Next Gen Indian Is the Most Exciting Food Movement in Toronto

Chaat is like a religion in Indian cuisine, and at Adrak in Toronto, it demands new reverence. A catchall term for roadside snacks that promise both spice and tartness, it takes on many guises in couture-like fashion at this Michelin-recognized restaurant.

Adrak’s puri is hot pink and resembles a Georgia O'Keeffe flower. And besides being stunning, it’s a savory symbol of a new style of Indian restaurant in a city that’s home to more than 400,000 people of South Asian descent — one of the world’s largest such diasporas. That said, Little India this ain't.

“As a proud female restaurant owner, it was important for me to honor the strength and elegance of women,” says Adrak's co-founder, restaurateur Ambica Jain. Hence, the aforementioned crisp puri, a dish dubbed Rani Kachori, is a variation on a traditional Raj Kachori (raj meaning “king”; rani, “queen”). Jain explains it’s something visually stunning that maintains the boldness expected of a kachori. “One of those dishes that feels as much like an experience as it does a meal,” she says.

Unfolding on a tony stretch of Avenue Road, in a long, slinky room that evokes a luxury train, Adrak was a sensation from the moment it launched in 2022. It continues to draw boldface names like actor Oscar Isaac, chef Daniel Boulud, and Oscar-nominated director Shekhar Kapur, where it beckons with Patrani Macchi (mint and coconut-marinated Chilean sea bass, cooked using the Parsi method of banana leaf-steaming) and Royal Pista Lamb Chops, tandoori-baked and crusted in pistachios and gold.

Panache is what Adrak has, and it has helped usher in a new wave of Indian restaurants. Curryish Tavern, further downtown on Queen Street West, is more playful than posh, and it's where chef-owner Miheer Shete dreams up dishes like Lamb and Pineapple Upside-Down Biryani with hung saffron yogurt and rhubarb raita, and tender Ghee Confit Duck Leg and Foie Gras Curry and pickled grapes. Raised in Mumbai, Shete revels in a kind of culinary freestyle that comes with bridging two worlds. 

Then there’s Bar Goa, a jewel box on Toronto Street, run by veteran restaurateur Hemant Bhagwani. Here, the compass leans toward the subcontinent's southwest coast, with Portuguese-imbued flavors, such as the Goan Prawn Curry, part of a seven-course tasting menu.

There’s also the homey yet theatrical offerings at By Aanch, one of several restaurants helmed by chef Sudhanshu Kumar. The food pops at this College Street neighborhood joint where, he says, “Every plate is a story, a blend of nostalgia and creativity.”

A dish that plays into this philosophy is his Dhokla, a savory sponge cake native to Gujarat. Seemingly simple, the magic happens when it's paired with the tanginess of tamarind-date chutney, the freshness of achari-mint chutney, and a touch of sweetness from the kesar (saffron) yogurt. “The Dhokla is a delicate vessel that soaks up all those vibrant elements,” he says. “A balance of cool, tangy, and sweet.”

Newer still, on a scrappier stretch of Queen St.: a spot called Jamil’s that’s hipify-ing the flavors of Lahore and giving Pakistan main character energy. Dark shutters announce the space, and a long, convivial bar offers West End creatives dishes like Smoked Baingan Kachumar, a chilled eggplant delight.

Leveling up in their respective ways, what all of these Toronto restaurants share is the torch passed along by the city’s first “crossover” Indian restaurant, the dearly missed Indian Rice Factory. Opened in 1970 on Dupont Street, about a decade after a multicultural-minded immigration policy took root, and the Indian population in Canada swelled dramatically, the Indian Rice Factory was the handiwork of Amar Patel, a former nurse who wanted to make Indian food accessible to all. Groundbreaking at the time, it was a local landmark for 43 years before closing more than a decade ago.

These days, the Indian culinary playbook appears to be no playbook at all, instead drawing on global inspiration while riffing on India's regional diversity. Or, as By Aanch’s chef Kumar puts it, a richness that lies not just in the food but in how the same dish can take on a completely different character as you travel across India. “Every region,” he says, “leaves its mark.”