To walk into Chakra is to walk into the warmth of India. Canvases of red, ochre and gold transform the cream-walled restaurant into an inviting oasis nestled in the bustle of Yonge and Eglinton. Owned by Johnson Yohannan, Chakra combines modern flourishes both culinary and artistic with traditional subcontinental fare. Families dine on tandoori classics at the long rows of tables, while the young and eligible commandeer the overstuffed bar stools, sipping guava or passion fruit Chakra-tinis. Yohannan, who was born in Kerala and raised in Canada, is decidedly well travelled (he headed up Pizza Hut’s expansion into Southeast Asia). Having returned to Toronto after corporate stints in India, Singapore, Poland, Hawaii and Thailand, he wanted to open a restaurant that featured the paintings of artist Gregory Burns, whom he met travelling in India 14 years ago. Yohannan considered locales on the Danforth and King Street West before deciding on this well-to-do neighbourhood, where he purchased and reno’d Mimosa restaurant. Now all that remains of the former bistro are the unmistakably Mediterranean terra cotta floor tiles. They make for a bit of a disconnect, but it doesn’t take long to realign amid strains of Indian music and exotic aromas. Mains $10–$23.

Chakra Indian Restaurant, 2497 Yonge St. (at Eglinton), 416-487-7188.

Read the review of Chakra >>