LEAVING: DOSA MAHAL, RESTAURANT

PHOTO BY John Nicolas Jerney

"I want to go back.”

This was Naomi Logan talking about the restaurant she had operated with her family in Bloordale for the past decade. Since March 2018, when Dosa Mahal suffered damage from a nearby fire, Logan and her family have been locked out. In a dispute between a landlord demanding back rent and the restaurateurs whose insurance company believe that all legal requirements have been satisfied, the Bloordale community has picked a side. To date, the “Save Dosa Mahal” Facebook group has raised more than $8,000 toward the Logan’s legal fees.

“They are our friends and family.”

Since arriving in Canada 30 years ago via Singapore, Naomi has found her happiness in preparing food for the people of Bloordale. “My passion is with young people. They are coming from their homes, sometimes [from] far away. So I give them food and I’m asking [about] their situation, their family, all the time talking with them.”

Those connections have now faded to memory. Dosa Mahal has left Bloordale for now, and its return is uncertain. Naomi, her family, and the community continue to fight.

“I gave (the community) almost 30 years."