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| - I dined at Babur last month as part of an epic 'five dinners in seven hours' food safari around Toronto.
The trendy little restaurant, located in the Queen West neighbourhood, recently underwent a slew of renovations and you can tell.
The dining room is beautifully under-stated. Bird motifs are omnipresent and various species are showcased in tiny oval black frames that hang along the entire length of the left wall.
A long wooden table in the middle of the dining room, smartly divided with low sheets of patterned glass, gives off a cozy and intimate setting.
Exposed brick walls and interesting light fixtures also work to enhance the atmosphere.
We ordered garlic naan bread and chicken vindaloo and were given a complimentary serving of pappadums.
The pappadums, which bear hundreds of bubbles, are light, moreishly crispy and combine brilliantly with the trio of accompaniments.
Meanwhile, the intense garlic aroma emanating from the piping hot naan bread is simply intoxicating. The bread, sprinkled with finely chopped pieces of cilantro and garlic, is baked to perfection and boasts beautiful charcoal burn marks.
The naan simply melts in your mouth and pairs beautifully with the chicken vindaloo.
The curry is deep red in color. The smell of the spices is invigorating and the dish is perfectly seasoned.
The potatoes and boneless chunks of chicken (yes, they're chunks as opposed to the stringy variety) help balance the richness of the decadent sauce.
My one major criticism of the dish, though, is that despite requesting that it be made extra spicy, the curry doesn't have enough of a kick. The spice knob could have been turned up at least five more notches.
Nevertheless, we lap up each last mouthful and walk out of Babur extremely satisfied.
Read more and view photos at http://www.gloriousgluttony.com/toronto/food-safari-1-five-dinners-in-seven-hours
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