BHIMA’S WARUNG 262 KING ST. N., WATERLOO 519-747-0722 WWW.BHIMASWARUNG.COM
Hours
Open at 5 p.m. every day; reservations strongly recommended
Wheelchair accessibility
Yes
Atmosphere
The pleasures available within Bhima’s Warung are in sharp contrast to its rather unappealing, ramshackle street-view. Bustle, chatter, and the flare of flame from the open kitchen are accompanied by the alluring aromas of complex spicing and grilled food: all contribute to the dining experience at Bhima’s, whether in the restaurant proper, or on the patio in warmer weather.
Cuisine
The menu is an exciting fusion of Southeast Asian street food and European cuisine using both local and exotic ingredients, sometimes in notoriously large portions that can easily be shared.
Drinks
There is an extensive wine selection, and an interesting beer list including some unusual reserve bottles. The cocktail list, dominated by sweet fruit-juice-based drinks, could benefit from a refresh.
Service
Pleasant, professional and sartorially-splendid in sarongs and batik pants; however, the servers were not equally well-versed in the dishes, did not get back with responses to some of our ingredient queries, and dishes — there were a lot of them for a small table — were not always cleared as quickly as they might have been.
The bill
$179.52 (including tax but not tip) for an appetizer, main, dessert, a multicourse tasting menu, and two 5 ounces glasses of wine
In a nutshell
Though relatively expensive, Bhima’s Warung is consistently busy. In business over 23 years, no kitchen in Waterloo Region produces a better or broader range of Southeast Asian cuisine. It’s worthy of a detour off the 401.