Tandoori Chicken
It’s not often you see a restaurant advertising Himalayan cuisine. Equally rare is one with Nepalese fare. Mt. Everest Restaurant, though, offers both, with a side of Royal Indian! This Annex eatery is a great place to take guests from out of town to taste Toronto’s diverse food scene, can easily accommodate vegetarians, and is, plain and simple, an excellent place to eat.
Getting over the hurdle
The atmosphere is simple but classy with helpful waiters attired in formal dress. Upon entrance, you’re seated at one of the many tables, served some crisp and flavourful pappadums with assorted sauces, and given the menu of a lifetime. Spanning over eight pages, Mt. Everest offers dozens of varieties of curries, pastes, sides, and appetizers.
You can start off with a classic like vegetarian samosas, or opt for something a little more off beat like my personal favourite, onion bhaji (golden fried onion fritters marinated with spiced batter). The chicken pakora is also delicious: succulent and tender, and only about $5 for each.
Tandoori Grilled Vegetables
Although the appetizers are a nice start, the entree selection is, hands down, the highlight of the restaurant. You choose a Nepali, Tandoori, or Indian dish, order some rice with the gourmet paste and then dig in. I can personally attest that the Tandoori grilled vegetable (dramatically served on a sizzling plate), the Chicken Tikka (tender white boneless chicken seasoned in mild spices, lemon juice and yogurt), the classic Chicken Curry, the popular Butter Chicken, and anything in the Jalfrazie sauce is excellent. But best of all is the Chicken Shahi Korma: succulent chicken pieces baked in a mild and delicious cashew sauce. It’s just divine.
Plain Naan Bread
The only downside of Mt. Everest is the time taken for the food to arrive. They bake all their pastes in a traditional clay oven, which makes the dishes utterly delicious, but also time consuming. If you want to enjoy Mt. Everest’s fare, make sure to book off at least an hour. Aside from the time constraints, though, Mt. Everest is definitely a place adventurous foodies should stop by!
Mt. Everest is located on Bloor just west of Spadina at 469 Bloor Street West.
It is opened on Mondays to Fridays from 11:30AM-3:00PM and 5:00PM-10:00PM, on Saturdays from 12:00PM-3:00PM and 5:00PM-10:30PM, and in Sundays from 12:00PM-3:00PM and 5:00PM-10:00PM. Entrees cost between $10 and $20 each, and a side of rice is about $3.
All pictures courtesy of mteverestrestaurant.ca.
