Super Punjab Sweet House - Clearbrook

The space features a clean and modern service counter. On the right, you'll find stacks of take-out boxes—hundreds of them! To the left, there’s a folding table with some chairs for waiting. I scanned the walls, hoping to spot a take-out menu... or a regular menu... or any menu at all… but found nothing. I approached the woman at the counter and asked for a take-out menu. Here’s how the conversation went: Me: Hi, could I have a menu? Lady: We don’t have a menu.

Let’s be honest: most sweet shops have a rundown feel, often featuring signage hastily scrawled on plain computer paper with a Sharpie. One of the interesting quirks of this place is that there’s virtually no signage inside at all. The tour begins at the service counter, which is impressively clean and modern. To the right, there’s a stack of take-out boxes, hundreds of them. To the left, a folding table and some chairs for waiting customers. I looked around for the take-out menu... or even a regular menu... but found nothing! I approached the lady at the counter to ask for a take-out menu. Here’s how the conversation went: Me: Hi, can I have a menu? Lady: We don’t have a menu. Me: Excuse me? Lady: We only make samosas. Me: Great! That’s what we came here for. Do you also make pakora? Lady: Yes, we have veggie and paneer. Yes, that was the entire conversation! That said, the lady was very pleasant. She explained that their primary focus is on sweets, but in the mood for something savory, I decided to skip the sugary treats displayed so nicely behind glass. I appreciated that everything was kept behind spotless glass, unlike many other sweet shops that leave food out in the open. When trying a new shop, I like to sample a few different items, so I ordered six veggie samosas and one pound each of veggie and paneer pakora. The total came to about $14—$6 for the paneer, $5 for the veggie, and just 60 cents per samosa. Remarkably, everything was ready in just 10 minutes! Their specialization in a limited number of items surely contributes to that impressive speed. The samosas are delicious, with a nicely seasoned skin and a filling of basic potatoes and peas, mildly spiced and served with a red chutney. The veggie pakora is in smaller, crispy pieces, which I absolutely love—little fried nuggets of spinach, cauliflower, and onions. The paneer pakora here looks quite different; they’re large and resemble giant Chinese chicken balls. Inside, you’ll find two pieces of paneer (in case you weren’t aware, paneer is cheese) sandwiching spices and what might be minced spinach. Each variety comes with a green chutney that tastes a bit like sweet pickle relish. Overall, I really enjoyed the food from Super Punjab Sweet House, and I think you will too!