Pizzawheel

Beautiful irony in you posting this three posts after I did (last night), albeit at the bottom of the last page.

I need a ruby for lunch...

Jones89

I love how this thread keeps on going.
I miss those UK moments too, if anyone is in Toronto and wants to get smashed, act like an idiot for a while and then get curry or kebab hit me up.

dbd33

I'm about to have one.

Bipat

Profuse apologies to all for the repetition, I hadn't seen your post. I don't usually contribute to this part of the Forum but spotted the thread heading and couldn't resist. I will away back to the India section (and TIO!)

Oink

Unfortunately when one is back visiting the parents one has to be on their best behaviour. It's only being far away at school that can one act like an idiot.

Pizzawheel

Lucky Fakir

No worries- I just thought it was funny that you'd posted it twice already without comment> Is that ironic or morissette?

Fred16

Saravanaa Bhavan | The Original Taste of South India

Scarborough and Mississauga
Veg only, but always packed

We also visit
Bombay Bhel Thornhill

From our general experience of eating out in the Toronto area, if you go out knowing its going to be bad service, bad food and it is not, then bonus

dgagitw

A couple of places worth going to:

A high end Indian place. Not Anglo-Indian style but very good:

259 Host
259 Wellington St W
Toronto, ON

This place is Pakistani restaurant that's very much like the Lahore Kebab House in Whitechapel for anyone familiar with that:

Lahore Tikka House
1365 Gerrard St E, Toronto

Pizzawheel

Must try the host. Lahore has been mentioned above, great food, but not anglo curry.

Sri Lankan food is often worth looking out too. It was quite exciting to discover a completely new menu which I had no idea about. String Hoppers are recommended!

IJ157

Check out the Indian food in Vancouver. Far superior to what you get in the UK.

Oink

You should do stand up.

Pizzawheel

I just checked to see if there was a Vancouver in India, etc....

Brit_Mal

I believe I have a simple answer to this question after having numerous discussions in relation to this topic. Most, if not all, Indian/Pakistani restaurants in the UK employ chefs that are relatively recent immigrants to the country (well usually within the last 5-10 years). These guys have no prospects of getting a job elsewhere due to their lack of language/academic skills, but invariably leverage their culinary skills to make a living. Typically, these individuals have also been chefs in their native homeland, and are therefore able to provide you with the desired authentic experience/taste.

Now in Canada, most of the immigrants come here based on a particular professional skill set + academic background (based upon a points/credit qualification system). Most of these chaps come into the country based upon their professional status. However, in the real world, finding a job can be quite a tricky task especially when the job market is somewhat saturated already and English isn't your first language. So these guys end up taking up other types of work such as (taxi driving, working in Gas stations or working major chain retailers such as Walmart, etc). Now some of these chaps will go into the restaurant business, those with significant funding will launch their own restaurant and hire either friends/family to operate the kitchen and those with no funds will end up working in the kitchen themselves for another owner. At times, you will even come across an owner whom will merely have a receptionist to take order whilst they are preparing your meal behind the scenes.

To summarize, in the UK we have access to people with right skill-set doing these jobs, whilst in Canada most people doing these jobs are doing them as it serves as a means to and end.

The reason I have been able to come to this conclusion is based upon hard facts as I have a family friend whom owns two restaurants within Mississauga and I know of a restaurant owner back in the UK!

Pizzawheel

IJ157

I never cared for Indian food until I came to Vancouver really. And having been back to the UK, the Indian food pales in comparison. Saying that, I've never been Bradford.