Restaurant Reco: This place has the best tandoori fried chicken and samosas in Mississauga
Published September 17, 2021 at 1:48 pm
When it comes to popular Mississauga restaurants, Rick’s Good Eats requires no introduction (unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, and missing out on some great food in the process).
Rick’s has become widely known in our city’s food scene and for very good reason: Their food is absolutely delicious. The restaurant specializes in a fusion of Indian and North American cuisine; some of their most popular menu items include the Punjabi Cheeseburger, Tandoori Fried Chicken Burger, and their selection of gourmet samosas which range from savoury to sweet (I’ve never tried their cheesecake samosas but it’s definitely on my to-do list now).
The restaurant’s unique fusion of flavours is the result of owner Rick Matharu’s upbringing. Growing up in a diverse area, Rick was exposed to many different cultures and their food, and says his mom was constantly experimenting with fusion food.
THE DISHES:
For this review I tried Rick’s Tandoori Fried Chicken with Masala Fries and the Meat Samosa Chaat.
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It’s rare to enjoy a meal where I essentially have no complaints about the food whatsoever, but Rick’s absolutely nailed both dishes. To start off, the bite-sized pieces of Tandoori Fried Chicken were perfectly crispy and juicy, complimented by the also crispy and well-seasoned Masala fries (if you love fries but have never tried this Indian take on the classic dish, Rick’s is a fantastic spot to try them out).
According to the restaurant, the chicken is marinated for 24 hours, double fried and battered. The chicken and fries were smothered with a generous amount of Rick’s famous Ting Tang Sauce and zesty aioli, then topped with red onions and cilantro. Taken together, it’s a perfect combination of ingredients that produced an amazing taste (and texture) with each bite.
The Samosa Chaat may have been the “side dish” here, but the taste was absolutely incredible to the point where I liked it just as much as the Tandoori chicken (or maybe even a little more!). The word “gourmet” here hasn’t just been tacked on here for marketing; these samosas are the real deal. The two meat samosas were tender and juicy, topped with tomato, onion, cilantro and the restaurant’s signature creamy herb chutney (Hari sauce). Rick’s take on the popular Indian street food can be ordered with either meat or veggies.
THE UNIQUE:
Rick’s Good Eats features a unique and delicious fusion of Indian and North American cuisine, served in a comfortable and modern interior. The restaurant is run by celebrity chef Rick Matharu, who rose to prominence after winning season two of The Food Network’s Recipe to Riches — which is the biggest testament to just how good his food is (besides trying it yourself, of course).
After running a popular food blog for years, Rick found enough support to start hosting a pop up out of his house, managing to sell out of their gourmet samosas every week. He later began catering for private events and eventually opened up a permanent location, which has since found huge success.
THE VERDICT:
Of all the Mississauga restaurants I’ve reviewed so far, Rick’s Good Eats may just be my favourite so far (although there may be a little recency bias there). If you’re craving a cheeseburger inspired by the tastes of India, expertly-made samosas or Tandoori chicken with fries, we highly recommend grabbing a bite to eat here.
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