At the beginning of March, Chef Ricky’s passion project finally saw reality. His restaurant, Rikki Tikki, opened its doors in Kensington Market, serving up modern, home-style Indian cuisine to an area known for an array of cultures and styles.
Available for dine in and takeout, Rikki Tikki’s appetizer items include paneer tikka fries, garlic tikki, veggie samosas and stir-fried Australian fish pakora. Main dishes showcase traditional Indian flavours crafted with a North American twist, with options like butter chicken, lamb vindaloo, saag paneer and chana masala. A selection of naan and rice dishes are also available.
For dessert, Chef Ricky’s guests can satisfy their sweet tooth with chai tea, and food items like cookie dough, a rikki signature dessert, kulfi falooda (an eggless, Indian ice cream made with whole milk over a bed of falooda noodles) and double ka meetha topped with fruit (a sweet Indian bread made with sugar syrup and reduced milk).
The drink program is extensive, with beer and wine options complementing cocktails that pay homage to India, with names like patiala shahi (a whiskey based cocktail) and bamb jatt. Mocktails like a mango mojito and an Indian lemonade are also available.
Rikki Tikki also has a kids menu, with choices like a tikki burger and maggi (soft noodles cooked with veggies) for young diners.
Chef Ricky’s restaurant, Rikki Tikki, is located at 209 Augusta Avenue, between Knockout Chicken and Pow Wow Cafe, down the street from Handlebar and Jen Agg’s Grey Gardens.