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Motimahal
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
24 reviews for Motimahal
Review Highlights
"...include the legendary Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala..."
(in 3 reviews)
"Great Indian fast food and very reasonable prices."
(in 5 reviews)
"...ball in beautiful creamy sauce), put it on a meat thali."
(in 2 reviews)
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24 reviews in English
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Review from Ashley P.
Toronto, ON
12/27/2011
I like to visit this place frequently. However, it is only good for certain dishes. I LOVE the chana poori! It's the best chana poori i have ever had. I also love the paneer tikka and the chaat papri -- delicious!! Their mango shakes are pretty tasty as well.
It is not the cleanest place, in terms of the seating area, but it it great for a quick bite and tastes good too!
Their chicken tikka and naan would be great, if they used better pieces of chicken.
Their paneer tikka and naan is delicious! I love their tikka sauce.
Their vegetarian thali is alright, definitely not the best I've had. -
Review from Fern H.
11/22/2011
My friends were treated terribly at Motimahal. See below for the review from Dimitrios D. However, I was unaware that this was the same place when other friends suggested stopping in for dessert after brunch in Little India.
We ordered chais and a few sweets ($12) and grabbed a table. The decor doesn't make you want to linger - cold, hard plastic tables and a fast food atmosphere. Although the place is constantly busy with lots of patrons and take out orders.
Our desserts were good. I was never a huge fan of Indian sweets because the ones I've had in the past had a heavy dose of rose water which I liken to eating old lady perfume. But the desserts here were lick-the-bottom-of-the-styrofoam-bowl good.
Motimahal gets a 2.5 star rating from me and I would hope that they got their act together and improved their customer service after the incident that my friends had to endure. In a multi-cultural city like Toronto, there's no room for isolating customers based on race. -
Review from Maheen M.
10/31/2011
Motimahal is my go-to place for Indian snacks and sweets whenever I am in Little Indian. I brought the SO here on Saturday for some sweet eats after our meal a few store down. We got a Ras Mali (sp?) and Gulab Jamun to share. The size of the Gulab Jamun was jumbo timbit on crack, it was soo good and filled with sugary goodness. Their Ras Mali is descent as well, wonderful milk syrup.
I would also recommend trying their chats and naans, all fresh and tasty. Their prices are very affordable.
Note: do not expect fancy decor, this place is a bit divey but the food makes up for everything.Listed in: 30-Day Yelp Challenge, Little India
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Review from Eric L.
9/5/2011
Wandered into this place with my sister, looking for some decent indian eats. As soon as you walk in, you get a "fast-food" or cafeteria type of feel. The tables look like their were pulled out of a 1970s fast food joint.
At the counter there is a cafeteria style serving bar with all sorts of curries and dishes. You tell the cook what you want and they serve it in individual serving containers.
Overall I think this place is like the McDonalds of the Gerrard Little India. Cheap, fast, greasy, and gives you diarrhea 1 hour later. -
Review from Erin B.
10/11/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Some of the best indian food in the city! I'd recommend take out rather than 'dining' in because, as other reviewers have mentioned, this place is a bit grungy and more like a cafeteria than a restaurant. But the food is super - spicy, not greasy - and the price is good.
We had veggie kofta, butter chicken, goat curry, Aloo gobhi, and channa. The sauces were particularly fantastic. Aloo gobhi was just fine. Channa was super nicely spiced.
I meant to check out the bathroom so I could comment, but forgot. Next time. -
Review from Shutopia A.
Toronto, ON
12/5/2011
My favorite Indian restaurant. Real food....
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Review from Dimitrios D.
7/26/2011
To understand this review, one needs to have some frame of reference:
I am what one might consider 'white', though I detest this label as it is vague and strips me of my identity. I am American, but my dad is from Greece and my mom is American of Austrian-German descent. Anyway, to most, I would be thought of as 'white'.
My girlfriend is Canadian, but her parents are from India.
When my girlfriend and I walked into this place, immediately many of the patrons began to stare at us as we walked to the counter to place our order. I happened to be the only 'white' guy in the room.
Once we ordered and sat down, after a few minutes our order was called and my girlfriend, knowing fully well how I was a bit uncomfortable by all the stares offered to go up and get our food. However when she returned to the table she informed me that the cashier said to her face (in either Punjabi or Hindi) something to the extent of "Oh, you're serving your white man the food?" to which my girlfriend replied in English that she understood what he had said. Then, this freakin' weasel tried to talk his way out of it by claiming to be only joking.
Anyway, this pissed me off and I will definitely not be back.
Learn how to welcome outsiders and don't judge, my friends! -
Review from William H.
Toronto, ON
7/27/2011
Best Indian food in town, in my opinion. Everything is extremely fragrant, and spicy enough to compliment the flavours whilst not burning your brains out.
Personal favorite is the malai-kofta (translates to veggie ball in beautiful creamy sauce), put it on a meat thali! If you've never had it, you must try the poori, whole-wheat deep-fried delicious bread.
For the record, this place is a bit of a dive, the washrooms aren't nice at all, and you order up at a counter. This should deter no one who is on a quest for beautiful, tasty ethnic food that is very affordable. -
Review from U. S.
Toronto, ON
7/24/2011
Great Indian fast food and very reasonable prices.
Pros:
-Good food! No complaints here. Channa Bhatura was solid.
-Good dessert!
Cons:
-Tired and old - this place needs a revamp on the inside.
-Dirty washrooms. Wouldn't ever want to see the kitchen. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
1/31/2011 3 photos
2.5 star
This review is based on desserts at Motimahal.. and on dessert only.. So it might sounded unfair.. as we ate at 2 Indian restaurants for the evening and this is the last one that we decide to go for dessert.
Gulab Jamun, Kalakand and Kuifi not bad..but I have better...
Specially the Kuifi.. the one at Lahore Tikka is a lot better..
Seatings definitely is special.. but one good thing is this place is not too smokey and You won't smell like food when you get home!Listed in: India and Sri Lankan eateries…
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Review from Danielle F.
Toronto, ON
3/6/2011
I went here about a year ago with Kate M. and we had a marvellous time. Yesterday, it hit me- an intense desire to return. So I brought along my BF and we made a far east movement to Motimahal.
We ordered two meat thali's and (spoiler alert!) it was way more than I needed, perfect for him. The system is that you order, get a number, wait for the rice, naan, etc. to get prepped, number is called and then you head back up to the front to make some selections. I opted for the butter chicken, saag paneer and a pea-paneer dish. Along comes the rice, naan bread and a little onion and pickled beet salad
Maybe because this time I hadn't trekked in rain, on foot for an hour prior to eating, but I didn't find it as satisfying as last year. The butter chicken has a nice smokiness to it but the cut of chicken, full of bones was a bit distracting. The saag panner was my least favourite, kinda bland. But the favourite was the pea and paneer dish! I also enjoyed the daring onion and beet salad with it's minty dressing. The naan was great and I loved the addition of black sesame seeds sprinkled on top.
It's a funny, fast-food, Indian place that fills you up! A bit hit and miss, but with enough hits at a low, low price to make me come back. -
Review from Hendy K.
Toronto, ON
1/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Call and pick up your food within 5-10 minutes and its excellent quality. It's not the best in Little India, but its so convenient and well-priced, you just can't go wrong.
Chicken Tikka and Naan $7. Wow. -
Review from Patrick L.
12/12/2010
Fantastic indian food. Nan the size of your chest. Tikka masala has a nice, deep, mushroomy like flavor that doesn't overpower the well marinated chicken and spicy cream sauce. Deep fried long pepper was simple and delicioso. Rasmalai was spongey, nutty, and not too sweet. Just how I like it.
The samosas were run of the mill and too oily but the cilantro green sauce was off the charts good.
I wish I lived close enough to ... wait, no, I love San Diego. I wish Motimahal would relocate to San Diego! -
Review from Taiyab K.
Toronto, ON
4/18/2009 ROTD 5/18/2009
My family has been on Canadian soil since the mid-70's, so we've seen Gerrard Street evolve over the past few decades.
This restaurant, is Indian cooking at it's finest. It has everything from sweets, snacks, dishes to drinks! The price-point is absolutely marvelous, it is a great place to have lunch or drop by for a few snacks - may I suggest a few samosas and alu tikkis (potato patties). I had the dish with paneer, I think it was veggie paneer - basically home-made pieces of cottage cheese served with sauteed red and green peppers and onions - delish. The nan (flatbread) served alongside the meal was excellent, they may call it "roti", I am not entirely sure though.
People say they love Lahore Tikka House, but you really can't mess up tandoori. If you want actual, hand-crafted Indian food - Motimahal is the place to be on Gerrard street.
I suggest a lassi, in case you find the food to spicy - water doesn't help. I've never had lassi myself, but anything dairy cools you down if you've ate something overly spicy.
If you want mithai, traditional Indian sweets - you can't go wrong. There are too many to name, but do try the gulab jamuns...they are addictive.
Also, this restaurant was in the 2002 movie - Bollywood Hollywood. If you ask me, Motimahal is an iconic piece of Canadian South-Asian culture. -
Review from Salil S.
11/1/2011
I normally don't write reviews unless a place/product is really good or really bad. I have to say that, the food at Motimahal is out of this world. Especially if you are from Delhi or like Delhi-style food you will love this place. We had their Paneer Tikka, and Cholle Bhature and both were great. The "CHOLLE" were out of this world. I live in the US and would consider making a trip to Toronto just for Motimahal's Cholle.
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Review from Kat F.
11/8/2009 9 photos
As seems to be typical of restaurants in Little India, Motimahal earns no points for decor - once inside it could easily be mistaken for a Mr. Sub, what with its swinging door garbage cans, red melamine booths and garish lighting. However, as you make your way to the back you'll notice a logjam of people hovering around the menu items. The menu is long but most of the food is already prepared - this is great, great Indian fast food at great value.
I ordered a vegetarian "thali" (a stainless steel with separate, dipped compartments for food not unlike the kind you used to eat your peas, carrots and squash puree from as an infant) for $6.95. The addition of a meat thali ($7.95), extra naan (we didn't need it) and samosas brought the total bill to $20.
The thali came with my choice of three vegetable dishes (I chose Dal Makhani, Chana Masala and Malai Kofta) with Pulao rice, naan and an onion salad with a neon green relish ladled over top. I didn't touch the onion salad but was instead focused on the Malai Kofta...mashed cheese and veggie balls in a thick tomato curry sauce and the yummy dal dish. The chana masala was OK but not tomato/tamarind-y enough for me. The sauce was green-ish instead of red or burgundy. Water is self-serve in giant steel carafes that keep it cold.
I was far too stuffed from the eating contest-esque portions but I'd be eager to try the vegetable cutlets with channa ($1.50) and mango or banana lassis ($2.50) next time. Samosas were a mere $0.70-0.85.
This would be really great for party takeout or a cheap stuffed night in.
Closed on Tuesdays; debit and credit cards accepted.Listed in: Curry Fix: Top Indian…
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Review from Devan R.
Toronto, ON
7/16/2009
Yes Moti Mahal BOOYAH. This venue is one of the best Indian restaurants in the city and arguably home to the best butter chicken. There has been a long debate over who has better butter chicken, Moti Mahal or Lahore Tikka House. My vote remains with Lahore but I believe the majority will and have sided with Moti Mahal. Having said that it's necessary to accept they're both magical in their own way.
With tons of Indian appetizers, mains, drinks and sweets, Moti Mahal is a one stop shop for all your needs. My favourite vegetarian dishes are the Malai Kofta, Saag Paneer, and the Choley Bhature. Meat dishes include the legendary Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala and Keema to name a few. They do offer kebabs but they can't hold a candle to Lahore's across the road, so I don't usually bother.
The décor is very old and tacky, but I could care less. The food is delicious and as cheap as it could be.
Ideal Order for 4
Choley Bhature
Saag Paneer
Butter Chicken
Chicken Tikka
Limca (Indian lime drink)
Garlic Naan -
Review from Original E.
Toronto, ON
2/24/2010
This place has been around for years! Easy to order, comfort environment, delicious food, reasonable prices.
Simple service, cafeteria style, easy to understand pictures with all type of fresh breads from the tandoor made to order.
Their curries are superb, and hot chai masala always goes lovely with a crisp samosa :)
Another institution that I think will never go out of style!
Hell, I use to go to the public school up the street as a boy and can remember my Indian buddies dragging me there for kulfi on a hot summer afternoon, good times :) -
Review from Jimi S.
ON
11/28/2008
OKAY.
heres the deal.
open the door. walk past the chipped, slightly greasy, laminate red booths, (table and chairs both), order a damn thali and a bottle of water for less than ten bucks.
go sit and wait. talk about stuff. feel comforted by all the indian folk eating there.
get up and get your order. put it on the matching red cafeteria tray. grab a napkin or two, maybe a styrofoam cup for your water if you want, sit down, eat and shut up.
(actually, there is no italian mobster shouting in your ear there, but the decor and set up is as simple as it gets.)
and dont think that one thali isnt enough. when youre done get up and try one of the fluorescent looking desserts if you dare.
if not, take a stroll outside, digest your food and pick up some other local goodies in little india.
great food. great prices. -
Review from Roma M.
6/22/2009
I've grown to believe in the magical powers of your typical hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Motimahal is such a delight. In the midst of renovating 'trendy' restaurants, its an anchor.
Get over the tacky decor, and lack of clean tables and chairs (Hundreds of people eat here a day). Go straight for the Tandoori items, my favourite being the tandoori chicken. I usually steer clear of the thali, but if you're in the mood for something greasy, by all means try it, I dare you.
If you're in the mood for a salty snack, try the Chat Papri or Bhel Puri, they're both around $5, and delish!Listed in: Indian Food
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Review from Kate M.
Toronto, ON
2/3/2010 1 Check-in Here
Yes. Yes. And yes.
It had been a long day. Danielle F. and I were helping Wendy H. with a video thingy. By the time things wrapped up we were staaaarving. After walking in the rain for about an hour with Danielle F (10 min the in the wrong direction), we finally found ourselves in Little India.
Yay! We made it! We're soaking wet! Our tummies are grumbling! This better be good!
And it was.
Motimahal isn't the fanciest place. Basic decor and wooden booths. Your food is given to you on a cafeteria like tray. Here it's all about amazing food at a great price. It's the best.
I got one of the plate deals that I couldn't tell you the name of with a pikora (sp?) on the side. The plate deal gives you everything, nann, a meat, two veggie, and more! Add a bottled water (not needed as they give you a jug of water, my bad) and my total was about $12.
So much delicious Indian food at so low a price! The best! Neither of us could fully finish our plates.
Will I be back? Yes. Duh. Will I walk to Little India in the rain for over an hour? Not again. -
Review from Ryan F.
Toronto, ON
4/18/2009
Picked up some takeout and it was delicious with generous portions to boot. Hilarious McDonald's style decor.
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Review from Stephen B.
Toronto, ON
4/7/2010
Good food. I'd go again for take-out but not to eat in.
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Review from Mel D.
8/14/2009
It was my first time here and I just loved it ! Amazing food at reasonable prices with good portions
