CLOSED - 309 Dhaba (Indian)

Update: 2022-Oct-01 - 309 Dhaba is listed as Permanently Closed in Google Maps and Yelp, so updating appropriately.

Update: 2021-Aug-20 - There is no more buffet/AYCE at this location post-lockdown, and it is unknown if and when it will ever return. I am therefore removing it from the active list, and will follow up periodically and restore it should it return to AYCE status.

309 Dhaba is located at 309 King Street West, just west of the St. Andrews subway station, very near the similar Aroma which we have already reviewed. Like Aroma, it is also an upstairs place with no handicap access. Dhaba has a nice modern interior, with modern Indian atmospheric music.

Naan bread was good with a tiny hint of sage, a nice combination. Bowtie salad was alright but could have used a bit more flavor. Green salad was good with interesting dressing which, was more like seasoning, rich in cumin among other things usually not found on salad. Spinach salad likewise was alright but needed a little bit more seasoning to liven it up. Green olives were well-seasoned and quite good. Chickpea salad was good, with a bit of heat and good spice balance. Crab salad was very good and seems to be using real crab rather than surimi. Mushroom salad was good, subtle, although it uses canned mushrooms I didn't mind; it seemed to have some anise hints.

Couscous was all right but approaching end of life. Spring rolls (are they Indian? They are showing up at many Indian establishments these days) were good, but a bit cold in their container. Chicken salad had large chunks of chicken and was well spiced, but the chicken itself was a bit dry. Pineapple salad was an excellent and a unique offering, very tasty and I usually don't like sweet food. Tawa fish was delicious, with an interestingly exotic sauce all also like vindaloo with anise. It is quite hot, so beware. Butter chicken was very good with a nice sauce, but also it was approaching getting stale. To be fair, it was a rainy Sunday with very few customers, which made me sad for Dhaba.

The fish curry was excellent, with very good sauce, flavors melded well. Chicken tandoori was good and tasty but was starting to get dried out. Vegetable samosas had gone stale and lost about two-thirds of their flavour and their edges were dried out. However vegetable pakoras were very good, moist and not dried out or stale at all. Yellow dal was good, not the freshest but still quite tasty. Sag paneer was good... well... alright but not as spiced and seasoned as others. Dhaba seems to be trying more for subtlety than the exuberant flavors most associated with Indian cuisine. Mattar paneer was very good and fresh. Chana masala was very good, with nice unique spicing. Dal makhani was dark, rich and delicious. Yogurt kadi was very good, with nice flavor balance and not too hot. It was also fresh. Vegetable biryani had a nicely original spice blend and was delicious. Rosemary potatoes were excellent with plenty of caramelized onion, and whole cumin seeds. by this point I had tried almost all entrees both hot and cold, except for goat as I won't eat that.

For dessert, rice pudding was very good and delicious with raisins. Gulab jamun honey balls were also delicious. Banana (which is unique) mango, vanilla (which was a tiny bit freezer-burned but at the end of the pail,) strawberry, mint chocolate chip and chocolate ice creams were all good. I noted that just before the 2:30 lunch end that the servers assisted the kitchen staff and running the food back to the kitchen so they are at least trying to keep it fresh and uphold the quality. Weekday lunch is $14.99 (and I forgot to note the pop price options.) This isn't bad for the immediate area but most notably Little India (the establishment, not the district) is just to the north and about the same price. I appreciate the inventiveness of Dhaba's flavours and the excellence of some items, but the freshness needs to improve with numerous others.

Rating: 7/10