I Tried Tim Hortons' India Menu For The First Time As A Local & This Is My Honest Opinion

Chocolate Dip Donut

The tempting topping of chocolate on this doughnut makes it hard to resist. I found a number of people who had come in the morning ordering these along with a beverage. This classic version is again soft and airy, has a wholesome, indulgent feel and is bound to be a favourite among young people.

Chole & Cheese Kulcha

I love pizzas and flatbreads come quite close to it. This one has been given an innovative Indian touch. Chole is a popular North Indian dish made of chickpeas and usually served with a fluffy, flour bread called “kulcha.

Here they use the kulcha as a flatbread and layer it with chickpeas on top. The tangy and sour flavour – on the spicier side – is quite good. It comes topped with rings of raw onions and tomatoes, Indian style, so if you’re here on a date, stay away from the onions.

Lamb Kebab Wrap

I grew up eating all kinds of street food and my favourite is kathi rolls (chicken, egg or lamb wrapped in an Indian bread called parantha). This is a version of that.

Succulent minced lamb along with chunky pieces of onions and tomatoes come rolled inside a parantha. Neatly sliced in two, it comes with an unusual accompaniment: potato wafers. It tastes tangy and the lamb is really flavourful though I find the wrapping a bit thick. Usually this is served with a green chutney, but that was missing.

Double-Double Coffee

What’s not to like about this hot coffee that comes with double the amount of cream and sugar? I take a sip and it tastes sweet (like it should), but it’s missing the coffee kick and slight bitterness I enjoy. It’s a bit milky and takes me back to my school days when I started drinking coffee.

For most Indians who prefer their coffee milder, I can anticipate that this is going to be a huge hit, especially in the winter season.

Sliders

A row of three sliders (egg, chicken and vegetarian) sitting neatly on a red plate reminds me of a local street snack available in West India called vada pao. But this is different.

Each one has a small cutlet placed inside a bun, slathered with a flavoured sauce and topped with onion rings. The chicken is succulent while the vegetarian filling is a version of a popular local snack made with potato called ‘aloo tikki’. The egg slider was a bit overcooked.

Mushroom Ravioli in Makhani Sauce

I love Italian cuisine and ravioli is my weakness. Tim Hortons has given a twist to the sauce – it comes in an Indianised version called makhani gravy which literally means “buttery.”

However, this isn’t as buttery as it sounds. It is a little richer than the usual tomato sauce that comes with ravioli and a bit on the spicier side, giving it that much needed kick. It will go down well for vegetarians.

Ginger Tea

If you’re a local, your first sip of this will hit you with the pungent notes of ginger and stir up memories of North Indian homes in the winter, when this drink is particularly popular.

The Tim Hortons version is a very good recreation, but the tea is pleasantly milder compared to the traditional version, which is simmered on a slow flame for a strong taste. There is no need to pick up a sachet of sugar – it comes premixed with sugar which fortunately is well balanced.

Timbits

These signature, bite-sized doughnuts that come in an affordable price range are a definite hit. Soft yet chewy, each of the four flavours available here pops a different taste. The chocolate-filled one is a winner, while the blueberry Timbit gives the palate a refreshing taste.

I missed the note of salt in the salted caramel one and found the cookies and cream a bit too sweet. However they are likely to go down well with the Indian palate, which has a definite bias for all things sweet.