Bawara | Indian Restaurant & Hakka Cuisine — Restaurant in Toronto

This review is for a takeout experience only. It was my first time here as I wanted to pickup some food on my way home from work. Extensive menu with lots of Indian Hakka and veggie options. Baingan Bharta is one of my faves at any Indian restaurant so I opted for the Junglee Bharta, and I rarely see Achari (pickling spices) available anywhere so I also got Achari Goat. I had rice and naan at home so I only bought the two curries which came to $42. Please note the card machine starts the tip at 18% ($7 and change). I should have exercised my right as a consumer and simply picked “Other” to choose a lower amount, because the server did not say one word or interact with me one bit, and it’s takeout - but he was staring, so against my better judgement, I clicked on 18%. I was not offered a glass of water while I waited for my food, so I helped myself to some at the water station and had to pick thru several water glasses because the first couple were not clean (oily fingerprints). As for the food, I did have raised expectations having just spent $50. Eggplant is something I usually order as a litmus test in Indian restaurants to assess their food quality and technique. This Junglee Bharta sadly did not have any smoky roasted eggplant aroma or flavour, and contained roughly 25-30% stale frozen peas (some were tough and powdery like an old apple) which seemed like filler to me. The Achari Goat dish lacked acidity to balance out the ghee and the spices didn’t seem properly aromatized - lots of solid spices like cinnamon bark and bay leaf in my takeout container but not very flavourful. As I’m writing this I just remembered that I went with “Medium” for heat - all I feel is mild disappointment. Finally, in regard to the ambience, if you are going to visit and try to have a conversation with your friends in the room, good luck shouting over the club-level volume of music. Could have been 2 stars but will leave it at 3, giving some benefit of the doubt that I ordered the wrong...

I got no idea WHY this place is rated so high ??!!!! Hello from a google foodie critic!

Well, The place is tiny which is ok But it’s a shabby dirty place, Floors uncleaned, walls dirty

& trust me the Tables & chairs are THE WORSE! It was a wobbly old table plus a Wobbly chair too 👏 Corners of this restaurant are SERIOUSLY not to be looked at !!

The only thing i appreciated here is TOFU replacement for paneer being vegan!

Now the flavours! Pretty average for authentic punjabi sabjis !! The “Khada masalas” didn’t pop up, basically tasted more tomato-ey!

We are dining in GTA with each sabji around 17 bucks with wobbly table and chair & unclean floors is NOT worth it at all !!

Not visiting at all again! There are 1000’s of Indian restaurant in GTA specially in Brampton! Someone looking for good indian restaurant in Toronto, Visit Angara !

Thank you, not visiting again!

Edit to owner’s note reply: Haha judging my profession on the basis of my reviews ALL over the world ??!! You better be good at your own job! My husband & i dined in at your place 2 months ago !! Being unprofessional, rude & a narcissist is what shows your personality! Better don’t comment on my profession or what i do & focus on cleaning your dirty filthy restaurant! Can show you my bills too! Don’t question me uselessly. That’s pretty low of you to comment my profession in my way! You have a dirty mouth to spill & I am sure you will receive what you are Can already see people posting 1 star review after me lol

Learn some manners to talk to professionals & then think of opening up a business !!!

It is so sad & i feel sorry for you for not taking my criticism positively & being better instead you go down the wrong route !! Good luck mate ! You per se seem toxic owner & you are BLOCKED ! 🚫

PS Since I am a doctor I have better things to do like saving lives than writing fake reviews ! I hope you do...

My boyfriend and I came here during covid after going to revue cinemas. The food was good but there server kept elbowing me and touching me while trying to keep a birthday party directly next to us occupied. They seemed more interested in the party and couldnt be bothered to relocate us even though we could barely hear each other talk. Possibly retrain your staff, or train them the first time. They didnt seem as excited to serve us, but we're overly loud and obnoxious with other guests. Seemed a little racist to be honest with you. The server also was not great, couldnt hear anything she said because of the loud noise from the party.

Edit after response from owner: I'm not calling or emailing you. I came in only a few years ago and lost my phone so I can't tell you the exact date. Instead of questioning your bad reviews maybe look into why you have over 120 1 star reviews that all have time stamps and proof from the last 2 or 3 years of you going downhill. Screwing customers of what they came to enjoy. They pay an automatic gratuity, which is a slap in tha face when you can't even clean or serve people properly. No wonder half the people walk out without getting anything. Risking food quality and getting sick from open silica packets isn't exactly what I would call a careful place. It's reckless and honestly stupid you are even still open with how many reviews people have given you. Just shut down. You dont know how to do your job. Im not giving you a chance to redeem because I have worked as a chef in many Asian cuisines and this is beyond ridiculous to blame customers who spent their covid cash on your trash establishment. It's shocking you expect any second chance when you clearly didnt care about the first...