Amaya the Indian Room

Worst delivery service ever! Order at least an hour and half before you actually need the food. They will charge your credit card and the customer service will tell you that the restaurant is closed. You are left with the uncertainty of ordering food from other restaurants or wait. Not acceptable!

Amaya is such a beautiful little Indian restaurant on Bayview. The place looks a bit peculiar on the outside, the interior is really dim and intimate. It has a nice feel, especially for taking a date. The menu is like fancy Indian food as much of the prices were a tad high, though the quality was sure to match.
I’ve had a taste of several items here (though I don’t know where all the pictures are unfortunately. The organic butter chicken was great. The sauce was rich and creamy, while the chicken was very tender. I’ve had the tandoori chicken as well. Great flavor and not dry at all like so many of the smaller places. Portion sizes could be bigger though. They have a wide variety of vegetarian dishes as well. We had a sampler of which I could not tell you the names (as I do not recall) but they were all pretty solid.
They have a chef’s tasting menu that changes quite often. You can allow the chef to choose sort of like an omakase in a Japanese restaurant. The place can get popular so make reservations. If you’ve heard the name, it’s because they also have some food outlets at places like Yorkdale Mall, but this is the brick and mortar version.

Amaya is our go to place for quality Indian food in an elegant setting.
The prices are higher than a lot of other Indian restaurants, but the quality of ingredients and complexity of flavours would be worth the extra in their own, and when you add the beautiful décor with wood walls and brick red fabric chairs, the prices are reasonable.
Our favourite go to dishes are the Amaya Prawns: juicy jumbo shrimp in a green mango curry sauce with peppers, the flavours are so complex it’s difficult to tell what spices are in the sauce but it’s so delicious, we order naan to wipe up every last drop of the sauce.
We also ordered pakoras and samosas for the table but the prawns were the hands down winner.
The lamb lollipops are perfectly tender having been marinated before grilled, served with an incredibly tasty mint and fenugreek sauce that is a perfect complement for the lamb.
Butter chicken is a bit sweet unless you order it spicy but is very tasty with a great creamy sauce to spoon over the basmati rice.
The Punjabi chicken is the spiciest dish we ordered, but again there is complexity of flavours as well as heat.
Our friends had the Malai Cod, the fish was grilled perfectly and served with a coconut curry sauce, and the Lobster Butter Masala — the lobster was surprisingly sweet and tender in a sauce that I could only describe as a more complex and refined butter chicken sauce for grown ups. A lot of naan was used to get every last drop of that sauce.
No room for dessert but a few of us had Mango Lassi, a sweet and cooling way to soothe the palate after the spice, which certainly is not overwhelming at Amaya but it builds up all the same.
Anyone who judges Amaya based on their Express locations is missing out on the true gem of the Amaya family, the Indian room on Bayview is at a whole other level in quality and service.
So full, because it’s hard to stop eating even when you are full. Must nap now.

Good modern indian cuisine, although not always consistent. This was the place to eat in midtown when it opened, but the quality has finished considerably. They now even have an «all you can eat» option, which says a lot in my mind.

omg one of the best Indian restaurant experiences I’ve had in the city! my mom and I decided on the chef’s tasting menu which was really really worth it
it’s $ 45 per person but don’t worry because it’s totally worth it, the variety is amazing and the portions were so big, I had to doggy bag the entrees
I’m vegetarian and my mom isn’t so they accommodated that really nicely
the menu was all a surprise and consisted of three appetizers! and a whole bunch of small bowls on different entrees with rice and lots of yummy naan, followed by dessert
there’s the option of having it all paired with wine too which sounds lovely because it curated by a sommelier!
so it’s a definite recommend and wonderful service and very high quality food
enjoy!

Nice food. I’m not an Indian food expert but I will say I enjoyed their food. I had organic butter chicken, quite sweet but tasty. Then we had dal and another curry chick peas, both tasty. So on the whole we enjoyed our meal and had great service as well…

Our go-​to Indian resto. Always good service and delicious food, especially shrimp, the wondrous lassooni cauliflower, the curries, yes, the butter chicken, and the breads. Not inexpensive but the quality is great. The room is also relatively quiet and well decorated.

I went to Amaya with 3 friends on a Saturday night. The place was packed! We had a reservation for 8:30pm and it took at least 15 minutes to seat us because every table was taken and some people stayed longer than they anticipated.
We ordered a curry lamb, a spinach paneer, a chicken tikka masala, and a chicken briyani. They all tasted great! After eating it, I could see why the place was so full. My only problem was the pricing. I felt the veggie items were reasonable around $ 11 each, but the briyani seemed steep at $ 17-​$ 18 and the meat items were also in that approximate range.
I would definitely go again, but I probably cannot afford to go too often!

I would give 4 stars for food only but service was terrible so overall it’s a 3.
We booked a table for 2 on a sunday night at 6:30pm. The restaurant wasn’t full but we had to wait at least 5mins to get seated.
We weren’t offered water or any drinks or service until almost 15mins of just sitting there. We finally had to grab any server walking by to let them know we wanted something. Even that, it took him awhile to come back.
We waited at least 30mins for our food after placing the order because I saw the server forgot to punch it in. When the order came it was messed up, some things we didn’t order they placed on the table and somethings that we order didn’t come. We only ordered 3 things and still they can manage to mess up.
There were only a older and a younger male servers working so maybe lack of staff?
After we were finished eating, we wanted to grab the bill and pack home the leftovers. Not surprised, it took us 15mins to get a server to do so. After asking the older server which he didn’t care and forgot about it so we had to ask the other one.
I asked for the bill and told him specifically that I need the machine because I was paying by card. He comes back 20mins later with only the bill. I told him I’m paying by card and he walks off maybe trying to look for the machine or doing something else, I don’t know.
By that time I was super fed up, it was just waiting and waiting and more waiting. Before he came back I just paid by cash leaving little tips. I don’t understand why there was so much waiting when the restaurant wasn’t even full.
However, besides the waiting and crappy service. The food was great! The curry was just spicy enough with a kick to it and not over powering. Naan tasted great, light and crispy. I would definitely go back again for the food itself only!

I went to Amaya with a Groupon to try out the place. Let me start with the atmosphere. The owner must have hired a good interior designer who helped decorate the place in a manner that’s both authentic, modern and welcoming. Most Indian restaurants in Toronto look cheap and bland, but not Amaya. Bonus points for mellow Indian tunes a-​la Buddha Bar.
Service was great ¹⁰⁄₁₀. Our waitress was very attentive and polite.
Food was tasty, with great plate decorations, something you rarely see at Indian restaurants in Toronto. Yes, most items on the menu are priced higher than average and I’m not sure I would go back without a Groupon. However, to be fair, everything was well prepared. Palak Paneer, however, wasn’t how I like it. The spinach was like fine paste, which IMHO takes away from the true taste. If you’re wondering where one can try a better version of Saag, it would have to be Trimurti — my all-​time favourite spot for good Saag/​Palak Paneer. Garlic naan was good, but not as good as Trimurti’s garlic naan, which is unbeatable.
All in all, Amaya the Indian Room is a great spot for a dinner, but I wouldn’t call it the best bang for the buck. Then again, with not much competition in the area and the upscale nature of the venue with a brand name to be upheld, I can see why their items are on average $ 2-​$ 4 more than at any other Indian restaurant in the city. In the end, I would recommend to go to Amaya yourself and form your own opinion about the place.

«A beautiful girl does not need a lot of make up». Similarly, «if you have beautiful ingredients, you don’t need to do too much with them», shares Hemant Bhagwani, mastermind behind Toronto restaurant, Amaya Restaurant. For Bhagwani, whether in business or on the menu, it’s about always trying something new, but «the key must always be good quality ingredients. That has to be the base of everything».
Born in northern India, but fascinated by Indian southern cooking, Bhagwani trained in Switzerland, Syndney, Dubai, and Toronto, enjoyed successes and endured struggles along the way. He observed Indian dining in London, England, and realized what Toronto was lacking. Never wanting to do a buffet, Bhagwani has since elevated Indian cuisine in Toronto. From his first restaurant opening in Brampton years ago, Bhagwani now maintains sixteen Amaya restaurants, as well as a line of sauces and naan bread.
So here we are at Amaya tasting their new menu, and we are wowed by the creativity and diversity of colour, flavour and texture from lamb tenderloin with wasabi ice cream to saffron chicken korma with pistachios, orange and kumquat. There is quite a range of cooking here. Crunchy kale and spinach fritters, smoky chicken tikka with a refreshing coriander foam, and plump Amaya prawns lavished with green mango curry. All delectable teasers.
Eggplant steak is stuffed with potatoes, peppers, carrots and asparagus in a mild mustard based sauce. Tender beef short-​rib is nourished in a curry perfumed with cinnamon and cumin; and roast lobster sits atop colourful citric beet rice. There is an interesting juxtaposition of sweet and spice that harmonizes on each plate. Biryani, presented in an earthenware pot and covered by a layer of naan is cut open tableside to reveal a wonderful medley of baked aromas and ingredients including lamb and nuts. A variety of naan bread from garlic, to chili and olive, allows us to soak up all the wonderful curries before us, and then, «pow», we’re hit with hot spice, so a cucumber raita serves as our fire extinguisher.
For dessert, ice cream is not to be missed. Prepared a la minute with liquid nitrogen, before our very eyes we watch this lab experiment result in a pretty display of rosewater ice cream with crushed pistachio, cardamom powder, saffron caviar and blueberry sauce. Light, airy, and delicately flavoured, this molecular gastronomy reflects the imagination of Bhagwani, his passion for flavour and texture, and his forward thinking to create and define new possibilities of Indian cuisine.

I have been to Amaya Indian Room (@amayarestaurant) only once a few years ago and recently I have been seeing a lot of their new menu offerings on all of my social media feeds and was so excited when I got invited to a tasting.
Open since 2007, Chef Hemant Bhagwan’s Amaya empire came a long way with Amaya Bread Bar, a couple of Amaya Express and food court location across the city plus it’s catering business. Plus a line of natural Indian food/​sauce called Amaya Gourmet.
We were greeted and served by the man himself and we were told that’s we’ll be tasting dishes from their Lobsterlicious menu. For $ 39, you can a 3 course Lobsterlicious prix fixe menu and it’s happening until May 18^th which you don’t want to miss.
Mango Fennel Lassi $ 3.90
~ Greek yogurt w/​fresh mango pulp & fennel seeds
~ This is perfect for those who can’t handle all the spices and heat but for me, thought it was too sweet and thick for me.
~ Quite filling, especially with all the food we were served.
~ Should have ordered a lighter and more refreshing drink.
Crab Lollipop w/​Indian Tartare Sauce Amuse Bouche
~ Amuse Bouche usually in bite size, this definitely take quite a few bite. Yes it’s a line paper style plate and although it’s cute, I am not sure it ties in with the space.
~ That aside, the plates were rather slippery and presentation is as good as it last to the table.
~ Basically we had 2 dishes that things slip around and ruined the presentation. That aside, this was delicious, very subtle spices in the sauce with crab packed lollipop with minimal fillers.
Gold Medal Scallops
~ spice crusted scallops, cauliflower fritters, roasted lentil & chilli relish
~ Usually not a big fan of scallops but this was so good.
~ Love all the spices and flavors here plus the added crispiness from the fritters. Strong spices but not overpowering where you can still taste the scallops flavors.
Lobster & Corn Samosa
~ herb chutney
~ Found this a tad salty, it was so flavorful already that the extra salt wasn’t needed at all.
~ The refreshing chutney did save it a bit.
Tandoori Shrimp
~ spicy marinade, chilli & coconut panna cotta
~ Had my fair share of Tandoori chicken but never had shrimp before but it was delicious.
~ Perfectly cook and flavored plus love the touch of sweetness from the panna cotta foam
Ghee Roast Lamb Tenderloin $ 12.90
~ wasabi ice cream
~ After mentioning at the beginning that I would love to try something from their regular menu as well and we were offer this dish.
~ Of course we were a tad curious and skeptical about the wasabi ice cream but there was no reason to be since it paired surprisingly well.
~ The sweetness contrast perfectly with the spices and with a pop of nose numbing wasabi flavor plus the lamb was perfectly cook.
Lobster Makhani with Brandy
~ lobster tika in makhani sauce
~ The sauce was just so amazing, wish it came with a bowl of rice but somehow we still manage to clean the plate.
Roast Lobster
~ beetroot & curry leaft khichdi, spiced lobster jus
~ This was amazing, the lobster was perfectly roasted & love love love the beetroot khichdi which was incredibly delicious and gave us a break from the stronger /​spicier dishes.
~ Love the sweetness of the beetroot with the grilled lobster and you could decide on how much sauce to take from the side depending on your personal preference.
Chef’s Biryani
~ biryani is a basmati dish made w/​spices & can include lamb, chicken, seafood & vegetables. Amaya seal their cooking pot with dough & bake it in the oven and it’s in limited quantity
~ The dough was broken at the table with steam and smell coming out, you can’t help but want to dig in right away.
~ Love how it was pipping hot and it was a perfect contrast will the cooling cucumber yogurt on the side.
Chilli Olive Naan $ 4
~ Never had naan with stuffing like that before and it was packed with so much flavors.
~ They also have flavors like smoked bacon & lamb kulcha and chilli paneer.
~ Although I really enjoy it, I can’t help but think that plain ones will go better with the dishes where you can scoop up the sauces etc.
Blueberry Cardamon Kulfi
~ liquid nitrogen — prepared table side
~ Had kulfi a few times before but never really enjoyed it but the one here was amazing.
~ Not only soft and smooth, it had just the right amount of cardamon which can be overwhelming with a heavy hand.
~ I never imagined I’ll finish dessert after all the food we had but this was so good that I was wishing for more.
Verdict:
~ Impress dish after dish, totally amazed by their new menu/​direction
~ Great combination of new modern dinning with traditional Indian dishes
~Highly recommended
~ Lobsterlicious is on until May 18^th, do not miss it.
*** This meal was complimentary. Opinions are my own***

Restaurant: Amaya the Indian Room
Cuisine: Indian
Location: East York
Address: 1701 Bayview Ave
Price Range: $ 15~
Extra information:
* Takes reservations
* Open for dinner only (5PM)
* Street parking
* Vegetarian option avail
Fresh Yoghurt Egg was filled with pomegranate juice
Prawn Papdi Chaat with cumin and chutney– this is one of their street food, similar to Mexican ceviche but with cooked shrimp.
Kale Pakora with tomato chutney, this is something I didn’t think I would like but oh man was it delicious! It was crispy and seasoned just right, and I couldn’t get enough of the tomato chutney that was in the jar.
Amaya Prawns, were juicy and bursting with flavor with green mango curry sided beetroot gel.
Pani Puri, which means fried bread + water was something I’ve never had before. Basically what you do is fill the fried bread (sitting on top) with the flavored water thats in the tiny jug and pop it in your mouth! It was really fun to eat, although a little messy.
Lamb with avocado icecream, was something I look forwarded to. Really? avocado ice cream with lamb? But yes really, avocado icecream was nutty and complimented the tender lamb pieces.
Gold Medal Scallops with pickled lemons, shallot confit and coconut snow.
Eggplant steak, this was probably one of my top 3 favorite dishes. Served in mustard yogurt sauce and onion chip, eggplant was cooked just right the sauce was so fragrant.
Bacon and Tenderloin Kulcha & Chili Olive Naan, this is a must order! It’s like I never knew naan bread until now where I stuck with plain or garlic– stuffed with bacon and tenderloin kulcha or chili olive (if you are a olive lover) this is naan on whole different dimension.
Chicken Korma with herb oil
Lamb Biryani, very cute presentation with all the biryani stuffed in Roasted butternut squash. The butternut squash is fully cooked so you can eat the insides too.
Paneer Tikka, served like piece of butter is a must if you love cheese. I also couldn’t get enough of that coconut whip on the side.
Carrot Cake Mousse & Kulfi Icecream for dessert
Summary: It’s no doubt I enjoyed all the food served at Amaya the Indian Room. There were so many innovative dishes that I didn’t even know about and it’s always nice to walk into a restaurant and try something new other than your ordinary butter chicken (not that there is anything wrong with good butter chicken!).
The dishes are a little pricier than your ordinary Indian restaurants, but sometimes we deserve a treat and the quality ingredients do make a big difference– so drop by Amaya the Indian Room and give them a try, cause I am def going back!

This place has really good Indian food!
I’ve had their food court food many times, but their formal dining is better!
Got the lamb lollipops main and Briyani with lamb.
When they say it’s their signature dish, they were not kidding. The lamb racks were cooked to perfection. Tender, flavourful, with a bit of char. The sauce is heaven. Highly recommended! The Briyani portion was huge! It is covered with a layer of dough, which I used as bread for dipping the lamb lollipops sauce. It was served piping hot and there are lots of fresh ingredients and nuts inside.
All in all their food is absolutely lovely! It is on the pricier side but on the other hand I left very satisfied with spending the money and will surely be back!

I came here yesterday on a Saturday with reservation for a party of 8. We came here base on a friend’s suggestion from a review she read.
The décor was nice but I found the room too dark. I understand they’re trying to create ambiance but I would like to see what I’m putting in my mouth. All the curries started do look the same color. Plus side is that restaurant didn’t have a strong smell of Indian food.
Service was attentive but I didn’t like that they kept on up selling more food when we ordered one Currie dish each. Not sure if Indians eat a lot but we had a lot leftover at the end. I felt they started to upsell when we didn’t order a bottle of wine but 5 of us did order a glass of wine/​beer/​cocktail each. The restaurant did seem a little slow, probably due to freezing storm warning and there trying to make enough to cover their overhead.
The menu wasn’t big and there’s something for everyone. Our group decided to go family style and share. Portions were big. They gave us complimentary appetizer that was some sort of fried lentil. For appetizers, we ordered samosas and vegetarian pakora. The samosa was not hot when it came out, not the same when it’s not freshly fried (samosa king’s still better) The pakora was a fried vegetable of some sort and tasted okay (looked like mini burgers with no buns) The curries (butter chicken, mushroom, shrimp, lamb, spicy chicken, and scallops) was mediocre as I’ve had better at Bombay Bhel. The chicken was dry and that should be done to perfection as curries are usually cooked with chicken. Out of all of the curries I like the mushroom, it was different and tasted good. In addition, we ordered fish in banana leaf, it was delicious as it didn’t smell fishy and had lots of flavour.
Overall, it’s a nice fancy restaurant to bring first timers. It’s nice and modern. Fusion inspired, if your into it. I minus the 2 stars due do up selling, cold samosas, chicken overcooked and price. We paid a total of $ 280 with gratuities included due to large group. Bombay Bhel is way better and cheaper.

I came here for Summerlicious and I very much enjoyed it. There weren’t many people here on a weekend for lunch. The service was good and the food was delicious. I’ve been here before on a non Summerlicious day for dinner and the lineup was pretty long. They were nice enough to offer us a cocktail which was very generous of them. If this place wasn’t so far, I would come here more often!

My favourite indian restaurant
The have a $ 25 special Goan menu but its misspelled Goon on the menu
Hilarious…so i kept saying Goon all night
I had the crab cake (extra $ 5) app
Chicken Vindalloo. Omg i will be sweating for 3 days… my guests looked at me and said. Are you OK your face is covered in sweat… really? Vindalloo does that
And a wonderful Caramel Dessert
Great sized portions for such a deal where mains are $ 20 and apps around $ 10
Cool off with a lassi
always impeccable service

The food isn’t bad, but you can find comparable or better Indian food for less. Unless you are going there with a groupon, or for Winterlicious, I just don’t think the place is worth it. Also, the location is a little out of the way. If you have to travel to get there, I don’t think you’ll be that satisfied.
People say the prawn dish is da bomb though. So if you go, try that!

Classy place. Great service. Good Food.
The place was a bit dark (I guess good for dates) and the décor was trendy and pleasing to the eye. I liked the chandeliers, which gave off some cool shadows off the ceilings.
The service was great from the start at the front door to the end at getting the bill. Always attentive to our water glass and clearing finished dishes out of our way. It was a full restaurant and managed to keep the service and food out on a timely basis.
I had the Cheese Burger Samosa, the ribs, butter chicken, and naan (we were all sharing by the way). The samosa’s were exceptionally good and got me wanting more but I could be biases because of my love for cheese burgers. The ribs were a bit fatty but still got the texture and taste there to make me satisfied. The butter chicken were surprisingly a bit spicy but the chicken fell flat and dry. The plain naan were just okay but the garlic naan were a big disappointment due to burnt garlic.
Overall, the experience was good but there were some misses in the food price and taste that just made this place a 3 star in my books. I would definitely come back if I was in the area.

This review for Amaya the Indian Room is based on my Winterlicious 2011 experience.
The Winterlicious lunch ($ 15) was really good. The service was excellent… just ask my friend who thinks the waiter is nice and nice looking at the same time!
We ended up order different things from the menu so we can tried out different items
Swiss Chard Pakoras
— Wish it has more chili. but really tasty and not oily at all…
Malai Chicken Tikka
— taste bland, not enough spice and marinate
— chicken a little dry, but since it is white meat so I am not surprised
Butter Chicken
— Just tasted off… it tasted kind of sweet
— the dish itself is not hot (spice wise) or hot (temperature wise)
— more like a fusion dish? and it is really small…
Yogi Vegetable Curry
— Mixed vegetables in garlic curry
— This is really well done. with zucchini, cauliflower, green pepper and eggplant.
— Have a nice kick of spiciness and a lot of flavour
Carrot Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream
— My friend ordered that but she would not eat it. saying that the Pudding have strange texture and taste.
— I found it tasted ok. maybe I just like ice cream in general :)
Chocolate Brownie with Cardamon Scented Rum Sauce
— Chocolate brownie as long as it is chocolaty, I always a fan.
— The Rum sauce has just a little hint of alcohol. You can barely tasted it…
After having this Winterlicious experience,
— I would recommend Amaya the Indian Room if you want to have a romantic date. The service here is attentive, deco is nice and lighting dim.
— not recommend if you want to try authentic Indian food, all the spices are toned down and it is really Indian food with a fusion touch
BTW, Amaya is on the pricey side. I cannot imagine I would pay $ 17 for even a full order of that Butter Chicken!