Bhai's Indian Canteen — Restaurant in Richmond Hill

This was one of the worst customer service experiences of my life, and it left both me and my wife feeling insulted and humiliated. We came here simply to enjoy a coffee together. We ordered and paid upfront without any issue, but only after taking the money, the lady at the counter told us: “You can’t just order coffee or tea, you have to order food as well.” She even said that if it had been a busy time, she would have outright cancelled our order. Imagine paying for something and then being told you’re not “allowed” to just have coffee — as if she was doing us a personal favor by letting us stay. That is not hospitality, that is arrogance.

It didn’t stop there. My wife and I sat down and were talking to each other in Malayalam, our South Indian language. Instead of letting us enjoy our time, the lady kept giving us judgmental and uncomfortable looks, as if speaking our own language was somehow wrong. She made it obvious she didn’t like it. It was demeaning and unwelcoming. To make matters worse, she took more than 15 minutes just to bring out two coffees, and when she finally did, her tone was rude, curt, and dismissive. Not a smile, not a shred of basic courtesy — only hostility.

What hurt most was realizing this was not just bad service, but discrimination against us as South Indians. Sadly, this is a pattern many of us face — being treated differently, even by people from within our own community. Instead of showing solidarity and respect, some people go out of their way to look down on South Indians, and it’s shameful. This lack of civic sense, professionalism, and common courtesy is exactly why the Indian community in Canada often faces negativity. When people in customer-facing roles act like this, they drag down the reputation of everyone. Canadians see this behavior, and it reinforces all the stereotypes and hatred towards Indians and South Asians as a whole.

It is absolutely embarrassing that in a country like Canada — where diversity should be embraced — we are made to feel out of place by our own people. If you are South Indian, be prepared to be treated unfairly and judged here. And if you are Canadian wondering why so many have a negative impression of Indians, this café is a perfect example. When staff treat paying customers with such disrespect, then unfortunately the entire community ends up suffering for the actions of a few.

A restaurant or café should be welcoming. It should be a space where anyone, regardless of background, feels comfortable. Here, we felt the opposite: judged, looked down upon, discriminated against, and treated as if our presence was a burden.

Shameful experience. Never again. Avoid this place...

Edit (1aug21)- I got great feedback of Bhai's Canteen from a few friends, so decided to take a 45km trip from Ajax to Bhai's kitchen with high hopes.

I am sorry to say but our experience was not great -

1). We ordered few dishes i.e. Chole Bhature / Hakka Noodles / Chilli paneer / Paneer butter masala / Garlic Naan & Plain naan.

2). As you can see in the food picture, the bhature are not puffy , so most likely they gave us old bhaturas and we should have sent it back as soon as it came but since we were famished so decided to eat it anyways.

3). Chilli paneer was bland & tasteless, so they didn't charge us for it.

4). Paneer butter Masala was also bland / tasteless & sweet. We were told by the hostess that this is how it supposed to be (probably it is more tuned towards the gora taste buds) but definitely not for the "authentic" seeking desi foodie.

5). Hakka noodles were good in taste & quantity was also good. We basically brought all of it back home. That was the only saving grace of this whole trip.

6). They gave us a complimentary mango lassi (for our bad experience), which was a good gesture.

7). I give full marks to the wait staff as there were 3 different people who came to ask for our feedback. This signifies that they strive to improve.

8). I for sure won't be taking another 90km round trip back to Bhai's canteen. I hope the other patrons have different experience. My friends certainly seem to like it.

Edit (2aug21)- Not sure if the owner even read my review. It can't get any...

LI visited Bhai's Indian Canteen todat and overall, I had a delightful experience. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. Let me start by saying that the quality of the food here is exceptional. Each dish bursts with authentic flavors, and you can tell that the ingredients are fresh and carefully selected. From the bhindi masala to the paneer butter masala(was a bity spicy, expected it to be sweet but I love it) and malai mutter paneer, every bite was a culinary delight.

However, I must mention that while the quality is top-notch, the quantity leaves something to be desired, especially considering the prices. My party of three ordered a three vegetables for table along with two complementary servings of rice and six garlic naans with raita. Surprisingly, we were able to finish everything without any leftovers. This indicates that the portion sizes might be on the smaller side, given the price point.

For future visits, I would recommend either increasing the quantity of each dish or advising customers to order more to ensure they leave fully satisfied. While the food is undeniably delicious, it would be even more enjoyable if there were ample portions to savor. Nonetheless, I would still highly recommend Bhai's Indian Canteen for its fantastic flavors and inviting ambiance. Just be prepared to order a bit more than you initially...