Two If By Sea

Aravind on the Danforth between Pape and Chester is a more upscale Indian restaurant specializing in Keralan food. This means primarily seafood bounties. The first I heard of Kerala is from a performance by dance troupe Daksha Sheth. The restaurant has a small front patio, 4 tiny tables, a larger backyard patio, and a long dining area.

I thought the cumin-infused water was a mis-step. The first few sips were interesting, but then it simply tasted like wet papadam. The complimentary snacks were better. The crisps made from lentil, flour, and spices had a nice crunch and texture. Although I wouldn't recommend more than a few bites. They start to resemble left-over pakora bits after a while. The casava chips, like most non-potato fried snacks, were simply too hard and lacked the starchiness. The calamari appetizer ($9) was toothsome, but I couldn't identify anything particular South Asian about it.

The 2 mains were the standout. The Avial ($16) was a vegetarian plate of assorted curried vegetables, paneer, some pickled condiments and paratha. The bread was less greasy than usual. In fact, the entire dish was lighter fare than your typical Indian restaurant. It was flavourful and nicely balanced. The Dungeness Crab Byriani ($22) was outstanding. Large chunks of crab in tasty rice with a fresh lightly spiced vegetable side. The crab legs was a bonus, although I felt it was too much work getting to the meat through the chitin. The only downer was two large slices of picked lemon rinds. They were too strong and overpowering, best eaten as tiny nibbles.