I tasted my first curry in 1963, my first year at U of T. I was on a date and we were looking for some where to eat before taking in a movie.  We passed by a just opened India House on Yonge Street just north of Wellesley and decided to try it. There was only one thing being served that night – a sampler platter of everything on the menu. It was great.  India House became one of my favourite restaurants.  I later discovered other Indian restaurants; many of them no more. We visited the Rajput on Bloor west of Spadina a lot when we lived at Walmer and Bloor and when we moved into my renovated family home on McCaul Street, Babur at Dundas and McCaul (later on Queen opposite McCaul) became a favourite. One Indian Restaurant, alas no more, that I just have to mention is Samina’s Place, a small authentic Indian restaurant on Dundas opposite the Art Galley.  Samina’s taught us that Indian food did not have to be ‘HOT’; her dishes were spicy but subtle; you could distinguish between all the ingredients and every entre was unique and absolutely fabulous. They were family recipes passed on through the generations.  When we moved to Kitchener we first tried Koh-I Noor on the corner of King and Cedar in those days; it has since moved up to Phillip Street in Waterloo. It was and still is a pleasant dining experience. It and Masala Bay (at Dupont and Regina) are slightly more upscale than the other Indian places in Kitchener/Waterloo. We also tried Vijay’s on Weber and its franchise operation Curry in a Hurry. Vijay is is good but nothing special; Curry in a Hurry’s curries seems all to use the same sauce. Mahararaja Palace on King above Bridgeport is still a favourite.  Its vegetable thali (my favourite) and non-vegetable thali (James’) are both very good value for your money and the staff and owner are very pleasant and friendly. Pat and I think one gets the best curries at Classic Indian in a mall on the corner of Wissler and Northfield in Waterloo.  Classic Indian won the best soup several times at the Heart Smart Soup lunch before that wonderful annual event ended. Modern India on King opposite Sports World is an Indian buffet restaurant we go to when we want good curry, at reasonable prices, in a hurry.  We recently discovered a new place in Preston that is likely to become a favourite. Grain of Salt (1512 King St. E. Cambridge) does pakoras just like Toronto’s Rajut used to; you get an assortment (enough for two) in the Grain of Salt snacks.  Pat and I are agreed that the Grain of Salt palak paneer is the best saag peneer we’ve had either in Toronto or here in Waterloo Region. We also liked the baigan bharta very much.  My friends Bruce and George enjoyed goat curry and the goat Vindaloo respectively and are interested in visiting again. Pat and I certainly will be coming back and we recommend Grain of Salt highly.  They have a working gas fireplace that promises to be tempting come cold weather.