Babur Restaurant

By Nina Popovic On March 25, 2010

273 Queen Street West, Toronto ON
416-599-7720
www.babur.ca
Map
Approx $20 per person
Local Food? some local ingredients
Local Wine/Beer? small selection

Lunch
Mon to Sun: 11:30am to 3pm
Dinner
Mon to Sun: 5pm to 10pm

Just about a year ago Babur Restaurant – a staple of the Queen West restaurant scene – underwent a transformation in décor. Thankfully the taste and flavours didn’t change much from the vibrant authenticity it is known for.

Entering the space, one doesn’t get the feeling of being in a regular Indian restaurant where most times the décor and set up do not distinguish the restaurant from its next door neighbour. At Babur the décor brings with it an elegance, earthiness and comfort which are destined to bring the younger demographic out to eat. Included in the interior decoration is a welcoming communal table – which is making many appearances in Toronto these days.

Settling into our seats we looked over the simple menu. It is only ¾ pages long but offers a good cross-section of Indian cuisine. We divulged in the Vegetable Samosas, Butter Chicken, Saag Paneer and Noor Mahal Biryani. The Vegetable Samosas were packed with peas and potatoes and enjoyed instantly; definitely a deal for two at $3.95. Butter Chicken is a favourite in Toronto restaurants, but this one at Babur is particularly rich and tasty with many devout (and outspoken) fans. It has all the qualities of Butter Chicken to enjoy: creamy sauce, tender chicken and subtle spices. The Saag Paneer was done in a traditional style with tender pieces of cottage cheese. The most tender and flavourful of the dishes was definitely the Noor Mahal Briyani. It is pulao rice cooked with spices, yoghurt, lamb and nuts. This combination gave the extremely tender pieces of lamb complexity and added flavour. As for the sides, if you are deciding between the regular butter naan or the garlic naan, I would definitely shoos latter as it was quite delicious.

The wine list is simple and covers most of the average-wine-drinker bases with the Pinot Grigios, Chardonnays and Merlots. I would suggest a light white to compliment the spices in the food, rather than a red wine.

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