Madras Palace (South Indian)

Delectable South Indian food. A whole range of flavours you never taste at your typical Indian eatery. Can't tell you exactly what the spices were, but there were plenty of them and they did a funky little boogie inside the mouth.

Started with the shrimp pakoras, big juicy ones in a tandoori-flavoured batter. Main course was dosa, a very thin, crispy pancake encasing a vegetable curry. It came with several dipping sauces. Almost everyone in the resto was chowing on one of the dozen or so varieties of these. The aromas from the other tables teased us while we waited for our own. Also ordered a string hopper, much like a biryani, but with what looked like chopped up thin rice noodles.

Whole meal for two, including non-alcoholic drinks, tax and tip came to about $40.

Madras Palace
1249 Ellesmere Rd., Scarborough
416-759-5400
www.madraspalace.com

(Second location opening soon at 15 Wertheim Court, Richmond Hill)