Tag Archives: East Indian

North and South Indian, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, , Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

Kissan (now Sidartha Pure Vegetarian Cuisine)

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Kissan (changed Feb 07 to Sidartha Pure Vegetarian Cuisine)

1411 Gerrard Street East
(416) 466-9777

Wendy and I heard about a new vegetarian Indian restaurant called Kissan that opened about one month ago on Gerrard street (aka Little India). We thought it was time to check it out. As i no longer live on the Danforth, i am somewhat out of touch with life in the east end so I try to go back to the Danforth or Little India to see what is going on. You will notice that on Gerrard, there is a definite revitalization going on there so it’s best to buy a house or townhouse there ASAP as prices will go up as the place will “trendify” and become shi shi poo poo like the Beaches, then we’re all screwed over since house prices will go super high ($500,000) for a tiny 2000 sq. foot house. The arrogant city of Toronto has some nerve to make house prices so unaffordable that only the rich or a dual income family can purchase it.

Now back to my review. Kissan is a very pleasant, clean, and non kitschy, non-dated restaurant that serves North Indian vegetarian cuisine in a pleasant non-kitchy ambiance. Set in one small dining area with about 10 tables, we were thoroughly impressed by the constantly refreshed buffet table (at the back), glistening with freshness and not glazed with grease like many Indian buffets (think Dhaba on King and John or any other Indian restaurant on Gerrard street). Maybe it’s because Kissan is new and they are still “young” and “fresh with ideas” and maybe it will all go downhill in the next few months, but we thought we’d give our impressions on this place one month after its opening.

Kissan’s small but high quality buffet included favourite veggie delights like curried cabbage, vegetable curry, chana masala, aloo gobi with fresh chunks of cauliflower, not a mashed up mess mostly comprised of potato. We saw mostly cauliflower and that is a good indication of a good aloo gobi when there is a visible gobi (cauliflower) and there are nice potato wedges. It means there was time and thought involved. Most aloo gobis are mashed up messes and are served in clumps, trust me. I’ve had my share of Toronto’s aloo gobi’s. Another excellent feature is an eggplant curry (Bengan) that was simply delicious. Kissan also served a nice daal (lentil curry) as well as a yummy curried yogourt stew with dumplings. It was a yellow colour and mild in flavour and the dumplings tasted like wet pakoras. The pakoras’ were typical balls of onion and mashed up vegetables wrapped up in a chick pea flour batter. Wendy and I both brought the coriander and tamarind dipping sauce for them and they were excellent. I had to admit that I usually have no faith in Indian buffets but we were pleasantly surprised. The saag paneer was also good but had too much spinach and I had trouble finding the cubes of cheese. Naan was kept away from the buffet table to avoid become soggy and cold so we were impressed when our server told us that he had fresh naan waiting for us.

Both Wendy and I agree that our Mango Lassis were thick, flavourful, not too sweet, and not watery like most Mango Lassis. We both agreed that our Mango Lassi was the best we’ve ever had in Toronto. It tasted so fresh and not pre-made. It was incredibly thick. We asked the secret, and he said thick homemade yogourt, filtered to get rid of excess water, and mango pulp (rock on!). We loved it. For $8.99 for lunch buffet and $10.99 for the dinner buffet, we had no complaints about our experience at all except the yucky phony tasting mango ice cream (I had the vanilla ice cream instead). Wendy also enjoyed a carrot pudding made with delicately cooked carrot slices in a thick sweet milky pudding. It tasted just like rice pudding but with thinly cut carrot slices instead. Kissan also serves a cool milk beverage with fresh cold milk, vermicelli noodles, rosewater and cumin and other spices that gives it a sweet and fragrant dessert. The rice pudding they serve also sounds delicious with fennel (or anise) and cardamom, a delicious spice often used in Indian tea (chai masala). In sum, we were pleasantly stuffed and felt that we really ate very well in terms of quality, flavour, freshness, and service was extra friendly and the server was very knowledgable and pleasant, which is always nice. Open 11:30am-10:30pm 7 days per week. Accepts all cards.

Jaipur Grille

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 2066 Yonge Street
416 322 5678

Aaron and I and 2 other friends went to Jaipur Grille because we wanted to try an Indian restaurant in a different neighbourhood and somewhere fairly new. Jaipur Grille is not located downtown or in Little India but at Yonge and Davisville south of the trendy Yonge and Eglinton strip.

Inside, with dim lighting, pale walls and minimal design, the large one-room dining hall was very tasteful, clean, and had a slick decor but too slick like Salad King. Classy and upscale was the feel I got. Not like most dated, kitschy dives in Little India, Jaipur Grille did serve most of the same dishes as most North Indian restaurants.

We all started with drinks (Diet Coke and Mango Juice for us 4). The waiter was friendly and knowledgable and kept on filling up our glasses with water and he was able to accomodate Aaron’s desire for lemon in his water.

We all started with pappadums which came to our table free. We ordered 2 appetizers for the four of us, a platter called Paneer Methi Tikka ($10.95), a cheese platter marinated and seared in a tandoor oven, served with mint chutney. To die for! We also order a different type of vegetable pakoras ($5.95), deep fried and battered up eggplant, and other veggies in a chick pea batter. Superb and delicious in a coriander sauce. Pakoras are also yummy with a sweet tamarind sauce as well. They were not too greasy and different since most pakoras are “balls” of onion and other mashed up veggies in a chick pea flour batter. This was different because we had actual vegetables in addition to those “balls”.

For my main dish I ordered the Sabzi Hara Masala, which was a green (coriander) based curry with mixed vegetables roasted in a spice mix with some paneer and cashews. Delicious! My other friends ordered the Channa Masala ($8.95)(chick pea curry) and it was thick, dark ,and delicious. It was very fresh and was more red than brown since it was made in an onion and tomato gravy. They also ordered one of my favourite Indian dishes Palak Paneer (also known as Saag Paneer($10.95))- simply spinach and cheese. With chunks (not pureed) of spinach sauteed and braised with tomatoes and homemade cheese, this dish had a kick and was fresh, very hot, and delicious. Aaron had the Lamb Korma (Lamb roasted with spices, finished with almonds & raisins in a light cream sauce with Rice Pullao ($4.50). Aaron thought that the Lamb Korma was delicious… tender… and seasoned well… however he felt it could have used a touch more spice. Overall, he found it delicious.

 

We all ordered Naan bread for the table ($1.95) (fluffy bread cooked in a tandoor oven) and my other dining friends ordered Rice Pullao (Basmati rice cooked with saffron and tomatoes, with fragrant spices.) ($4.50). For dessert, we had the luxurious scoop of mango sorbet surrounded by banana ice cream and coasted in coconut. You will never find that kind of dessert (heavenly) on Gerrard street. You may find Kulfi or Barfi or various squares, but not this delicate, decadent dessert. After our meal was finished, we all agree that this place was definitely on the top five in terms of the best Indian restaurants in Toronto. I would go back for sure. Prices are not too expensive. Definitely high quality and excellent service. Liquor License. Accepts all cards.

Ruchi Indian Cuisine

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649 Yonge St.
(416) 926-0953

 

Wendy and I decided to try another Indian restaurant in the downtown core right before our 9:10pm show of Everything Is Illuminated, the movie adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel of the same name. I had only partially read Foer’s novel so i thought i would cheat and see the movie. We had decided to go to a nice Indian meal somewhere on Yonge street and we knew that there were many options. We chose Ruchi, partially because of the glowing reviews posted on the wall (from EYE or NOW magazine) and it was closeby.

When we walked in we noticed it was brightly coloured in rich royal blue and copper reds. There is an elevation at the doorway so be careful not to trip while walking in. This narrow restaurant has less than 10 tables but the restaurant goes far back with 3 tables alongside one wall at the front and a few tables on the other side separated by brown coloured transparent curtains. There is a nice bar at back where they serve a variety of beers but I did not see a wine selection. Wendy and I started with veggie pekoras (deep fried onions in a chickpea batter- YUMM). It was served with a mint coriander sauce and a liquidy tamarind sauce ($3.95). For our mains, Wendy ordered the butter chicken ($7.95) and it came to us in a rich red colour. Wendy found the dish to be too sweet and did not have very much chicken and she said it reminded her of Campbell’s Cream of Tomato soup mix. She was not that happy with her choice. I did notice the sweet aroma and i found it odd that it was so red. I chose the saag paneer (spinach and cottage cheese curry) which i found to be super yummy and it has a certain zing to it. We ordered both our dishes medium but we chould choose mild, medium, hot, or the cliche Indian hot. We both ordered Naan bread. I ordered aloo naan and Wendy ordered the regular Naan. For our beverages Wendy ordered sweet Lassi which was a plain yogourt but heavily sweetened (YUM) and i ordered the typical Mango Lassi which was even sweeter ($3.75). They came in tall glasses and unfortunately were not thick enough for my liking but i was somewhat satisfied.

I noticed the menu to have your typical North Indian dishes (chicken, beef, fish curries, aloo gobi, chana masala, butter chicken, tandoori chicken, samosa, pekoras, lassis, the typical dishes you’d expect in an Indian restaurant.).

Service was fairly fast and our waitress was nice, attentive, calm, and friendly. Wendy and I would definitely try this place again, despite her obvious disappointment. She did not expect her butter chicken to taste like Campbell’s Tomato soup mix and she did not expect there to be as much as sauce. She only found 4 pieces of chicken (breast, thank goodness!).

Open 7 days per week. Mon-Fri 11:30 am – 10:30 pm, Sat 3:00 pm – 10:30 pm, and Sun 4:00 pm -10:30 pm . Accepts all cards. Liquor license. Very narrow inside with not many seats but very cosy and comfortable. Lighting is quite bright. Beautiful colour scheme or rich royal blue ceilings and walls and reddish/copper walls. Non-kitschy Indian decor.

Bar-Be-Que-Hut [Mark Aaron]

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 1455 Gerrard St. E.
416-466-2264

Bar Be Que Hut, despite its name, is not Pizza Hut. It is a not a fast food joint that serves hamburgers and hot dogs. It’s a small cosy restaurant in Little India that is frequented by families and casual diners. Bar Be Que Hut, meaning Pride of India, serves traditional Pakistani cuisine with live music every Friday night. Also contains a small outdoor terrace.

Menu is very small and simple. They have typical Indian fare like tikkas (chicken tikka masala), kebabs, tandoori, pakoras and samosas, chicken curry, butter chicken, mutton, goat, beef, and fish curries, and much more.

Bar-Be-Que Hut house favourites include lamb bara kebab, chicken bara kebab, vegetable pakoras. Vegetarian items include channa massala, palak paneer, daal, curried eggplant, and aloo gobi. I ordered garlic naan (fluffy white pita-like bread) with palak paneer (purreed spinach curry with homemade Indian cheese) . YUMM! In addition, i ordered the Mango Lassi ( a thick drink made with homemade yogourt and fresh mango puree), sweet, thick, and delicious. My friend ordered the tandoor chicken dish with regular naan and he liked both dishes very well. The dish also came a spicey meat sausage thing which he did not favour as much. For his drink, my friend ordered King Fisher, a typical Indian beer.

Decor is kind of dated. Place is kind of small and carpets are dark, dingy, and not clean. Staff are very friendly and food is excellent, tasty, and good portions and no bullshit prices. Bar Be Que Hut really needs updating. Food makes up for old, tired decor. There is a television that plays Bollywood movies and musicals, which gives it a cute kitschy feel. As well, the TV also gives the restaurant a very casual, bar-like ambiance. It really needs a renovation like Salad King needed a renovation. Also needs a new name. Bar Be Que Hut does not sound like an authentic Indian restaurant. Open noon to 10 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday; 5-10 p.m. Wednesday; noon to 11:30 p.m. Friday to Sunday. No wheelchair access to washrooms. Accepts all cards

Kama

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214 King Street West
416-599-KAMA (5262)

This restaurant is located directly across the street from the Roy Thomson Hall, making it a convenient option for those going to the theatre (there are many in the ‘hood). It’s a couple of steps down from the street, and is a huge place! It is very bright and airy, and very terracotta in colour. This place definitely looks different than any restaurant you might find in little India – very designer-y. Naturally, the prices are in line with the décor and location.

Though sit down meals are an option, we selected the all-you-can eat buffet option at $16.95 each. Had we had chosen this option to take out, the price is much cheaper. Lunchtime prices are also much lower.

The food we ate was generally quite good, there was a decent variety of dishes, vegetarian, chicken, beef and seafood. Among my favourite items were the different traditional breads, some with garlic, some with mint, etc. salads, tandoori chicken & vegetable curry. Least favourite: dessert. Apparently I made a funny face when I took a bite. Oh well, can’t be perfect.

The service was very speedy and attentive. The staff are very sensitive to those with time constraints and are ready with the bill when you are.

I enjoyed my meal there, but probably will not make a habit of going there based on the price. The price was a little higher than I think an Indian buffet should be. However, if I have an insatiable craving for the food & I happen to be in the area, I would not hesitate to drop in.

Kama

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214 King Street west
416-599-KAMA

Kama (as in Kama Sutra), meaning the god of erotic love is the name of the last place I went to dine with Wendy the night of Evita. Located in the trendy and pricy Entertainment District (King west between University and Spadina) this place is kind of hidden as it is downstairs. Located right across from Roy Thomson Hall, we liked the fact that they served a dinner buffet because we were not prepared to pay over $20 each for our meal. Kama’s decor is very Mediterranean with a terra cotta colour and does not look very Indian but very designer-ish. With a minimalist shi-shi-poo-poo motif, this place is the epitome in high brow Indian cuisine.

Although located in the basement of a building, the dug out full length windows make the place very bright. The restaurant itself is very large as it looks as though it can sit over 100 people. Divided into three main dining areas separated by columns, we could not find the buffet table at first as it was hidden way in back of the restaurant. The dinner buffet was kind of pricy ($16.95) and there were many vegetarian options. As always, i enjoyed the deliciously spicy vegetable pekoras (although vegetarian, the takeout menu called them chicken pekora, quite a fatal error). In addition, i enjoyed the vegetable curry, Channa masala (chick pea curry), Aloo Chat (potato curry in a sweet and sour curry with vegetables and crunchy chippy things, Saag Paneer (spinach and cheese), garlic naan and mint naan. The garlic naan was incredible with a hint of garlic and not too strong. Wendy had the mint naan and she seemed to enjoy it.

For dessert Wendy had the doughnut balls with a lot of syrup or honey and she made the funniest face when she tasted the balls and they were not what she expected. I think she expected soft and full of honey, but instead they were dry with very little syrup. We both thoroughly enjoyed the luxurious rice pudding with pistachios. We really appreciated the taste and the bold flavours of nutmeg, ginger, and anise. YUMMA! The actual meal was so-so but the dessert rocked. I must admit that $16.95 is a nervy price to charge for dinner buffet but we were in the theatre district where naive tourists would pay anything. We were pleased that, unlike Little India, they kept on refreshing all of the food so everything was hot and fresh. Still, the food was very so-so…nothing to run home about. I would probably not go again, or at least, i would order from the separate dinner menu because most of the time those items are more fresh and are of higher quality. Accepts all cards. Open late. No reservations required. Takeout lunch and dinner buffet significantly cheaper. Separate lunch and dinner menu available.

Indian Hut

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636 Church Street,
Phone – (416) 934-0235
http://www.indianhut.ca

 

Indian Hut is a a large, spacious restaurant located in an old restored Victorian House on Church right near Bloor, just north of the gay village. -Dimly lit, with huge windows and large spacious tables, Indian Hut has a lunch buffet (weekdays: 11:30am -l 2:30pm for $9.95) and dinner buffet, (7 days a week from 5:30pm – 10:00pm for $15.95) and a take out and eat in menu. To order from the take out menu, visit http://www.restaurantsonthego.com or call 416-932-3999.

Indian Hut also offers Indian cooking classes so you can make restaurant quality food at home. Cost is for 6 weeks, 2 hour lessons, one lesson per week @ $250. [Feb 2005 prices] . Dishes will be adapted without having to use restaurant equipment. Contact Neerja Dhawan at 416 934 0235 to register.

Indian Hut has an upstairs banquet room for larger groups to use for special occasions. Surrounded by traditional Indian music, in an ambiance that is completely non-kitsch, possessing a calm ambiance, with candlelight, real linen napkins and tablecloths, this place serves traditional North Indian cuisine that is fresh, piping hot, and flavourful.

I started my buffet adventure (I don’t do buffets very often!) with a vegetarian lentil soup, purreed to perfection. I found that there were many vegetarian options like the Bhartha (Curried Eggplant), Daal (Lentil Curry), Chana Masala (curried chick peas), Vegetable pekora, Saag Paneer (Spinach and cheese) as well as unlimited Naan bread served fresh and hot, and Pappadum

Food is hot, fresh, and served in traditional Indian Hot plates. Food was always refreshed and waitress was knowledgable, friendly, and always filled our water. Some popular dishes worth noting include Butter Chicken, Garlic naan bread: light and fluffy bread made in a tandoor oven and smothered in garlic butter, Beef roganjosh, a tender beef curry in a spicy sauce, Navratna korma: a medley of 9 vegetables in a light tomato cream sauce with mild spices and nuts, Goan mutton curry, a lamb curry cooked in a goan style curry sauce, and Tandoori chicken marinated and baked in yogurt, ginger, garlic and spices.

Some desserts include a variety of traditional ice creams (Kulfi), Bharfi, Rice Pudding, and Cheese Balls covered in syrup, or Dough balls deep fried in syrup. Accepts all cards, serves liquor, open late.

Bombay Palace

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 71 Jarvis St
Phone: 416-368-8048

Iqbal Chatwal opened his first Bombay Palace in downtown Montreal over 20 years ago. It has been a trusted favourite ever since, expanding its proven recipe for success to locations in New York, Los Angeles, Budapest and Hong Kong, as well as Toronto. Dishes are prepared in Punjabi style and this place caters to a health-conscious crowd by providing a menu of low-fat and low-cholesterol dishes that still retain the flavours of traditional Indian dishes.

Having visited several Indian restaurants in Toronto since moving to Toronto in the summer of 2001, I have always passed Bombay Palace but never had an opportunity to go in, until Paulo’s 33rd birthday. Conveniently located downtown at Jarvis and Adelaide, just a pinch north of King. Known in Toronto as “high Indian cuisine” I was thoroughly impressed with the plain and simple and kitsch-free decor spread across two luxurious and comfortable, spacious dining rooms.

Tables were large and not jam-packed like many other restaurants that try to pack in as many people as possible into one small dining space. Bombay Palace was definitely not claustrophobic.

I was VERY thirsty, so I started with a Mango Lassi, which was a bit of a disappointment because it was not thick enough and it was filled with ice and portion size was small and kind of expensive ($2.95).

For my main I ordered 2 entrees- saag paneer (spinach curry with Indian cheese) ($8.95) and mushroom kaju muttar (curried mushrooms with cashews and peas). I did not see many mushrooms but i thoroughly enjoyed the peas and cashews and the wonderful coconut curry sauce ($8.95). As a side, i ordered kashmiri naan (thin white pita type bread) stuffed with a paste of dried fruit and cashews ($3.95). Most Naan bread and Roti/Chapati were in the $3.95 range.

Paulo ordered the Palace Feast ($22.95.) This included Chicken Tikka, Seekh Kebab, Prawns, Lamb Roganjosh, Bombay Aloo and the vegetable curry of the day (pea curry)

Paulo complained that the service was slow and he was hungry but the food was very high quality and he could definitely taste the quality of the meat and the chicken. He was happy that the Tandoori chicken was white meat and not dark meat. To this day, I do not know the difference, having not eaten any meat since 1991 and chicken since 1992.

Although service was slow (especially since it was empty on that freezing -27 degree Friday night, staff were friendly, constantly refreshing water, and were helpful with answering questions.

Bombay Palace accepts all cards. Extensive wine list (you can order by the glass) and also includes a small menu of cocktails

Sidhartha, The

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The Sidhartha – Fine Indian Cuisine
1450 Gerrard St. E
416-465-4095

30 Eglinton East
416-485-5552

See also East Indian, Little India, Yonge/Eglinton

My general impression of Sidartha was that is was significantly nicer in atmosphere than one would expect from a dinner buffet at $9.99! The lunch buffet runs at $7.99 and I’m sure it is just as nice. You can dine in or take out, which I think is fantastic for a buffet. Of course, itf you take out, it’s just the 1 plate, but still, how much can you eat, really? If buffets are not your thing, there is an extensive menu to order from.

My friend & I went for the buffet & it was really good, we kept finding more & more things to eat that we practically stuffed ourselves silly. There were both meat & vegetarian options, pakoras, chicken tikka, vegetable curry & much more. My friend Shane really loved this restaurant – he hadn’t even finished his dessert & he said how much he was looking forward to his next visit. Now that’s the sign of an excellent dining experience!

The really nice & unusual thing about this place is that despite the buffets & great prices, the atmosphere was warm & inviting, they decorated each table with real flowers, instead of fakes, & the big surprise – it was QUIET! What a relaxing way to eat!

All in all with taxes & tip the meal came to $26. Sidartha also caters & has banquet facilities for 100 people. They also do free delivery on orders over $30.

Gateways of India, The

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19 Baldwin Street
416-340-0404

 

Daniel and I met up for lunch one day and decided to try The Gateways of India, another Indian restaurant, hoping for something different and unique. We head towards Baldwin Village as he knew that Gateways offered a lunch buffet (all you can eat for $7.95). I must say it was different. With non-typical Indian dishes, I was pleased for the new and exciting dishes but I was disappointed that there were very few vegetarian dishes.

Located on Baldwin street, this quiet tree lined street full of small restaurants and cafes was crowded with people that Thursday afternoon at 1:15pm. Located south of the U of T. campus and right next to Chinatown downtown, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and The Ontario College of Art and Design, I was surprised that the street was so crowded.

The decor of Gateways to India was nice and non kitschy. Restaurant is small and seats about ten normal size tables. The interiors are a bit dark and overall the place looks clean and not super fancy. There is a gorgeous front terrace opened all summer and in early fall. Sits about six tables.

Food was fresh, piping hot, and always refreshed. Surprisingly , the buffet was not super large like most Indian buffets. They had a small selection of salads (spinach salad, chick pea salad, and some raw vegetables). Dishes included tandoori chicken, butter chicken, and lamb curry. Vegetarian dishes included green daal (excellent!), vegetable pekora in a yellow yogourt curry. I never tasted somethng so wondeful. Superb, spicy, creamy and wonderfully fresh. As well , there was a dish called Aloo Mushroom, which was Aloo (potatoes) in a curry with mushrooms and paneer (cheese). This dish was amazing. I also enjoyed one slice of Subzi Naan (Naan stuffed with curried potatoes and peas). I was disappointed that there was no channa (chick pea curry), bhartha (eggplant curry) or aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower curry) or my recent obsession: saag paneer (spinach and cheese curry). Saag Paneer is a wonderful dish that most Indian restaurants carry.

Daniel had some of the daal, the bhaji, butter chicken which he found rich and flavourful, the curried mutton which he thought was a little short on meat, but with a tasty sauce, and tandoori chicken which was alittle dry, but had a good spicy kick. He thought it was an amazing deal for $7.95 with fresh ingredients and well prepared dishes. To quote him “I thought it was not like the usual sodden muck that one gets at a South Asian lunch buffet.”

For dessert, we had the typical rice pudding, watery, but extremely flavourful with the wonderful aroma and flavours of cardomom, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. As well they had fresh fruit, and custard.

There is an extensive regular menu which serves a variety of vegetarian dishes like the typical channa, daal, aloo gobi, bharta, saag and matter paneer. They also serve a variety of breads and rice dishes. The remainder of the menu serves mostly Chicken (boneless white meat) and lamb dishes as well as a variety of shrimp dishes ($8.95-$9.95). I did not see any beef or goat curries at all on this menu. Some chicken dishes come with naan bread or rice while others explicitly are ordered as entrees only. All shrimp dishes comes with rice or naan. All entrees are under $10.00. Accepts all cards and Interac.
Free delivery from 5:00pm-10:00pm for orders over $20.00.