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Food & Drink

What’s on the menu at Jamil’s Chaat House, a charming Pakistani restaurant that started as a pop-up

It’s bringing a taste of Lahore to Queen West

By Erin Hershberg| Photography by Shlomi Amiga
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A selection of Pakistani dishes at Jamil's Chaat House in Toronto

Name: Jamil’s Chaat House Contact: 1086 Queen St. W., jamils.ca, @jamils.to
Neighbourhood: West Queen West
Previously: Ramona’s Owners: Jalil Bokhari and Emma Tanaka Chef: Eric McDonald Accessibility: Not fully accessible

Jamil’s Chaat House is a modern Pakistani snack house churning out small plates packed with explosive flavours. “I’ve worked front-of-house for years, at restaurants including Rhum Corner, Imanishi and Momofuku—places that offer a kind of modern take on regional cuisine. I’ve always liked eating at these types of spots,” says co-owner Jalil Bokhari. “I opened Jamil’s because there’s no place in Toronto offering Pakistani food—the cuisine of my heritage—expressed through the lens of casual fine dining.”

Before Bokhari and his business partner and fiancée, Emma Tanaka, were approached by an investor to open their restaurant in the space that was briefly Ramona’s, they were running Jamil’s as a pop-up concept. “Both Jalil and I love cooking—it’s always been central to our relationship,” says Tanaka. “I’m Japanese, and he was born in Pakistan, and cooking is a beautiful way of sharing culture and identity.”

Jamil's Chaat House owners Emma Tanaka and Jalil Bokhari
Jamil’s Chaat House owners Emma Tanaka and Jalil Bokhari

 

The exterior of Jamil's Chaat House, a Pakistani restaurant and bar in Toronto

Like many others during Covid, both Tanaka (previously a user-research employee at Deloitte) and Bokhari had time on their hands, so they decided to take their love for cooking one step further. “We approached Bar Sakai chef Eric McDonald because we were huge fans of her work and knew how amazing she was at developing punchy regional flavours,” says Tanaka. In the spring of 2021, the trio started their pop-up with a tiny table and one dish, dahi puri (a spicy and tangy South Asian street snack) in front of Parkdale’s Capital Espresso.

In April of 2024, Bokhari and Tanaka decided to get serious. After a trip to Pakistan, they became more invested in their business, branding their pop-up Jamil’s Chaat House. They did a few stints at various restaurants across the city, and their Instagram started blowing up with requests for more. “Things got so busy that, when we were approached again in October about the space, we were ready to settle down,” says Bokhari. “So we reached out to Eric once again. This time we wanted her to be our head chef.” Now, Jamil’s Chaat House is a cozy Queen West hideaway that’s a little bit Lahore and a lot Toronto.

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Jalil Bokhari, Eric McDonald and Emma Tanaka, at Jamil's Chaat House in Toronto
Bokhari and Tanaka with chef Eric McDonald

 

Looking through the window of the main door at Jamil's Chaat House
The Food

While Pakistani flavours dominate the menu, each dish is influenced by cuisines of the Toronto diaspora. “I was born in Toronto, but our cooks come from different countries around the globe, and everyone here has a voice on the menu—at least subtly,” says head chef McDonald. To this end, the menu—which doesn’t shy away from spice—is made up of dishes that get to the soul of Pakistan through unfamiliar routes.

A cook preps food in the kitchen of Jamil's Chaat House

For instance, the seemingly traditional naan is made with red fife flour from Tottenham’s K2 Milling, a supplier McDonald uses due to her love of Robinson Bread. On top of the usual spinach, kale also finds its way into the earthy and vibrant palak paneer. And while chili crisp is typically associated with East Asian food, a lot of the dishes at Jamil’s get their heat from a house-made South Asian version of the delicious spicy oil. There’s even a signature twist on a Sloppy Joe, the Karahi Chicken Bun—with pulled chicken slow-cooked in a thick tomato-based masala curry, then piled onto a Martin’s potato roll with fresh ginger slaw.

Dahi puri, hollowed-out and deep fried crispy semolina spheres stuffed with chickpea
The dahi puri are the flavour bombs Jamil’s was built on. For it, crispy hollowed-out and deep-fried semolina spheres are stuffed with chickpeas, then crowned on one side with house cilantro yogurt chutney and on the other with tamarind chutney. To finish, they’re dusted with Kashmiri chili and sev, a popular fried potato snack. $9

 

Papdi chaat with samosa crisps
The papdi chaat is a mix of chickpeas and steamed and cubed potatoes folded with a paste of fried onions, garlic, ginger, lemon and spices. It’s covered in tangy seasoned yogurt, tamarind chutney, pomegranate seeds, torn mint, red onion and apple achar. Samosa crisps come on the side for dipping. $15

 

Samosa chaat, mounds of spiced potato are stuffed into a light, flaky pastry deep-fried to a golden crisp
For the samosa chaat, mounds of spiced potato are stuffed into a light, flaky pastry, which is then deep-fried to a golden crisp. It sits on a bright blanket of seasoned yogurt and house-made chana masala. Red onion and cilantro, as well as a light dusting of chaat masala, bring it all together. $16

 

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Bainghan bharta, a smoky, garlicky mash of fire-roasted eggplant, tomatoes and toasted spices that originated in Northern India
The smoked baingan kachumar is McDonald’s play on baingan bharta, a smoky, garlicky mash of fire-roasted eggplant, tomatoes and toasted spices that originated in northern India. For her take, she smokes charred and cooled eggplant, then marinates it overnight in a garam masala dashi. It’s plated to order with a vinaigrette made from the smoking liquid, lemon and lime juice, then finished with toasted cumin, dried fenugreek leaves, and a fermented chili, garlic and roasted tomato achaar. $16

 

Beef seekh kabab
For the beef seekh kabab, two fermented pepper pastes (a red one made with Thai chilies and a green one made with jalapeños) are folded into ground Halal beef seasoned with fresh herbs and spices. The mixture is skewered, roasted and then served with an onion salad dressed in a lime-pickle vinaigrette inspired by Indian kachumber. On the side: cilantro yogurt. $26

 

Lamb Nihari with naan
Lamb nihari is traditionally made with lamb shank, but at Jamil’s, fattier, more tender shoulder subs in. The seared cuts are rubbed in ginger, turmeric and garlic, then bagged with a rich lamb stock and a ton of toasted spices (toasted clove, coriander, cinnamon, fennel) and cooked sous-vide for three days. The broth is poured over the lamb for service, and it’s finished with ginger and tiny dollops of that house chili crisp. $29

 

Gulab jamun
Here we have the gulab jamun, a popular dessert in India and Pakistan. McDonald deep-fries the semolina dough balls, then sets them to sail in a sweet and warmly spiced sea of toasted fennel and cardamom syrup. They’re finished with cardamom seeds, rose petals, thin strips of lime zest and a sprinkle of finishing salt. $10
The Drinks

There’s a natural and biodynamic wine list as well as a crushable cocktail card of old-school classics, each with its own South Asian twist. For example, the Amla Sour, a house take on a classic gin sour, is made of gin infused with Indian gooseberries, the sour notes of which eliminate the need for lemon juice. For some balance, it’s sweetened with a rose petal–infused syrup called rooh hafsa. Zero-proof options include the sweet-and-savoury Masala Double Coke, made with a reduction of Coke and South Indian spices that’s combined with more cola and served on ice.

The Amla Sour, a shaken and strained drink of Indian gooseberry–infused gin, rose petal simple syrup, elderflower liqueur and vegan foam
Here’s that Amla Sour, a shaken and strained drink of Indian gooseberry–infused gin, rose petal simple syrup, elderflower liqueur and vegan foam. $18

 

For the Custard Apple Colada, the creamy and sweet tropical fruit is mixed with cinnamon, fennel seed–infused rum, cream and coconut milk
For the Custard Apple Colada, the creamy and sweet tropical fruit is mixed with cinnamon, fennel seed–infused rum, cream and coconut milk. The drink is shaken, served on rocks and garnished with candied fennel seeds and fresh mint. $18

 

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Bottles of wine and champagne chill in an ice bucket
The Space

Walnut banquettes are upholstered in ’70s scarlet velvet that could have been swiped from Nani’s chesterfield, while old-school Bollywood records and a peppering of vintage Bokhari family photos transport diners from Queen West to Lahore.

Inside Jamil's Chaat House in Toronto
Bar seating at Jamil's Chaat House on Queen West
A corner booth at Jamil's Chaat House, a Pakistani restaurant in Toronto
Pakistani knickknacks and memorabilia decorate the bar shelves at Jamil's Chaat House
Photos of Jamil's Chaat House co-owner Jalil Bokhari's family hang on the wall at his restaurant
Old restaurant menus line the walls at Jamil's Snack House
A pepper plant
Stickers and matchbooks at Jamil's Chaat House

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Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.

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