Chef Deepak welcomes me to his outstanding Indian restaurant in north-centre Calgary

Gotta say, Deepak’s Dhaba blew me away. Everything about my recent lunch at this Indian restaurant was exceptional. Indeed, if I include a delightful chat with chef/owner Deepak Singh Kalsi, it’s arguably my best Calgary dining experience thus far in a busy 2025.

Yes, Deepak’s Dhaba offers standard roadside Indian dishes such as butter chicken and beef vindaloo. But in search of something unfamiliar, I opt for dhal Makhani ($14), a substantial vegetarian curry featuring black lentils simmered in a flavourful tomato sauce with fresh-ground spices and hints of cardamom and fenugreek.

Big bowl of black lentil dhal with garlic naan and masala chai

I order two big slabs of excellent butter garlic naan ($3.50), blistered in a tandoor oven, to soak up all the curry goodness. Plus two cups of lovely masala chai to wash everything down. I even find room for an superb, crispy veggie samosa ($2).

A superb, crispy veggie samosa

In all, a substantial, first-rate, scratch-made meal at a most reasonable price.

The stand-alone restaurant is on Calgary’s Centre Street North

Note: Deepak also offers food-court meals at the Crossroads and Calgary Farmers’ (west) markets. Some dishes are only available as frozen takeout.

Deepak’s Dhaba
1032 Centre Street North and two Calgary farmers’ market food courts
Tuesday to Friday 2 pm-10 pm, weekends opens at 11 am. Closed Monday
825-413-2222