NAWAB FUSION GRILL

Back in August, The Hubby and I had dinner in North York with my maid of honour and her boyfriend, who’s vegetarian. I’m always nervous choosing a restaurant when dining with people who have specific diets because I never want them to feel restricted or left out. Also, let’s be real, North York’s food choices lean heavily towards Asian, and we’re not the best at accommodating vegetarian diets with a breadth of selection. Nawab Fusion Grill was a perfect choice with plenty of options and most importantly, lots of flavour.

Atmosphere: A stand-alone structure on Yonge, Nawab was a colourful restaurant with a large front patio. The dining room inside was clean, quiet and blue. A TV on the wall was set to a news channel and the volume was low. We could talk without any raised voices and enjoy a relaxed meal.

Service: I don’t recall any remarkable point about service at Nawab. Our server was quiet and efficient in taking our order. All of the dishes arrived in uniform bowls and our water was consistently filled.

Food: There are quite a number of dishes on Nawab’s menu that classify as Indian American fusion (ie. butter chicken poutine or pulled lamb sliders). That night, we were in the mood for more traditional flavours. Prior to Nawab taking over, the restaurant was a Bombay Bhel and my go to neighbourhood Indian restaurant. This was my first visit since the change in ownership and Nawab will still hold that title.

For our table, we ordered to share the Baigan Bharta (Tandoor smoked eggplant), Saffron Rice and Garlic Naan. My friend had the vegetarian Nawab Palak Kofta (hand pressed spinach balls in a spinach cream sauce) while The Hubby and I split a bowl of Butter Chicken. All of the sauces were thick and clung to the flatware.

Of all the dishes, my favourite would have to be the smoked eggplant, there was a complex mix of spices and a natural creamy texture. I didn’t find any dish spicy and would’ve loved a bit more heat. While I enjoyed the flavour of the Butter Chicken, I found the sauce was actually too heavy. This was great for dipping with naan, but would be difficult to eat as the only entree. The saffron rice was subtle and mild, a perfect backdrop for stronger spices.

For a next visit, I’d love to try a vindaloo. Nawab offers specials throughout the week including $0.50 wings on Thursday night. That offer’s been calling The Hubby for weeks.