Tag: Canada

Sylhet there be spice

On By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London), 3. Reviews (International)Leave a comment

India Palace, Toronto, Canada

I knew I’d find one in Canada sooner or later. As soon as I tasted the food in India Palace I knew it. The Sylhet area in Bangladesh provides to bulk of chefs in British ‘Indian’ restaurants, and here in the heart of Toronto, the waiter confirms, is another one of the excellent chefs.

Canadian diners and vistors will be only too aware that being a curry lover is an expensive affair here, so the lunchtime buffet, offering a couple of main meat dishes, dhal, vegetables, chicken tikka, rice and bread, is excellent value at $11.95 (plus 13% tax). Eat later off the a la carte menu and you’ll pay just that for one of the main cheicken dishes.

Grab a window seat and watch Tornto pass by on the busy Queen Street West, chat to the waiter about your favourite dishes, but best of all tuck into good value food from a classic Sylheti chef.

India Palace, 257 Queen Street West, Toronto, M5V 1Z4, Canada. Tel: +1 416 593 7272. Open: daily 11.30am–11pm. email: info@indiapalacequeen.ca

India Palace snapshot

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India Palace on Urbanspoon

Join the queue

On By Daniel FordIn 3. Reviews (International)Leave a comment

Gandhi Cuisine, Toronto, Canada

Although little more than a takeaway place with a few basic tables, Gandhi Cuisine seems to be the place to be for rotis in Toronto judging by the comments around me as I ate.

Set in a Bohemian part of town among tattoo parlours, bars, inexpensive restaurants and a mishmash of shops, Gandhis attracted a steady stream of students and travellers, and businessmen ringing their wives asking how hot the roti should be (they come in a choice of mild, medium or hot). More than one of these roti lovers proudly told their friend about the place’s reputation for good rotis.

If you’re after value, you should know the rotis are huge (nearly everyone walked out with a leftovers box) and the most popular is the Butter chicken roti ($11.95 plus tax). Just what you wanted to know? My pleasure.

Watching the chefs chopping and rolling away in the open kitchen, hearing the sizzle of the oil and breathing in that great smell of spice all adds to the nice buzz in Gandhis.

So it seems rotis are good. But what of the other dishes. The menu is fairly limited but if you like it hot then go for the Chicken Vindaloo with rice ($11.95 plus tax) washed down with a can of cold Coke ($1.50). My request for a ‘hot’ version prompted raised eyebrows and a ‘are you sure?’ And I soon knew why. With its thick tomato base, this was seriously one of the hottest vindys I have ever tasted. Thank goodness for the large portion of plain rice and the sour mixed pickles.

Hot. Very Hot.

In line with the basic nature of the place, everything is served on a tray in a metallic container and must be eaten with a plastic fork.  But this place is all about the food. And very good it is too.

Gandhi Cuisine, 554 Queen Street West, Toronto, Canada. Tel: +1 416 504 8155.

Gandhi Cuisine snapshot

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Gandhi's Indian Cuisine on Urbanspoon

Curry in a hurry

On By Daniel FordIn 3. Reviews (International)Leave a comment

Empress of India, Waterloo, Canada

Let me tell you, turnip tastes good curried. Sliced and cooked in a Jalfriezi-style with turmeric, onions and green peppers, it’s time to take a bow Empress of India chef.

And taking a bow for food at the end of a buffet shift takes some doing. Buffet food never usually scores, let’s be honest, but it works for me if it’s Indian and I have plenty of time to try ‘just a little bit’ of everything. Getting there with ten minutes to spare, ain’t so good.

You could argue the food should be as good at the end as it is at the start or you could argue getting there late is my own silly fault.

I blame the long King Road (in all its East, West, South and North guises) that links Kitchener and Waterloo, which meant me getting off the bus way past the Empress and heading into a bar (purely for directions you’ll understand).

Ten minutes before buffet closing means dried-out looking food, no restocking and almost no desserts left, and curry in a hurry. So it’s to the chef’s credit the food was still pretty decent.

Following on from the turnip was a tasty Chicken Korma, even though it was actually a Chicken Curry (the waitress admitted ‘this is supposed to be a korma’) and good, moist pillau rice.

And even though time was pushed there was still enough for nicely marinated Chicken Tandoori thighs, a crunchy Vegetable Curry, curried chick peas and slices of nan to mop it all up. Only the bony Lamb Curry didn’t appeal. Good work chef.

The lunchtime buffet (Mon-Fri) comes in at $11.99, but by time you’ve added a Kingfisher ($4.85), taxes and tip that’s flown over $20.

Empress of India, 103 King Street North, Waterloo, Ontario, N2J 2X5, Canada. Tel: +1 519 883 1314. Open: Mon-Sat 11.30am-2pm and 5pm -10pm (10.30pm Fri-Sat), Sun 4pm-9pm.

* Now moved to 34 King Street South.

Empress of India snapshot

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Empress of India on Urbanspoon

Goes down fast

On By Daniel FordIn Curry News2 Comments

Always good to discover a new beer made for spicy food, so… presenting for those of you not from Canada… Cheetah. At 5% abv, there is a lager and a dark beer, the former with a nice tang and the latter a bit smoother. Both do what they aim to, which is to go down well with Indian food – they were tested with a Lamb Vindaloo. The beers are brewed in Toronto. Not sure what cheetahs have got to do with Indian food or Toronto, mind you.

Among tat and beauty

On By Daniel FordIn 3. Reviews (International)Leave a comment

The Guru, Niagara Falls, Canada

Buy a Niagara Falls fridge magnet, get your pic taken with Tiger Woods (wax version) then it's time for the curry

In this place of both beauty (the Falls are stunning) and utter tat (Clifton Hill seems to have been designed to distract the child with the world’s shortest-ever attention span) you will find the Guru.

The unassuming lattice wood and brown decor in the Guru could be seen as plain elsewhere, but in a town where you bombarded with the bright lights of casinos, the Hard Rock Café, the Haunted House, ten-pin bowling, Guinness World Records (need I go on?) this is a calm before the spicy storm.

Politely staffed, the pink-fronted Guru is wedged between Louis Tussard’s Waxworks and Super Souvenirs, just a nan’s thrown from the madness of Clifton Hill. Serving seriously decent food, it’s been here eight years.

Soothing decor and a thick Lamb Vindaloo

Chicken Haryali Tikka ($13) is a tasty green dish cooked with mint and coriander and served up on a bed of lettuce with slices of raw onion. And the tender Lamb Vindaloo ($14) comes with a think dark sauce (made thicker with added coconut) although it’s not the hottest Vindy you’ll ever find. Add some spicy Achar ($1), Basmati Rice ($3) and Cheetah beers (see next post) for a great meal.

The Guru, Victory House, 5705 Victoria Ave, Cnr Clifton Hill and Victoria Ave. Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2G 3L5, Canada. Tel: +1 905 354 3444.

The Guru snapshot

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The Guru Fine Indian Cuisine on Urbanspoon