We came here from friends recommendation. Not knowing this is a small shop really designed for take out, and thought there are seating. Their bar seats are just enough to fit the 4 of us. The staffs must have found us weird... LoL. 3.5 star for ambiance... Shop is kept pretty clean. We ordered kothu roti with lamb and one with chicken, butter chicken, and a Somoza. Ok I'm no expert in Sri Lankan food, but it tastes authentic as in similar to my friends home cook meals. But maybe I'm not used to it, I find it a bit saltier than my liking. Based on my limited experience with Sri Lankan food, I'll give it a 4 Star for food. Value is 4.5 star. The food is not inexpensive, nothing downtown is cheap anymore, but they offsets the price with big portions. We had enough left over for a filling lunch the next morning! read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Very few seating space available - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Did you know that January is Tamil Heritage month? Toronto has one of the biggest populations of Tamil Sri Lankans outside of Sri Lanka. One of the most popular foods from this culture is Kothu Roti (chopped roti that is stir fried with spices, onions, scrambled egg along with meat/ vegetable curry). It often is quite spicy and there aren't many options for it in the downtown core but one place I go to get my fix is Saffron Spice Kitchen. They are a Sri Lankan vendor that offers this speciality dish along with other signature dishes, many of which are vegetarian. What I like about the Kothu Roti from here is the focus is more on the flavour than on spice level. It also has a very good Spice, curry and roti ratio compared to other vendors. There is also an authentic taste remaining at the same time despite the moderate level of spice. I got to try the butter chicken Kothu Roti which was nice and mild. It is priced at $11.95 which is pretty standard and the portion size is generous. I love the rise in fusion food trends lately and this fusion with Butter Chicken definitely works with the Kothu Roti. They offer takeout mainly with minimal seating available. It remains important to continue to support take out vendors just as it is to support those with dine in and patio options. Being one of the few Sri Lankan restaurants in the area, make sure to check it out if you are ever on Queen Street or you can also visit them in Mississauga at their newly opened second location. read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Butter chicken Kothu roti - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I love this place and I stop here every time I am in Toronto. It's great to have a Sri Lankan option downtown instead of driving all the way to Scarborough. The vegan eggplant wrap is SENSATIONAL and the kotthu roti is excellent. I can't wait to try their curries. One million out of ten, would recommend. read more

What I like about this place is that I can get Sri Lankan food almost any time of day in Downtown Toronto. However, their sign is broken and they could do more to make it more appealing to the random passerby or people that aren't already familiar with it. I've had a few different Kothu items off the menu here and they've been tasty and intensely flavoured (perhaps a bit too intense for the unassuming palate even, so be prepared for that). read more

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Well I don't come this way often but I do like the kotu roti and was in the area. I'd say they have perfected customizing the order for you. I like it traditionally more roti and less veggie. Kinda like a fried rice, if the veggies dominate then it's not a fried rice. It's veggies with a rich of rice. Anyhow, he is very good at asking and making it the way you like it, including spice level. Still worth going to if you're in the area. The veggies are actually the ones there. So you'll get bits of the eggplant and chana etc. Ps he will make it without egg too for the vegans. read more

Very disappointed. Butter chicken SWIMMING in sauce, wayyyyy too much. Couldn't even see the rice in that swimming pool. Chicken was moist (only positive). Got a cold and obviously sitting for awhile samosa (bad). First bite a hair (sigh....), just a horrible experience. Wish I had the $16 back...... read more

great first time having kothu roti!! my friend and i are visiting toronto, so i was looking for something on the cheaper side, quick, and hearty for right after i landed at the airport (and before she lands). i'd never had sri lankan food and was really interested by the idea of kothu roti!! thankfully it did not disappoint. i got the authentic sri lankan chicken kothu roti, and the reviews did not lie, the portion sizes are VERY HEARTY. it doesn't look that big but the takeout containers are DEEP and the roti itself is super filling. i could barely get halfway through mine!! the spice level on mine was okay, the mix of textures and flavors were i just wish that i knew that it didn't come with chaat or any type of sauce. i would've paid the dollar extra gladly, because the roti pieces soak up a lot of the curry and while definitely not dry, it could have used a little bit of something to moisten it a bit. would recommend if you need something quick for takeout, i wish we could have tried some of the curries as well. my food was ready in under 20! read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This Sri Lankan joint is not lacking in spice, ever. Once you get over the apparent oddity of stir frying roti into a curry such that it looks not so appetizing ... this steaming pile of fragrant slop hits every need for curry, heat, chewiness and crunchiness. This is actually a place where you can get both the fix of butter chicken and tikka masala resolved by getting a combo of curries over rice or in one of the super addictive kothu rotis. I highly recommend anything with the eggplant... it's slightly burned in such a way that it tastes slightly smoke, garlicky and salivating savoury read more

Ordered takeaway of the patak paneer, potato curry and butter chicken. The server was helpful in suggesting we order the combo as we wanted to try three different curries. Portion size was good, though there could be a little more chicken. The paneer was a little salty. Otherwise a good place to check out for some tasty food! read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Butter chicken - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I order lunch here multiple times a week, typically about the same thing - a combo of butter chicken, potato masala, and either the mutter paneer or red lentil curry. Add a samosa on the side. The mango lasse is also really tasty. Always delicious, with a good kick of heat. Though you can tell it's made by hand since the spice level varies anywhere from "nice" to "I may regret this" depending on the day... Regardless, highly recommended! A neighbourhood gem. read more

Unfortunately didn't get to snap any pictures, but wanted to leave a review still. I'm not sure how new this place is, but it's definitely kept very clean and has modern vibe to it. Not sure if it's just because it's new, or kept up well. They have a decent selection of things that they make, but not a very large menu that will keep you guessing for too long. Try a couple of their items and so far I would say the quality seemed to be pretty good. We'll definitely come back to try some more and get a better idea, but so far so good. Prices were just a smidge on the expensive side, but nothing crazy. read more

The true test of a good kothu roti - does it still taste good the next day? Lo and behold, Saffron Spice's kothu roti passes the test! I ordered the vegetarian kothu roti without egg, and for about $10 the portion size was enough to last me two small-sized meals. You can tell that the roti is fresh here because it's nice and soft, and seasoned with a variety of vegetables including okra, onion, and seasonal picks. I don't know if it compares to what you'd get in Scarborough, but if you live downtown this is definitely a solid choice for a quick meal! Point to note though - order one spice level higher than you normally would. I ordered the medium spice, but I would say it was more of a mild. Why not 5 stars? I wish they served their kothu roti with raita! read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Veg kothu roti without egg (raita added on top for extra charge) - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Went to try Sri Lankan kothu roti which we've learned is chopped roti stir fried with the veggies and meat into a dish. Pretty tasty and I could see myself wanting this after a long night, but for us, needed a little textural contrast and either more spice or acidity. The lime was appreciated! read more

I ordered the Kati Roll. It a chicken wrap with some salad and other fillers. It was advertised as an original from Kolkata (Calcutta, India). I'm from Kolkata so I was understandably excited... I was asked whether I wanted it spicy to which I said "Yes". When it came it was BIG, and hot. Anticipating one of the better lunches I've had in some time I bit into it... It's the worst imitation attempt of a Kati roll I've had in my life! It was soggy, contained what seemed to me like uncooked raw spices (in an attempt to make it spicy I guess) and it has some sort of sweet sauce in the mix!!! If you are from Kolkata or pretty much anywhere from india or Pakistan, please DON'T order this roll! I have it one star because it was pretty big, but taste wise it was pathetic. Did not taste anything like a Kati roll from Kolkata!! :-( BTW it's listed on their website as $9.95 but they sell it for $11.95 when you go to their store. read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Kati roll... - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Environment A little take-out place on Queen St. west for some Indian food. There's limited seating (4 seats) and no air conditioning I think. The cashier was friendly and patient when answering my questions. Taste I got butter chicken roti. It's the first time I ever had roti being chopped up in slices upon serving. Even mild was a tad spicy for my taste, but it was flavourful and definitely big portion. Price Price was excellent, $9.95 pre tax for the roti and I was able to eat two meals out of it. Would I return? Maybe, if I was in the area and craving some spicy food. read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This is one of my favourite places for Indian and Sri Lankan food in Toronto. They have also opened up an additional location in Mississauga although I have not yet been there. The food is always delicious and they can actually modify the spice level to your liking. Pictured here are some of my favourite dishes including the Sri Lankan eggplant curry which has a nice tamarind and coconut flavor, the butter chicken which is one of the best in the city as it is rich and creamy but has a nice balanced flavour overall, the red lentils which are also another one of my favourites and lastly the kothu roti. The staff and owners here are also very wonderful and receptive to feedback. The only thing that I would definitely not recommend is ordering these through a delivery service as I have had issues with the quality, spilled and leaking dishes which is really reflective of the delivery service and not the restaurant itself. Overall one of my favs! read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Kothu roti, red lentils, butter chicken and eggplant curry - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

You can't go wrong with the kothu roti at Saffron Spice Kitchen. Every time I visit I'm impressed with the flavour and texture, and just how filling it is. I think I only every finished the entire portion once, usually I have to tap out halfway through, or at most three quarters of the way. As others have mentioned, it also tastes great the next day! The location is pretty convenient to access, and they are available on multiple delivery/takeout services, like Ritual, UberEats, Foodora, DoorDash and the like. Prices also seem pretty reasonable for downtown Toronto. They've made an effort to dress up the interior, and it looks nice, but this is a takeout place at the end of the day. I have to take off points for the limited seating area, and those stools that sink when you sit on them. Be aware there are no restrooms either. read more

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Since the lockdown began we've been cutting back on eating out a lot but every now and then we will revisit our favourite places from the neighborhoods we love. We decided to get some Kothu Roti from Saffron Spice Kitchen since we really love South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine. If you are hungry then this is the meal for you. Imagine fried rice, except it's not rice, but the roti that you would normally get in a wrap, shredded into tiny parts and fried on the pan like stir fry with all the meat and veggies you can imagine. My one dish lasted me two meals. Overall, I'm glad we got the Kothu Roti. I normally avoid it because it's a little too dry of a dish for me, but my chicken was cooked really well and they even added a ton of extra chilli to match my desired spice level! read more

I could eat this food every day. I'm a big fan of roti, and indian food. This was a easy choice for me, it smelled good from the outside, it was near where i was staying. This is a small place with only about 10-12 bar stool type seats around the place, definitely more of a quick pick type place. I'm not sure what we ended up ordering because everything looked and smelled so good, enough said that we scoffed it all way faster that we expected, friendly people behind the counter. The roti was hot (temp) and we got ours spicy it did not disappoint. If you haven't tried it, don't wait any longer, you are missing out. read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Ordered the butter chicken kothu roti.... the favor is just okay, it is basically this mass of unrecognizable mashed stuff.. which is just kind of chewy and not appealing. On top of that is a small spoonful of chicken pieces (3 small pieces..or probably more like 2.5 pieces) and a little butter chicken sauce. After 3-5 bites you start to wonder what each piece of stuff you're picking up with your fork..then you stare at it and try to taste what it is.. and you still don't know. Then you feel confused and unsatisfied because the flavor is not great and you guess it's probably just another piece of minced roti. read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Look at that sad clump of 2.5 butter chicken pieces and a sad amount of sauce. - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Pick up a quick to go Indian lunch combo, similar to Panda's Express, choice of protein (vegetarian, chicken or lamb) with sides of Rice. Dals and curries are also available. Do not forget to get Lassi, if you are a fan. They can get you in and out in less than 5 mins. It has few bar stool seating, but peak lunch time its best to take out. read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Casual lunch - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This place prides itself in traditional kothu rotti, and it proudly delivers. They offer an assortment of kothu rottis, from different proteins to veggies. Me and my friend made a pit stop there during lunch hours. Most people do get takeout or pickup, but we decided to eat in and only had to wait 5 minutes for our food. I got the Chicken Tikka Kothu Roti and my friend got the Butter Chicken Kothu Roti (both for $9.95). It had great texture from the rotti shells and was very flavourful and filling. I almost could not finish. You can choose the level of base spiciness. However, the Tikka Roti was a lot spicier than the Butter Chicken Roti, so beware. In conclusion, drop by this place if you want a quick grab of authentic Indian kothu rottis. They are also very keen to do delivery, foodora and pick-up orders. read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Butter Chicken Kothu Roti ($9.95) - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Second time trying Saffron Spice in a long long time. My friends and I were debating on where to go with a plethora of foodie spots in the area we choose Saffron. Open-ish kitchen environment. Small blueprint but seating is available for around 6 max. Menu was straight forward classic kothu roti with various proteins, wraps, curry options, and some small appetizers. I ordered the seafood kothu roti, something new for me, and as usual got the spice level at hot. Overall I was pleased with the presentation. A variety of different veggies were included such as cauliflower. The roti was moist, definitely was not old. And the overall curry went well. Despite getting hot the spice wasn't enough ( well for me .... ), the staff provided a generous amount of in house hot sauce which really kicked things up. If you like spice would recommend asking for it. My only problem was that there wasn't enough seafood. In this case salmon. I was literally searching through the box, the salmon to roti ratio wasn't sufficient. Whatever salmon I did get, tasted good. Well seasoned and flaked apart with the fork. Surprisingly salmon tastes good with curry and roti. For what you pay wasn't enough, better getting the other options. My friends were satisfied with their butter chicken kothu, chicken kothu, and curry chicken wrap. We went home stuffed with some leftovers. Overall we were happy with the ingredients, concept, and just the freshness of the food. If your accustomed to the typical circular aluminum tray kothu rotis of the GTA you may not be estatic with Saffron, but would still recommend a try for the variety. For the general public its a great option especially for the area, foods fresh, and the flavors are there. 3.5 out of 5 for me. read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Salmon Kothu Roti. - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This is a small but fulfilling lunch spot in the Queen West area. I normally order through Ritual and pick up in the store. It's a grab and go kind of place. My go to? Kothu Roti! It is so delicious and filling. The portion size is so large that I normally have it over two meals but sometimes it's so good, you keep eating even if you're good. I have to stop myself from finishing the whole thing in one go. The curry leaves are such a welcome addition. I really enjoy the flavor they bring to the dish and the roti is definitely delicious and fresh. I could eat this every day for sure but my waist line wouldn't thank me for it. read more

Mutton Roll! Mutton Roll!! I could eat it all day, these guys do not skimp on the spice and make it as it's supposed to be. We even ordered the Kothu Roti but it was the Mutton Roll that stole my heart. I will definitely be back for more. PS: The service is really good, the guy behind the counter was all smiles! read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Menu - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This is really a takeout place, but they do have a few seats open and you can sit and eat by the window. I had an assortment of three veggie dishes for 9.95 and it was delicious and a very good value. read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

As a fellow Srilankan, I can vouch for the authenticity of the kothu roti here. Is there better kothu roti/ Sri Lankan food in Scarborough? - yes of course there is. But for what it is (a Srilankan restaurant located in the heart of t.dot), this place is wonderful! We had the tandoori wrap and spicy chicken kothu roti, and thoroughly enjoyed every last bite. I would recommend getting the chicken kothu roti or the lamb kothu roti, if you are looking for the "authentic" Srilankan Taste. read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Spicy chicken kothu roti - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Delicious, flavourful, abundant meal. I tried the butter chicken roti as well as the lamb roti. What they do differently is chop up the roti and mix it in with the dish rather than wrap it up. For someone that doesn't eat spicy food, I found the mild to be spicy, but I imagine it would be a nice kick for someone who enjoys spicy food. This is a takeout place with a few bar stools available. The service was good, food was made to order and fast. Would definitely return. read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Butter chicken with chopped roti...Recommended - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This was my first go at Sri Lankan food in the downtown core, and I'm very impressed! I'm a little surprised as they don't seem to advertise the fact that kothu is a Sri Lankan dish, but it's basically like the poutine of Sri Lanka...but more people actually eat it for a meal than we devour poutine as a meal here. And like poutine, it is also the perfect post-2am food to have, being incredibly flavourful and filling. The price point of around $10 for 1 kothu is higher than I would have expected, but not too surprising given it's location of Queen and Spadina. But service was friendly and quick for something made on the spot. I had 2 kouthu's (chicken and lamb) to go for a friend's house party and it was very well received by all present. I personally preferred the lamb since the chicken one was made using Chicken Tikka, I guess trying to appear familiar to the crowds here? And they seem to have super cheap samosa's too (but some reviews here make me a little hesitant of checking those out). But if you're looking for something you've likely not had before (or maybe even heard of) I highly recommend checking out Saffron and ordering their kothu. Pro tip: it's much better spicy than bland. read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Cheap Samosas - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Kothu (diced) rotti Having eaten a lot of kothu in my life back in Scarborough and Sri Lanka, have to say this is a good option for those of us downtown. The kothu was delivered to us late at night and paired well with barolos, amarone, and Malbec we had that night. Repeat: Perhaps, I tend to eat kothu rotti mostly when I'm in Sri Lanka :) read more

Love this place for authentic Sri Lankan Burgher cuisine. I recommend trying the Lamprais special on Saturdays!

Yummm. I ordered the chicken tikka kothu roti from the friendly staff for $11.24. My plan was to get it to go, hop on the streetcar, and then eat it at home. The kothu roti had other plans... It gave off an aroma that screamed "I AM UNBELIEVABLY FLAVOURFUL. EAT ME NOW." So I did. It was absolutely delicious and lived up to the aroma. Best part was that I got to annoy a racist guy on the streetcar who started scowling when he smelled the food, and went on to use a racial slur at me for just sitting there silently and eating. The magical kothu roti blocked his ugly vibes and I continued to eat, unbothered. I guess some people don't like seasoning... Sucks for y'all. The portion was so generous that it provided me with lunch the next day too :) Yay! read more

One of my go to take-away restaurants. Their Kothu roti is always fresh, flavourful & filling. It's like a cuddle in my mouth... I always request special spice levels and they're so accommodating and kind! I love the abundance of flavour in the K-roti.. I always get the butter chicken variation and it's soooo tasty. Last time I changed things up and got the lamb wrap which I'd highly recommend! Lots of packed yummy veggies and SE-Asian spices. Pairs well with the mango lassi whoop whoop. Thanks Saffron team! Always so tastyyyyyyy read more

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MUST TRY: Lamb Kothu Roti The menu is small. I like how they focus on a few things and do them well. Lamb kothu roti comes with a good portion. Looks a bit like a box of poutine at first. Best for sharing between 2 people. Kothu Roti is similar to Char Kway Teow. It is a stirfry, consisting of bits of roti (similar texture to rice noodles) and egg, meat, onion, cabbage, spices, and other vegetables. It's fast and delicious! Sample of 3-4 meals read more

- Lamb Kothu roti ($13 after tax): very flavourful and lots of spices I would say. This is the first time I tried kothu roti, these thinned roti slices in this dish tasted just like noodles lol. They gave good amount of meat and veggies. My bf and I shared this dish we were both so full in the end. - Mango lassi ($3.33 after tax): it tastes like mango slush with yogurt added, went pretty well with the food. - Portion: generous, recommend to share with someone else because the kothu roti might get boring as you eat - Price: pretty cheap even though a box is more than $10, but it can be shared between two people read more

Saffron Spice Kitchen - Lamb Kothu Roti $13 after tax - Indian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Did an uber eats order so can't speak to the dine in experience, however the portions and food were great. Order included two combos (ends up being a lot of rice, two people could probably do one combo and one main with the amount of rice in a combo) Tried the Chana (excellent) Butter Chicken (very good) Red Dal (okay) Palek Panner (very good) Lamb curry (can't recall the name sorry) excellent Also reheated leftovers and still really tasty (which also indicates some sizeable portions) looking forward to another order to try the Roti options too!! read more

It was Boxing day in Toronto (essentially Canada's Black Friday) and my fiancee and I just touched down. It was 9:00pm at night and we walked from Union Station to our hotel in 10 degree weather (dying). After settling in, we decided we were hungry and found this spot open and decided to go. We have never had kothu roti which is what brought us here so it's difficult to say "Meh, I've experienced better" but we weren't too impressed overall. We ended up going with the butter chicken kothu roti (medium spice), a samosa, water, and a mango lassi. For the price (~$11 CAD), the kothu roti was quite dense. Flavor wise, I wish we would have went spicier. Perhaps they were holding back but I didn't find kothu roti to be anything special. The samosa was even blander and was kind of cold when we ate it and the lassi was decent. All in all, wasn't too impressed and not sure if I would come back if I was living in Toronto. read more

This place serves amazing wholesome tasty food! Lentil and veges are my favourite. The meats are good too. I can't handle the spice of their famous kothu Roti, but it smells amazing and I'm told it's legit!! Lovely staff, always quick and helpful after a rough day of work, when all you want is nourishing tasty food! read more

Small, very, very small. So small that they looked at us like we were crazy for wanting to eat there. I asked for a taste of masala & butter sauces. He grabbed spoons by the part you put in your mouth without gloves and dipped each into the sauces. YUCK! I was shocked and horrified but couldn't unsee what just happened and felt committed at that point so we stayed. The chicken tikka masala was ok. The butter chicken was ridiculously hot. No options for different heat levels of sauces. When we asked for mild butter, we were told to pick another sauce (masala). Naan was bread. Certainly not the clay oven naan that I love. This place is ok. Just ok. Call me a fat American but for the $25 for 2 small meals, we both agreed that we should've gone to a buffet. read more

One star for the low price point but that's all I can say. Food was okay but butter chicken had maybe maximum 4 pieces of chicken and "naan" was a toasted pita. Can't believe they are charging extra for "naan" that I can get from a grocery store. You get what you pay for.... read more