Sep. 26, 2012 - Issue #884: Strangelove
The New Savoy’s Health Café
South Indian cuisine in South Edmonton
Under its previous owners, Savoy served strictly vegetarian dishes. However, the new owners, Sajai Sebastian and Shaji Mathews, along with their partner Darren George, have added a lineup of meaty creations to the menu, which are currently served on weekends. These South Indian delicacies include chicken biriyani, parotta with butter chicken and casava with fish curry. Although meat has been added to the menu, George says vegetarians can rest assured in the fact that Savoy is meticulous in its cleanliness and avoids any chance of cross-contamination with meat-free dishes or prep areas.
Sebastian and Mathews immigrated to Canada several years ago, and George knew the pair back home in India, but has come onboard the restaurant team as a silent partner to help the new owners along with paperwork and necessary permits. The new owners officially took over Savoy's this July, and plan to bring in two more chefs to allow the restaurant to take on more catering in the future.
"Being born and brought up here, I know you've got to be on top of these things and, you know, the permits and all that is huge for us. If Alberta Health Services is happy, that's the first step towards people being happy because, you know, in the past there were people concerned about the cleanliness of the place, so we took it upon ourselves to gut the place, knowing that we had issues, or some issues that the old owner said were all dealt with," George explains, adding the team worked closely with a health inspector to ensure Savoy was brought up to standard, which had not been done by the previous owner. "You've got to provide that sense of quality. If I can't eat here myself, I can't expect anyone else to."
The result has been a fresh coat of paint, new flooring, new chairs that actually match and new kitchen equipment. The restaurant was closed for over a week to make it all possible, but George says the investment has been worth it in reactions from customers, both to the decor and the food, which is made fresh to order.
"This is all new to us, so we're here riding the wave and making a go at it and hopefully doing our part in offering the community a variety of flavours. We stand by it; we're open to comments because we're only as good as our last customer," George says.
The New Savoy's Health Café prides itself on serving authentic South Indian cuisine, which is not commonly found in Edmonton. The majority of Indian food Edmontonians are used to is North Indian, George notes. The difference is in the spices and cooking techniques, which tend to be more vegetarian-friendly. There's a large focus on health-conscious ingredients and avoiding frying whenever possible.
For vegetarians, George says the dosas are a must. The thin, crispy crepe-like wrap, is a blend of lentils and rice. Inside, the filling is a mixture of potato, onion and flavourful spices. The dish is served with sambar, a lentil-based vegetable soup that is spicy enough to add an extra kick, but not overpower the flavours of the ingredients.
In addition to the dosas, which have been carried over from the previous menu, The New Savoy's Health Café continues to serve housemade samosas, which are cooked fresh to order every time—no exceptions. The crispy triangles are filled with potatoes and vegetables that are spiced just enough to add some heat, but not have you reaching for water with each bite. As with the dosas, samosas are served with a helping of sambar.
George adds that the beverage menu will include two signature fresh fruit and vegetable juices. One is the energizer, a blend of carrots, apples, oranges, beets and ginger, and the other is a body cleanse featuring carrots, oranges, peppers, grapefruit and ginger.
Prior to new ownership, Savoy's hours were sporadic, making it difficult for customers to visit. George says for now, they will be sticking to 11 am to 7 pm, with the potential of extending them in the future. However, he says with a small restaurant and small team, it can be detrimental to take on too much too quickly, so he is content with starting simple.
"It's a service that takes time and we want to be here long-term," George adds.
The New Savoy's Health Café
South Indian Restaurant
11010 - 51 Ave
780.437.7718
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