canters is Fahim’s first solo venture, and it looks wonderful. Fahim told me that he turned down quite a lucrative job with a high profile Indian restaurant to pursue this venture. 

Fahim persuaded his head chef, Jamal, to join him. Fahim and Jamal have been good friends for years, and in fact all of Fahim’s current staff have worked with him over the years. It looks like he has managed to draw together a highly competent and very friendly team. You can tell they are all friends, and the welcoming atmosphere is a reflection of that friendship.

Head chef Jamal took great pride in telling me that he enjoys combining his traditional culinary knowledge from Bangladesh with a twist of his own in all the foods being prepared in Canters Tandoori. Jamal explained that all base sauces and curry pastes are prepared in-house, unlike some Indian restaurants that buy in these base products to prepare their main sauces. 

Jamal recommended a number of different starters. The Tandoori Murgi arrived on a sizzling-hot cast iron dish. It was chicken on the bone tandoori-style, and very tasty indeed. There was another poultry dish, the Chicken Shashlik Kebab, my favourite. It was so succulent—the meat was marinated in onions, tomatoes, capsicum and mushroom with a secret blend of spices, and then cooked over charcoal. Delicious!

The King Prawn Butterflies were fried in a light batter. Very crisp and not too oily—a real treat. 

When I arrived at Canters (it’s a 10-minute-walk from Clontarf DART station) there were already a few customers; however, over the hour and a half from 6pm until 7:30, the ground floor filled up with a diverse clientele of families, couples, and lone diners. It was nice to see how everyone was made to feel welcome. 
There was a pleasant atmosphere in the restaurant: Indian music was playing gently in the background, and you could hear the faint murmur of conversations and joking from the different tables. 

The main courses arrived. My waiter, Masud, recommended a Mango Lassi drink to go with my meal, containing sultanas, yogurt and almonds—it was quite simply gorgeous. 

I tasted two main dishes. The Narial Chicken, which was cooked in an almond sauce with fresh cream and coconut, was rich and tasty. If you like almonds and coconut then you will love this dish. It came with fluffy Basmati rice, and was very good. The chicken was buttery, and melted on the tongue.

My favourite main dish was the Lamb Balti. It was a rich, dark brown in colour, and creamy with a bit of a kick, but not too hot. I’m glad Masud had prepared such a nice lassi, as it was the perfect accompaniment and an excellent extinguisher to put out any little spice-induced fires. Like the chicken, the lamb was tender and succulent. The prices at Canters Tandoori are very reasonable, and excellent value for money.

I must confess that I love Indian food, and I was very pleased with the service and quality of food on offer at Canters Tandoori. One example of the attention to detail and friendly service was illustrated by a family with two young children. The parents were explaining the different foods on offer to their children, and their waiter was very helpful in assisting the parents in explaining about the ingredients—and in having a bit of fun with the children too. Quite often you forget what real customer service is all about until you are reminded how it is done—in the most natural way.

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