Chaihana — Restaurant in Toronto

We want to share our favorite restaurant, "Chaihana" (1000 Finch Ave W #122, NY), and explain why we love it.

When we want to take a break from the hustle and bustle, enjoy delicious home-cooked food at a leisurely pace, in a warm, unique setting, we head to Chaihana, even though we don't live nearby.

Chaihana exudes a calming atmosphere that makes each visit unique. The warm, soothing, and unique decor creates a cozy space where you can savor fresh and delightful food that corresponds to the diverse menu.

The variety of dishes on the menu is a true delight for food enthusiasts.

From the first visit to the present, Chaihana has captured our hearts. We have become regulars, despite the distance.

Waiters Edward and Julia greet and serve us during different shifts. Always hospitable, respectful, attentive to our requests, they create comfort and a desire to come back to them again and again.

Perhaps we encountered Edward more often. We were drawn to his attentive service, developed through experience in the profession, the ability to be unobtrusively present, engage in a short conversation, explain each dish in detail, suggest choices, and warmly welcome us, creating an atmosphere in which we feel like welcomed guests.

Chef Marina, though we haven't met personally, we thank you for every dish that makes our visit to Chaihana truly magical. Soups, pilaf, pumpkin dumplings, and much more – every dish is a real pleasure!

We express gratitude to the entire restaurant team, waiters Edward and Julia, and chef Marina for their hard work and professionalism, for patience and attention to each customer. We appreciate your work and understand that it is not always easy.

Chaihana is our place, and we are happy to share our experience with friends, guests, and relatives. Everyone we invite and who visits this restaurant remains delighted with the food, service, and atmosphere.

We thank the entire Chaihana team for the opportunity to come here again and again, feel the warmth and hospitality, and enjoy every moment spent in this wonderful place. Thanks to your professionalism and warm attitude towards us, visitors to your restaurant, each of our visits becomes a pleasant memory and a topic of conversation with...

Had a terrible experience ordering takeout. I had done a large order for myself and a few coworkers that included an order of one regular-size plov and one small-size plov. I drove all the way back to my office and only realized that they had given me two small-sized plovs. I immediately called and they made up multiple excuses. First, they said they couldn't deliver the replacement plov order. They also said they ran out of large containers, so they put the same amount of regular plov into a small container. It made no sense; that's like ordering a large pizza and getting it in a small box. They then told me to email them pictures of the plov (as if I was making this up?) and they'll get back to me. I was in the middle of asking if there was anything else that could be done to make up for this mistake when they hung up on me. I called back and they didn't pick up the phone. I called 15 minutes later and they still weren't picking up. They were clearly ignoring my number because my coworker called them on his phone and they picked up almost immediately. They asked if he was affiliated with "the girl" and he said yes, and explained the situation again. The lady on the phone told him to email pictures of the food and said she would talk to the chef again and get back to us. This time they now claimed that they weighed the plov on a scale before giving it to us. We got in touch again after they received the pictures and they now claimed that they gave us 2 regular plovs and we received more food than we should have (which is impossible if they weighed the food on a scale). Nothing was done. There was no apology. At that point I didn't care about the money, or the food, but I was disgusted with the way they handled this situation. This should have been...

My friends and I wanted to go some place that has Kazakh cuisine and this is the only restaurant in Toronto area that we could find. I was a little worried reading the reviews but we decided to give a try. I called to make a reservation then again to confirm but it seems they don't have any sort of booking system since they had no idea what I was asking about. In the end when we arrived they were not expected us but we were the only ones in the restaurant (7PM on a Saturday) so there were no issues with seating.

There are signs all around the complex (mostly other businesses but kind of desolate area) that say you need a parking permit and after we paid were told by security it is not necessary - ignore the signs, parking is free.

There seemed to be 2 employees working, the waitress and the cook. When we arrived neither were anywhere to be found and we had to go searching for someone since there was no bell to ring. Other than that the rest was fine. Food came out within 30 minutes of ordering and was great. I can't comment on authenticity but the dishes I remember having when I was in Kazakhstan tasted similar to the ones I ordered here. Decor is bright and vibrant and ambiance was good. Washrooms were among the most impressive things, super clean. Walked past the venue area inside, I think it would be a good place to host an event. Having someone who can speak Russian in your group will be really helpful if you go here. :)

I'd recommend giving this place a try, it's a gem of a restaurant that is kind of hidden in the...