The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

x OPINION A CHEF'S KISS FOR KISMET: LOCAL SPOT OFFERS MOUTH-WATERING FARE glk YOU HAVEN'T YET 2 HAD THEIR FOOD, = YOU OWE IT TO YOUR 8 TASTEBUDS, WRITES MARSHALL WARD g At Kismet in Waterloo, their fiery and flavourful ghost curry is so spicy, you have to sign a waiver. ‘We claim this dish to be the hottest curry in town,” said Kismet's co-owner Abufaysal Miah, when my family recently picked upa few vegetarian entrees from the family-owned eat- ery located in University Plaza. Itold Miah that my fam- ily. loves spicy South Asian , but had never tried anything as hot as their ghost curry before. “This dish is definitely Bangladeshi: worthy," he <a India and other MARSHALL WARD Column South Asian countries, they don't usually eat this spicy, but in Bangladesh, eating spicy at this level is ite normal.’ Along with fresh Sat Kismet's tion of locally sourced scor- pion peppers, scotch bon- nets, chocolate habanero and Carolina Reapers that will really make you sweat. "We grow these peppers ourselves in our backyard at home," said Miah. Kismet also has the best onion bhajis we have ever had that we dipped in their refreshing raita sauce. WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS! "Traditional onion bha- jis have a lot more ingredi- ents, but we use flour in vour and also makes it cucumber and a special blend of spices." ly family also enjoyed Kignete citrusy, light and tangy mulligatawny soup, so I asked about their sig- nature recipe. "We cook our lentils us- ing only three ingredients — that's it," said Miah. “And our current recipe is vegan; since we have an ev- er-changing world, it just es sense to keep it open to different dietary restric- tions." Miah said Kismet has been in business for 18 years now, and his family were the original owners of THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS! Thank you to our dedicated and extraordinary volunteers for all you do. You helped us through one of the most difficult times we have ever experienced. You are woven into the fabric of our vibrant community. We are grateful for your time, skills, thoughtfulness, energy and smiles. We appreciate every act of kindness. Thank you so much. To learn about volunteering at Parkwood, Piekiseed, waterloochronicle.ca please contact us at: 726 New Hampshire Street, Waterloo Email: Call: 519.885.4810 Ext. 333 Visit: parkwoodmh.com Koh I Noor Indian Restau- rant in Waterloo, which first opened in 1988 in downtown Kitchener. Specializing in a variety of curries, specifically creamy curries, Kismet of- fers a mouth-watering blend of both Indian and Pakistani cuisine. “If you look into the his- tory of the dishes we serve, it originates from when my father started his restau- rants in the United King- dom back in the early 60s," ” said Miah. "Most of the restaurants were Bangladeshi-owned back then in the UK., hence the Bangladeshi touch to our cooking s style. For as long as I' we have always. labelled our dishes as Indian food but with the Bangladeshi style of cooking." If you haven't yet had their food, you owe it to your tastebuds. "Some of our bestsellers are our creamy butter chicken and creamy korma dishes,” said Miah, beam- “And don't forget our pathia dishes and sambas that most likely cannot be found at other Indian res- tal ts town. And when it comes to cultural dishes, I would say the one dish that stands out is defi- nitely our kormas. Back home in Bangladesh, kor- mas area staple for parties and weddings." I told Miah how m my family vali friendly and welcoming vibe of Kismet and their many vegetarian options for families like mine. “Great cine tnecs always brings the fac back in, and weliketogreet our customers by name when we see them walk through the door," he said. Our community should e pride in welcoming entrepreneurs like Miah i a Johnny Parks photo Kismet co-owner Abufaysal Miah's family grows hot peppers in their backyard to make their fiery and flavourful ghost curry dish. and his family — and feel lucky to have their family’ 'S delicious recipes Visit www. Kismetwater- loo.com. Marshall Ward is a Freelance writer and artist. Check out his award-win- ning podcast at bonnpark- -com.