I was impressed. It was one of those rare meals in Toronto where truly every dish we ordered was creative and delicious. Our visit to Curryish Tavern at 783 Queen Street West was truly inspiring!

Chef Miheer Shete, originally hailing from Mumbai has created bold Indian flavors and novel inflections. Plate after plate demonstrated the magic happening in the kitchen.

This charming restaurant gem is a long narrow space divided into three areas. The front of house with wooden floors, tables and chairs, with a mural of a modern Indian woman dominates the first space. The center section has some tables opposite a bar with a living wall accent and the third space are yellow booths opposite an open and fragrant kitchen. 

This warm, relaxed and inviting dining room is introducing Toronto to elevated, modern Indian cuisine. Using seasonal, local, Canadian ingredients, yet keeping it real with authentic Indian flavors. If you think you don’t like Indian food, I suggest giving Curryish Tavern a try. The food is truly inspiring and the flavor combinations are very unexpected. 

The menu is divided into small plates, salads, meatish, breads and sides and desserts. I suggest trying to sample something from each area. The yellowfin tuna tartare pani puri, was beautifully presented on a bed of smooth rocks. The tuna and peaches were served in bite size edible cups made with squid ink, which gives this dish a fresh spin. Another standout was the curried stracciatella and heirloom tomato salad, with a delectable ginger tadka dressing, mirch honey and tapioca poppadom. From the meat section we ordered a ghee confit duck leg in a foie gras curry. We added some fresh foie gras to top off the plate for an additional $14. For the vegetable option we chose the aloo gnocchi and roasted cauliflower curry. When an Indian who has cooked a lot of Italian food, he melds these two cuisines together beautifully with an interplay of balance and contrasts. His creative food combinations are not typically found in Indian cooking and provides the diner with an explosion of tastes. We also ordered a green tomato butter chicken, with clotted cream, white onion masala, and kasoori methi. There are 4 different styles of breads all made fresh on Tava. We tried the “Montreal style bagel ”, a soft Indian bread covered in toasted sesame seeds. We also added some perfectly cooked basmati rice and a trio of assorted chutneys, peach, tamarind mint, and tomato ginger. 

The wine list is mostly Ontario wines, so we went with a cocktail instead and we enjoyed a creative Gulabi Mood, made with gin, vodka and tequila, and some homemade rose syrup, infused with dried rose petals. There is also a local craft beer program as well. 

Three desserts are offered and we tried a Screech rum soaked cake, served warm and topped with whipped mascarpone cream and pistachio crumble and edible flowers. It did not disappoint. In fact nothing did. It was a richly satisfying dinner. The serving staff were friendly and efficient.  The restaurant was only open for two months when we dined there and I can’t fault it with anything. We had a colorful parade of dishes from fluorescent green, lustrous crimson, eye popping yellows and reds. Some things seemed familiar and others were truly unexpected. The food was balanced and refined, and chef Miheer’s curries were excellent. Chef is putting seasonal and contemporary spins on elevated and modern Indian cuisine. I can also recommend his brunch menu as well served on Saturdays and Sundays.

Highly recommend. Happy dining,

Shanea

2 Comments

  1. Scottkar says:

    Good stuff, Kudos!
    online casino no deposit bonus keep what you win 2022 new jersey casino online craps online casino

  2. ErnestJag says:

    You definitely made the point.
    custom essay for sale pay for someone to do your essay

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *