The Host

14 Prince Arthur Avenue Toronto ON 416-962-4678

BACKGROUND INFO:
we had high hopes for "The Host", since we love Indian food, and it has a very good reputation around the GTA. We went as a group of approximately 15 people on a weekday, for their lunch-time buffet.

A M A L says do NOT devour this food!!!

1) Appearance - It's located on an expensive street in the Yorkville area of Toronto. You enter through a solarium off Prince Arthur Avenue. You enter what looks like an old Victorian house that probably would serve better as an American steakhouse. Dark atmosphere, dark wood floors, wood panelled walls...
It doesn't look very Indian, although the furnishings appear to be okay - they try and distinguish themselves as more of a fine-dining restaurant, but the furnishings and finishings in the restaurant are dated and worn.
- As we called ahead to reserve our seating for 15 people, they still had us wait about 7 minutes to be seated at the very back of the restaurant, and split up into two tables, about 5 meters apart... (not cool)
- The tables were rectangular, and unfortunately, they were folding tables, so that those sitting on the longer sides had to sit sideways as their legs could not fit underneath the table!!! The hardwarde of the table legs and hinges were blocking the person sitting on the side. (soooo not cool)
- lastly, and unfortunately in spaces in the city this is sometimes hard to avoid, but the washrooms are located in the basement, which is inconvenient and unsafe.

2) Service - they were okay. It was buffet. They serve you water and naan bread, and then the bill.

3) Portions - as I mentioned, it was buffet. However the selection was very small. There was coleslaw, ceasar salad (Indian?????) and some veggies. Then there were tiny samosas and spring rolls. Then there was your option of rice, with 4 different main dishes (butter chicken, beef curry, puree'd spinach, and a bean stew), and some drum sticks. That was it.

4) Taste - definately not tastey at all. I opted for some butter chicken, beef curry and a drumstick. The beef curry was a little bit more flavorful than the butter chicken, but both were quite bland. Also the butter chicken is NOT recommended for those lactose-sensitive people. I am lactose-sensitive, and it didn't feel so great sitting in my tummy afterward :(

For desert you had your choice of watermelon, honey dew, pineapple, and what looked like an oily carrot cake. ....(really????)

5) Price - Came to about $16/person, and none of us ordered drinks. Totally overpriced for the service, taste, atmosphere and seating arrangement provided.

would NOT go back.


C H R I S says do NOT devour this food!!

1) Appearance - kinda dark. a little dingy. Buffet for fine dining?? Really? It definately doesn't feel Indian.

2) Service - it was fine, it was buffet.

3) Portions - great for me, I could eat as much as I wanted, as many times as I wanted, although the selection wasn't that good.
- for desert, I love fruit, and I love carrot cake, so that was fine for me. nothing about it felt Indian!

4) Taste - My mom makes way better curry and butter chicken. And we are not Indian.

5) Price - $16/person. I think it's okay.

Overall, for what you got, I could have walked into any odd place downtown and gotten better. It was OK though. It definately didn't feel authentically Indian for the taste or the appearance. but it was OK. I'm an "all you can eat" kinda guy.
But maybe the other locations are better?