Mahar Restaurant and Indian Buffets on Gerrard East in Little India

Since I live on the edge of Gerrard India Bazaar (Gerrard from Greenwood to Coxwell), I eat a lot of Indian food and feel considerable loyalty to my local businesses, especially since two of my favourites (Madras Durbar and Narula's Chat, Dosa & Thali Hut) have closed in the time I've lived here. So I couldn't name a favourite, but I like different places for different reasons.

Lately I've been dropping in to Mahar (1410 Gerrard Street East, 416-466-6241) when I feel like a lunchtime buffet meal – despite the fact that I also love the New Haandi buffet (1399 Gerrard Street East, 416-469-9696) and would heartily recommend it for people with very small children. However, I like that Mahar has soups, and that they sometime vary their dessert selection with burfi as well as the ubiquitous gulab jamun. I'm a sucker for the goat curry too.

There are things to be said in general against Indian buffets (as in: you have no idea how much ghee you're taking in), but they are convenient when dining out with veggie and non-veggie friends, if none are vegan. Incidentally, the proprietor of one local vegetarian spot was clearly crestfallen when I mentioned the vegan issue; he said that since Lord Krishna was a goatherd, Hindus essentially consider it a holy thing to eat dairy products. Some people avoid milk from mistreated cows in favour of milk from cows that are treated with respect, which makes sense to me (especially after seeing Food, Inc.) But I digress...

Those who mourn the passing of Surati Sweet Mart's Gerrard Street shop will be pleased to know that Mahar carries lots of sweets, as you'll see in the following video (!)