Amaya The Indian Room

Amaya the Indian Room is smaller than you might expect.

It has only 46 seats, including the bar, and looks more bistro than fine Indian. But Amaya the Indian Room has been packed since its opening, due to the owners Derek Valleau (from Crush) and Hemant Bhagwani (Mantra in Burlington, Kamasutra Indian Restaurant & Wine Bar) and Executive Chef Kirti Singh's exquisite dishes.

This section of Bayview is filled mostly with Asian restaurants and niche boutiques - cigar shoppe, lingerie, baby/pet/photo - so it is a perfect spot for something new and exotic.

With a curvaceous bar at the entrance and dark smoky glass at the back that lets you see the outline blurs of the kitchen (but you have to squint to really see past the reflection), it has a sexy feel that is missing at many new restaurants.

Maybe that's due to Hemant's energy and look. He is smartly dressed in a thin, close-cutting sweater with pink dress shirt underneath, narrow pin-striped pants and long shoes that evoke style and business acumen all at once.

"I love building, creating restaurants," he says. "I enjoy setting up a place."

And that must be true as his new take-out (and delivery, catering and eat-in) version of this restaurant, Amaya Express, is about to open any day now and he sold Mantra in Burlington 10 days ago.

"After 16 years in the business, I've got used to it now."

Hemant grew up with parents in the business, but his father didn't want him to pursue it. Nothing could stop him, though.

"I just wanted to do it," he says with a laugh.

He and Derek are both sommeliers and seem to have found that balance of being business partners and friends. Derek wants to open up an Indian restaurant, so Hemant took him to India to get a feel for the flavours and look.

But it turns out that inspiration came closer to home in the form of Vikram Vij, Owner and Chef of Vij's in Vancouver.

"We were inspired," Hemant says. "He's our inspiration, what he's done in Canada. "

So Derek and Hamant have added touches like copper jugs and bowls to "make it different," in Hemant's words, and made sure that things like napkins and tablecloths are made in India.

The food, though, is the main thrust of the place.

Hemant and Kirti met in Dubai and they have been working together at every restaurant Hemant has had.

"He's be everywhere with me," Hemant says proudly. "And all of our team is from India or Dubai - no one locally is here."

The menu "specializes on smaller items, like steak, short ribs and duck." And offer things that many folks will find different than their usual Indian fare in dishes like apple and orange tandoori duck, a curried martini and truffles made with garam masala.

This is good for the Bayview crowd, mostly a discerning one ("People know whether it's a south or north dish"), and one which Hemant loves:

"This is an awesome neighbourhood to be in. It's different than others."

He says his is the "first Indian restaurant to be offering grain-fed chicken," and it's clear that he wants to offer the crowd something a little different.

There's only one way to be sure.

I tuck into Garlic Naan ($3), Murgh Makhani ($17), or as it says on the menu, "a.k.a. butter chicken!" and Patrani Machchi ($21), a banana leaf wrapped halibut with a rich coconut sauce complete with 21 spices. Oh, and a rice. But not just any old rice. Amaya Basmati ($4), a blend of basmati, brown and wild rice.

The rice arrives in a tall copper bucket with a bamboo-style handled spoon to serve with and my plate is pottery in a denim blue glaze. The butter chicken arrives in a traditional copper pot.

The naan is thin and garlicky. It is crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside and perhaps the best naan I've ever had. It must be, as I finish the entire serving.

The butter chicken is silky and although there is a lot of sauce, it is not too heavy, creamy or oily like ones I've had before. The Halibut is a southern Indian dish and while it's very modern, it is also mired in tradition.

The firm, tender fish is a perfect choice for the spicy green sauce that manages not to impose upon the fish somehow, just highlight it.

I have cleaned all of my plates, bowls and buckets and I can see why the place is jam packed.

If I want to come back though, I'll have to book well in advance. They were almost completely booked for November already.