Posted by Cathy Bouchard in indian, nutrition, restaurant review on May 5, 2007 at 10:26 pm

Banjara Indian Cuisine
796 Bloor Street West
416-963-9360
Dinner for two with tax - $25

Just west of Christie Pits Park is a strange building that sort of looks like a strip mall. It has been home to many a sad coffee chain, at one time it looked a lot like a Coffee Time but was cleverly named "Coffee Tip". So when I heard from a friend that a “really good Indian place opened up there”, I was a bit surprised. I would not say it was the ideal location for any restaurant, let alone the spot for really freakin' good Indian food!

Banjara Indian Cuisine set up shop at this location a few months ago. It used to be at Yonge and Bloor under the name Mr. Maharajah, which was frequently packed. A Yonge Street Banjara was added to accommodate overflow and after closing for a short while, it moved to Bloor and Christie. The owner is Chef Raj Veerell, who has an extensive list of credentials, from chef at Sassafraz to working with Jamie Kennedy. I trust that Chef Raj knows what he's doing.

I am always on the look out for good Indian fare that I don’t have to travel east of Spadina for and that doesn’t cost me an arm and a leg. My first experience with Banjara was after my friend's recommendation. We decided to make it a take out night and grab it to eat with a movie at home. We went online and checked out the menu and were overwhelmed by the all the choices. I rushed to the “Vegetarian Delights” section and after much contemplation went for the Mater Paneer and the Navratan Curry. My partner, Keith went for the Tandoori Chicken and we decided to split an order of Veggie Pakora.

Banjara does not deliver but since we are just down the street, a walk over to pick it up is no biggie. Walking up to it I noticed that the Coffee Tip sign still hangs on the side of the building, facing the park. Good times. When we walked into Banjara, we were overwhelmed by the great smell of the place. The décor is simple but certainly classier than anything that building has ever seen. The guy at the counter is friendly and answers my many questions about ingredients with a smile. The kitchen seems to be busy, matching the smells with sounds of sizzling and open flame.

We get the food home and tear into our take-out containers, excited and giddy to try the new find. Each dish smelled fresh and wonderful. Now I must say that I am a huge fan of Indian food, or any food for that matter that I can take out and feel good about eating. I don't ask for much, just good quality ingredients. This food was made with care, it was fresh and when food like that appears into my life, I am in heaven. Every bite of each dish was amazing. The Mater Paneer was just as it should be; melt in your mouth goodness. The Navratan Curry was a brilliant mix of veggies with the perfect amount of heat. We decided to make our own brown basmati rice (Banjara only offers white rice), which soaked up just the right amount of the not too soupy curry. I was very excited about the naan bread since it's made with organic flour, rye and honey and it was delish. Keith’s Tandoori Chicken looked and smelled like it was baked in a real tandoori oven, a rare find in Toronto. I believe the words moist and succulent were used over and over. By the time we got to the Pakora, I was reaching my food limit but the bites that I did have were quite tasty and not at all greasy as I find Pakora can often be.

Banjara has become a staple for us on those nights when neither one of us wants to cook. Each time we have made the five minute walk through Bickford Park, we are greeted by the wonderful smells and the dishes have yet to let us down.