Bayview’s Indian Street Food Company sees stars

Lorna Krawchuk Publisher Leaside Life

Leasiders have good reason to feel smug. One of our own – a Bayview restaurant – received a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand when the big Michelin announcements for Toronto were made in September. Hoshang Bakhshi, the co-owner of Indian Street Food Company, was certainly pleased, but equally surprised. In fact, a friend phoned him at home on the award evening and asked why he wasn’t at the ceremony. It turns out the email invitation and notification had landed in his spam folder. The Bib Gourmand, according to Michelin, “is most definitely not a consolation prize.” It recognizes “a simpler style of cooking, which is recognizable, easy-to-eat and offers something you feel you could attempt to replicate at home,” “a three-course meal at a reasonable price.” In the case of Indian Street Food, the commendation comments that it “has a tight menu of street food favourites and regional curries from various corners of India.” Indian Street Food was the only Leaside restaurant to be honoured, and also the only one noted in Toronto serving Indian food. While Indian Street Food has been on Bayview since 2012, Hoshang only appeared on the scene three and half years ago – just before the start of the pandemic.

He is originally from Kabul, Afghanistan where he was employed by construction companies associated with the United States Army. In 2015, as things were starting to change in the country, he and his wife decided that this would be a good time to leave. Applying to the US was an obvious possibility, but “the flag of Canada was a big draw,” he says. He had always loved our red and white flag, so Canada was where they applied. After arriving, he took a general construction course and a plumbing course, and then took on a variety of jobs. A friend who had made the investment to own Indian Street Food asked him if he’d like to join as a co-owner. Hoshang said yes – and now he spends nearly all of his evenings at Indian Street Food. Luckily, back in Kabul, he often travelled to India, and learned Hindi

THANKS LEASIDE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Burritos. Bowls. Salads. Wraps. Soups. Smoothies. Juices and more…