An Indian Affair

An Indian Affair has been on Willowbrook Drive since 2012. It’s a family restaurant: Gary and Anu Bakshi opened it together, and their son Karan now works alongside Gary. Gary trained at the Maurya Sheraton in Delhi and cooked in India, the US and Canada before opening his own place. The restaurant has expanded three times since it opened, most recently in 2024, adding more seats and a private dining room.

The buffet

Most people know it for lunch. The buffet runs every day: Monday to Saturday from 11 to 2:30, and Sunday until 3. Instead of sitting under a heat lamp, the naan comes fresh to your table. Expect butter chicken, tandoori chicken and a good spread of vegetarian dishes. Walk-ins are fine, but book ahead if you’re bringing a big group to the buffet.

The rest of the menu

In the evenings it’s à la carte: tandoori, chicken, seafood and vegetarian curries, and plenty of chaat. Look for gol gappas (crisp shells you fill with spiced water) and a crispy spinach chaat. To give you a sense of prices, butter chicken is about $18 and a vegetable samosa about $4.50.

The dining room is dressed up more than you might expect from a strip-mall spot: green booths, dark wood and warm lighting. Regulars mostly talk about the buffet, the curries and how full they leave.

Hours

Monday to Thursday they’re open 11 am to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday until midnight, and Sunday until 11 pm. Call 604-539-8114. There’s also a smaller sister bistro in Willoughby; this listing is the original Willowbrook restaurant.

For more locally owned places to eat, see Shop Local.