Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - Feb 09 - Index

Whenever we
want to take
visitors to a
($3.95 each), alu kulchas ($4.95
each), tandoori naans ($3.90) and
raita ($3.95) rounded off the
desi restaurant down-
meal.
town after “doing” CN
Thinking we’d order a rice
Tower, it’s always
dish later, I was glad we’d held
Dhaba on King Street
off as the portions are generous
West.
and in spite of working up hearty
Conveniently lo-
appetites during all the sight-see-
cated in the entertainment dising,
we were still left with doggy
trict, it has been drawing crowds
bags. No one had room for des-
ever since chef and owner
sert and we opted for Madras
Preet Singh relocated from the
coffees ($3 each) which came to
burbs and went from being
the table with mango juice! Small
Dhaba Preetay Da to just the
quantities in tiny glasses, courtesy
trendy Dhaba.
the restaurant.
Though what he gained in
Weekdays, they do a buffet
clientele, he lost in ambience,
lunch. Mostly usual stuff, but a
for Dhaba is a pale imitation of
few unique touches like the beans
Dhaba Preetey Da, and though
dipped in batter and fried as one
I confess to a fondness for the
of the offerings on a platter of
typical dhaba touches at the old
pakoras. But for some strange rea-
place and to missing the few he
son they feel obliged to add
had carried over to the new lo-
mushrooms to kadhi. So while the
cation – now gone in a recent
base is authentic Punjabi kadhi,
renovation – the food is excel-
instead of the pakoras you were
lent, as always.
expecting, be prepared for mush-
At a recent visit, friends
from India were delighted to
discover such good desi food
in the heart of Toronto.
We started with vegetable
samosas which come one to a
plate with chana and dahi with a
yum tamarind chutney ($4.95
each), salad ($6.96) with their
special house dressing of
crushed pomegranate seeds,
and fresh lychee juice ($3 each).
The guests from India specially
loved the “tetul-er chatni”, pronouncing
it authentic.
Punjab’s roadside fare
– on King West
one gravy fits all, here they do like to try their Dhaba-style
different ones for different chicken roganjosh ($13.95), in-
dishes and will actually tell you stead. Good choice, we discov-
if two of the dishes you order ered, as the creamy base of the
have a similar base. Thus, when delicious aloo kadchi was indeed
we ordered
very similar
butter chick-
Dhaba
to what one
en and aloo
gets with but-
kadchi mar ke 309 King Street West, Toronto. ter chicken
($12.95), we
416-740-6622.
and their rog-
were told that the gravies were anjosh was a zesty curry, very
rooms – a bit of a dissonance
happening there!
They play the loveliest instrumental
versions of old
Hindi favourites. The name of
the collection is a closely
guarded secret, though – all the
wait staff will divulge is that is
a “special CD gifted to the owner
by a friend”!
They bring hot towels to the
table even at the end of a buffet
– a nice touch, an essential,
that is sadly becoming rare at
most other places.
Unlike some places where very similar and that we might different in taste. Methi naans – SUVARNA SHASTRI
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February 2009 Desi News 37