Gerrard India Bazaar

[greenleaf]

I did not see a node thread for Little India.

This recent blogto article, "What ails Little India?" along with the really interesting conversation in the comments section seems like a good start.

 

[nfitz]

Hmm interesting.

The stores do tend to vanish in the winter. Though it has been perhaps been a bit worse this year. On the other hand, the community seems to have expanded both east and west somewhat over the last few years ... and new stores are still appearing.

As for coffee and sandwiches - there is that diner on the northwest corner of Coxwell and Lower Gerrard. It's a fine place - eaten there many a time.

 

[Eug]

One of the problems is that so many of the restaurants there suck. People's tastes for Indian food have gotten a little more discriminating since 20 years ago.

 

[Jonny5]

Maybe if Lahore Tikka house would someday finish the new building.... I think it's been in it's current state for four years now.

 

[KA1]

One of the problems is that so many of the restaurants there suck. People's tastes for Indian food have gotten a little more discriminating since 20 years ago.

You have, as the saying goes, hit the nail on the head.

I live in the area of Bay and Gerrard. It should be easy for me to go along Gerrard to reach Little India. I don't go that way. In the blog, there is a favourable mention of a restaurant by the name "Udapi" serviing dishes from South India. This is a comment by an ignorant. For South Indian food, I drive all the way to Erin Mills Park and Eglinton.

For Norht Indian food, I go to Queen and Beverly , Islington and Albion Road and a few other places in Mississaugga. That speaks for the quality of restaurant food in Little India.

 

[nfitz]

I've always had no problems with Udupi Palace ... what is your concern with the food there? Or do you simply speak out of ignorance.

Wow, an 80-km drive for supper ...

 

[KA1]

I've always had no problems with Udupi Palace ... what is your concern with the food there? Or do you simply speak out of ignorance.

Wow, an 80-km drive for supper ...

What you are trying to do is to teach/preach Bible to a priest.

Go try Dosa -- my suggestion will be, Mysore Pav Bhaji -- at Guru Lukshmi; 905-803-8310. Note the clients -- almost all of them East Indians. That speaks for the quality of the food. See the reviews on the internet. Tongue biting, heavy on chillies food does not equal 'Quality' Indian food.

Amen.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

What you are trying to do is to teach/preach Bible to a priest.

Go try Dosa -- my suggestion will be, Mysore Pav Bhaji -- at Guru Lukshmi; 905-803-8310. Note the clients -- almost all of them East Indians. That speaks for the quality of the food. See the reviews on the internet. Tongue biting, heavy on chillies food does not equal 'Quality' Indian food.

Amen.

No offense, but this is an anonymous bulletin board. No one else can know that you're the best Indian food critic on the planet (which you undoubtedly are), so snide remarks like 'teaching Bible to a priest' are a little over the top. And I agree with the 'driving 80k' comment as well -- I'm not going to Brampton for anything else, why would I go for a meal?

That having been said, I'd agree about Little India. We've been going to or ordering from Kama Sutra on Bayview lately, or the little Indian place on Queen across from the AA theatres, as we've had some rather dry tandoor and tasteless curries from the strip lately.

 

[Eug]

What you are trying to do is to teach/preach Bible to a priest.

Go try Dosa -- my suggestion will be, Mysore Pav Bhaji -- at Guru Lukshmi; 905-803-8310. Note the clients -- almost all of them East Indians. That speaks for the quality of the food. See the reviews on the internet. Tongue biting, heavy on chillies food does not equal 'Quality' Indian food.

Amen.

Noted. I'll try it eventually, but any other recommendations closer to Toronto & Toronto East? I live in Scarborough, but spend a lot of time downtown as well. I venture into Etobicoke once in a while, but rarely go to Mississauga.

EDIT:

I read the reviews and Guru Lukshmi gets good reviews for the food, but mediocre to poor reviews for the ambiance and service. That's a little disappointing.

 

[nfitz]

Go try Dosa -- my suggestion will be, Mysore Pav Bhaji -- at Guru Lukshmi; 905-803-8310.

Doesn't really matter how good it is ... looks too far to walk to me, given the area code. Something to keep in mind if I take a trip out of town ...

Note the clients -- almost all of them East Indians. That speaks for the quality of the food.

Not sure what your saying here. The clients at Udupi Palace always all seem East Indian ... yes ... are you trying to say that the presence of East Indians indicates poor quality food?

 

[KA1]

Not sure what your saying here. The clients at Udupi Palace always all seem East Indian ... yes ... are you trying to say that the presence of East Indians indicates poor quality food?

It is the other way around.

Individuals familiar with their own food will go to a place where they can get the food they have been used to. They know the quality. At Guru Lakshmi, majority of the customers are from the South of India.

 

[KA1]

Noted. I'll try it eventually, but any other recommendations closer to Toronto & Toronto East? I live in Scarborough, but spend a lot of time downtown as well. I venture into Etobicoke once in a while, but rarely go to Mississauga.

EDIT:

I read the reviews and Guru Lukshmi gets good reviews for the food, but mediocre to poor reviews for the ambiance and service. That's a little disappointing.

Eug,

I have been to this restaurant quite a few times. As regards, ambiance and service, it depends upon what you are looking for. In terms of furnishings, it is ordinary. When you go in, you are seated, given the menu and enough time to make your selection. Someone will take your order and later, bring the food. There is no liquor. If you are looking for special attention like some other restaurants, then, you wont get it there. But then a single filling meal does not cost more than $ 15.00 -- taxes included.

See me a pm and I will be glad to give you names of a few restaurants -- North Indian food -- downtown -- around Queen and Beverly.

 

[nfitz]

Individuals familiar with their own food will go to a place where they can get the food they have been used to. They know the quality. At Guru Lakshmi, majority of the customers are from the South of India.

So they are all East Indian at both locations ...

... not sure your point. And I'm not sure why you are theadjacking to promote eateries in other cities ...

 

[Eug]

Eug,

I have been to this restaurant quite a few times. As regards, ambiance and service, it depends upon what you are looking for. In terms of furnishings, it is ordinary. When you go in, you are seated, given the menu and enough time to make your selection. Someone will take your order and later, bring the food. There is no liquor. If you are looking for special attention like some other restaurants, then, you wont get it there. But then a single filling meal does not cost more than $ 15.00 -- taxes included.

See me a pm and I will be glad to give you names of a few restaurants -- North Indian food -- downtown -- around Queen and Beverly.

Hmmm... Didn't know there were any Indian restaurants at Queen and Beverly.

I'm no expert and don't really understand South Asian food, but in Toronto I like Debu's Nouvelle Indian Cuisine, which unfortunately is pretty expensive. However, I have fond memories of this guy because he started out running a hole-in-the-wall fast food Indian take out place in that ugly Roy's Square by the subway station at Yonge and Bloor. When he was a poor cook, I was a poor student that used to get his $4.99 specials weekly.

I get Sri Lankan takeout from Rashnaa at Wellesley and Parliament.

Amaya The Indian Room is OK, but it's been hit and miss for me.

I like the biryani at Indian Rice Factory.

But I tend to get Pakastani take out at this uber cheap rundown mom-and-pop shop in a horrendous looking strip mall on Midland Avenue near Lawrence.

Curiously, there isn't a single place yet in the Gerrard Indiatown that I feel the urge to go back to. Mind you, I haven't been to Lahore Tikka House in just about forever, so I don't remember the food there.

BTW, one of my favourite Kids In the Hall episodes has Scott Thompson deciding to become a Indian woman perusing the Gerrard St. shops with his entourage of middle-aged Indian women.

 

[adma]

So they are all East Indian at both locations ...

... not sure your point. And I'm not sure why you are theadjacking to promote eateries in other cities ...

"Other cities" is a patronizing way to describe the ex-boroughs and 905, no? After all, that *is* where East Indians have tended to gravitate over the past generation, and in a manner that's left their former inner 416 centre of gravity in the dust. You can say the same about the Chinese relative to Chinatown, or the Poles relative to Roncy.

That said, I also agree that looking down upon the pre-latest-waves-of-immigration culinary status quo is a little patronizingly harsh. Like, whatever the quality of fare you can get at T&T or Pacific Mall or wherever, there's still nothing like a good old fashioned North American Chop Suey joint...