Most authentic South Indian food I have had in Montreal. Chennai Express is tucked in a small corner of an ordinary looking shop that hosts three other kitchens (Wok to Go &a Falafel Express) near Square Phillips. It's a very humble place, not not much space to sit, not the cleanest, and can be very suffocating due to the heat from three kitchens. But that's what makes this place even more appealing. The store is reminiscent of food courts back home (South Asia). Most of the customers are people of colour and speak the same language as the owners and the place is always crowded. Chennai Express is a family owned restaurant and the both the husband and wife are super friendly. They cook the food themselves while their son handles cash counter.
As for the food, everything we ordered was brilliant and really exceed expectations. We tried the lamb biryani which was freshly cooked right then. It was packed with rich spices and they did not compromise on the level of hotness. I feel the biryani could do with more salt though. The fish curry was super spicy, packed with curry leaf flavours and tasted as good as the ones back home (which is rare in a store in Montreal). The fish even had bones in it! The winner for me was the Dosa! I had a masala dosa and the potato filling and sambar was close to perfection !
I love how this place is so daringly authentic. They did not compromise with their culture and taste. I would recommend this place to anyone willing to try REAL South Indian food instead of the appropriated version you find at Super Quality (owned by three white dudes who spent three months in India). Please support more family owned businesses of colour like this one which actually makes a life for a lot of families.