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| - Two reviews with five stars each. Here's a third. Honestly, Chawk deserves it. I go out to eat quite a bit, and I try to eat at as many new places as possible because I get bored easily. This year, with my birthday around the corner, I've been in a bit of a food slump because I feel like I've had many of things Toronto has to offer already. Chawk ended that slump. I can't stop gushing.
First, the inside is beautiful. Very chic, very modern, and very Instagrammable. Second, the service is super friendly and super helpful. Even before we ordered, complimentary lychee mango drinks were given to us. What an indication of the meal to come!
The food. THE FOOD. I can't say enough good things about the food. If I don't hit the character limit for this review, I'll be super surprised.
Chawk has two appetizer platters. Both of them are stunning and come on a wooden board. Both of them consist of entirely different options. Each come with 4 appetizers, and cost $15. The chawk platter came with phuchka (pani puri with mashed chickpea inside), mini singara (almost like a samosa), bihari sliders (beef kebab on fresh flatbread), and macher tikki (fishcake). Oh. And chop suey fries? Think really thin, delicious, fried potato string garnish.
Phuchka - You fill the phuchka with tamarind water and you down it fast. Otherwise, it leaks out. It's meant to be that way. Savory, refreshing, slightly sweet, slightly tangy.
Mini Singara - Almost like a rounded samosa. The potato and chickpea filling was very fluffy. I appreciated being able to see the layers of filling in my singara. The tamarind sauce was tasty as well.
Macher tikki - I was skeptical. Fish cakes aren't my thing. Usually over-breaded and over-spiced. Not the case here. Thin breading. Could still taste the fish under it. Crispy. Flaky. Served with a spiced mayo.
Bihari slider - three/four bite taco sized. AMAZING. You could taste the beef through the spices. The carrot/beet/onion strings on top helped cut some of the richness, and the flatbread was so fluffy! I could make a meal out of these babies and be super satisfied.
Then comes our main. Just one between the two of us because the appetizer platter was so large. All day breakfast. Interesting. Lamb shank, frittata, steamed spicy potatoes, tart eggplants, stuffed parathas, fruit chaat, and an egg done our way. Also $15, and also served on a board. Well, a board and a plate, cuz the lamb shank wouldn't fit onto the board. Our sunny side up was done right. Oozy yolk. Plus points for crispy brown edges. I've got to hand it to them. Every curried food item we had tasted distinct. No base sauces here. They're all different. The potatoes weren't masked by the curry. I'm a sucker for Indian eggplant dishes and this one didn't disappoint. The fruit chaat was like a yogurt filled with berry bits and spices. And I mean filled. Loads of fruit in here. I rather enjoyed it. Didn't know frittatas were Indian. This one was tasty though. Also quite fluffy. Big chunk of broccoli on top. The least Indian tasting food we had, but tasty nonetheless. The lamb shank. IT WAS HUGE. Biggest lamb shank I've ever seen. Also tender and smelled incredible. Great indications for taste. I can't say enough good things about it. A bit of the egg, a piece of the lamb, and a bit of the eggplant on a piece of their paratha and you've got one heck of a bite! The leftovers are going to be amazing.
And there were leftovers. But then we had dessert. This birthday girl thought ahead. Asked about birthday specials. Secret menu? The key to my heart. Deep fried kulfi. Um... Woah much. We had the fried kulfi (malai/milk flavored) and the paan kulfi (because what is paan?). The paan kulfi was interesting. Was told paan is a leaf that is usually filled with spices and then chewed after a meal. Good to know, but no clue what it should taste like. In my mind, that means I have to try it. It looks like pistachio. It tastes floral and minty and is subtly spiced, but I couldn't tell you with what. It was definitely interesting. The fried kulfi was all about textural contrast. Creamy kulfi with a crunchy fried exterior. Not too sweet. Not too breaded. Very enjoyable. Dessert was free (presumably because birthday) and they still made it beautiful. Long rectangular dish, berry garnishes, gooseberry garnish, cinnamon bark strips, little sprinkles of spices. The aesthetics are just WOW.
$30 plus tax and tips for so much amazing food. Bang for buck plus service and ambiance makes this easily one of my new favorite restaurants in Toronto, and I've only had two dishes on the menu. I can't wait to come again and try the rest. I wonder if tomorrow is too soon...
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