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Tandoori Flame
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Buffets Indian, Buffets [Edit]
8150 Dixie RoadBrampton, ON L6T
(905) 451-1686
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
24 reviews for Tandoori Flame
Review Highlights
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"...is a wide variety of dishes but not a huuuuuge variety." In 4 reviews -
"Interesting (weird) beverage options, but enough to choose..." In 6 reviews -
"The dessert bar has those awesome fried milk balls in super..." In 4 reviews
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24 reviews in English
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Review from Toronto B.
Mississauga, ON
5/16/2012
One of the best Indian buffets around the area. I usually skip a meal before going into this place so i can stuff myself with all of their food ( yes im that guy, move on now)
They not only have indian food but they have pizzas, deserts, chinese and italian too.
So go and give it a try and happy eating! Follow my style ( go hungry) you wont regret :D
For the girls, if you are like my girl friend, you will love their cake selections so keep some room for that as well. -
Review from Vivek S.
5/13/2012 2 Check-ins Here
What's not to love about Tandoori Flame? Even my mom likes this joint, and she's not easily impressed. For her, paying for subpar Indian food would be like me purchasing a sack of flippant responses or sarcastic comments on Facebook walls. Anything I've tried in Toronto my mom can do better and for less. But when it comes to Tandoori Flame, even my hard-to-please mother gives them an old country thumbs up.
The selection is here unparalleled by any Toronto buffets. They've got a serious selection of appetizers, and two full banks of vegetarian and non-vegetarian goodies. The naans here are super fresh and tasty and constantly being refilled. I usually fill a whole plate with them on my first pass. (Yes, I'm that guy.)
For the adventurous there is killer chaat station where you can get savoury papri chaat or golgappa. This is a big deal, people. Do not skip the chaat station. And if you don't know what's what, just ask the nearest brown person to make you a plate. (If you see my mom there, she'll happily do it for you.)
Food quality here varies between awesome and better than awesome. I have never had an unsatisfying bite from any of their dinner stuffs. Great pakoras, fluffy rice, and really nice chutneys. Their saag goat meat is one of my favourites and I'm also a fan of any of their chicken dishes. I should mention to lovers of heat that none of the food is that spicy, but that's par for the course on a buffet. For me, the food is plenty flavourful.
Every restaurant has a weakness, and Tandoori Flame's is their lacklustre desserts. Their kheer is pretty boring, and I've had better carrot halwa. Oh, and don't even touch their galub jamun. It's awful. But they have your standard alternatives found in every buffet. I usually get the mango ice cream.
Though it can be quite the drive to Dixie and Steeles, their full parking lot and invariably out-the-door line ups are a testament to the quality of this buffet. Definitely my favourite in Toronto.
Obligatory Title Pun: Drop it like it's CHAAT.
Menu Readability: Professionally done. Excellent photos of their cocktails.
Need to mention: It's about $20 for their dinner buffet. They generally don't take reservations.
What this place teaches me about myself: If my mother likes the place it's gotta be good.Listed in: Namaste!
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Review from Florence C.
4/20/2012
The most comprehensive Indian buffet I have ever enjoyed. Their alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink menus offered unique flavor combinations. I really appreciated the taste and consistency of the "Jeera Masala Roohafza" -"a rose flavored drink with Indian spices." The curry goat, samosas, and potato tikkis were just delightful.
Beware the Naan Man (blue jeans with a blue button-down shirt)- several times, I was unlucky enough to be right behind him as I waited my turn to get some naan. It didn't matter if there were two or twelve pieces left. He took all of them, each time.
I wish there was a Tandoori Flame closer to home. My food experience was very memorable. I will definitely feast here, the next time I'm in the area. -
Review from Yvonne T.
Monkey G, a very good friend from high school brought me to Tandoori Flame for a guided, Indian dining experience. My parents were never adventurous when it came to trying different ethnic foods, particularly cuisines that they were unfamiliar with - Indian food being one of them. That coupled with my weak tolerance for spicy foods meant that I mostly shied away from Indian cuisine.
Tandoori Flame serves up Punjabi food, and would be classified as Northern Indian cuisine. Its sauces are predominantly tomato-based in contrast with Southern Indian cuisine which has lentils as a primary ingredient.
The exterior of the restaurant reminds you more of a Mexican restaurant than it does an Indian one. Upon entering, there is a fancy water wall, a wooded bench with colourful, embroidered cushions. But when your eyes glance up at the ceiling, you see a misplaced fresco with images of angels and blue sky. My only conclusion can be that this was adopted from the previous restaurant that operated out of this space before Tandoori Flame called it home.
You can wait for a table by the bar and when your table is ready the hostess will come and get you. Drinks are pretty reasonably priced as we ordered up 2 rye and gingers for $14 including tip. They make it with the good stuff too (Crown Royale).
I don't know the slightest thing about authenticity when it comes to Indian cuisine - but walking into the dining hall where most of the clientele were Indian is usually a pretty good sign.
I felt like I was in primary school going on an excursion as everything was foreign to me. Just trying to keep up with all the names of the foods was hard - but I took notes as I went along on my handy iPhone.
Tandoori Flame is to Dragon Pearl when it comes to grandeur and décor - just sub Peking Duck with Tandoori Chicken. The dessert selection is not as vast, but then again its probably a blessing for your stomach as you no doubt have only inches of room leftover for a final sugar fix after having consumed such a rich meal.
Do try the traditional Indian desserts such as Gulab Jamun and Halwa. My take on it is - "When in Rome..." But if you really don't feel like being adventurous, you can venture over and grab yourself a slice of cake or ice cream.
There is a salad bar with all the usuals: coleslaw, Caesar salad, corn salad and a few pickled dishes. There is also a small pizza station which no doubt is there mostly for the kids.
There were 4 different types of Paneer, which is essentially cottage cheese. It is probably one of the only cheese that I can eat without feeling overly guilty as it is relatively lower in fat and calories than most. Other protein-boosting offerings included: Goat curry, Chicken curry, Chicken Biryani, Tandoori Chicken and Butter Chicken.
I also tried Puri, which is essentially a puffed Indian flat bread served with a parsley and yogurt sauce as well as a date chutney and what Monkey G called "spicy water." You're just as much of a coconut as I am a banana. Eating the flat bread was interesting, as you have to break one side of it so that you can "fill" the Puri with the sauce, as well as chickpeas, onions and cilantro. Think of the way a Tostitos Scoops is.
The Butter Naan was nothing spectacular, and rather cold.
One of my favourite items were the Aloo Tikki Potato Cutlets - hash browns better watch out because these kicked their butts. They were crispy on the outside, not too oily, pillowy-soft on the inside and bursting of potato flavour. I was thinking to myself they would make a great Christmas appetizer as I noticed green and red specks in it. They were right next to the Samosas and I almost missed them because they weren't replenished until later. Unfortunately, I only took one, and when I went back for my nth round of food, there were no more :(
The Mixed Vegetable Pakoras were also delightful. On the outside, it would appear as if it were wrapped in some sort of seaweed, but it is just a melange of vegetables that are then encased with thin pieces of spinach. Compared to the fish pakoras, these were less soggy and more crunchy.
The Gulab Jamun and Gajjar Halwa were a first for me. I was too scarred from my encounter with Jalebi as a teenager to ever brave the world of Indian desserts. But I'm glad I did. The sponge-like balls just soaked up the golden brown syrup of the Gulab Jamun and the Gajjar Halwa, a dish made from carrots and milk reminded me very much of a Vietnamese Chè in terms of texture and vibrant colour.
The highlights for me were: aloo tikki potato cutletes, puri, mixed vegetable pakoras, butter chicken and aloo gobi.Listed in: What's the deal?
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Review from Ryan F.
1/28/2012 3 Check-ins Here
I'm glad that there is only one Tandoori Flame...for now. It is far enough away that even with many of the great reviews, people won't flock to it, and I am ok with that. It gets enough people in the area coming to it already and I have never had to line up or wait to get a table so please, keep disregarding it.
But for the sake of journalistic integrity, I will give you my honest opinion. This is one of the best indian buffets for multicultural Canadians. It has a lot of dishes, both meat and veggie that offers the variety to intrigue anyones taste buds. It mixes western and indian cuisine so you don't have to worry that you won't like a food and will be stuck eating vegetables only!
They have a set buffet comprised of the salad bar, and then the veggie indian section, the meat indian section, the naan and rice section, the fried western food (which included asia wontons), the asian noodles, etc.
But two sections to highlight:
1) They have one section that every time I have been there changes. They offer a different main dish there and if not for my dad, who in his youth travelled around india, I wouldn't have known that the dishes there often are from a different part of india. Basically, they introduce you to different dishes from india that aren't always common in indian restaurants (i.e. not butter chicken) but take it slowly, one dish at a time.
2) Their desserts are great. While small its still the most expansive indian dessert selection at a buffet i've ever seen. + They have ice cream, but try the indian sweets.
They have a multitude of servers, and I do think that they are pretty aware of you, your drink (how low it has been) and your naan (and whether you are desperately looking for them to refill your naan). Only thing they don't provide enough of, imho, is napkins...i can't help but be messy with indian food :( I try to not be, honestly, but I just lose control when i dive into those dishes! :(
The setup...i like. Its bright and clean and spacious. Most indian restaurants I feel try to save money by dimming the lights and keeping things cluttered. Indian food is also very oily and stains easily, so the fact that they have kept it clean is a great testament to their total customer presentation.
I would say that for an indian buffet its tough to swallow that the dinner is more than 12$. But with the many staff, the large space with bright lighting, the variety of dishes and the great desserts it may be worth the drive to brampton... -
Review from Adele W.
Pickering, ON
4/7/2012
Soooo much food! Great selection of both eastern and western cuisine. I think I'm about to give birth to a food baby!! Ugh! :)
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Review from Dave M.
12/18/2011
In my ongoing quest to ditch the sad lack of culinary exposure of my youth, I thought it was about time I lost my Indian food V-card. Or rather, my Indian landlord helped me pull the trigger. I'm not sure exactly what the cure for a couple of fractured ribs on a glum Wednesday morning would be, but being randomly dragged to an Indian buffet was certainly a good shot!
The interior was definitely not what I was expecting. I read another review likening Tandoori to The Mandarin, and I think that's fair. Very clean, presentable, and plenty of tables to accomodate the masses. Good thing too. There were around 10 people there when we arrived around 11:45am, and probably about 80 an hour later. The hosts and servers, while not really needing to do much, are also very kind.
It was the wronnnnng time for me to hit a buffet. I had just consumed a large breakfast about an hour prior to coming here, so I was pretty bummed about that, but I vowed to get the best bang for my landlord's buck, so I tried to sample a little of everything.
I'll say this, certain Indian chicken styles are some of the best chicken I've ever had! Melt your face hot sauces to be sure, but so flavourful and fresh! As another review mentioned, the portions tend to go rather quickly, and they're constantly throwing fresh stuff into the trays, which is great.
There were a couple of misses for me, but I would just as soon blame my pallet, and not the restaurant, as I have nothing to compare it to. Most of the things I tried were a win though. I have to also say, I think I would've preferred the place to ditch items like pizza. It just seemed oddly out of place, and it kind of turned me off the experience slightly. Besides, nobody seemed to be going for it.
Anyway, for $15.00, I ate to the level of physical discomfort, and liked this place a lot. I'm a fan, and shall return!Listed in: B-Town!
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Review from John C.
Mississauga, ON
10/20/2011
I am in Love the best place ever.
Great food and food bar is always full and fresh.
There is so much to choice from.
$12.99 for lunch is a great deal. -
Review from Melanie C.
Oakville, ON
6/5/2011
I like variety and this place is ALL variety. I would tell you how many different dishes they offer, but I can only count to 10 in Hindi (I kid you not) and gave up after that.
Weird decor. Not sure what this place used to be, but the colours and finishes do not suit an Indian restaurant. It kinda looks like they took over a previous restaurant (maybe Mexican?) and just put a new sign on the place. Perhaps they purposely chose these colours, but I'm not a fan.
The food, however, is amazing. I really wanted to try absolutely everything offered, but my stomach wasn't big enough. Although it was busy on a weekend evening, it never took long to grab food. The food was replenished quickly if it ever got low. It was also so busy that nothing ever sat for too long, so it was all very fresh.
While I like being served at a restaurant (I'm a snob) I think getting up and walking a bit between each plate is a good idea. It definitely helps you pace yourself. Plus, as already mentioned, I like being able to try lots of different dishes, rather than just ordering one or two dishes.
Great for groups. Lots of seating. There were lots of kids there when I was dining there, so be prepared for that.
Interesting (weird) beverage options, but enough to choose from that you're sure to find something satisfying. I wasn't a huge fan of the dessert options because I find most Indian desserts too sweet, but there's also a good variety offered in that department.
We drove all the way to Brampton JUST to dine at Tandoori Flame, and it was well worth the trip. Lots of parking available. -
Review from Angela H.
Mississauga, ON
9/18/2011
Went twice in 2 weeks! We love it there because you can try bits and pieces of things that you may not have the guts to try at a restaurant (and pay $14.99 for something you may or may not like).
The first time we went the naan was amazing, regular style and garlic. The second time we went, the naan was really dense and very chewy. We asked the naan chef where the garlic naan was and he said he would make us a fresh batch---what a difference!!! Hot and fresh, soft and savoury.
The dessert and salad stations were the least interesting to me, but everything else was fantastic. Pace yourself, go slow and enjoy! FYI Wednesdays kids eat free! Get there before 7 pm to avoid a line! -
Review from Manny P.
12/30/2011 1 photo
Huge selection of Indian food with Canadian/American items such as salad bar, ice cream, and pizza. Clean restaurant & friendly staff. Largest Indian buffet i ever been too.
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Review from Kimberley N.
Mississauga, ON
6/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Today my friend brought me to Tandoori Flame because he claims it's the best Indian buffet ever. I've never eaten Indian food before so I was hesitant to try it out...but I went in with an open mind and tried it.
When I walked in I was surprised by what type of customers were eating here. The majority of them were Caucasian and there were a few Indian families. I expected a large buffet but it wasn't that big compared to Mandarin.
The things that I tried were the bite-sized samosas (yummy!), naan with this orange and green sauce that had cottage cheese in it (don't know what it's called), tandoori chicken, butter chicken, and this orange rice (looks like fried rice). The food was good and I couldn't stuff myself after the 3rd plate...and this was when my friend was forcing me to eat more.
In conclusion, I would suggest this place to anyone who is looking for an Indian buffet to dine at. Also, I would come back here if I was in the area or if my friends invite me. -
Review from Sandra T.
Toronto, ON
11/14/2010 1 photo
3.5 - 3.75 stars
You know you are not mistaken when 97% of the patrons are Indian and the place looks like it is at 85% capacity.
Although the restaurant boasts to be the largest Indian buffet in North America, I was a little disappointed. I guess I was expecting a reeaally huge Las Vegas style buffet.
There is a wide variety of dishes but not a huuuuuge variety. Stand out dishes include the Aloo Gobi, Chicken Biryani, Rava Kesari (I had 4ish bowls of this stuff - I was eating it like rice - sooooo yummy!), and some veggie curry dish of which I can't remember the name.
There was also an interesting dish (with its own separate station) that I unfortuantely did not try out properly because I didn't know how it was supposed to be eaten. The station was filled with plates of hollow fried crispy dough balls with accompanying sauces. There was also a potato, chickpea, and cilantro mixture located at this station. It was only after eating my 4ish bowls of dessert Rava Kesari that I learned you are supposed to punch a hole in the hollow crispy dough ball, add the potato chickpea mixture and then drizzle sauce on it. Although I did try each of the components of this station (crispy dough ball, chick pea mixture, and sauce) - I didn't know to put it together correctly. So, if you do dine here, and you didn't know before, now you'll know.
That naan bread is okay - not particuarly tasty. The samosas are not bad.
Service is friendly.
The dining area is quite nice. The foyer is quite pretty.
Prices are reasonable - $20ish for an adult - does not include drinks. Actually, since the typical indian dish costs about $12 - $15, the price of the buffet is quite a steal!!!
Kids dine for free on Wednesdays.
I enjoyed my experience and meal but I am not sure I would want to drive the 40ish minutes it took to dine there again ... unless I was in the area.Listed in: Buffets/ AYCE!!!
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Review from Sunny G.
Mississauga, ON
12/12/2011
We did a family dinner buffet on a friday night. wasn't too busy, so we got a table quickly. The service was reasonable, but could have been a bit better.
The food selection was good and they seemed to keep the trays refreshed.. i tried some of the chicken appetizers and though they were ok, a bit dry (the tandoori and haryali). Overall the food was good but not that flavourful.
I like that the selection was great. from chaat papri and gol guppa to veg and non veg dishes and some pizza/spring rolls for the less adventurous. the salad and fruit bar were also well stocked and desserts werent bad.
Comments:
- chicken was dry
- semia was not sweet enough
- gulab jamun was too sweet
- nimbu pani (salty)was very sour
- selection was great
- overall food tast was ok
- some items were really good like he chaat papri
also, was a little pricey at $21/adult ($20 for seniors). Kids are cheap - junior was $10 and child was $2.. but it still added up. I don't know if it was worth the cost... But there aren't that many indian buffets so what can you do.
I still prefer a-la-carte but its not a terrible choice. -
Review from Cameron O.
Toronto, ON
11/14/2010
I've seen my share of Indian Buffet (IB) restaurants. Enough so that my friends all know what "going IB" means.
Most of the time I'm with a bunch of ravenously hungry guys who value a 50/50 split between quality and quantity. We're the ones who every buffet restaurant loathes to see because of sheer ecological devastation we can bring to those tasty flora and fauna. There is absolutely no way they make any money off our visits, but I'm sure we're in the minority.
Having said that, the food is really quite decent. It's not fine dining mind you, but it is decent enough to bring me back, and not just with my hungry-hungry pals. My wife throughly enjoyed it too.
The selection is quite diverse even at lunch. I found it difficult to portion control sufficiently to be able to try a large number of dishes. (It's very difficult as there are many!)
If I'm in the area and hungering for IB, I will most certainly come back to this place... Heck, even if I'm not in the area I'll make my way here seeing as I'm a glutton. If my stomach isn't seriously distended at the end of the meal, I'll need to get another few plates. -
Review from Karl R.
9/24/2010 8 photos
Take the Mandarin Chinese buffet idea and apply it to Indian food. That's Tandoori Flame. An interesting departure is how quite reasonable the food remains in quality. It might be the Chinese have had several decades to devise ways to crap up their food for the round eye masses. It might be that Tandoori Flame is in Brampton and largely caters to a more discerning Sikh/Indian clientele.
Whatever the case, you get a really stunning selection of your favorites and a few western staples like pizza. The dessert bar has those awesome fried milk balls in super syrup as well as baklava.
The place can get busy after 7 pm. So, get there early.
The exterior is kind of odd. I think this place might have been a re-purposed Mother Tuckers. And they've recently renovated and added a small but dark and sexy bar/lounge. A place where young Sikh IT guys can power drink. -
Review from Avitania B.
Toronto, ON
I'll give Tandoori Flame one thing: it's the biggest, fanciest Indian buffet I've ever seen. It's huge. If you've ever been to a Todai, it's sorta like that, but with Indian food (alas, no crab legs, either).
Unfortunately, the food is fair to middling. The curries were bland, the paneer slices were rather anemic, my soda was flat, and the aloo gobi was cold. Eek. The service wasn't all that great, either -- for a place that seems to be swimming in servers, it's hard to flag one down for an extra drink or the bill.
Also totally weird: they have a big glass bong as a decoration. It's next to a hookah pipe, so maybe it's on purpose... but why would a place so fancy have a bong on display? Maybe it's a subtle hint: the food might taste better if you'd had a toke or two before you got there. -
Review from Christ R.
Mississauga, ON
11/5/2011
Went here for dinner last night, overall a great experience. The food was excellent and there are plenty of options to choose from with no shortages. The restaurant is very clean and much nicer inside than I had expected. Can't wait to go back!
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Review from Craig P.
Brampton, ON
9/30/2011
They've got so many options at the buffet, if you want to try everything you have to take very small portions.
Everything tastes great too. They've even got a lot of non-Indian food, and a large desserts section. -
Review from Kevin H.
Toronto, ON
1/15/2012
I love this restaurant when I tell my friends lets go for Indian I get a strange look but once we get there and they have had the food opinions change and they are hooked.
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Review from A.J. S.
4/17/2010 1 photo
The current trend in the GTA for Indians is buffet's. For the most part the places I have been to have been pretty good.
The decorations are pretty interesting. They have hung what looked like Sari's as curtains, and used the different colors as contrasts. They have an interesting sort of cross pattern with wood across the windows and the layout of the buffet is good.
The service was ok. It was a buffet, but it shouldn't take like 20 mins to get someone to come by to take your drink order. After waiting for someone to take the order , it took forever for the drink to come. They did manage to clean up the plates. This is pretty important in a buffet, and they do it pretty well.
The food was pretty good. I didn't like the Malai Kofta, but everything else was pretty decent. The food was pretty standard faire for Indian food. I'm not sure if the buffet was worth 19.99 though. -
Review from Edwin A.
2/21/2011
though it's a large indian buffet, most of the dishes it offers up are not 100% all indian per say.. like the salad bar, pizza, onion rings, and fruits.
there was more indian dishes than lets say the host in markham.
decor was nice, but some parts unfinished like the waterfall wall in the front, and some remnants of reno work in the dining room areas.
sexy looking bar area, look very dark even in daytime, very justapose to the main dining room.
interesting pictures throughout of framed bollywood actors with a little blurb about them.
the food was alright, not anything different from what I've seen elsewhere except for additions of some hakka selections and sauteed vegetables. because of it's sheer number of selections and alright food quality, it's a-ok 3 stars in my books and worth checking out if you're in Brampton. -
Review from Shawn B.
Etobicoke, ON
2/27/2011
It's a fair deal.
The food tastes great, and the quality is consistent. My family and I visit this place regularly, and its a pleasure to see the pride of ownership as they are always renovating and improving the facility.
Make sure you're hungry!!! -
Review from Rohan P.
Mississauga, ON
5/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
the best "desi" spread ive been to in the west GTA ! 2 thumbs up. ! (a must visit.... at least once)
