Neither a devastating fire at one of his other restaurants, nor a diagnosis of lung and throat cancer, nor even the failure of several major organs could keep Toronto restaurant veteran Naveen Chakravarti down for long. His latest venture, an Ossington reimagining of his restaurant Neon Tiger, is the direct product of that perseverance.
The menu pays homage to what Chakravarti calls “real” Indian food — if you’re looking for butter chicken, you’re in the wrong place. Instead, expect dishes like tandoori fried chicken, slow-cooked lamb vindaloo, and Indian-spiced Bang Bang shrimp, paired with garlic naan and built around bold, regionally rooted flavour rather than the more familiar, anglicized version of Indian cuisine that dominates much of the city’s dining scene.
Rooting for a genuine comeback story? Neon Tiger is open now on Ossington — order the lamb vindaloo.