Chutneze Indian Grill Ltd

Unfortunately jay and pooja have closed up shop since the middle of november 2013!
However there is good news as he plans to open a new operation around the summer of 2014 so all is not lost and those of us that have been can look forward to returning when he reopens away from the restrictions of Richmond Centre.
The mall is dead to me as far as food goes now. Except for Purdys.

Jay is awesome, easily one of the best features of this place. His knowledge of the food is great and he is willing to help you make it at home. Food is much better than the Indian food court upstairs. Always vegan options available as well.

Jay & Pooja, the proprieters, make this my favourite curry restaurant, bar none — the food is excellent, but even better, to me, is being greeted warmly like an old friend every time I come by (as often as I can afford to!)
For about $ 10 you can have a couple curried items on perfectly cooked basmati, with a fresh toasty naan + a frozen/​blended lassi (many flavours to choose from — none artificial — all made from fresh ingredient — I like the strawberry best)
Good variety of ala carte curried items, rotating regularly. As well as a great selection of snacks & appetizers, & a variety of Indian ice cream.
If you like North Indian curry, THIS is where to go!
Don’t be fooled by it being a mall outlet rather than a standalone — they’ve been here for years & want to keep catering to their regulars.

For a quick bite if you’ve just got off the skytrain or are going back to the sky train and don’t want to head back to the food court, try Chutneze Indian Grill. It’s cheap, the owners/​operators are cheerful and it’s right by the door towards the sky train.

The restaurant is clean and the staff workin there are always so friendly! They have a wide variety of options both vegetarian and non. Great place to eat.

Yes, I know, I am giving ANOTHER five stars… but it really is that good! Had supper from here last night, tandoori chicken curry was my fave but their veg dishes were awesome too… And thanks to the universe, the course I was taking was located only two blocks from the Richmond Mall (of course) so came back for lunch and not only enjoyed the food, also enjoyed my conversation w Jay, the owner… :-)
So the course was over three days (Fri/​Sat/​Sun), and I went for lunch there for all three days… and I’m usually the adventurous one! It was definitely the combination of Jay and the food… one of my highest recommendations…

one word. Lassi! i love this yogurt drink especially on their happy hour! i come here for that
Located in Richmond center mall right by shoppers drug mart and Pet Habitat, this place is great for a quick bite. the owner is very friendly and has got something for everyone! from veggie dishes to the ever-​so popular butter chicken, pakoras, samosas, roti, you name it. A little too pricey for my taste: butter chicken, rice, nann (sold seperatly) and drink (sold seperatly) $ 14! really??? oh well like i said, i come here for the Lassi… that is all.
did i mention the owner is very nice… ;)

Jay is such a friendly, nice man. I love visiting with him whenever I’m in the mall. This is the only fast food place that I like in Richmond Ctr. It’s got great vegetarian options and the food always is fresh and yummy. I’m not much for the hot food on rice, but as for snacks, top notch! Their «snacker combo» is just enough food, too big for a snack but it’s nice for dinner. It comes with samosas, pakoras and a potato cake called aloo tiki I believe. Their chutney sauce, the sweet and sour one, is AMAZING! I wish they sold this by the jar, I would put it on everything at home haha.
I also like that they sell strawberry Fanta, because I don’t see it much in Canada and I really like it.

I was just passing by when I was shopping in Richmond Centre. I was really thirsty when I sign caught my eye. Lassi happy hour. You can get a medium sized lassi for $ 3. Great deal !!!

I only try their lassi (Indian yogurt drink), it is amazingly yummy! I saw them use fresh fruits from the fridge (fresh! not frozen fruits!) mixed with yogurt in the blender (you can choose to use icecream to make milkshakes if you want). Make sure you tell them to go easy on the sugar (for those people who don’t like sweet drinks). Comes in three sizes (small, medium, large). Very healthy, yummy and cheap! Better than drinking bubble tea from Big Orange (which is right outside of this restaurant)

I discovered Chutneze when I used to work at Richmond Centre. Too lazy and lacking the foresight or initiative to pack my own lunch every day, I got sick of food court fare /​McDonald’s pretty quickly.
One day I wandered all the way over to Chutneze for some butter chicken and roti, and oh, a half dozen pakoras for my coworkers. Thus began my Chutneze addiction.
* Please be advised: Chutneze is not like your typical Indian food. The owner is from a different region in India, closer to Pakistan I think (sorry if I get this wrong!) so owners will tell you the food is quite different. It is definitely not as yogurt-​heavy or greasy. I don’t feel the need to waddle off and take a long nap afterwards.
Chutneze is more of a café and grill. The place is cozy and always clean. The menu rotates between items each day. The owners treat their regulars (and they have many) like old friends. There’s always a nod of the head, a warm smile, even when you’re only passing by. They’ll engage you in warm rapport and suggest things to you that are new or haven’t been tried by yourself yet. Jay will even recommend certain ‘special items’ if you’re feeling a bit under the weather. (Honestly a shot of spicy chutney cleared my cold right up once)
My favourite is mixing the Coconut Chicken Curry with some Tandoori chicken on rice with a generous drizzling of their house-​made Cranberry Chutney. Usually a sampling of their yummy Eggplant Marsala on the side. Of course, I never forget some Naan to wipe it all off my plate and into my maw.
A nice place for good, quick, flavourful food that is a welcome respite from the McJunk at Richmond Centre. bonus — keeps well in the fridge and tastes even better once the flavours have settled in overnight!

This place is tucked away in the mall, however offers surprisingly good food. I’d give it more of a 3.5 stars for the food.
There’s not much room to sit so it’s more a good place to grab things to bring home, granted probably not quite as tasty when you get there.
I find that all the various sauces tend to be a bit on the lighter and less heavy side, perhaps to cater to the mall crowd.