Utsav Indian Cuisine located at 69 Yorkville Ave in Toronto
I have so much respect for vegetarians and vegans everywhere around the world after going through nearly a week of detox and eating just fruits and veggies. It is difficult to find different ways of preparing and choosing different veggies to eat! I still can’t wait to eat some solid meat tomorrow and enjoy anything I want again. 🙂
Today was my friend Sarah’s birthday. Happy birthday, Sarah! ❤ She celebrated with me and her closest friends at an Indian restaurant called Utsav Indian Cuisine located in the heart of Yorkville in downtown Toronto. ‘Utsav’ is an ancient Sanskrit word that means “festival”, something that Indians hold dearly to in their culture since they enjoy and celebrate numerous festivals throughout the year. It was a fancy and romantic restaurant with beautiful table setting and a cozy atmosphere.
Vegetable Samosa. $4
-seasoned potatoes and peas wrapped in a light pastry
Since I was on detox, I tried my BEST to adhere to the rules but also to enjoy myself at my friend’s birthday celebration. How much can you really limit yourself sometimes when it comes to food and when it comes to a friend’s special day? As such, we shared a yummy vegetable samosa. I loved how big the samosa was! I also enjoyed the hint of spice in it too. Yum!! (It reminded me of that huge delicious samosa that I had at Kamasutra before; so good!).
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I chose a dish from one of the “Delicious Meatless Dishes” page, the Baigan ka bartha which is a roasted eggplant dish. I tried to refrain from ordering naan or rice with my dish, but when the server kindly asked me if I wanted any, it was hard to say no. Hehe.
Baigan ka bartha. $10
-roasted eggplant dish was seasoned with herbs and spiced and sautéed with onions
The roasted eggplant dish was seasoned with herbs and spiced and sautéed with onions. Yum! No meat in here! Haha. It was a smooth mixture of roasted eggplant for sure. It tasted very “clean” and wasn’t spicy at all; perfect for someone who wanted pure veggies.
I really liked the platters that the dishes were served in; they looked very fancy. The service at this restaurant was generally great as they constantly came around to fill up our water glasses. They could have been a little quicker on the bill service though.
Naan. $2
-leavened bread
Tomorrow is my last day of detox!! Yay! This detox thing really isn’t easy and I would recommend anyone doing this to do it with a group of friends like I have. Make sure you don’t go for the extreme version if you’re trying it for the first time too. Toodles! See you in tomorrow’s update. 🙂
stenoodie 
I’ve always loved Vegetarian food, A few years ago I went back to Taiwan for 6 months on a detox / shi-kong retreat and had nothing but vegan foods, I felt soooo good after! 🙂
Food here looks absolutely awesome 🙂
Wow, wait what? 6 months?!? Six months of nothing but vegan food? Wow!! That is SO incredibly amazing and admirable. Good for you, Andy!! I don’t think I could EVER do 6 months of vegan eating lol lol.
And thanks! I wish I could have tried their chicken tikka and lamb lol
It was the best well spent six months of my life, but boy it was not easy. During shi-kong we weren’t allowed air conditioning and at the time there was a heatwave of around 40 degrees, I don’t think I can do that again lol!
You can try it after your detox then huh! but the question is, after your detox would you want to? 😉
Wait, you mean to try a 6-month period of vegan eating? Lol… yes, at this point, I don’t think I can do it lol… I realize through this detox that I really do need to eat my various meats and proteins and carbs to stay healthy… and happy. I’ve been experiencing weight loss and fluctuations in mood too!
I don’t think that’s good for me lol
oh no sorry, I meant I don’t think I could do the whole shi-kong thing again under that kind of heat lol I don’t know how anyone could ever get used to living in such a hot place 😦
Ah, I see. Yeah, 40 degrees sounds unbearable. However, I think I might be able to get used to that if I can eat anything I want lol. I feel like — even though I’ve never been in 40 degree heat temperature for more than a couple of days — I could not live on just vegan food for six months. This week of detox has certainly proved that to me.
Gotta have food that will make you feel happy and comfortable right? 🙂 how have your friends found this week so far?
Yes, definitely!
One of my guy friends found it tough… especially on the first day when I saw him and he looked pale and was craving for chicken and anything non-veggie. Everyone else has been trying to stay clear of meats and grains, but think it’s also been very hard.
(gulp) okie, I hope I can do this 🙂
You can, you can! Do you know if any of your friends want to do it too? As I say, it’s better to do it with a friend (or two)! 🙂
mmm I might, I’ll direct them to your post if I find anyone for sure, someone has to share my suffering lol! 😛
hahaha great idea!! 😉 It’s all for the benefit of good digestive health! Who doesn’t want that? 😛
Some pretty crazy people lol! 😛
Haha, ask them, “Are you up for the challenge?” 😉
So much easier if you are brought up as vegan isn’t it! 🙂
Yes, I can definitely imagine how that would be much easier! 🙂
I always love indian and vegetarian food even though I am not a vegan. Do they have anything close to butter chicken at the restaurant?
Me too! I was only eating vegan for these 7 days since I was on a detox. Yes, they definitely have butter chicken, lamb, shrimp, and other dishes as well. 🙂