Category Archives: Uncategorized

Al-Madina

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1008 Danforth Avenue
(416) 778-8881

Located right at Danforth and Donlands, this place serves East Indian food for really good prices, all within the $5.95-$7.95 price. This is my kind of restaurant. There are some vegetarian options but not many. I went on March 7th, 2004 with two friends and we enjoyed the Lunch buffet for $4.95. Seats about 15-20 people, small place but nice and cosy, fast food type of ambiance. I had the daal (lentil soup) type sauce with green bean and potato curry and fried corn fritters, similar to a vegetable pekora.

For dessert, we had this orange semolina flour dessert that tasted like rice pudding but was made with orange semolina flour, cloves, ginger, and sugar. Semi smooth, semi lumpy like old-fashioned homemade pudding. Our chai tea was authentic and home made and only $1.00.

Can’t complain at all. The overall ambiance is fast-food, not shi shi poo poo like many Indian restaurants in Toronto. I would highly recommend this place because the cook/owner kept on refilling the buffet platters with fresh food. For dinner, the buffet is $6.95 but the cook/owner told me that you could choose the buffet or order straight from the menu. Most of the menu consisted of meat dishes and vegetarian items were sparse. They accept cash, Interac, and VISA!

Curry Twist

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3034 Dundas Street West.
416-769-5460
Far out west, on the ouskirts of the city lies an area named “The Junction”, home to a lovely little restaurant named Curry Twist. I’ve wanted to try this restaurant for awhile now, but due to its disparate location I’ve avoided it until now. In recent months, I’ve tried to expand the nature of my food wanderings to encompass more parts of the city that I have never been. Having worked in Scarborough, I was able to try a host of restaurants, finding some hidden gems in an otherwise sea of strip malls and chain restaurants. It’s always a pleasure to “discover” new areas of the city you’ve lived in all your life.

After the long haul to get out there, we were greeted to a mix of wonderful Indian spiced aromas upon entering the establishment. The place itself is clean, quiet and altogether a lovely venue for a dining experience. Compared to somewhere like Nataraj, a bustling and busy place which I had visited the week before, Curry Twist offers a much more laid back and somewhat romantic atmosphere.

The service was quick and pleasant. Shortly after we were seated, we decided on an appetizer of bread rolls stuffed with a mixture of spiced potatoes, green peas, fresh coriander and ginger. We shared this simple but tasty dish as well as our mains which consisted of the typical butter chicken and not-as-typical saag paneer. The butter chicken came served in an interesting metal bucket complete with a metal handle and had a rich, creamy tomato flavour. I had never tried the saag paneer before, which appears to be a type of cheese cooked in a strong green sauce. To me, the sauce looked and tasted like a very strong pesto. Both dishes were well prepared with a host of subtle tastes, though they were both missing the usual spiciness I’ve become accustomed to in Indian food.

Altogether, the meal was quick, reasonably priced (about $20 each) and good. My only complaint would be the lack of spice, I like my Indian turned up a notch.

Avli

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I went to Avli first a number of years ago with my friend Gary. This is Gary’s favourite Greek restaurant, but alas, he has moved to Israel, so he cannot go back too often. I can, & that’s a good thing.

Avli is a surprisingly bright restaurant, with friendly & accomodating waiters. I didn’t gfeel "required" to buy a tonne of booze, which can happen at some places. This is on the Danforth & is a greek restaurant, but it feel way nicer than Mr. Greek/Friendly Greek which are more along the lines of fast food.

I am glad that many items on the menu come in 2 different portion sizes. I ordered the small lamb shank. I saw them walk by with someone else’s large order & it was dinosaur sized, so for me, a relatively smaller person, this was a very good thing. I am very happy I ordered it though, it was soooooo gooood. I’d never had lamb shank before & didn’t know what it would be like, but it was so tender you didn’t really neeed a knife, the meat just fell off the bone. Served on top of a bed of orzo in a light tomato sauce, this meal was totally enjoyable, start to finish.

 

 

Byzantium [Winterlicious 2004]

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499 Church St 
416.922.3859 

I went to Byzantium twice so far, once for Winterlicious 2004 and enjoyed a boring thin-crust vegetarian pizza and an organic salad with raisins, cranberries ,and pumpkin seeds in a raspberry viniagrette- typical trendy salad and pizza. My latest visit to Byzantium was last Saturday night.

I went with 5 friends and we all chose this trendy spot in the village. I dressed “trendy casual”- … whatever the hell that means. Let me start off with the good points- the food is excellent and the service is excellent, quick, efficient, attentive, and staff are warm and friendly. The prices on the other are retarded. I order a tofu dish with two layers of tofu with a squash and sweet potato pudding/casserole filling that was layered with more tofu, and mango chutney for $17.00.

The dish looked like a glorified tofu sandwich with fancy jam (mango chutney), squash, and sweet potato filling. The dish came with yummy roasted vegetables (spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower) and a side dish of lentils that were highly spicy, in a nice hot red sauce. The dish was excellent and the portions were just right. I was not impressed with the price of my dish and all other prices on the menu.

Only a moron like me would pay $17.00 for tofu. One friend across from me had a cornish hen, another had a lamb curry on a funky, slanted plate and other friends had other meaty dishes like steak. Byzantium is also known for Martinis and my friend Aaron sure enjoyed many of them- one in particular was a spicy Martini with olives in it. He also ordered a pink Martini that looked like it could have been spiked grapefruit juice, such a shame that they were so expensive.

While waiting the friendly waiter brought out crispy bread (similar to Pappadums at most Indian restaurants), fresh cranberry whole grain bread, with a small platter of hummus. The decor is very chiche, trendy, urban, and hip. It’s obviously the place to be on Saturday night because after 11pm, the restaurant turns into a dance club and the lineups begin. We got a table right in front so we could see the people lining up just to enjoy the ambiance of a hip and cool place and an overpriced martini.

Towards the end of the evening, we had been there over four hours, dined on delicious food, enjoyed a prime sitting area (a large table right at the window in front of the restaurant) and our bill for 6 people came out to over $200.00

I found the place very pretentious, too expensive, and too trendy for my likings. I also found that there were not enough vegetarian items. Upon browsing the menu, I only found two vegetarian items –The Vegetarian Delight Platter and Thin-crust vegetarian pizza, Greek style. I was uncomfortable that at the end of the evening, it became a dance club, with very loud music, a lot of smoke, and way too many people roaming about schmoozing and trying too hard to be cool. I suppose it’s nice to go to trendy places from time to time, and dress up. I did find my meal very tasty and all other dishes were very attractive in their presentation and everyone seemed to really enjoy their meal. My experience at Byzantium was positive because of the good company, good food, and overall great service. Just be prepared to be ripped off and eat beforehand as trendy places tend to be skimpy on the portions.

Dynasty [Winterlicious Lunch 2004]

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131 Bloor Street West, Second Floor

416-923-3323

 

For the Winterlicious Food Festival, my friend and I visited Dynasty Chinese Cuisine. The place was described as having authentic Chinese cuisine in a casual setting. It is true that Dynasty seemed casual, but it was also noisy, and at the same time, slightly too upscale for me.

Dynasty is conveniently located right on the edge of Yorkville on the north side of Bloor, between Bay and Queen’s Park, across from the Chapters on Bloor. The menu is over 15 pages and there are many vegetarian selections as well as an assortment of fish, chicken, pork, and meat dishes.

Some menu highlights include a daily dim sum and many specialties including Peking Duck, General Tao’s Chicken, Shark Fin Soup, and live fresh seafood.

Service is friendly. Reservations are recommended. Average cost per person including tip is roughly $40 not including drinks of appetizer. [OUCH]

Entrees range from $13.95-$68.00 per person. Portions are small but decor, ambiance, and food presentation are stellar.

For our meals my friend ordered an order of pork ribs in a plum dipping sauce. For his entree, he ordered cashew chicken which was aromatic and colourful. I ordered the vegetarian dumplings that came without any sauce so I used the dijon mustard that was already on the table. For my entree, I ordered braised tofu with vegetables. I skipped the white rice that came with the meal. What is braised anyway? The dish looked like plain tofu stir-fry that lacked any flavour. The sauce was a plain soya sauce. Although it was tasty and not greasy, I was disappointed that my stir-fry lacked any flavour.

Live lobsters and crab can be observed from the dining hall and will always intrigue young children to stray away from their parents and sit by the table and stare at the fish with great curiosity. We happened to be sitting at the place where children started hovering around us watching the mysterious creatures as they swim about in complete and utter congestion. Cash, Interac, and all major credit cards accepted

Not Just Noodles

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570 Yonge Street
416-960-8898

 

Conveniently located at Yonge and Wellesley, this casual sit down and take out place serves Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai dishes. They also serve Bubble Tea, a delicious cold beverage with tea, ice, tapioca bubbles, and flavour. Bubble Tea originates from Taiwan and I love Bing Sa, a smooth, slushy like beverage made with frozen fruit puree, tapioca bubbles, and blended to a creamy smoothy icy drink.

The restaurant
sits about three tables on the main floor and about ten tables on the second floor. My friend ordered the sweet and sour chicken balls. She said they were tasty but doughy. I ordered the tofu stir fry with bok choy and shitaki mushrooms in a veggie sauce. Warning: all veggie dishes are not just noodles are made in an oyster sauce so if you are a true vegetarian, please specify.

Menu is divided into the following: Thai and Vietnamese sections, Stir Fried Noodle and Veggie and Beef or Chicken dishes, Fried Rice dishes, Dim Sum, Noodle Soups in Chicken or Beef broth, regular soups (beef or chicken broth), appetizers, pork, chicken, seafood, and beef main dishes, as well as a list of vegetarian dishes. Please specify that you are a “true” vegetarian if you do not mind oyster sauce or chicken/beef broth in your beloved vegetarian dishes. All dishes come with steamed white rice.

Mostly serving Chinese fare, there are 2 small sections devoted to Thai and Vietnamese cuisine like Pho (Vietnamese) and Pad Thai (Thai). Offers dinner specials (choice of one specially selected item for $9.50, up to 6 items from a special set of dishes for $48.95). Bubble tea is $2.95 (small) and $3.45 (large) and add 50 cents for Bing Sa (slush). Fresh fruit bubble tea is $3.75 (small) and $4.75 (large).

Prices are between $4.95-$9.95 and portions are decent. Dishes come with rice and Interac and cash are accepted.

Open Mon-Sat 11am-1am. Sunday 12 pm noon- 1am. Offers take out, delivery, and catering services. Free delivery for orders over $18 before taxes. Delivery service is from 5pm-11pm. Fast and friendly service but speak slowly as English is NOT their first language so if you are a hard core vegetarian, they will probably fuck up. MSG-free dishes available upon request.

Swan

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892 Queen West
416.532.0452

Walking inside the restaurant (if you call it that) I was greeted with
a quasi retro fifties diner vibe. The front half of the space is well
lit and narrowed by a bar with vinyl covered bar seats. Across from the
bar are tables with narrow booths seating 2-4 people. More tables are
available towards the back (and less lit) -end of the restaurant.

Good
luck finding a space for more than four people. The place doesn’t take
reservations and it becomes packed on brunch weekends. The atmosphere
was generally cool with white walls. The lukewarm heating system didn’t
make us feel any cozier eating in the middle of January.

I would
recommend visiting this place in the summer, when there is less winter
gear clutter, with the sun’s rays warming up the atmosphere. It’s a great
place to gab with a couple friends on a summery Sunday morning. After
eating you may better enjoy touring Queen West.

The brunch meals were adequate and generally well portioned. I had eggs,
but eggs are eggs. Nothing in the Omelette stood out. One of their
specialties are their clams and mussels which no one tried. Mark was the only one who ordered a non-egg meal- the warm half- grapefruit with a sprinkle of brown sugar with the vegetarian split pea soup. He seemed quite happy with his meal, but he was disappointed that there were not enough vegetarian and vegan items.

The menu has that funky bacon called Pancetta. It’s an oily meat to
consume for a first meal of the day, nontheless, bacon eaters dig in!
Service was friendly and very accomodating. Make sure you ask for no ice
in the juices, or you’ll be sitting with watered down orange juice.

-Jonathan Isenberg

Only Cafe, The

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972 Danforth Ave.

phone number: 416-463-7843

The Only Cafe is a small, cosy, neighbourhood bar/cafe right on Danforth between Donlands and Jones. The place is the epitome of "non-trendy". The tables and plates are mismatched and the place is actually small but sits about fifteen small tables. The place is filled with quirky Van Gogh prints and 60’s and 70’s photos of musical icons like the Beattles, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, and Joni Mitchell.

I have gone here many times and always enjoy the Sunday brunch. I order the Belgium Waffle with Fruit, whipped cream and salad. It usually comes with bacon or sausage but I skip it for extra salad and fruit. The portions are huge, staff are very accomodating and there is a huge variety of salad dressings like Mango Vinegar, Sundried Tomato Oil, Garlic Oil, and Balsamic Vinegar.

I also have ordered the Bay of Quinte, an open-faced sandwich with your choice of over ten different kinds of bread, melted cheddar cheese, pesto, two large tomatoes, with an organic green salad. Prices are affordable ($5.95-$7.95) and decor is funky, hip, and very non-pretentious. It reminds me of a neighbourhood bar, like the fictional "Cheers," where everyone knows your name…

Unlimited coffee is served and the brunch menu is limited but the dishes are creative (breakfast burrito, cowgirl breakfast, cowboy breakfast, stuffed French toast with cream cheese and fruit, and French toast dipped in banana nut oatmeal.

Overall, The Only Cafe serves fresh, filling food, large portions, and staff are friendly and accomodating. They know their food very well and are able to answer questions about ingrediants and preparation. For example, the owner informed me that the refried beans are made with lard. YUCK!

Decor is funky and unique and although there is a limited vegetarian menu, the staff are accomodating. I would recommend this place for everyone.

 

Skylark Restaurant- Indian and Mughlai cuisine

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1433 Gerrard E
(416) 469-1500

My friend Paulo and I were roaming around Little India and we did not know where to eat. We came upon this restaurant and looked inside. We were cold (it’s winter now in Toronto) and we wanted somewhere to warm up and eat. The owner of the small restaurant saw us and came to greet us and told us that this place has the best Indian cuisine.

We went in to order. The menu was quite large and they had a buffet special. I am not too fond of buffets so I ordered from the menu. I ordered the okra, tomato, and onion curry, known as Bhindi Dopiazza, which was super yummy, but slightly oily. In addition, I ordered the chick pea curry, known as Channa. The channa was different than other channas since the chick peas were slightly mushy and mashed up but the curry sauce was thick and hearty.

Paulo ordered the butter chicken and he seemed to really like it. He also ordered an order of nan bread and cauliflower and potato curry, known as aloo gobi. All of our dishes were large and plentiful and they were hot and fresh. I was impressed by the price too. The Channa was $4.50 and the Bhindi Dopiazza was $5.49 but those were “takeout menu” prices. Paulo’s aloo gobi was $5.49 and the butter chicken was $7.99

The service was swift, friendly, and the ambiance was plain. Although the menu does not include drinks, I did see a patron order the famous Indian spiced tea, known as Chai. Think of it as a spicy milky beverage that’s actually a tea.

Pulp Kitchen, post renovation [Mark]

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898 Queen Street E
416 . 461 . 4612
http://www.pulpkitchen.ca

I originally visited this place when it was a juice bar in summer 2002 and really liked the selection of fruit smoothies and vegetable juices. I went in late December with a friend and to my surprise they now serve a full meals and most dishes are vegan and healthy. My friend and I ordered the vegan Phad Thai, which consisted of glass rice noodles, chunks of tofu, homemade peanut sauce, and a lot of vegetables, all sauteed in a nice stir-fry.

We also had a thick delicious smoothie with vanilla soy milk, wheatgrass, spirulina, raspberries, strawberries ,and bananas. It was terrific. We also shared a warm salad of sauteed mushrooms, green beans, long cucumber slivers, and sauteed tofu in a rice vinegar type dressing. The salad was heavenly, not too greasy but the viniagrette was perfect. In addition we each ordered five vegan dumplings with homemade peanut sauce. What a healthy feast!

Decor is funky and tables are not too cramped together. Large front window makes the place bright during the day. The place has about 10-15 tables, sells protein and energy bars, fairly traded products, and they sell healthy desserts, bars, squares, cakes, and still runs as a juice, smoothie, and vegetable juice bar. Located right in the heart of South Riverdale, I will definitely go back. The menu is similar to Juice for Life, without the artsy-fartsy pretentiousness. The bill came out to $45.00 which was kind of pricy but the quality and service was excellent. Staff are very friendly and knowledgable with respect to food content and health benefits of the dishes.