Why is Indian food so bad in Toronto?
#16
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2010
Location: Maryland (via Belfast, Manchester, Toronto and London)
Posts: 4,802
Re: Why is Indian food so bad in Toronto?
Yeah there are a few. The difference in Canada (and the US too IMO) seems to be that you need to go hunting for the good ones. In the UK, the good ones far outnumber the bad.
#17
Re: Why is Indian food so bad in Toronto?
Why don't you ask people of Indian heritage why there are no Indian restaurants in Toronto that meet your quality requirements. If anyone's to blame it's them, not Canada or Canadian/Provincial Governments.
Could it be that Canadians just don't like Indian cuisine that much.
Could it be that Canadians just don't like Indian cuisine that much.
#19
Re: Why is Indian food so bad in Toronto?
Cruikshank, who's from Kerela, liked the Madras Durbur (name approximate) on the south of Gerrard in the bazaar. She said the food there was just what she was given as a child to eat "on long train journeys". I've no doubt they serve authentic food. Alas, what children eat on trains in Kerala, is a paste of cold rice in yoghurt. Authentic, but horrible.
#20
Account Closed
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 0
Re: Why is Indian food so bad in Toronto?
Moncton has 2....yes 2!!! Indian restaurants!!! Probably my single biggest issue with Moncton is the lack of competition for world cuisine. It has however improved over the 5 years that I have been here and hopefully will continue to do so.
One of the Indians is by far the worst Indian food I have ever seen. (see my nickname....I have seen a few )
The other is an average 6 out of 10. In this part of Canada the chain is king.
Even the Chinese places here proudly advertise Chinese and Canadian food on the signs.....
When I was long haul and in Toronto every week I would go to Tandoori Flame in Brampton. This was recommended to me by an Indian bloke who was one of my regular deliveries. He would go there from Oakville.
One of the Indians is by far the worst Indian food I have ever seen. (see my nickname....I have seen a few )
The other is an average 6 out of 10. In this part of Canada the chain is king.
Even the Chinese places here proudly advertise Chinese and Canadian food on the signs.....
When I was long haul and in Toronto every week I would go to Tandoori Flame in Brampton. This was recommended to me by an Indian bloke who was one of my regular deliveries. He would go there from Oakville.
Last edited by scrubbedexpat133; Jun 1st 2015 at 12:20 pm.
#21
Re: Why is Indian food so bad in Toronto?
I also find this baffling. I spent 7 years being spoiled on great Indian food along 'The Curry Mile' in Rusholme, Manchester - seriously, I haven't had better Indian food anywhere. Then I moved to Toronto and the Indian food was so bad that I stopped eating it. I found much better Greek and Mexican restaurants instead. I moved back to the UK (London) for a couple of years. The very first Indian restaurant I tried was one near Canons Park tube station and the food was fantastic. Now I'm in the US and have the same problem of finding good Indian food. I've now found one Indian restaurant that is decent enough but still not of the same quality as those in the UK. Baffled as to why the Indian food I have experienced in North America is so hit and (mostly) miss. A bad Indian restaurant would simply not survive in the UK.
Canada ain't like that. Having said that Bombay Bhel in Markham is very good and Lahore (which is obviously not indian) on Gerrard East is great but you have to learn a completely new menu.
I haven't tried Brampton but again genuine indian style cooking can be a challenge for the british palate.
#22
Re: Why is Indian food so bad in Toronto?
You have to remember that British curry is just that- a variety of cuisines mashed together and perfected due to enormous public demand. The classic menus- jalfrezi has peppers, dhansaks have friend onions etc etc, are all inventions of the anglo-indian chefs which have become pretty well harmonised over the years.
Canada ain't like that. Having said that Bombay Bhel in Markham is very good and Lahore (which is obviously not indian) on Gerrard East is great but you have to learn a completely new menu.
I haven't tried Brampton but again genuine indian style cooking can be a challenge for the british palate.
Canada ain't like that. Having said that Bombay Bhel in Markham is very good and Lahore (which is obviously not indian) on Gerrard East is great but you have to learn a completely new menu.
I haven't tried Brampton but again genuine indian style cooking can be a challenge for the british palate.
#23
limey party pooper
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9,982
Re: Why is Indian food so bad in Toronto?
You have to remember that British curry is just that- a variety of cuisines mashed together and perfected due to enormous public demand. The classic menus- jalfrezi has peppers, dhansaks have friend onions etc etc, are all inventions of the anglo-indian chefs which have become pretty well harmonised over the years.
Canada ain't like that. Having said that Bombay Bhel in Markham is very good and Lahore (which is obviously not indian) on Gerrard East is great but you have to learn a completely new menu.
I haven't tried Brampton but again genuine indian style cooking can be a challenge for the british palate.
Canada ain't like that. Having said that Bombay Bhel in Markham is very good and Lahore (which is obviously not indian) on Gerrard East is great but you have to learn a completely new menu.
I haven't tried Brampton but again genuine indian style cooking can be a challenge for the british palate.
#24
Re: Why is Indian food so bad in Toronto?
Cruikshank, who's from Kerela, liked the Madras Durbur (name approximate) on the south of Gerrard in the bazaar. She said the food there was just what she was given as a child to eat "on long train journeys". I've no doubt they serve authentic food. Alas, what children eat on trains in Kerala, is a paste of cold rice in yoghurt. Authentic, but horrible.
#25
Part Time Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Worcestershire
Posts: 4,219
Re: Why is Indian food so bad in Toronto?
This is where a conversation with a local can end up on the finer points of shopping in Tesco's along with who's who in Cricket today, where local Indian shops also have baked beans on the shelf
#29
Re: Why is Indian food so bad in Toronto?
The place I order takeaway from in Vancouver is not bad now that I have set some parameters and expectations about how I like the food prepared, the only problem is that most dishes have gone up by about $4.00 per dish over 3 year period. But as people have observed, mostly the Indian food here is rubbish but like most things in Canada, the demand for quality is not there, so why would they bother?