Intensely flavourful. That is what we desire, and that is what Kadak means. Tired of the insipid and uninspired, we want that simmering heat of robust ingredients to excite and ignite our palates. The attention and affection for details of each dish on the menu is a passionate confluence of colours, textures and tastes that is vibrant, dynamic and unmistakably Indian.
The mood is inviting and calm with peachy lotus-coloured walls that symbolize beauty and spirituality, traditional Indian music floating in the background and velvety chairs upholstered in the rich hues of India.
Our server is right on hand and, with enthusiasm and patience, answers all our questions in a comprehensive conversation, and with extreme respect to our dietary restrictions and preferences.
Our meal order negotiated with care, I can now sit back and await my signature cocktail—The Peacock—an exotic blend of Bombay gin, pineapple and passion fruit. The peacock is India's national bird, and is a symbol of beauty, grace and divinity.
Right from the start, this kitchen, helmed by Chef Akshay Medhekar, revs up our taste buds from 0 to 100 with an exotic Ricotta Chaat. Crisp lotus root chips, fried chickpeas and citric pop-in-your-mouth pomegranate seeds decorate a melange of creamy ricotta, an herbaceous cilantro-mint chutney and tangy tamarind for an elegant elevation of traditional Indian street food to a soft and crunchy textured, refreshing palate opener.
Our salad is chock full of goodness. Sliced pear, accented with saffron, adds sweetness to a generous bowl of greens dressed with maple and cumin and the added heft of pieces of kachori, pumpkin seeds and crumbled feta.
It’s easy to be vegan or gluten free here, as the menu is punctuated with items that accommodate each of our dietary concerns.
Alas, I am not vegan, and am only too excited to taste the Lamb Chops, which are gluten free, and which do not disappoint. They are so tender and lavished in flavours of herbs and spices that make each succulent chop even more tantalizing. There is an irresistible zest and crunch from the marinade caramelizing around it, and I dare say that, while generously portioned, one dish is not enough, because it’s just too good for me to share, so we may need a second order. These are game-changing high-flavour-quotient morsels of lamb, expertly prepared to the perfect temperature and accompanied by a beautiful relish of eggplant, tomato and mint.
Chicken Tikka is a trifecta of traditions. Mughals brought the tandoor from Central Asia, Persians marinated meat in yoghurt, and Indians pulled that together with their own panoply of spice to create something extraordinary. In homage to the tradition of serving chicken tikka at road sides, this one is called Highway 401. However, I can personally assure that the experience of indulging in these plump chicken thighs—impossibly tender, delicately charred, luxuriously seasoned and brushed with charcoal butter—is infinitely more satisfying than driving on the 401. Yoghurt is a wonderful tenderizer because its lactic acid breaks down the protein, and the extreme heat of the tandoor seals in the juices, while imbuing a smoky essence and char. This is a kitchen that knows and cares what it is doing, and this is easily the best Chicken Tikka in Toronto.
We move from north to south for a taste of Cafreal Chicken. Crisp chicken is blanketed in a pour-over of garden-fresh herbs that make our taste buds dance. This is a Goan specialty brought from Mozambique by the Portuguese. It’s another example of how so many different cultures that criss-crossed the Indian sub-continent throughout history, brought recipes with them to marry the most dynamic ingredient base in the world. The gravy-like texture of this verdent sauce nourishes the tender chicken and is a perfect contrast to the cool, refreshing slaw. The plating is as clean as the ingredients are clear, and with each bite we relish the nuances of each sequence and layer of flavour.
Saag Paneer is a classic northern Indian dish. This vegetarian curry is usually made from boiling and pureeing spinach and other greens and spices into a thick paste that acts as a sauce for the paneer (Indian cheese.) At Kadak, the kitchen uses kale, and infuses a confit of garlic. The paneer is toasted to a golden crisp, and we enrobe each cube in this vibrant, creamy, velvety curry that is so rich and delicious.
Each course is sumptuous and reflects the pride in ingredients and traditions that this kitchen wants to share with us. We are amazed at the generous portions, and the artful plating, and swoon from the sensuous mouthfeel of each dish.
We have never experienced the Champaran Meat at any restaurant in Toronto before. Champaran is in the northeast of India, bordering West Bengal and Nepal. (Fun Fact: George Orwell was born there.) In this region of India, hearty comfort food abounds. Our waiter arrives with what looks like a chicken pot pie. Deftly, he cuts the perimeter of the crust to reveal bone-in mutton luxuriating in steaming confit chilli. The baked dough has sealed-in a potpourri of aromatics that presage a rustic, smoky, fall-of-the-bone mutton that is so robustly flavourful. We scoop up each morsel with the pie crust. It’s the perfect antidote to a cold wintery evening like this one.
Could we possibly have room for dessert? Chef Medhekar is enthusiastic about his sweet innovation of Gulab Jamun Crème Brûlée that blends a taste of India with a technique of France. As the menu suggests, “When Gulab Jamun Vacations in Paris it Comes Back Caramelized.” This is addictively ambrosial. The texture that we expect from the fragrant soft dough of Gulab Jamun is intact, but encased in the rich custard and burnt sugar of a Crème Brûlée. No stone is left unturned here—whether in the genuine care of hospitality or the sincere passion for cooking and creating something new and exciting. This is exactly what we hope for in a new restaurant—something new.
An interesting component in the concept of Kadak that is unique in Toronto is that in addition to combining the techniques, herbs and spices of India with farm-fresh local Ontario product, the menu reflects the seasons in a novel way. If it’s winter in Toronto, the chefs at Kadak look to what is comparably seasonal in India at this time. They scan the vast and diverse culinary regions of India to be in simpatico with what can be sourced in Ontario right now. This enables a more true reflection of traditional and regional cuisines in India and the seasonal terroir of Ontario. It also provides the opportunity for the kitchen to be creative, and to innovate dishes that reflect both the personality of the chef and the sophisticated palate of Toronto for a seductive kaleidoscope of flavours that beckon our return.
Kadak, 2088 Yonge Street, 416-322-6227