Utsav

69 Yorkville Avenue
Toronto, Ontario

Ah, winter. Those days at -20C definitely don't make a person crave a light salad. I'm craving hot dishes, hearty meats, well cooked veggies, spicy broths and all-around good flavours. So what kind restaurant do I venture to? Indian.

Utsav, although not on any of Toronto's top lists is well known by the Yorkville business crowd, especially for lunch. Quick, healthy, and cheap (however large) dishes can be found here. And not least of all, you'll also find you're greeted by a gentle, family oriented atmosphere.

The server handling my table was most certainly part of the Utsav family, and genuinely seemed to care about my tastes, preferences and comfort while dining here. Her suggestions of additions to my intial order made for a perfectly well-rounded meal, containing everything I was hoping for in terms of spice level and variety.

When dining at an Indian restaurant, I always opt to try some sort of vegetarian dish. As India is well known for their beliefs as vegetarians, one can be sure that their veggies are prepared with exquisite flavour. After a tough battle while trying to narrow down my choices, I decide try the Aloo Gobi: cauliflower and tomatoes in a spicy broth. In addition, my vegetarian dish was accompanied by Lamb Madrasi and a Raita salad which consisted of tomatoes and cucumbers in a plentiful and spicy yogurt sauce. Well, I had to try more than just veggies, right?

I have to say, I wasn't expecting such care in the preparation of the food at Utsav, nor the flavours to be so well balanced. The Aloo Gobi was spicy, but not overpoweringly so, with a wonderfully fresh aroma. The lamb was extremely tender and the sauce in which is sat achieved bringing out the flavours of the lamb, without overtaking it. Moreover, I have been officially converted from regular garden salads to this phenomenon which is called Raita - who knew a salad could be so uniquely spicy and ultimately gratifying on a cold night?

I don't know why Utsav hasn't been mentioned in more of Toronto's foodie blogs and magazine's, but it should be. This small, lower level restaurant right in the heart of Yorkville only seats about 25 people, so perhaps too many reviews would take away from the relaxed, hospitable environment it currently inhabits. Whether Utsav becomes "the next big thing" or remains as this humble establishment, one thing is for sure: the food is a pleasant and delicious surprise.