Nawab Fusion Grill

Knowing that I've been craving Indian food recently, Edward took me for dinner this evening at Nawab Fusion Grill. I guess I wasn't really paying attention to where we were walking to, because the first thing I noticed when I walked into the place was that the layout of the restaurant looked really familiar. And as I sat there contemplating this, I finally realized that it was the same space as Bombay Bhel and they had closed down. Until now, Bombay Bhel had been my favourite Indian restaurant, so I was kinda sad because thus far, I have not been able to find a place where the lamb korma or butter chicken is better (don't get me wrong, I wasn't exactly looking very hard, but theirs was reliably delicious and never disappointing). But I had to let that go and accept that it was gone, and instead focused on this new "Indian gastropub" that took its place. 
Shrimp Pakora
We decided to share the shrimp "poppers" (or pakora) to start. I've only ever had the classic chickpea pakora, so this was a whole new experience for me. Pakora, if you've ever had the pleasure of having one, is basically an incredibly addictive deep-fried fritter of utmost delight. Dipped the accompanying creamy coriander sauce (which I prefer over the spicier tamarind sauce), and it's pretty much the best damn deep-fried shrimp, ever. Each shrimp was coated in just the right amount of batter that had a nice spicy kick to it, and a beautiful golden exterior that provided the right amount of crunch. I could easily have eaten all of them myself and then ordered a second one because I'm a glutton like that, but that'd be really selfish of me because sharing is caring, and I care, people. I care. 
Saffron Chicken
While Edward opted for the much spicier Bombay Chicken, I prefer a milder taste and decided on the Saffron Chicken. Big chunks of perfectly moist, tender chicken breast is immersed in a rich, creamy, saffron-infused curry and topped with a flurry of sliced almonds. This dish was totally up my alley; it has that nuttiness of korma and the creaminess of butter chicken, so basically it's perfection. But whereas butter chicken uses tomato puree and korma has more of a coconut base, this has a fresher, sweeter aroma from the saffron. Definitely a must-have for fans of mild curries. If I hadn't been so damn full, I would've ordered a second naan to sop up the rest of the sauce... but I knew if I had eaten any more, my arteries would've started yelling at me. 
What I do appreciate about Nawab's replacing Bombay Bhel is that they've really polished up the space — re-painted, re-tiled, changed all the light fixtures, etc. — so that it's much more modern and sleek and clean while still keeping in with the Indian theme through artwork. Definitely working the whole modern fusion Indian thing. The service was also really good; even though there were only two people working the whole restaurant, they were really nice, efficient, and attentive. I'd definitely come here again — there's just too many things on the menu that I have to try including, but not limited to, tandoori lamb chops, pulled lamb sliders, fusion coconut curry, and Amritsari fish and chips. It's not strictly classic Indian food, but I've discovered that I really quite enjoy Indian gastropub fare.

Nawab Fusion Grill 5009 Yonge Street Toronto, ON M2N 5P1 (416) 221-4255