[moncton golden flames]

the first thing i always do when i go out for dinner, is order a caesar to get the taste buds running. it was tasty and spicy, but the pickled celery as a garnish was to stringy to bite thru, without making a mess. overall: 7.5/10

we started the meal by sharing 2 starters. first was garam masala grilled lamb lollipops with apple, tomato, mint chutney. the lollipop is basically a single piece of rack lamb. there were 3 pieces, all grilled perfectly. the chutney was simple and clean tasting. a very nice compliment to the lamb. overall: 8/10

the second starter was chick pea battered coconut curried calamari with a mango lentil salad. a very nice dish. the calamari was cooked perfectly, so soft and tender. the batter was not thick or overwhelming and the mango lentil salad helped cut thru the richness of the coconut curry. overall: 8/10

for the first main, we had their tandoor roasted butter chicken served with masala roasted vegetables and toasted almonds. i know, not very adventurous, but it's still one of our favourites. the sauce was more tomato than other butter chicken sauces we have had, which helped keep the dish relatively light. we didn't even have the veg, but the carrots, peas and beets looked tasty. overall: 8/10

the second main was a turmeric and cumin sauteed cauliflower with a tomato sauce and some vegetable fritters was a nice contrast the the chicken heavy butter chicken. unfortunately, we didn't finish the dish, we were just too full. but a leftover lunch today is looking mighty tasty! overall: 7.5/10

with dinner, we had the allegrini valpolicella classic. a great pairing that held up very well the the strong aromatics of indian food. every sip brought a nice spicy bit to the tongue that kept me wanting to guzzle and gorge on it. thankfully we were c-training, so the booze consumption was a fun priority to maintain. overall: 8.5/10

while mango shiva is not your traditional indian food restaurant, it is certainly a good dining experience with a nice atmosphere and good service. overall: 8/10