Nantha Caters

Sri Lankan takeout shops aren’t special-occasion affairs so much as everyday conveniences in Scarborough. Tamil moms and grandmas here track restaurant openings and kitchen changes with blogger-worthy fervour, and this tidy takeout shop is at the top of a lot of go-to lists. There are cases of nuts and crunchy salted lentils, “short eats” of meat wrapped in bread or pastry, and steam trays full of curries, like gently gamey mutton and entrancingly sweet-mellow eggplant. The best bet for first-timers is the chicken biryani: moist tandoori meat served on rice prepared with turmeric, saffron and deep-caramelized onion, with a hard-boiled egg, a pile of candied-tasting anchovies, a breaded cutlet ball of mashed fish and potato, and a salad of red onion, coriander leaves and carrot. It’s a riot of ultra-bright colours, tender-crisp textures and punchy, palate-smacking flavours. Nantha Caters and Bakery was established in 2007 in Toronto, Ontario.