Queen and John has long been a little on the antiseptic side, but until last fall, you could at least count on a dose of spice in the local dining options courtesy of a trio of long-running local Indian joints. Both Trimurti and Babur shuttered last fall, leaving Little India as the lone survivor.
But it looks like they’ll no longer be the lone source for butter chicken on the block: Babur is set to reopen as Babur Express, a new fast-takeout concept. Chef Rajendra Wadhawan, whose retirement spurred the restaurant’s closure, confirms that members of his family and veteran Babur staff will be operating the 55-seat spot, which won’t offer table service (but will have a liquor license).
Wadhawan shares a few menu details: Combo meals rounded out with rice, salad and pickles will be available for $11.99 and under, while roti (like you’d find at Babur offshoot Gandhi) will set you back $8.95 to $13.95. “Then we’ll have some Indian snacks like you find on the streets of New Delhi – aloo tikki, dal puri, bhel puri, and some Indian sweets like gulab jamus, kulfi, jalebi, halwa.”
Takeout will be their main business, with catering options available. Wadhawan says he hopes to be back open again by April.
nataliam@nowtoronto.com | @nataliamanzocco
