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Rangoli

1488 West 11th Ave., Vancouver. 604 736-5711. Dinner for two with wine, tax and tip, $50.

Everyone loves Vij's. The glamorous Vancouver restaurant, owned by the husband and wife team of Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala, has been hailed by none other than Jamie Oliver and The New York Times as one of the finest in the world.

Every night, without fail, you will find crowds lining up for the chef's famous wine-marinated lamb popsicles in fenugreek cream curry and other modern twists on Indian traditions.

Alas, Vij's doesn't take reservations and lineups are typically more than an hour long. Don't feel like queuing? Here's the deal: Rangoli, a casual bistro and takeout shop next door, offers the same full flavour, finesse and fun of the original Vij's experience for a small fraction of the price - and no waiting.

When Vij launched Rangoli 3½ years ago, he was inspired by the dhaba (roadside snack stands) in his native Punjab.

The 30-seat offshoot was open only for lunch. The takeout counter sold simple Vij-tested curries, in vacuum sealed packaging to reheat at home.

But much like the success of Vij's bestselling cookbook, a publishing phenomenon now in its fourth printing, popular demand has forced him to expand his hours of operation. As of two weeks ago, Rangoli is now open for dinner until 10 p.m.

Although the prices at Rangoli are much cheaper than Vij's (mains range from $12 to $13.50), the dishes are just as rich. Vij still refuses to peddle such curry house stalwarts as butter chicken or tikka masala.

His spices are roasted and ground on site. Cooking techniques are borrowed from various regions of Indian and applied with bold ingenuity to locally sourced meats, produce and seafood with mouth-watering results that taste entirely new.

Take spicy pulled pork, for instance. The slow-roasted leg is wrapped in coriander, cumin, ground garam masala and tomatoes, shredded and served in a soupy broth with lightly pan-fried Swiss chard and sour-cream chutney on the side.Vij recommends you roll it all up into thin wedges of chapati, let it drip all over your fingers and lick it up afterward.

Tilapia fritters, rolled in chick-pea flour, come with fresh naan bread and a creamy tomato-yogurt-tumeric curry for dipping.

The menu changes regularly, and never overlaps with the original restaurant. But certain favourites - Portobello mushroom with red bell pepper curry on paneer or cauliflower, spinach and potato pakoras with South Indian daal - are almost always available.

Rangoli also offers desserts (sweet noodles in custard with mango) and smaller snacks (vegetable samosas with chickpea curry and chutneys). The wine list is short yet discerning, with several B.C. boutique vintages available by the bottle, half-litre or glass.

Vij says he is able to save on costs because the red-tiled decor is simpler than the sumptuous jewel box of a restaurant next door. But it's still modern and clean and great fun (don't miss the Bollywood movies playing in the bathroom).

Service is exemplary. And Vij himself is there most nights, bustling between the two restaurants and ensuring that everything is done just right.

Of course, with the extended hours, Rangoli is now able to accommodate a lot of the spillover from Vij's.

The infamous lineups might soon become a thing of the past. More likely, they'll just get longer.

Savouring summer

This review launches our summer restaurant column, Cheap Eats, replacing Joanne Kates until September. In the coming weeks, watch for more of our fave hotspots in Vancouver, as well as in Toronto and Montreal.