Banjara Bloor – 796 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G 1L7
Country: India 
Seating: There’s indoor seating with a tent-covered patio in front. 
Must-try dish: Paneer Tikka Masala 
Dinner guests: Suited Sebastien, Young Matt & Smiley Suhail
The high: We were introduced to certain Indian dishes for the first time. 
The low: The temperature was a little too high in the restaurant. 

There is nothing more satisfying than a colourful Indian spread on a chilly Tuesday night in Toronto. Banjara Bloor came highly recommended from various sources ranging from taxi drivers, marathon runners, Indians, University students, Hinge dates, and foodies alike. Needless to say, they delivered.

The restaurant itself is central, only a block away from Christie Station on the Bloor/Danforth subway line. There were diners of all types filling up the tables from family dinner to date night to friends out for a bite to eat.

For the first time in a while, we relied on the expertise of our Indian dinner guest instead of consulting the server.  The dishes on the menu are a balance from both North and South India, so you see some small nuances, which were explained to us in greater detail as we enjoyed the food. And speaking of food, let’s get into what was on order for dinner.

While we studied the menu, a plate of Papadums with a dip duo was delivered to start quenching our hunger.

The first of the main dishes to arrive was the Seekh Kebob Sizzler made with minced lamb meat. It came on a cast iron hot plate over a bed of sautéed onions. The food was gone almost as fast as it appeared.

The rest of the dishes arrived in a flurry and were presented beautifully in ornate silver bowls. There was a tight competition between the  Lamb Rogan Josh and the Paneer Tikka Masala for the must-try dish. In the end, both are highly recommended but we think it’s important to give distinction to the Paneer in this instance. It melted in your mouth, and despite having a bit of a kick, it was more fragrant than spicy. This Indian cottage cheese is often forgotten amid all the meat dishes, but every time people try it, it’s adored.  Let’s give more love to paneer dishes!

As for the Lamb Rogan Josh, it’s a stew with chunks of lamb in a tomato base with fragrant herbs and spices. If there was more of it served, it would have all disappeared.

Our only poultry dish was the Chicken Madras, which consists of pieces of meat slow-cooked in a rich sauce similar to Butter Chicken but with a bigger punch in flavour.

The Goat Biryani was an obvious choice mostly because of the goat meat, but also because this dish is time-consuming to make at home so getting it in a restaurant is more efficient, especially if it’s good. And this one was very good indeed. It hails from the Southern part of the country on account of the spices and flavours. The meat was slow-cooked and therefore like chewing into butter. But diners beware, there are bones hidden throughout the rice.

The Daal Curry was a last-minute vegetarian addition to the order. Although it was tasty, it was the least loved dish of them all. That being said, it’s still worth ordering because our particular group were  meat eaters, and the seasoning in the Daal was slightly sweeter than the other dishes so it ticked its own unique boxes.

To accompany the plates and scrape up all the gravy, we had Garlic Naan and Jeera Rice. For those who are new to this style of rice, it’s cumin infused and pairs perfectly with Indian curries.

A round of cold Kingfisher beers was enjoyed with the food, and there was also Brampton brewed Cheetah on draft for those looking for something a little more local but with a South Asian flair.

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)