Naan Tale, a family-run Indian kitchen in the Ramsay neighbourhood of Calgary, is redefining Indian cuisine by focusing on time-honoured cooking methods and fresh ingredients rather than flashy spices or fusion. Opened by chef Jaspreet Singh Pannu and his wife Navjot Kaur, the restaurant offers a cozy 16-seat space with an open kitchen, allowing guests to witness the culinary techniques firsthand.
A Chef's Philosophy Rooted in Technique
Chef Pannu brings extensive culinary experience, including hospitality training in India and professional work in high-end hotels and restaurants. He later honed his skills in Canada, helping open various restaurants and accumulating a wide base of technical knowledge. For his first venture, he wanted to showcase the basics of Indian cooking. "For my first place, I thought people should know about the actual basics of Indian cooking," he says. "This restaurant focuses on technique."
Menu Highlights: From Starters to Mains
Naan Tale serves lunch and dinner, with a starter menu featuring items like a large empanada-shaped, potato-filled "king" samosa ($5), delicate palak patta chaat ($12) with crispy battered baby spinach leaves topped with chutney and yogurt, and fluffy cheese-stuffed naan ($9). The main dishes, however, truly showcase Pannu's skill. His tandoori chicken tikka ($19) features gently marinated boneless chicken for outstanding tenderness. Notably, the restaurant offers three butter chicken variations ($19 each): the "copper" version with traditional tomato-based makhani gravy, the "gold" variety incorporating turmeric, and the "white" version with an onion and cashew gravy. Pannu admits the white version isn't traditional butter chicken but is equally tasty.
Commitment to Fresh Ingredients
Pannu relies on fresh ingredients rather than heavy market spices to achieve flavour. This approach ensures that dishes have depth and taste regardless of spice level preference. The restaurant also does a booming take-out business, conveniently located near the Stampede grounds.
