Showing posts with label Indian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indian. Show all posts

Pukka's Taste of Goa Dinner (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2017 by

As my love for Indian food deepens, I want to learn more about cuisines specific to India's different regions. After all, in such a large country with varying climates, the dishes that develop should draw upon ingredients from the area. Just like there’s no single definition for Italian, French, or Chinese food, Indian food can also vary greatly from region to region.

Hence, when Parv informed me about a Goan feast by Pukka through UFeast ($70), I was intrigued. After all, so much of what we generally eat is from Northern India (think butter chicken) that it’d be an excellent opportunity to taste something different.

Entering Pukka, there were at least 40 people in attendance, also excited to tuck into the special menu Harsh Chawla and Derek Valleau designed exclusively for the gathering. While Pukka’s normal menu is inspired by the North, for this event, they looked to the coastal area in the West creating a menu that’s spicier than their traditional offering but still following their principles of using ethically sourced meats and building flavourful dishes.

Accompanying the feast were wines from Rioja, a north central region in Spain. Famous for their Tempranillo, this was a chance to taste some of their other varietals. Before the meal, we sipped on a 2016 Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rosado, a rosé for those who don’t like the sweeter wine; I found it much dryer, but still giving off a fruity essence.

With the appetizers we continued with the lighter wines with a 2016 white and rosé from Baron de Ley, the refreshing white went especially well with fried appetizers like the vada. The lentil fritters were plain on their own but were the perfect vessel for enjoying the accompanying sauces: herby coconut chutney and a hot sambar, a fragrant lentil vegetable stew that we couldn’t get enough of – as the commercial says… I put that s**t on everything.

The beef croquette had a great thin crunchy exterior and was filed with minced beef, onion, and other spices. The spicy tomato chutney really had some heat with it; thankfully, the coconut chutney from the vada helped to cool my tongue when I went a bit gung-ho with the spicy sauce.



In Canada, we’re well versed with a samosa. so when the chamuças arrived the pastry pyramid looked familiar, especially with the tamarind sauce. But once you got inside the filling was more orange - my best guess is it was a spiced yam with carrot slivers given there was sweetness to it.  

Pukka’s aloo chana chaat is the best chaat I’ve had! While it incorporates different sauces, their version shows restraint so the condiments aren’t the entire experience (my general dissatisfaction of most chaats I’ve had). Plus there are tons of contrasting textures: soft diced potatoes, meaty chickpeas, juicy pomegranate seeds, and crispy vegetable strings. Each forkful was delicious and if it weren’t for worrying that I’d be too full for the mains, seconds would definitely be in order.

As the dinner progressed into the mains, three red wines arrived allowing us to mix-and-match with the dishes: a 2014 Beronia Tempranillo Rioja, 2012 CVNE Cune Crianza, and 2012 Beronia Reserva. The Tempranillo didn’t disappointment with tons of berry flavour amongst faint tannin. The Beronia Reserva was what I enjoyed the most, a more robust wine that held its own against the spicier foods. 

In general, we learnt that fruity wines help to cut through the spices, much like fruit chutney. It was ideal that they’re all found at the LCBO and at under $20 a bottle, picking one up for future meals won’t break the bank.  

The mains started out innocent enough with the chicken cafreal, which reminds me of tandoori except with more herbs ending with a coriander finish. It’s not overly exciting and a bit bland compared to the appetizers, but was nonetheless tender and a nice “break” before getting into the really hot dishes.

And the heat started coming, first in the pork vinha d'alhos, where the spiciness was tempered with garlic and vinegar so it’s still bearable. The pork belly was outstanding, braised until it turned into a soft pool that melted onto the tongue, helping to protect against the spices. On the other hand, there was no respite with the prawn balchao – from start to finish the tomato sauce had a fiery kick! From what I could muster, the prawn was cooked nicely; the sauce was just too much for me.  

Hence, it was smart to end the mains with a coconut pumpkin curry, its creamy sauce helped to numb the pain from the prior dish. Surprisingly, it was a delicious – here I thought pumpkin would be too sweet and bland. Yet, with mustard seeds and enough salt, the dish stayed savoury and went so nicely with the steamed basmati rice.

After all the spicy mains, the cooling ice cold bebinca was a great choice for dessert. The cake wasn’t too sweet but even a small slice left me sedated thanks to the creamy coconut milk, ghee, and egg custard layer between the cakes.



At $70 a person (inclusive of taxes and gratuities), I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of food and wine we were served at the Pukka’s Goan feast. Not only did I get a chance to catch-up with friends but we met some interesting guests as well – after a few glasses of wine people definitely started letting loose!

Sounds like fun? You can check out UFeast using my referral link and get $10 your first meal.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 778 St Clair Avenue West

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Pukka Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Ancila's Indian Cuisine (Mississauga)

Posted on Saturday, October 07, 2017 by

Dining at Ancila’s Indian Cuisine is sort of cryptic, so you'll just have to roll with it. Starting with the reservations: the restaurant accepts them, but I’m told to make sure to cancel, if necessary, as they won't take another reservation for that time. This led me to believe that the dining room is tiny, when in reality it’s a fair-sized establishment. Upon entering, I see one large table is occupied being served by a waiter; not in a rush I wait patiently and it wasn’t until a women (presumably Ancila) leaves the kitchen that I’m addressed and instructed to sit wherever I like.

She returns to the kitchen and as I’m sitting there – without water, cutlery, or even a menu – I begin to wonder what’s going on. Finally, when my friend arrives, Ancila comes back to the table and things get clarified. We’re advised there are no printed menus; instead, she'll ask questions to come up with an order: On a scale from one to ten, what is your spice tolerance level? Are you vegetarian? Of the proteins are there any you particularly enjoy? Do you have any dietary restrictions?

With that we decided on a creamy medium spicy vegetarian dish and a spicier tomato based meat offering along with rice and naan. Ancila then went back to the kitchen to prepare everything and didn’t return until later to check on our experience.  

There was plenty of paneer in the tikka masala ($11); soft and fresh, it’s contrasted by a slight crunch from the bell peppers and onion. Being a thicker sauce, this went well sandwiched in between the warm toasted naan.


The mutton in the karahi ($12) was cooked well; stewed until tender with the collagen around the bone starting to break down. Cooked to a level-7 spiciness, the tomato, ginger and coriander sauce was hot enough to cause the tongue to sting and bring heat to your face. When too much sauce was spooned onto the rice ($3), a forkful of cooling raita ($2.50) helped calm it back down.


A downfall from not having a menu is not realizing all the options available. For example, for the sides, aside from rice we also ordered butter ($1.50) and garlic ($2.50) naan (any difference between the two is slight). However, after finding their menu online, I realize they also serve flakey paratha and flavourful briyani, I wish we had those instead.

It’s a quaint restaurant and with their no-menu system feels like you’re dining in Ancila’s home. “Let me make you a bit of food, what would you like?” it sort of feels like. The dishes take a while to prepare but what comes out is piping hot and made-to-order. Just be mindful about adding items too late in the meal, depending on the time, they may not be able to make dishes as even the samosa dough is made fresh. 

 Like dining in a home, it’s a calm unhurried experience – there for a later dinner, Ancilia assured us to take our time and chat more, despite the restaurant being closed. What started off a little puzzling ended up being a good experience.

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Mississauga, Canada
 Address: 6905 Millcreek Drive

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:
Ancila's Indian Cusine Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Karaikudi Chettinad Indian Restaurant (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, April 09, 2017 by

I’m not afraid to admit that when it comes to Indian food, I’m a novice. I’m not knowledgeable about which dishes originate from a particular region, the spices still meld into one on my tongue, and I haven’t a clue on how to gauge a restaurant’s authenticity. Yet, it’s a cuisine I want to get to know better. Hence, I turn to the Internet and rely on “best of” lists and crowd sourced reviews before I return to Scarborough, my childhood home, where there’s an abundance of Indian restaurants to try.

As their name may give away, Karaikudi Chettinad offers Southern Indian dishes from the Chettinad region. Wikipedia hints to me that the cuisine from this region is known for their use of masala and rice (the grain even used in wraps such as dosais). Hence, it helps narrow down my choices on Karaikudi’s extensive menu (it even includes Hakka-style dishes) to those using these two ingredients.

During lunch, a great meal for one (or even sharing) is a thali, a round platter made up of various dishes incorporating all six flavours. The chicken version ($14.99) is sparse in terms of meat (two deck-of-card sized bone-in pieces), but the curry is lovely – full of flavours and spicy enough while not overwhelming.


Still, it’s the other small bowls that draws me in; urging me to dip and experiment to my  heart’s content. By all means, I have no idea what I’m having most of the time, but it’s the different textures, flavourfuls and spiciness levels that gets me excited.


One moment it’s the lusciousness of the dal (a lentil dish) or surprising heartiness of the stewed cauliflower, then I get an unexpected bitterness from an unknown vegetable. The huge bowl of what looks like lethal green chilies turns out to be refreshing crunchy string beans, stir fried with onion and bits of egg. Crisis adverted. There are just two items to watch out for:

  • A lone spoonful of thick hot sauce, a telltale sign cautioning you to use sparingly; and
  • A light coconut and cardamom tapioca dessert. If you’re not aware this comes with the meal, you may end up spooning the sweet milky liquid over rice – I may or may not have dipped papadum into it before realizing the error.
Within the thali are plenty of options to soak up the sauces: a large bowl of airy basmati rice, a crispy papadum, and a soft wheat flour chapathi. If you’re sharing, I’d suggest adding on a couple of the parottas ($1.99 each) as well. The wrap has a soft chewy texture similar to naan, but incorporates more oil leaving lovely layers … its crevices perfect for dipping into sauces.


The chicken biryani ($12.99) looks and tastes fantastic. Somehow the rice retains a light airiness but the grains have absolutely soaked in flavours. Just scoop a forkful into your mouth and leave it there … slowly the flavours come out. Similar to the thali, there’s not a lot of chicken that actually arrives with the rice, but it’s sufficient and there’s also the customary hard-boiled egg on top.


Having heard about Karaikudi’s gigantic dosas, a crispy pancake made with a fermented rice and black gram batter, the restaurant would be my first taste of the dish. Instead of table-sized version, I opted for a regular-sized masala ($10.99) that incorporates a flavourful curried mashed potato mixture in the centre. It sort of needs the potato, which adds a heartiness to the dosa; otherwise, it would have been a mere savoury crispy crepe with chutneys and gravy.


Karaikudi Chettinad was a great stop in my journey in becoming a more experienced consumer of Indian food. It’s sizeable dining room allows for reservations and the menu seems endless – thankfully, I researched ahead of time!  You start to build an understanding of how things should taste: the biryani isn’t merely coloured rice with a faint taste of spice, rather it’s evolved into a blanket of aromatic flavours that covers the tongue.  Bite by bite, my education continues.

Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1225 Kennedy Road

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Karaikudi Chettinad Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Little India (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2017 by

I have doubts when visiting a restaurant and the customer base doesn’t represent the ethnic origin of the establishment. Little India is one of those places… possibly due to its central Queen West location close to the Entertainment District. Nonetheless, since they’ve been operating for years and are generally rated well, a dinner seemed in order, despite their lack of Indian clientele.

For anyone who likes chicken fingers, Little India’s chicken pakora ($7.75) is a fantastic take on the classic dish. Juicy pieces of white meat is lightly breaded in a colourful but rather tasteless batter and deep fried until it’s ever so slightly crunchy. On their own, the pakora are underwhelming; but, a dip into the sweet and spicy tangy tamarind sauce does loads to improve the starter.


The lamb vindaloo ($15.50) had the basic hit of fiery heat you’d expect from the dish, but lacked the vinegar and herbs in the background that makes it more than just a spicy curry. The lamb itself was fine – soft enough and not gamey – however, the portion rather meagre with large potato chunks filling a third of the bowl.


What I’ve come to realize is vegetarian dishes are often better choices at Indian restaurants. There were large pieces of paneer in the tikka masala ($14.95). The creamy tomato sauce just ever so slightly spicy but not overwhelming to detract from the cheesy firm tofu texture of the paneer. The eggplant bharta ($12.50) was wonderfully fragrant and flavourful; it didn’t depend on chilies, instead relying on sweet chopped caramelized onions. It’s the perfect dish for those who can’t handle heat and goes equally well smeared onto naan or combined with pulao rice ($4.25).


Little India’s garlic naan ($4.25) is great – chewy, fluffy and has a light smokiness without tasting burnt. The salty garlicky topping goes especially well the eggplant bharta, definitely consider pairing as an appetizer.


Having tried rasmalai and gulab jamun on previous occasions and finding both overly sweet, I was delighted to find additional options on Little India’s menu. The kheer ($3.95), a rice pudding, uses a similar sweet cardamom infused milk base as rasmalai and is heavy on the sauce compared to rice (imagine a sweet congee). Despite the crystal shards in the kulfi ($4.75), it was my favourite of the two sweets. The sweetened milk ice cream is cold and hard (give it some time to melt), but after getting through the crystals finishes off creamy with a nuttiness from the finely chopped pistachio and almonds. Of all the desserts, the sugariness is subdued and ideal for those who want a lighter dessert.


Perhaps I’ve been too judgmental – if a restaurant attracts diverse clientele, they shouldn’t be penalized for the hospitality. After all, they may not necessarily “tone down” their menu; factors such as service and location matter as well. Little India’s service was impeccable – friendly and everything served quickly and correctly. Little perks like the complimentary discs of crispy papadum with crunchy carrot chutney are also hard to turn down. Give everything a chance, you’ll never know until you try.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 255 Queen Street West
 Website: www.littleindia.ca

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Little India Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Bindia Indian Bistro (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, January 01, 2017 by
Bindia aims to serve Indian food within an airy brightly lit bistro. Their dining room doesn’t have an ounce of red or gold, instead there are calming blues and warm wood tones. The well ventilated restaurant means you can even go out afterwards without being perfumed with the aromatic aromas.

The vegetable pakora ($9) was a rocky start. The plump chickpea flour fritters arrived a lovely golden brown with plenty of crispy edges, but should be smaller as the inside was mushy and mealy, instead of the airy puff you’re expecting.

Luckily, the heaping lamb biryani ($19) redeemed the restaurant, incorporating flavourful spiced basmati rice where even the medium spice level already had me reaching for the raita (a thin cucumber yoghurt that really helps sooths the tongue). Tucking into the mound you’ll find chunks of tender lamb, not nearly as flavourful as the rice, but helps the mild lamb taste remain and distinguish itself from beef.


If a powerful lamb dish is what you’re craving, their vindaloo ($19) is also extremely tender despite containing even large pieces of meat and sits in plenty of their house-made sauce. The dish is great for slathering onto an order of basmati rice ($5) or tucked into a piece of warm crispy naan ($3).


Bindia’s paneer is the softest I’ve ever experienced, definitely closer to a cheese consistency than a firm tofu. Within the paneer tikka masala ($16) were large cubes of Indian cheese, stewed with onions and green peppers in a lovely masala cream sauce. Despite not having an ounce of meat, the dish is a rich and hearty.

With a big dining room, Bindia can accommodate large groups – certainly, during our holiday visit seems to be hosting many corporate lunches. Their dishes are great for sharing, so pass them along and break naan with your colleagues.

 Overall mark - 7 out of 10
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 16 Market Street

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Bindia Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


CLOSED: Bombay Street Food (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, May 28, 2016 by
Bombay Street Food Toronto
Seema and Amreen Omar’s new permanent location is stunning and  inspired by the older Iranian cafes found in Mumbai. I’ve never visited India, but if the cafes consist of bright airy spaces, a mix of beautiful patterns and motifs, interesting trinkets sitting on shelves and ornate light fixtures, I can see why they want to bring this laid back vibe to Toronto.


Bombay Street Food started as a travelling eatery in 2014, served in farmers’ markets and festivals across the city. The pair were offering smaller street food dishes inspired by what’s found in Mumbai, where diners mix and match offerings to make a meal. They were a hit and attendees kept asking for more, until finally this May the sister-in-laws quit their corporate jobs to dedicate themselves fully to the restaurant.   

Not to leave their roots, Bombay Street Food continues to source much of their produce from farmers’ markets (hence the vegetables in the salads and vegetarian dishes changes with what’s in season). They also want to follow tradition by concocting their own spice mixtures and using 100% halal meat.

A chaat is essentially a savoury snack that’s found on street stalls across India. With three types on the menu, we shared the dahi puri ($7.95), a thin deep fried bread with a cracker’s texture, filled with stewed potatos & lentils, and topped with cooling yoghurts & refreshing chutneys. Ideally, order these separately to snack on before returning for the mains, as you’ll want to eat them before the crispy shell gets soggy.


The dahi puri went well with the thick mango lassi ($4.95), a yoghurt smoothie blended with mangoes; I appreciated that Bombay’s version is left natural and not sugary.  

Although the masala haddock ($12.95) had a vibrant yellow hue and smelled amazing, the fish was relatively mild and definitely needed more salt; sadly, there was a disconnect between what I saw and tasted. Nonetheless, the broiled fish was cooked well retaining a flaky moistness and there was enough flavours in the daal chawal rice that it was an enjoyable meal.


The daal chawal is fantastic and of the three sides the most unique and delicious. I loved the soft lentil stew topping the basmati, spices and herbs mixed throughout and the intensely caramelized onions on top.  The gunpowder fries were also good with the hit of spice that lightly lingers, but needed to be hotter and crispier.



A popular dish at the restaurant is the chicken frankie ($11.95), a juicy mild chicken curry combined with red onion and cabbage for crunch, bits of egg to soak up the juices, and coriander and lemon juice to add a refreshing element. Bombay Street Food makes the roti fresh as an order’s placed so the wrap is chewy and hot with a lovely toasty crunch. It’s good … just close your eyes, take a bite and be prepared for the delicious juices to ensue.


And while we’re sitting in a place inspired by Iranian cafes, we had to try their baked goods before leaving – truth be told, the space was just gorgeous and I wanted to sit around longer. Made for people who don’t like overly sweet desserts, the khaari biscuit ($3.95) is flaky and slightly savoury. The layered biscuit is puff pastry without the oiliness. Yet, once it’s dipped in some cutting chai ($3.95), an aromatic tea with cardamom, milk and sugar, the biscuit changes and morphs closer to a dessert.


Oh and for those planning a birthday party, bridal shower or engagement festivities: Bombay Street Food is available Sunday for private events. What a great space to use! Just know you’ll also be supporting two fierce entrepreneurs - they’ll likely be at the restaurant, but you’ll also see pictures from their India trip screened onto the wall and framed family portraits in the corner.



At last, Seema and Amreen is off the streets and into bricks-and-morter, I’m sure their steadfast supporters are happy. For me, I know where to go for a good frankie with rice. Maybe afterwards I can cozy up in a quiet corner and relax. Eating street food has never been so tranquil.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10

Disclaimer: the above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in the mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 828 Bay Street

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:



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