It took only eight weeks for restaurateur Johnson Yohannan to transform the midtown spot formerly occupied by Mimosa into Chakra, a warm and contemporary Indian restaurant. However, the eatery—which opened its doors in the Yonge and Eglinton neighbourhood late last month—has been in the works for more than a decade. "I've been wanting to do an Indian restaurant for about 11 years," Yohannan said. "I decided the time was right about a year ago and I started searching for a site in a key downtown area. This neighbourhood is exactly that. It's a wonderful neighbourhood but it's got a nice business component to it as well."
Yohannan worked with Cricket Design Company Inc. to transform the interior of the space. "We wanted to have a very contemporary feel to the restaurant that had elements of India in and around it. It's not blatant, but it's there," he said. A series of brightly coloured paintings and sketches by American artist Gregory Burns—reflecting scenes from Rajasthan, India—inspired the red, orange, and gold colour scheme for the restaurant.The 2,300-square-foot main-floor dining room, which seats 100, has a granite-topped bar surrounded by cream-colored leather stools. An oversize framed mirror hangs on the wall above the bar, which also features a glass tile backsplash. A small open kitchen—complete with a tandoor oven—is positioned directly across from the bar, creating a narrow walkway to the rear of the dining room. Banquette seating, in cranberry and chocolate brown, runs along both walls. Small glass light fixtures in amber and red hang above the tables, which are draped in white linens.
A private dining area on the lower level can hold as many as 60 people. The 1,200-square-foot room features walls painted in cream, terra-cotta, and slate blue. White linens top wooden tables, and a small granite-topped bar sits in a corner. "In and around this area, there aren't many options [for private dining], so we think that's a wonderful scenario," Yohannan said.
Dishes on the menu include pomegranate prawns in banana leaf, Alaskan crab and Gulf shrimp curry, chakra dhal, Tandoori Cornish hen, and lamb boti kebab. "We've focused on trying to provide an Indian menu that offers the classic Indian recipes but prepared in a very modern, culinary manner. The focus is on ingredients," Yohannan said. "We look for premium products, but we want to keep it at a casual, elegant level. We're not fine dining."
The restaurant is open daily and is available for private bookings. Chakra also offers off-site catering.
Yohannan worked with Cricket Design Company Inc. to transform the interior of the space. "We wanted to have a very contemporary feel to the restaurant that had elements of India in and around it. It's not blatant, but it's there," he said. A series of brightly coloured paintings and sketches by American artist Gregory Burns—reflecting scenes from Rajasthan, India—inspired the red, orange, and gold colour scheme for the restaurant.The 2,300-square-foot main-floor dining room, which seats 100, has a granite-topped bar surrounded by cream-colored leather stools. An oversize framed mirror hangs on the wall above the bar, which also features a glass tile backsplash. A small open kitchen—complete with a tandoor oven—is positioned directly across from the bar, creating a narrow walkway to the rear of the dining room. Banquette seating, in cranberry and chocolate brown, runs along both walls. Small glass light fixtures in amber and red hang above the tables, which are draped in white linens.
A private dining area on the lower level can hold as many as 60 people. The 1,200-square-foot room features walls painted in cream, terra-cotta, and slate blue. White linens top wooden tables, and a small granite-topped bar sits in a corner. "In and around this area, there aren't many options [for private dining], so we think that's a wonderful scenario," Yohannan said.
Dishes on the menu include pomegranate prawns in banana leaf, Alaskan crab and Gulf shrimp curry, chakra dhal, Tandoori Cornish hen, and lamb boti kebab. "We've focused on trying to provide an Indian menu that offers the classic Indian recipes but prepared in a very modern, culinary manner. The focus is on ingredients," Yohannan said. "We look for premium products, but we want to keep it at a casual, elegant level. We're not fine dining."
The restaurant is open daily and is available for private bookings. Chakra also offers off-site catering.
The bar at Chakra
Photo: BizBash
Cream-colored leather stools provide seating at the small granite-topped bar on the main floor.
Photo: BizBash
The main-floor dining room features a mix of tables with chairs and banquette seating.
Photo: BizBash
Paintings by Gregory Burns, which hang throughout the 3,500-square-foot restaurant, inspired the contemporary decor.
Photo: BizBash
A small open kitchen, complete with a tandoor oven, is situated across from the bar on the main floor.
Photo: BizBash
The lower level features a private dining area for 60.
Photo: BizBash
A small granite-topped bar sits in the corner of the private dining room.
Photo: BizBash
