I've recently been exploring some of the recommendations for hidden gem restaurants in Toronto, and with the delicious success I've found at a few places like Loga's Corner, I've been particularly eager to try things that fall into the "cheap and delicious" category.
I was craving Indian, and after doing some research on restaurants near me, I settled on a spot in Roncesvalles that's relatively close to my home in the west end of the city, and the food was incredibly tasty and so filling that I had to take it home with me. In fact, it was so much food that I was able to eat it for two more meals!
Here's how my experience at Dosa Mahal in Roncy was and why I think it's some of the best Indian food in Toronto.
The restaurant
The restaurant is located at the corner of King West and The Queensway, so it's a pretty busy area, but I was able to find street parking without struggling, which is always a bonus.
The inside of Dosa Mahal is a mix of beautiful components, like a stunning tiled wall with vibey light installations and more casual bits, like barstools and paper napkins.
My partner and I were greeted right away by a friendly employee who gave us menus, and upon learning that it was our first time at the restaurant, he gave helpful suggestions on what we should order based on our preferences and ability to handle spice.
The appetizer
Vada, idly, sambar, plain coconut chutney and red coconut chutney.
I was a little leery of ordering an appetizer as I was aware of how big our mains were going to be, but my partner was interested in trying out the idly and vada ($6.99) as he'd never eaten those things before, so we opted to get one of each which came with sambar, plain coconut chutney and red coconut chutney.
The idly, which is a savoury rice cake, was way more flavourful than it looked and was wonderful with the sambar, which is like a veggie lentil stew.
The vada, which is kind of like a fried fritter (and something that's similar to bara, I think) was also hot and tasty with a satisfying crunch and a fluffy interior that paired nicely with the chutneys, of which I preferred the red one.
The main
A dosa and chutneys from Dosa Mahal.
Although there were tempting menu options like biryani and dahl, we definitely wanted to get dosas, which are a thin, savoury, fermented crepe.
For the main event, the server recommended the Spicy Pizza Masala Dosa ($14.99) which is a blend of spicy Mysore chutney, tomatoes, onions, green chillies, coriander and cheese that's stuffed with potato masala curry and served with the three condiments we also got with our appetizer.
I was totally shook at the size of my dosa when it arrived; it was easily the length of my forearm and stuffed full of potato curry. In terms of flavour, as a brown person, I was a little skeptical of the addition of cheese in this dish, but I was wrong to doubt it as it was so, so tasty. The spice of the chillies was offset by the dairy in the cheese and the stodginess of the potatoes, while the coriander brightened everything up.
It's definitely spicy — I'm good with spice, and I found myself needing my water refilled and using the plain coconut chutney as a way to cool things down.
I only got about a third of the way through this meal before having to tap out due to how incredibly full I was. I asked to take the rest of it home, and it fed me for dinner and I still had enough to eat for lunch the next day. For $14.99, to be fed for three meals is pretty incredible in today's economy, in my opinion!
My partner opted for the Tamarind Masala Dosa ($13.99), which is made with spicy tamarind chutney, fire-roasted spicy red chillies and onions and stuffed with potato masala curry and also served with sambar and the two coconut chutneys.
I had a few bites of his meal and it was also very tasty with the wonderful sweet-sour flavour of tamarind that I love, but overall it was a little too spicy for me. He has a better tolerance for that kind of thing, so it was perfect for him and he managed to eat the whole thing, but his nose was definitely running from the heat!
Dessert and drinks
Gulab jamun and rose sharbat.
Although I didn't think I could physically fit another bite of food into myself, we did opt to order some Gulab Jamun ($2.99) for dessert as it's a treat my partner loves. I don't really like sweet foods, so this dish isn't for me as it's a spongy dough soaked in sugary, rose syrup, but he absolutely loved it.
He also had a Rose Sharbat ($4.99) which I'd never heard of before and it turned out to be a delightfully pink milk drink with some kind of seeds in it.
The verdict
A dosa and chutneys from Dosa Mahal.
Dosa Mahal in Roncey is absolutely incredible and a really economical way to feed yourself given just how much food you're served.
The service is friendly, the food is tasty, the portions are generous, and my main dish fed me for two extra meals, which I can't say I've experienced with any other restaurant I've been to.
I loved eating there, and I'm excited to go back and try a different dosa!
Dosa Mahal
Price: 💸—💸💸
Cuisine: South Indian
Address: 9 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2K2
If you're interested in trying more deliciously cheap food, I recently went to Loga's Corner where I got a full meal of momos (Tibetan dumplings) for just $9.00, and it was so good I want to eat them for lunch every single day of my life, please and thank you.
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
- These are some of the best hidden gem restaurants in Toronto, according to locals ›
- These are some of the best Indian restaurants in Toronto for delicious eats in the city ›
- I tried a Toronto hidden gem restaurant and got a deliciously cheap meal for just $9 ›
- 8 Toronto restaurants you'll definitely want to try the next time you're downtown ›