259 host

259 Host was a surprise visit for a late valentine's day dinner from my valentine. the reservation was at 6:30pm. it was quite empty when we arrived but quickly filled as the evening progressed. when you are in the mood for something a little more special than fast-food indian, this upscale and sophisticated restaurant offers great indian/fusion cuisine at around $20 for main entrees.





we were seated on the upper level of the restaurant (there are three levels i believe). the interior is decorated with earthy tones and the dim lighting added tranquility to the atmosphere. the music was similar to what you would hear at a yoga class, calming and relaxing, setting the mood.



one thing i noticed about the menu after the fact is the prices listed on the web are different than the prices of the physical menu (web prices are couple dollars cheaper). few dishes are not listed on the web as well. they should update the web menu to avoid any confusion. the menu contains variety selection of entrees (chicken, beef, seafood, vegetarian) and naans. some original, some fusion and some traditional.



papad and mango chutney was served as a complimentary appetizer. it was cleverly shaped into a cone. very crispy and well balanced with the sweet but tangy mango chutney. another type of bread was given as complimentary which i am not quite sure what is was called. after some googling, i narrowed it down to parathas (hopefully i am right). the second bread was not really my favourite, bit dry and floury.



the Samosa Sampler ($8) seemed to be one of the popular appetizers. almost all of the tables ordered one. it comes with four different types of samosas: potato, lentil, avocado and spinach and two dipping sauces: coriander and date chutney. the potato samosa is very close to what i am used to. spicy and potatoey. the lentil was bit hard to eat because the stuffing kept falling out spilling all other the plate. it tasted similar to the potato stuffing but milder. the avocado samosa was presented in a chinese dumpling style. not much flavour in this one though. last but not least, the spinach samosa was creamier and saltier compared to other three, kind of like the spinach dip. in general, the samosas were fun to eat and tasty. i found that the deep fried skins were bit thicker for avocado and lentil variety, the goodness of deep fried taste overpowering the mildly seasoned stuffing.



we ordered two chicken dishes. Chicken Xacuti ($19) is prepared with 25 different spices and coconut. it is on the spicier note and the thick sauce is great for dipping the naan. lot of spices enriched the flavour which made this dish more enjoyable. even though it is made with coconut, the coconuty taste is not distinguishable.



the second chicken dish was the Butter Chicken ($19), my favourite. they are very similar in presentation (because we ordered similar dishes, haha). the rich tomato sauce was perfect match for the rice and the naan. i love love love butter chicken sauce. my encounter with butter chicken has been quite satisfying but this, by far, was the best i've had. it is creamy, well balanced between sweet and savoury. in both dishes, the chicken were moist and tender, plus plenty of sauces for dipping. the xacuti came with four pieces of chicken and the butter chicken with three. they were quite large in size, filling our empty stomach full with happiness.



i am not so crazy about naan but 259 offered soft and chewy Garlic Naan ($5) which tasted just as good without any sauces. it's always great that they make the naans in the kitchen instead of serving ready-made store-bought kinds.



i thought the Plain Rice ($5) was bit pricier for what it was though. it was really plain with two colours: white and yellow. no other flavour. i now regret not ordering the saffron rice for extra two dollars.


after enjoying the appetizers, our server came with a little metal stick and scooped all the bits and pieces off our table, leaving our white linen clean. though i stained it with butter chicken sauces later, i thought it was very professional of them to prepare the table before the real meal.

my experience at 259 host was excellent. the food was great, the atmosphere was perfect for a romantic-casual dining and the service was prompt and friendly. i am grateful that my boyfriend surprised me with this fine indian dining experience.




259 Host
259 Wellington Street
416.599.4678
259host.com


posted by rin