When it comes to Toronto's best restaurants, age isn’t just a number — it’s a testament to success, especially in the post-COVID world. Pukka, a casual-upscale Indian restaurant on St. Clair West, has been around for nearly a decade, so it’s high-time I sample their eats. On a rainy, spring Tuesday evening, I scuttle across St. Clair before I get soaked and sidle into Pukka’s medium-sized dining room.
Co-owner Harsh Chawla greets me with a booming laugh and a big grin that lights up his eyes behind his bright orange-rimmed glasses. We’re quickly seated and promised a tasting menu of Pukka’s greatest hits, both vegan and non-vegan. (Pukka has a substantial menu of plant-based options.) I’m pleasantly surprised to revel in the lively atmosphere — the restaurant is packed, even in the middle of the week.
Pukka: What's on the drink menu?
First, cocktails warm up our palates. The Magellan 16 is a sweet, whisky-based sipper with apricot and port notes subtle enough to make this drink pairable with any of the dishes on the menu; the Tamarind Mezcalita, a smoky, crushable little number, is made with tamarind that’s repurposed from the kitchen. They’re both pleasant, tasty and agreeable, priming us for the flavour-packed Indian feast on the way to our table.
The other drinks are familiar classics, often infused with an Indian twist. The Spicy Margarita mixes tequila and triple sec with moringa tea, a plant native to India; the Gold Rush uses ginger with Ketel One vodka and plenty of citrus.
The real standout, though, is the sommelier-curated wine list. There are over 10 by-the-glass options, and dozens more unique bottles, including Old World picks, Niagara vino and even a rosé brut from Nova Scotia. They all have fun descriptions of the tasting notes on the menu, à la Grape Witches; I learn that co-owner Derek Valleau is a certified sommelier and often hosts wine nights in the restaurant. His passions are on full display in the impressive list.
Pukka: What's on the menu?
From New Delhi, executive chef Dinesh Butola has been cooking for Pukka since its opening in 2013. Butola’s plates are an excellent introduction to Indian cuisine for the uninitiated, yet they still deliver on all of the authentic, comforting flavour that seasoned experts will expect.
Crispy vegetable pakoras with super-fresh tomato chutney land on our table first, and my fingers dig in and dip generously almost immediately. The Pukka chaat — a teetering salad tower, with pomegranate seeds, chickpeas, julienned veggies, mango and chutney — is the star.
We eagerly shovel forkfuls into our mouths, savouring big, bright blasts of flavour with each bite. The chicken 65 is heaped onto a plate and topped with plenty of herbs; soft, saucy and pleasantly fragrant, it’s more of a main than an appetizer.
As soon as I spot the small army of mains that are carted out of the kitchen towards our table, I preemptively loosen my belt. The Hakka tofu delivers huge chunks of soy, marinated in Indo-Chinese sweet and sour sauce, with slabs of juicy red pepper and a generous sprinkling of herbs. It’s easily my favourite dish of the night, and served in an impressively large portion.
The pumpkin curry must go platinum in the fall. Cubes of the tender gourd swim in a coconut sauce you’ll want to lick off the plate as soon as the temperature drops.
The butter chicken swaps spice for extra-luxurious creaminess; we serve it over rice, or spoon heaping portions into slices of naan. The five-spice-crusted pickerel tastes even better after it's been used to mop up the accompanying parsnip and cauliflower purée; and the crispy okra fries shock me by turning one of my least favourite foods into something delectably snackable, especially with the tart apricot chutney dip.
Whether you’re like me and could eat Indian cuisine for breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner, or are introducing it to someone nervous around spice, Pukka is a tasty, casual-yet-upscale option for a weeknight meal.
Dinner and drinks for two: around $90 before tax and tip
