Adrak Yorkville is serving up elevated Indian cuisine, blending traditional flavours and fine dining flair to bring something completely new to the trendy Yorkville neighbourhood chock-full of Italian and contemporary eateries.
Unique to Adrak Yorkville is the kitchen hierarchy, which is bucking tradition, filling its back-of-house with category leaders who have specific subject matter and dish expertise as opposed to executive and junior-level chefs. The Adrak team has true global experience having worked in established kitchens spanning Dubai, India, the U.S., Thailand, and more. In fact, all team members have trained under Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia, with select members boasting tenures with other world-renowned chefs, including Gaggan Anand, Hari Nayak and Prashant Chipkar.
“While my family has been established in Canada for over 60 years, I have always been attached to my roots. My mother and now business partner, taught me how to safeguard my cultural identity, and remain grounded while pursuing meaningful business endeavours,” says owner Ambica Jain of the ways her culture has influenced this dining concept. “I grew up travelling around the world experiencing new cultures and knew early on that we needed to bring a new kind of Indian restaurant to Toronto that was in line with the best in the world.”
Adrak Yorkville blends rare ingredients together to create distinct flavours, like made in-house mustard seed paste, curry leaves oil and morel mushrooms, fusing the flavours in signature menu items, as an ode to the many flavours of India.
At the bar, cocktail syrups use local ingredients like balsam fir, baby sorrel, local fresh juices and unique Indian ingredients like blue pea, oolong tea, star anise and green apple kaffir lime cordial to create unique drinks you can’t find anywhere else.
Menu highlights include Raan-E-Shahi, a highly sought after lamb delicacy inspired by the dishes of Indian royalty. Or opt for the Patrani Fish, inspired by the Queen Consorts meaning fish in leaves, this dish is a hallmark of Parsi cuisine influenced by Gujarati and Persian cooking.
For vegetarian kings and queens, the Thecha Paneer Tikka is a standout spiced sauce made from peanuts, cilantro, curry leaves and garlic, and the Asparagus Kofta is a flavour-forward vegetarian dish blending Indian spices and fresh veggies.
The space itself mixes cultural elements reminiscent of the Indian subcontinent with modern touches. Find custom fabrics and wallpapers sourced from India, handmade wood and rattan furniture melding together to create a dimly lit, elegantly upscale feel perfect for an intimate date night or a family dinner out. The space also features a private dining room upstairs, called the Memsahibs, that seats 16 – perfect for larger gatherings and celebrations.
Swing by the 138 Avenue Road spot from 5:00p.m. to 11:00p.m. Wednesdays to Mondays and, starting May 4th, Adrak Yorkville offers an 11:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. lunch.