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Samosa King - Embassy Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian [Edit]
5210 Finch Ave EScarborough, ON M1S 4Z8
Neighbourhood: Scarborough
(416) 332-0944
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
25 reviews for Samosa King - Embassy Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Their curry lamb and butter chicken are awesome too."
(in 7 reviews)
"...make sure you stick to take-out and you'll love it, just..."
(in 8 reviews)
"Expect long line up during evenings and weekends."
(in 4 reviews)
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Harmeet K.
12/21/2011
this place makes the best rolls EVER! seriously, the rolls tasted better here than they did in some places in sri lanka!
i didn't try any of the other food though - just the rolls. next time i am in toronto, i will definitely come back and try the other stuff. And the price is unbeatable. -
Review from Madelaine D.
Toronto, ON
10/1/2011
Holy cheap lunch batman!
This place is full of inexpensive and tasty indian food. The small curries are $2.49 and enough to fill you up, one naan is less than a dollar (and portion wise more like two naans).
There are tons of options.
This really is a great place to fill your stomach on a dime.Listed in: 30-Day-Challenge, Scarborough Eats, Inexpensive and delicious
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Review from Rafi N.
Toronto, ON
6/26/2011 5 photos
I've been to Samosa King many times but only for samosas. They offer good food at an amazing price. The service could use some amelioration.
*** FOOD ***
I ordered 25 samosas and I got the fresh made batch.
* 5 Samosas | $1 *
A very simple Indian snack. Potatoes and peas cooked in some spices (quite mild), then wrapped in a flaky dough and fried. The size is pretty decent, as they fit in the palm of your hand. The samosas are good, though I thought the potatoes could have been cooked more and it should be spicier. There is a perfect ratio of crispy dough to filling, so it's not all crunch and no substance. The samosas are good and make a great snack.
*** ATMOSPHERE ***
Samosa King is for the most part a lineup - you order, you pay and you leave. The takeout food area, which is where you go when you first enter, is clean. However, there are a bunch of newspapers strewn across the floor near the entrance. As you wait in line, there is a large display of tantalizing Indian treats. The lineup is long and it can start to feel crowded when you're waiting for food. The restaurant has an oily smell due to all the fried foods, which isn't such a good thing. If you drive here, park at one of the local businesses just north of Samosa King on Middlefield. Feel free to park in spots that are designated as no parking - no one will tow your car.
*** SERVICE ***
Samosa King has a disorganized method of taking orders. They generally take your order in the order you come, and then you pay and leave. The servers tend to forget who ordered first and start handing out food to people regardless of when the order (for the same food) came in. Samosas are the main fair here, so when they ran out and had to make a fresh batch, it put a hamper on the flow of business. They should be constantly making samosas in anticipation of more orders. This whole situation reminded me of the overcrowding of trains in India with people clinging on outside the train. I think a number system would be more fair to customers.
*** PRICE ***
* 25 Samosas (after tax) | $5.70 *
At this price, it's pretty much a steal. However, I'm not sure why they charge 14% tax. Tax is supposed to be 13%, if they need the extra 1% for their upkeep or profit, then they should just raise the price of their food. I won't complain about paying an extra 5¢, but there should be no surprises when paying tax.
*** HAIL TO THE KING ***
Samosa King is a good place to pick up some food on the go. Be prepared to wait as the line gets long and food may have to be prepared while you're waiting. This restaurant's claim to fame is good food at a very inexpensive price. Regardless of its problems, Samosa King is worth visiting to grab a bite.Listed in: Curry Favor
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Review from Ed C.
North York, ON
11/11/2011
This is the place to be if you want authentic Indian take out at a good price. They make the best samosa at a dirt cheap price. 5 for 1 dollar. Their curry lamb and butter chicken are awesome too. Expect long line up during evenings and weekends. But it's worth the line up.
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Review from Craig B.
Pickering, ON
8/15/2011
Have only ordered the vegetable samosas but wow! They are truly tasty.
The line is out the door and around the corner on weekends and that means 50 people are in front of you. But, it moves fast and well worth the wait. -
Review from Maritza L.
Scarborough, ON
10/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Best and cheapest samosas. Worth the wait. Always fresh!
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Review from E M.
Port Hope, ON
4/27/2011
SAMOSA KING has one of the best deals in town. Veggie or meat samosas are 5 for $1. And fish samosas are 4 for $1. They're quite addictive. Crunchy shell with a tasty filling. I've purchased 80 samosas and frozen them to enjoy later on. 80 may seem like a lot but I usually see people ordering 50 or more at a time.
I'm not able to visit daily since I live out of town but when I'm in town I try and stop by. Line-ups are insanely long but the cashiers are quick and courteous.
I just started to try their take-out menu. On Tues and Fri, they have a Toonie special, 3 vegetable curries and rice. Their palak panneer, channa and mixed vegetables are delicious.
Parking is a bit hellish especially if you park right off Middlefield. There's plenty of room if you park close to the Tim Horton's drive thru. -
Review from Elise R.
Pickering, ON
4/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I go here weekly. This place has great value for your dollar. I don't even think Ikea is as cheap. I will stock up on samosas and have two or three as a snack through out the week.
Deals, deals and more deals! Things you should know:
- I think they are most famous for their samosas, at least this is how I can to know them; 5 samosas for $1!
- But since going regularly and not being as intimidated as I was the first time, I have since discovered the Toonie Tuesdays and Fridays. You can get an order of either plain idlis, plain dosas, rice with three veg curries or fried rice. Each only costing you $2!
-They have other deals on other days, but I don't go to them or at least don't order them so you'll have to go to check it all out.
They accept cash (obviously) but if you want debit their is an additional charge of $0.30 if your order is under $10. That is my understanding anyways, I haven't actually asked the logistics of it, but that is what I get from watching others pay. And they don't accept credit, at least not in the take-out section. (maybe in the dine in area... I can't recall).
I would recommend:
- Pedas & milk cakes. These are my favourite desserts.
- Try the deals mentioned above.
- Dhoklas (they are the yellow looking squares)
Another great thing is that they are open late. You can get good deals until 11pm! That works for me! -
Review from cat k.
Scarborough, ON
3/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Samosas are awesome.
Tonight I had 3 different vegetable curry & rice for $2 and I had enough for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow.
AJ had the butter chicken & rice for about $10
Green chutney is also super tasty. -
Review from Jenn G.
Scarborough, ON
10/22/2010 ROTD 12/3/2010
OH MY GOSHHHHHH!!!!!
I literally just came from Embassy
Did I just die and go to heaven?
YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!
While dining in, my ol' friend and I, ordered:
VEGGIE SAMOSAS- -5/5- - SO GOOOOOD , and make sure you get the tamerin sauce too(plus we ordered 25 more for my family at the take-out part of embassy)
BUTTER CHICKEN - - 5/5 - - said..it had a little kick to it..the chicken was juicy
Mutter Paneer - - 5/5 - - and I thought Saravanaa Bhavan was the best!! This puts that to shame, haha. It had the perfect amount of spice to it. PLUS, it was $4.99. HALF THE PRICE OF OTHER RESTAURANTS!!!!YET WAYYY BETTER!!!
Naan - - 3/5 -- This was the only downer. It wasn't horrible, yet it wasn't that delish. I wish it was more fluffier.
Ras Malaii -- 5/5 -- *DROOOOOOOOL* ....it was so good, i had to go to the take-out section and order 5 more for home (yes, i'm a fatty =D) -
Review from Tanya N.
2/27/2011
5 vegetarian samosas for A DOLLAR.
Amazing and delicious.
I once bought 60 for a party (apparently you only need to order in advance if you want more then a few hundred of them). Driving to the party with a couple bags of fresh samosas has convinced me that there should be a samosa air refresher. -
Review from Vikas I.
Pickering, ON
9/12/2010
The Samosa Nazi! (Kinda like the Soup Nazi)
Stand in line, point at what you want, move to the front, pay with cash and off you go, don't try to bump ahead, be respectful and get respect in return.
5 Samosa's for a Dollar, now that is a steal, and they taste pretty good. They have various indian sweets and some of them are better than the stuff you can get in India itself. I would highly recommend the White Peda's and the Milk Cakes.
They also do have a sit in restaurant attached next door, that serves a wide selection of food. There are lots of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options available.
The server's might not know what gluten free means, so you might have to spell it out for them and they will be willing to tell you the ingredients in the dishes (at the restaurant).
Besides samosa's they have various other things for you. If you aren't familiar with the items get at least one new thing every time, so you can get exposed to all the flavour indian food has to offer, and that way you will know what to order next time.Listed in: Indian Restaurants in Toronto
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Review from Sunny V.
Toronto, ON
10/13/2010
5 Samosa for a buck. Should I carry on? This place should be call Dollar store Samosa. The best Samosa in town and for the price you can feed whole of India and China :-)
Other food are ok. The Dosa is not that bad. I am not a huge fan of South Indian food.
All I can say is if you are passing this neighbourhood and like Samosa don't feel shy to stop at this place even if you have to make a U turn and kill a cow. :-) -
Review from Shari M.
Toronto, ON
Fantastic samosas (hello?! 5 for a buck....yeah!!!!)
Amazing takeout options
Huge sweets selection
The parking lot - a muther flocking nightmare
I have eaten in the restaurant and had take out. Not a huge fan of their dosa, but the butter chicken is quite good.
This place is very reasonably priced and usually not too busy. Highly recommend. -
Review from A.J. S.
4/24/2010
Embassy Restaurant is the reason why I am spoiled for Samosa's. Years of living in Scarborough and buying 5 Samosa's makes me go "WTF!!?!" when I go into other places and see Samosa's for a dollar per and over. Even more so than the fact that they are so cheap, the samosa's are really really good. They have a nice size, they are usually really fresh. They are the right texture on the outside, slightly flaky, not too oily. They stuffing isn't over spiced, or bland.
They sweets they have are decent too. They have all of my favorites, Ras Malai, Gulab Jamun, Basan ki Baarfi (sp?). I don't eat their food very often. Usually it's just samosa's to go. People come in here and order like 200 of them. I know, I've seen it. -
Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
1/6/2009
Samosa King is totally the King. If you're anywhere near this place, you have to stop by and grab their samosas. We used to stock up and serve them at parties, because they're so so so cheap (yes, you can get 20 samosas for $4) and probably the best samosas I've ever eaten in my life.
The line-up is usually out the door, especially on weekends, but it moves fast and the guy at the cash register is hilarious. Every time I've been there he's cracked some silly joke and I've left the store laughing.
Their take-out food is great too. I wouldn't recommend sitting down and eating here because most of their staff are working the take-out line. Just grab some of their butter chicken and samosas and bring it home.
They've also got a HUGE selection of Indian desserts in all sorts of bright colours and the ones that I've been daring enough to try have been delicious. This place is amazing in every way, just make sure you stick to take-out and you'll love it, just like everyone in Scarborough already does.
Note on the parking lot -- it's madness on weekends, and people will just park their car wherever they feel like it, even if it blocks you from getting out. Park far away and save yourself from getting trapped! -
Review from Min min T.
Scarborough, ON
7/24/2009
Samosa King is a well-known landmark in Scarborough. It's ridiculous how long the lines are, but it's worth the wait and the prices are awesome! Our family and friends have been coming here for samosas over the last 10 years.
Attached to Samosa King is Embassy Restaurant, which - In the past year - I've visited once. Had the malai kofta and the gulab jambu for dessert and both were pleasant.
You're paying a few extra bucks if you're sitting down at Embassy, so might as well go for the doggy bag next door.Listed in: Scarborough Hangouts
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Review from Lynn C.
1/9/2011
i cant believe i forgot to review samosa king while i was in toronto.
every time i go back to toronto, i head to samosa king at least once. their veggie samosas are to die for!!
FIVE SAMOSAS FOR A DOLLAR!! you can't beat that. i generally dont like veggie samosa but i can definitely eat two dollars worth of it right there.
I always get the mint chutney to go with it; it is deliciously spicy to the core.
If you are interested in getting the chicken samosa, i believe it's $2.50 for five, which is still cheap, but i have to say the veggies are better.
If you go on a busy day on the weekend, the line could stretch across the entire store, with ppl asking for 50 samosas at a time. worth the wait though. most of the time i go, the line is about four or five people and they are super fast.
the front half of the restaurant is dedicated to take out, which includes not just samosas, but indian desserts and yummy curry, dosa, all your staple north and south indian food. there's a corner in the back for sit down ordering, ive never been there myself.
i can't wait to go back to eat some more! -
Review from Lynda W.
Toronto, ON
9/5/2008
OMG OMG OMG! I can't believe no one has reviewed Samosa King yet! This takeout/restaurant joint is like no other. Where can you find mouth watering samosa in the city for $1 for 5! No it's not a typo, that's right, 5 for $1!! So fresh and hot, right out of the deep fryer!
The line up here can get ridiculous, so be prepared to stand in line for a bit. People come here mainly to take out food (samosa's being a staple, obviously), but there is a small dining room section (more often then not empty).
Loyal customers buy samosas by the bag load, yet they never seem to run out, and if they do, a fresh batch is only a few minutes away! Not only do they have samosas but they have other indian appetizers, such as pakoras, roti and other deep fried treasures that i don't know the names to! Their Indian desserts are plentiful too, unfortunately I don't have much of a palate for the richness.
If that wasn't enough, they also have a take out meal section (hot plate) with dishes like malai kofta, buttered chicken, and all the other favorites. And a meal isn't a meal without good ol' naan! A real steal of a find, and it's a good sign when a lot of the clientele that go to Samosa King are of Indian Decent! -
Review from Pav T.
Vancouver, BC
4/29/2011
Went to this joint, looks clean and lots of choices, takeout only.
The food was cheap but not very tasty or fresh.
Got the butter chicken and rice,
No place to sit and eat so we got it to go. They would not even supply any plastic utincils.
Also wanted to sample a small piece of a Ladoo (sweets) before buying, they would not offer me a free sample. So I bought a sample for 50 cents, wasn't impressed with the taste.
I've eaten a lot of indian food(I am of Indian origin) and this was one of the worst. I think you need to head out to Brampton to find good Indian food.
I also think the staff could be a bit more friendlier. -
Review from sunnee s.
Toronto, ON
11/30/2010
i tried this place since it was so close from the bf's place and all the amazing reviews & cuz im looking for an amazing indian restaurant that i can call my favorite indian restaurant .
- their veggie samosas are soo good and i dont even like samosas . their wrap is a bit different, more pastrylike than others that ive tried .
- butter chicken was amazingg ! it tasted exactly like what it sounds like . buttery sauce with juicy chicken pieces . must try !
- mattar paneer . i only got this because of the review below mine . i never had anything like it before and it was different but in a good way . the little blocks of cheese seemed weird at first, but it goes so well together . must try if you want something different .
i LOVED their dessert section .
- milkbread was sooo sweet . maybe too sweet but thats what dessert are suppose to be ! the more you eat, the better it gets ! my fav out of all 3 !
- white pedas . this was different . i thought i didnt like it at first but the most i ate it, the more it tasted like condensed/evaporated milk . by the second piece, i really liked it .
- ras malaii . i also got this because of the review below mine . its not like anything ive ever tried before ! its a cheese ball in white liquid . its worth a try !
one of my most favorite thing in the world is trying out completely new/different food & flavors . samosa king provided me that by plenty ! i cant quite give a 5 star since i havent tried a lot of other south indian places, but this is my fav so far ! -
Review from Edwin A.
2/21/2011
offers cheap samosas with their distinct fried wrapper.. their deal hadn't changed for over the 3 years I've been going here.
5 vegetable samosas for $1 or 2 chicken samosas for $1.
yeah it's cheap but the samosa' aren't the the best, however they aren't that bad either.
I try a new indian dessert every time I'm here since they have a great selection.
very cool spot as you can get desserts, appetizers, or main dishes.
take heed though, eating here too often will likely cause a heart attack or diabetes. :o your brown paper takeout bag is usually soaked with grease from your goods. -
Review from Thomas P.
Scarborough, ON
8/9/2010
Tasty and very affordable food especially for those into South Asian cuisine.
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Review from Helen L.
Toronto, ON
9/9/2009
When I think about getting Samosas, Samosa King is pretty much the only shop that comes to mind. There is always a line up but the line moves quick so I've never waited for more than 5-10 minutes. Delicious and cheap at 5 vegetable samosas for $1. They taste great even cold! At Samosa King, they also have meat samosas as well as a variety of other food items and desserts. That being said, when I am in the shop, I head straight for the samosas.
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Review from Tommy F.
Scarborough, ON
5/23/2010
What better place for my first foray into the world of Samosas than this popular East-end institution.
On an early weekend morning I was lucky to avoid a messy parking situation or a long lineup when I finally made it into the store.
The Veggie samosas (5 for $1) are insanely popular but the Chicken samosas (2 for $1) and the Mutton rolls (75 cents each) also make for a nice snack as well.
Ultimately, most eateries offer a subset of Price, Quality and Quantity and that's no different with Samosa King. And although most reviewers would emphasize the inexpensive price of the veggie samosas, I think you'd be better off paying a bit more for better quality samosas elsewhere. They just didn't do it for me, sorry.
One final note, to the gent who served me but doesn't deem it necessary to thank his customer for their patronage, "Thank you for letting me shop there."
