Motimahal

Motimahal
1422 Gerrard St E
416-461-3111

This evening, I had the chance to head over to Little India to satisfy my craving for some affordable, and tasty Indian food. Located in the East end of the city on Gerard between Coxwell and Greenwood, sits a pocket full of Indian stores and restaurants known as Little India.

We (Nancy and I), decided to head over to Motimahal for some typical Indian cuisine you would find in and around the area of New Delhi. We had come here a couple weeks earlier for a quick take out snack and were not disappointed. I ordered a gobi paratha (cauliflower stuffed pancake) and Nancy had Papri chaat (deep fried dough with a wide variety of sauces and flavours - sweet, salty, sour, spicy) which were both delicious and tasty.

Takout Snack Review:
For the paratha, it was made fresh to order, with tons of fragrant cauliflower. The smell was so strong and pungent that it started seeping through the takeout bag as we were walking back to my car. And the taste did not disappoint - hot, fresh, chewy, delicious gobi paratha - almost the same as the ones I used to get for 10 rupees outside my flat when I was living in New Delhi. The spicy sauce that was also included finished the dish off nicely giving it that bit of spice so common in the local food.

The chaat looked and smelled exactly like I remember getting it from the street vendors back in India. And while I didn't try it this time (it's not my favourite dish), I would guess that it was delicious.

It was with these expectations that we decided to go back to try out some more offerings from Motimahal.

Atmosphere:
For the most part, the restaurant is pretty dingy and not exactly the cleanest. The lights were a little dim, the floors are sticky and grimy, a fruit fly paid our table a visit, and they only have plastic utensils. I should also mention that this restaurant is a cafeteria style restaurant - you go up to the cash, place your order, and they call you when it's ready for you to pick up. The limited service that they have was quite poor tonight; and apparantly the restaurant is quite popular as a wide range of people go there to eat including young families, couples, and singles.

Dinner Review:
Enough about the decor and ambiance - on to the food! For dinner, both of us ordered the meat-thali which is a large plate with a variety of stuff on it. We opted for the butter chicken, which came with 2 pieces of naan, veg biryani, salad (pickled onions and carrots), a lentil dish, and a dish of your choice. I opted for the mutter paneer (peas and tofu) while Nancy had a cauliflower dish which was probably gobi masala. To put it bluntly, the food was terrible.

The chicken came out cold (colder than room temperature, but not quite refrigerator cold), the butter sauce had almost a bile flavour to it and was completely inedible. To be fair, the mutter paneer, veg biryani, and plain naan were solid. The lentils and salad - average, nothing special and nothing to write home about. I was also a disappointed that the meal didn't come with a papadam (I believe most places usually include it with the thali), and the paneer in the mutter paneer was sorely lacking in quantity.

As you can tell, the meal was extremely disappointing, especially after the delicious snacks we got a couple weeks ago. I'll give the Motimahal the benefit of the doubt by saying it was an off night for them, or it could be the case where only certain things are worth ordering from their menu.

Rating
Overall, I would give this restaurant 1 star - which may be a little harsh - though it fits the description of "a fair place not worth rushing back to but may have something interesting." I won't be making a special trip down here anytime soon, but if I do end up in the area, I would consider another gobi paratha - but that's probably the only thing I would consider.

Restauran Malaysia

Is it possible to find a good Malaysian restaurant outside the country? No.... but one certainly comes close in Toronto and that's Restauran Malaysia. What surmounts as an unoriginal name spelled correctly in Bahasa Malaysia for "restaurant", Restauran Malaysia offers an authentic variety of Malaysian cuisine and packs a punch of flavor. Though bearing some close resemblance to Thai, Malaysian cuisine is much different and can be a refreshing change from the Thai obsession in Toronto. Yes, other countries have green, red, and yellow curries. You are best to try and sure to realize that Malaysian curry is awesome.

The interior of the restaurant gives a modern twist to most other Malaysian restaurants where the decor can be excruciatingly tacky. Instead, a more trendy style reminiscent of the modernity of Spring Rolls while incorporating imitation Malaysian themes in a dark earthy tone. The tables are comfortably large, though large groups are often limited to the few round tables at the restaurants. It is recommended that you go in groups no larger than 4, as it is easiest to get seats this way.

To prepare for the meal, order a cup of Teh Tarik (literally translated as "pulled tea"), a Malaysian version of the Hong Kong milk tea. Though similar, the tea is literally pulled in the air for mixing, giving it a frothy and rich texture. This drink is offered in hot or cold version, but this drink is best experienced hot to maximize the flavor and texture. You may enjoy it cold in the summer, as true Malaysians enjoy it out on the scorching streets. This drink is made very well here, as they use similar ingredients (steeped tea, condensed milk, evaporated milk) and a technique similar to how it is done back home. The pulling technique isn't as spectacular and seems more like pouring. So please visit this link to see how Teh Tarik is really pulled.

Follow this with a few roti canai and the accompanying chicken curry sauce for dipping. Similar to the Indian roti, Malaysian roti is much fluffier, flakier, and crunchier. Again, the roti is close but is not offered in the same varieties as Roti Bomb, Roti Tissue, and the likes in Malaysia.

Recommendations for main dishes from best to great include: Penang Chow Kuai Tiew, Mee Goreng, Beef Rendang, Malaysian yellow chicken curry, Wonton Ho, Mee Xiam, and Nasi Lemak. Though these dishes do not give true credit to the variety, tastes, and accuracies of real Malaysian cuisine, they give you a sample for what Malaysian food is really like. The portion sizes are full, so order one dish per person and share it among the table (ex: at least 3 main dishes for a table of 4).

I give props to Restauran Malaysia for the great food while frowning at the unsightly Thai dishes found throughout the menu. If possible, avoid these and stay true to the Malaysian experience. The service is also mediocre and the place can be very loud when fully packed. Waiting in line can also be a horrible experience, so avoid the peek hours and go on Sunday nights, before 6, or after 8 as they do not take reservations. Another consideration is that the food is Halal, as Asian restaurants don't offer this.

Overall, this is a great restaurant and one which I frequent often. So see you there!

Rating: 3 Stars - Superior experience that offers memorable dishes and/or accompanied by good atmosphere and/or service
Price: $$$ - Moderate

Nando's Flame-Grilled Chicken

Famous for its flame-grilled chicken, Nando's is a great alternative to our accustomed Swiss Chalet here in Canada. Perhaps most unique is the Peri Peri sauce which accompanies the chicken, made from the African Bird's Eye Chili which was introduced to Portuguese colonists a long time ago.

Upon your visit, you'll notice the fast-food style service where you can order a variety of chicken dishes right from the front counter. Once you've ordered, you will have to seat yourself and wait for the chicken to come running from the grill. And though some will consider the Peri Peri sauce very spicy, the milder version is a must try. Alternatively, one can also try the garlic sauce.

One can expect the service and dining experience to be a little off, but that's pretty much in line with most fast-food joints. If your up for the spice challenge, give it a try by ordering a round of chicken, chicken kabobs, wings, and a side of Peri Peri fries. Oh, and don't forget to get a kick from the sauce!

Rating: 2 stars - a dish worth trying
Price: $$

The Unofficial Food Trotting Critic's Guidelines

After writing an exhaustive summary of the Association of Food Journalist Food Critic's Guidelines, I decided to publish my very own guideline - The Food Trotting Critic's Guidelines!

You may also want to create your own guidelines for your dining experiences so that you can truly capture the moment. With all the foods in the world, following them and writing about it will help shed some light into all the foods you eat. With the amount of food I eat, it's hard to remember the tastes of each bite. What better way then to document this using a standard guideline for consistency!

As an official Food Trotting critic, here are my general guidelines:

- Use general ethical norms when writing reviews
- Remain anonymous for an accurate customer experience
- Several visits are preferred but not required (I'm not rich)
- Order famous and popular dishes
- Sample appetizers and main courses only (I'm not a desert lover)
- Focus on a variety of ethnic foods, price ranges, and locations
- Take pictures using food photography methods (I'll have to research this)
- Follow the Food Trotting star ratings system:

4 stars: World-class experience that is truly extraordinary
3 stars: Superior experience that offers memorable dishes and/or accompanied by good atmosphere and/or service
2 stars: A sold place with generally appealing cooking and/or a famous dish worth a try
1 star: A fair place not worth rushing back to but may have something interesting
0 stars: Poor and Below-average restaurants