Chef Ushmeet Bhutani learned to cook from watching his mother as a child in the kitchen of their home in Bangalore, India.

Bhutani has since cooked for large hotel chains before founding Koshaa, at 2314 Lake Shore Blvd. W., near Burlington Street, which specializes in tasty North Indian cuisine.

“We wanted to open our restaurant in West Toronto,” Bhutani explains. “We have our own recipes and our food is traditional North Indian flavour.”

He previously worked at the Bangalore Hilton Hotel before arriving in Canada in 2016. Bhutani then worked at the Four Seasons before founding Koshaa.

“We use the freshest vegetables and spices,” he insists. “Everything is produced locally and made from scratch.”

The restaurant is licensed for alcohol, is clean and comfortable. A lot of effort and finances went into restoring the interior. It has a nice outdoor patio that faces Lake Shore Blvd.  W.

“I always liked cooking for people,” he says. “I get satisfaction from looking at peoples’ faces after they have had a nice home-cooked meal.”

He likes the area and has been getting support from Mimico residents.

“People like our food because it is healthy and a home-cooked style that is modern,” Bhutani says. “We use less oil and butter and extract more flavour from our ingredients.”

A graduate of the George Brown College Culinary program, the chef hopes to make his regulars return for more healthy home-inspired meals, just as his mom made in Bangalore.

Popular dishes include: Amritsar fish fry, North-Indian-style fried fish fritters marinated in tangy masala: Chicken 65, a Southern Indian style crispy chicken tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds.

People also enjoy the sizzling chicken tikka; chicken morsels marinated overnight in Balkan yogurt with authentic Indian spices; Tandoori Shrimps, flavoured with ginger, garlic and grilled to perfection.

Or Seekh Kebab, made from a smooth minced lamb mixture and seasoned with onions, tomatoes, and a combination of spices and Classic Paneer Tikka, made from Indian cottage cheese cubes, pepper and onions marinated with tandoori masala and baked.

Koshaa can be reached by telephone at 647-349-8424 or visit www.koshaa.ca