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Restaurants Guide › Indian and Sri Lankan
Amaya
½
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very good
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perfect
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- 1701 Bayview Ave. (at Eglinton Ave. E.) • View on map »
- 416-322-3270
Editorial Review
Chefs Dinesh Butola and Kirti Singh put together strikingly distinct textures, from greaseless folded pappadums to a moist mound of chaat jumbling sprouted beans, pomegranate seeds, crisp little pappadums and soft potato in a tangy yogurt dressing. Fragrant fenugreek leaves and the sly warmth of green chilies flatter juicy prawns and peppers; a touch more acid in the accompanying chutney of green mango, fenugreek, sweet pepper and green chilies would perfect the dish. Green chili again provides the bass note to tender chunks of chicken in murgh satrangi, the crisp brunoise of vegetables a revelation after decades of braised-to-death Indian fare. Biryanis are relatively lightweight, subtly spiced with rosewater and cardamom and surrounded by rich saffron sauce. Impeccable naan is there for mopping up. Desserts explore new territory in this genre, frozen mango mousse capturing the complex perfume of the fresh fruit over pistachio crust. Service hits just the right note. Inventive cocktails boost a tiny, clever wine list. Mains $8–$21.
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The highly praised Amaya the Indian room opened its doors in June of 2007 with thumbs-up reviews from all three of the city’s major dailies, and a glowing feature article and top 10 ranking by Toronto Life magazine’s James Chatto.
As Joanne Kates (Restaurant Critic for The Globe & Mail) writes…”all of which explains why Amaya is heaven-sent. The combination of silken service and excellent ingredients freshly cooked, with sensitive spicing, is seductive in the way that only the food of the subcontinent can be - rich, assertive, complex, exotic. Amaya prawns are very spicy but restrained, their sauce a tamarind-scented green mango curry with green chili and fenugreek, sweet and hot and perfectly balanced on the big barely cooked shrimp. Ordinary Indian restaurants throw some red-marinated chicken in the oven and call it tandoori. Amaya does tandoori duck breast, ruby slices in orange-inflected sauce with shredded apple. Move over, duck à l'orange. Coconut lobster curry is what happened when the maharani met Marie Antoinette: a sauce so creamy it meets and matches the soft flesh of barely cooked lobster, but unlike a French cream sauce, this one is jazzed with ginger, garlic and cardamom pods.”
Just as the food avoids clichés, so does the setting: the 40-seat dining room is accented with subtle hints of India through stunning photography, creating an inviting atmosphere that is casual and friendly, yet elegant and sophisticated.
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