Toronto Free Press Restaurant Guide

Saffron Tree

A rich taste of India

Saffron Tree

Saffron Tree 91 Gerrard St. W. Toronto 416-850-3179 Hours: Monday - Sunday: 11:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

By Pamela Bloom

Although Saffron Tree opened less than a month ago, it has already become a popular lunch spot in downtown Toronto. With their extraordinary North Indian cuisine, and their prime location on the corner of Gerrard West and Elizabeth Street, Saffron Tree is destined to become a favourite among those with an affinity for curry, garlic, and of course, saffron.

Owned and operated by Gurinder Singh Bedi, who has been in Canada for only four years, this new restaurant is a real treat. With gentle Indian flute music playing lightly in the background, its easy to forget that youre in Toronto instead of exotic India.

Indian food, for those who dont already know, is ideal for vegetarians. Although Saffron Tree does serve a large selection of delicious fish and chicken dishes, theres a myriad of nutritious vegetarian options as well.

My guest, Sam, and I began with Papad, a baked lentil cracker, with a thick and sweet Tamarind sauce, as well as with a slightly spicy mint chutney. The Papad was light and crispy, and a perfect start to a great Indian meal.

For our appetizers, we had Tandori Prawns and Paz Ka Pakora (onion fritters). The prawns were marinated in spices and then baked slowly over a low flame in a clay oven. The combination of spices used are a mystery to me, but the overall effect was astonishing, with just the right amount of zing. The Paz Ka Pakora were like Indian onion rings; they were light and crispy, and particularly tasty with the Tamarind sauce.

We then had the opportunity to experience several different main courses; Daul Blukhara, Malai Matar Paneer, and Avial Malabar. The Daul Blukhara, a black lentil and red kidney bean dish, was sautéed with ginger garlic and tomato. It was reminiscent of Mexican black bean dip, but it had a distinctive Indian flavor. The Malai Matar Paneer, fresh homemade cottage cheese and peas cooked in a cashew and almond sauce, was especially appetizing. The thick sauce was delectable, and the cheese was my favourite part of the meal. The Avial Malabar, a southern Indian specialty of mixed vegetables,was an aromatic blend of savoury spices and flavours.

While South Indian foods lean towards chilies and coconut-based flavours, Northern Indian cuisine is distinguished by its rich sauces and gravies. Although numerous spices are used at Saffron Tree, the food was by no means excessively spicy, but rich and enticing instead.

All of the dishes were made even better when eaten with Saffron Trees special breads; Laccha Paranth, a multi-layered flaky whole wheat bread, and Garlic Naan, a light bread stuffed with garlic and green coriander. We also had a beautiful rice and vegetable dish with our meal.

Saffron Tree also has the most delicious mango juice Ive ever had, and I drink mango juice as often as I can! The Mango Lassi is made fresh on site with mangos and yogurt. It has a hint of vanilla, and it was a striking accompaniment to Indian food. There is also plain mango juice for those who want to play it safe, but the Mango Lassi is really worth trying.

For dessert we had sweet rice pudding with fresh saffron, and Mango ice cream, which was a very refreshing way to end a big meal. Sam, who recently returned from a trip to India, summed up the meal perfectly by saying: "It was all very good."