Debu Saha's Biryani House

25 Wellesley Street East
Toronto, Ontario
(416) 927-9340

http://biryanihouse.com/
Google Map

Date: November 23, 2006
What's on the menu: upscale Indian cuisine
Drinks: Small wine and beer list
Cost: $45 - 5 course non-vegetarian tasting menu, $38 for vegetarian (available only on reservation)


This ultra-dark second floor restaurant is Chef Debu Saha’s venue for upscale Indian dining. Window seats over look Wellesley subway station, but on cooler nights the single pane window doesn’t seem to keep the draft out. Attentive servers seat us and quickly recognize we’ve pre-ordered the 5 course tasting menu. On the drink menu are Indian staples - mango lassi, masala tea and Kingfisher beer. A few choice wines and domestic beers are also available. Food is served a short while later.


Non-veg tasting menu for this particular night with brief tasting notes:

1^st Mango salsa with seared scallops and lobster claws
-Salsa had a bit too much onion, scallops excellent, lobster meat almost mushy
2^nd Lentil soup served with caviar and king prawn
-Not sure why caviar was served? Soup was creamy smooth, very good
3^rd Rack of lamb with spicy tomato sauce and basmati rice
-Tender lamb, finally get a spicy dish

4^th Barbequed chicken breast served with butter and almond sauce
-Couldn’t really taste almond sauce, chicken nicely charcoaled

5^th Desert trio – Carrot cheesecake, mango ice cream and rice pudding
-Of the 3, rice pudding was the best, but none were that great

Throughout the night, one dish that seemed to float by our table quite a bit was Subz Mangoda Basket (vegetable and daal fritters served in a papaddam basket). Despite being quite full we decided to order this as well and are we glad we did. Best dish of the night, deep fried fritters served on a bed of fresh vegetables in a crisp papaddam basket… very very good! Incidentally, one of the better deals for $5.95

Overall, this night was solid. Normally a $45 tasting menu we’d consider a steal, but having gotten a chance to taste the à la carte menu, we’re almost tempted to say stick to that. If you’re like us and have difficulty making choices off a menu, the tasting menu will give you a good idea of the depth of Chef Debu’s abilities. In terms of quality and presentation, Biryani House probably ranks as one of the top Indian restaurants in the city… but it’s a big step up from the $8.95 buffets we’re used to.

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