T oronto has no shortage of Indian Cuisine. Plenty of authentic Indian restaurants line the streets of th city, most potently occupying Gerard St. east, aka, Little India. But the brothers Sethi, owners of all three locations of the Host, have never been partial to this kind of fast paced, filthy-tabled Indian cuisine. The Host, dripping with “Best of” awards from every publication under the sun, is committed to using high quality ingredients, classic recipes and maintaining long-lasting relationships with their clientele. This somewhat dogmatic approach has perhaps given Jay and Sanjeev Sethi the courage to open up their latest venture, 259 Host, in the heart of the recession and in the heart of downtown.

259 Host differs from its sister restaurants in that Chef Sanjeev conjures recipes out of traditional Indian ingredients without traditional dishes being the end result. Serving up authentic, yet modern, cuisine is this restaurant’s raison d’etre. But don’t call it fusion. Those at all familiar with the food world know that Indian cooking has oft been the recipient of culinary bastardization, making inappropriate cameos in all types of new-fangled, fusion cuisine. So co-owner Jay Sethi makes clear, “our food is not confusion fusion.” The restaurant uses only whole Indian spices, ground and toasted in house, to compose the dishes. That said; the food is cleaner tasting and simpler than what most people would associate with the layered flavours of classical Indian cuisine.

The space, designed by Robert Chaban and Associates and accented by Design and More inc., is a perfect compliment to 259’s style of food. Muted and modern in its light, earthy tones, warm woods and sage banquettes, the design does not forget what it represents and points to India in all of its artwork, Sethi family treasures, and tasteful touches. But the focal point of Indian cuisine’s new ‘it’ spot is the semi-opaque screen, displaying on the surface a photograph taken by Chef Sethi’s son of the Indian lord of success, Ganesh, through which you can see silouhettes of the chefs at work at the Tandoori oven and in the kitchen. The design concept, like the food, has India in its core.

Speaking of food, the modern menu, which is comprised of all organic and local (insofar as it can be) meats and produce, is quite masterful. Chef Sanjeev’s seasoned hand puts together a variety of foodie-friendly items including appetizers such as scallops with mustard seed and garlic steamed in banana leaf, crispy lotus stem in honey mango sauce, and entrees like lamb medallions in a curry of yogurt, saffron and onions, beef tenderloin in a red curry of chili, cumin and roasted spices, or tandoor cooked lobster with fresh red pepper paste, coconut and baby spinach. Don’t worry, the Sethi Brothers didn’t have the heart to leave customers bereft of their award-winning butter chicken and kept it on the menu; they are crowd pleasers after all.

Besides the modish new food menu, 259 Host is also venturing more heavily into the alcohol world, specifically concentrating on consignment (not available at the LCBO) wine. With an in-house sommelier, Jovan Roknic, 259 hopes to attract the downtown business crowd – both in the ‘all suited up’ day and in the ‘time to undo the top button’ night.