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| - Banjara is a freakin' Christie Pitts miracle. I am a regular there and I can vouch for its consistency and total deliciousness.
Here's my top ten list for what makes Banjara great:
10. It's cleaned up the neighbourhood. That store used to be a seedy Coffee Time. Then, it was a seedier, "Coffee Top" - yup, the new owners didn't bother changing the sign. Then, if you can believe it, it was a "Coffee Tip"! (That was the last straw). Banjara rescued that little restaurant space next to the park from being forever only a place that only truck drivers or very, very stoned high school students would want to go.
9. Friendly staff. I've met the owner of Banjara twice and he is lovely. He is humble and friendly and clearly aims to please. The waitstaff there are quite warm (if not particularly boisterous) and they do a bang-up job playing tetris each night with the hordes that crowd into the restaurant at dinner time. Sometimes they actually don't do a great job, but we forgive them. The food is really worth it.
8. Hot means hot. They've toned down their spice quite a bit from when they first opened (no doubt to sooth our wimpy Canadian tongues), but they can really crank up the heat on demand. And they always ask how you like it. With a Kingfisher and some Naan? Perfect.
7. Whole tandoori cauliflower. Tender, flavourful, sizzling. Did I mention sizzling?
6. Variety. Daal Makhani is creamy and rich, a typical northern Indian sauce. But Daal with spinach is light with south Indian curry leaves. Aloo Baingan sees big chunks of eggplant left in tact, along with creamy pieces of potato, while their Baingan Bharta is super smokey, rich and buttery with tons of ginger. The spinach fry is spicy and full of spinach flavour not masked by other spices.
5. Convenience. This area is dying for more good restaurants and (as the dozens of reviews attest) Banjara is in walking distance to those of us living in the area, it has free parking and is right next to the park to boot. So you can walk off your ghee filled stomach watching kids making out by the swings.
4. Rustic spices. I love dishes that are both complex but you can also taste the individual flavours. Eating through a dish at Banjara, you bite down on a cardamom pod, a bit of star anise, a crunch of ginger, a dainty curry leaf. Each flavour is pungent and just right.
3. You can tell that each chef has their own unique flair. We order a lot of the same dishes frequently and each time, while clearly the same recipe, they have a little something different. One chef loves more ginger, another makes the eggplant a little smokier, you get the idea. We really enjoy those little differences, since the quality stays high.
2. Mango Lassi. Sour, sweet, cold, creamy.
1. Leftovers the next day!
Vegetarian score = 9/10. Large variety of flavours and dishes and no doubts about hidden meat buried in sauces...
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