Naan Tale brings classical Indian technique to Ramsay
Chef Jaspreet Singh Pannu's humble new restaurant focuses on time-honoured cooking methods and fresh ingredients, with everything prepared to order.
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In a city thick with Indian restaurants ranging from street-food casual to high-end contemporary, chef Jaspreet Singh Pannu saw room for something different: a small neighbourhood spot built on classical technique rather than flashy spices.
Naan Tale—subtitled "A chef's fairy tale"—sits in a cozy 16-seat space in Ramsay, just across from Red's Diner and a short walk from the Stampede grounds. An open kitchen lets you watch Pannu execute his craft. Pannu trained in India and worked in higher-end hotels and restaurants across Canada before opening his first restaurant. He wanted it intimate and community-focused, a place where he could showcase his culinary philosophy to Calgarians.
"For my first place, I thought people should know about the actual basics of Indian cooking," he says. "This restaurant focuses on technique."
The menu opens with starters like a king samosa—an empanada-shaped potato-filled pocket for $5—and palak patta chaat ($12), crispy battered baby spinach leaves topped with chutney and yogurt. His tandoori chicken tikka ($19) stands out for its tenderness; boneless pieces are gently marinated and cooked to stay succulent. Though many local Indian restaurants have ditched butter chicken for regional-specific fare, Pannu goes the opposite direction, offering three variations ($19 each): the "copper" version with traditional tomato-based makhani gravy, the "gold" with turmeric for a different flavour and colour, and the "white" with an onion and cashew gravy.
Pannu relies on fresh ingredients rather than heavy market spices. "We don't spice up our food to hide the technical faults," he says. The daal-e-khass is the absolute must-order—black lentils repeatedly washed to strip out bitterness, then slow-cooked for days, a method he picked up working in Indian hotels and fine dining restaurants. The result is an extraordinarily silky texture and deep richness.
Naan Tale also serves lassis, teas, wines (including selections from India), and local and imported beers.
Naan Tale is located at 1048 8th St. S.E., open daily from noon, reachable at 587-997-5000 or naantale.ca.