Tag Archives: Annex

Nataraj

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394 Bloor W,
(416) 928-2925

Whenever I go to an East-Indian restaurant, I always order the same thing. I look for something memorable, unique, and something I can pinpoint as a place that I’d like to go back and visit. This is not the place. The food is incredibly bland and it did not taste very fresh. The place was crowded so this means that this place must be good, but I was wrong. The experience was not memorable and the food was tasteless. I had a vegetable curry and channa (chick pea curry). The place was not bad and I may visit sometime in the future but there was no flare, no spark, nothing that I could take back with me and talk with my friends about. It was “blah.”
The place is quite large, tables are small and close together, dimly lit, fairly simple ambiance, accepts Interac, and VISA/Mastercard. Located on the corner of Bloor and Brunswick in the trendy Annex neighbourhood

Magic Oven

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 6 Wellesley St.W.                                                                                                             T:416.929.7888                                                                                                                         

798 Danforth Ave.
T: 416.462.0333

127 Jefferson Ave.
T: 416.539.0555

270 Dupont St.
T: 416.928.1555

788 Broadview Ave.
T: 416.466.0111

The place contains a funky variety of pizza combinations, with health in mind. It offers a variety of specialty pastas, salads and chicken wings. Owned by an East Indians, the place has non-mainstream varieties of pizza that depart from its Italian roots. Magic Oven’s focus is on take-out so don’t expect wonderful ambiance. We usually eat across the street by the grassy area next to Broadview subway station.

They deliver as far as Woodbine (going east) and as far as Yonge (going west). and Eastern (going south) and Summerhill (going north). Pizza varieties differ in colour, flavour, spice, and ethnicity. The menu is online at http://www.magicoven.com/menu/MagicMenu.pdf. The pizzas are come in Organic Spelt and Gluten free varieties and contain Organic Non-Dairy and Rennet Free Cheese. Some are Dairy Free and Vegan. The pizza I ordered was extremely healthy.

It was made thinly with organic spelt flour and sauteed spinach. artichokes, olives, sun dried tomatoes, green and red peppers, and onions, without any cheese. That is the slice of pizza I chose. There are a large selection of soft drinks, juices, desserts, and East Indian and West Indian speciality sodas. Most of the food is made before your eyes, with the exception of some of the popular pizza slices. There are many options for the vegetarian and the vegan.

Future Bakery

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483 Bloor W
(416) 922-5875

Located right in the heart of the Annex at Brunswick and Bloor, this cafeteria style cafe is funky, urban, trendy, and has a beautiful summer patio (terrace) where people can chill and gather with friends for light food and good coffee. Similarly designed like Marche Movenpick, this place has kiosks that serve coffee, cake, pastries, grilled items, all divided into three main areas.

The vegetarian chili is a bit watery but excellent nonetheless. There are no waitresses (unless you request table service by the patio). For the most part, Future Bakery resembles a mini “Marche Movenpick” where people order and wait for food.  Dishes are served quickly and efficiently. Salad selections are plentiful and affordable. Many dessert selections (huge pieces of cake, pie, and squares) are offered ($4-$7 per slice). Future Bakery does not make their own desserts. 

Open very very late and often times very crowded. Mostly caters to the University of Toronto scene.  A great place to hang out and people watch. Offers both table service (outdoor patio) or takeout.

Indian Rice Factory

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414 Dupont
(416) 961-3472

Located at the corner of Dupont and Spadina in the Annex, this elegant, high end Indian restaurant serves the freshest, more flavourful Indian food in the city. I went with my partner at the time for New Years and the bill came out to $85.00 for two people, including the entree, wine, hor d’oeuvres, and dessert. The portions are small but the service is excellent. I had aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower) and channa (chick pea curry) with nan bread (fluffy white pita with butter). Dimly lit with romantic ambiance, nicely set tables, tablecloth, this place was a truly fine place to dine. Reservations only. Limited seating, simple, non- kitschy decor, and calm, a soothing dining experience.

SpaHa (closed in 2004)

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66 Harbord Street
416-260-6133
This hip, trendy cafe is named after the two intersecting streets (Spadina and Harbord). This cafe serves meals to cater to the U of T students with money. The decor is trendy with glass tables and funky chairs, and art decor ambiance makes this place the ultimate hangout for people watching and just hanging out. The food is good but nothing unique. Located in the heart of U of T, this funky small restaurant serves trendy salads, soups, and light meals.

Serra

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378 Bloor W
(416) 944-9211

You want a trendy place with tiny portions, oversize plates, with a pretentious atmosphere, then try Serra in the Annex. With small glass tables, close together, the place serves Italian meals, very elegant and high-end cuisine at expensive prices. I had a pasta dish with tampanade and sauteed vegetables. Since I am on a low carboyhydrate diet, there was no problem since the portions were tiny. The bread was exquisite with different dips ranging from a spicy humus in a tiny little dipping bowl to a funky tapanade. The plates are oversize, the prices are ridiculous and the food is very very good. The pasta dish was fabulous, exploding with the aroma and flavour of olive oil, delicate herbs and spices, chunks of olives, garlic, tomatoes, artichokes, and grilled eggplant.

Fresh by Juice for Life

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Old location:
521 Bloor W, (416) 531-2635

894 Queen Street West
416-913-2720

New location on Bloor Street West :
326 Bloor Street West
416-531-2635
147 Spadina Avenue
416-599-4442

 Web site: www.juiceforlife.com, now (2009)- http://www.freshrestaurants.ca

Funky, colourful, cool, totally vegetarian and vegan friendly restaurant in the Annex, and another satellite location on Queen West. The food is expensive and completely vegetarian or vegan. The decor is trendy, busy, tables close together with little room to move around. The ambiance is funky and trendy. The tables are plain and the seats are hard and slightly uncomfortable.

There is a wide selection of fruit and vegetable juices and power smoothies and if you choose to dine alone, you can eat at the bar. I usually order a Power shake like the Chai Chiller, or the Date Almond Super Powershake, or the Blueberry Dreams. All shakes contain vanilla soy milk, bananas, other fruits, some protein and vitamin supplments, and other ingredients. I have been a frequent visitor to Juice for Life and I have always loved their shakes. 16oz shakes are $4.95, Super powershakes 16 oz are $5.95 and the larger sizes are $8.95 and $9.95 respectively. For my meal, there are items like a variety of funky salads, similar to Montreal’s Cafe Santropol and a variety of soups, salads, chili, veggie burgers, and fabulous, unique, and funky rice and noodle dishes. They also serve alcoholic drinks like beer and wine.

There are spicy Thai veggie burgers with Thai peanut sauce smothered on a veggie burger, and a variety of red bean, black bean, and Indian style chick pea wraps. If you want to add tofu steaks or a side of grilled tempeh, it costs an extra $1.00.

The average price for lunch and dinner entrees are the same $7.95-$10.95 and that’s expensive for a rice or noodle dish. Most of the dishes comprise of rice and a medley of vegetables. Some dishes I love are “The Beach”, “The Buddha”, “Ninja”, “Dragon” “Green Goddess”, “The Warrior”. There are a variety of delicious wraps: “The Kathmandu Wrap”, “The Black Bean Burrito”, “Red Bean Adzuki Wrap”, and the “Grilled Vegetable Wrap”. It’s important to add grilled tofu steaks or grilled tempeh if these dishes do not offer them. The grilled tofu and grilled tempeh is “to die for.” Some of the dishes are distinctly Asian and some are Indian in flavour.

The restaurant used to have a more “political” feel, that is, animal rights propaganda used to be placed on the walls and there are some anti-meat posters alongside the juice bar. Since opening its first restaurant on Bloor near Bathurst in the Annex (in 1995) the animal rights propaganda has literally disappeared over the years. As of 2004, there are other “Fresh by Juice For Life” locations at Queen near Spadina, and Queen near Shaw (where the old brunch place “Triple X” used to be. Since 1995, the Juice for Life has since changed brands to “Fresh by Juice for Life” and has basically become mainstream, with proper tables, booths, and fancy mirrors and cool and funky artwork on the walls.

There are a couple of booths in the back but most of the restaurant are composed of tables. The restaurant staff are eccentric and funky and most of the clientele are students or artists in their late 20’s. The food is fresh, portions are decent, but the prices are high for the type of food in this trendy, hip eatery.

Annapurna

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1085 Bathurst Street
416-537-8513

Annapurna, located right at Bathurst and Dupont, in the upper Annex, is considered one of the oldest vegetarian restaurants in Canada. They serve healthy vegetarian and vegan food in Indian and Italian style. Some items to mention are three soups made fresh everyday, including French onion soup. Other dishes include the Masala Dosa, a south-Indian crepe filled with spicy potatoes, lentil puree, served with coconut chutney. They also have fresh fruit smoothies (lassis) made with yogourt, soya milk, or fruit only. I have ordered a medly or Indian dishes here and have always left feeling happy, light, and refreshed. This food will not make you feeling bloated and full but feeling energized as the food is light and healthy.

As mentioned on other reviews, Annapurna has been serving tofu and bean sprouts before it became North American trendy.

Decor is plain and simple, in a cosy, intimate dining area of less than ten tables, surrounded by books and literature on meditation, spirituality, in an earthy green and earth-toned decor. The menu is contains food that is additive-free, low salt and low fat.

The food is cheap, vegetarian, flavourful, and very creative. I ordered the daily special – a plate of soy spaghetti with a zesty tomato sauce. It was about $5.95. They have Indian drinks called Lassis (a yogourt shake with mango, plain sweet, or plain salty) and some traditional Indian dishes. They also serve non-Indian vegetarian dishes as well. Every dish is made so healthy, light, and fresh, one may forget that this place is vegetarian. This place is non-political, non-ideological, and not trendy. Prices are quite low ($5-$8 for an entree).

Green Room

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296 Brunswick Avenue
(416) 929-3253

Open Mon 12am-2am, 11am-2am; Tue-Sat 11am-2am; Sun 11am-12am

Hidden behind Future Bakery in the Annex, this place can be categorized as grungy, earthy, funky, smoky, and ecclectic. With mismatched chairs and a dark, pub-like ambiance, this casual bar/cafe is a great place to hang out and enjoy some decent vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes, all at a cheap prices.

Quality is not high, but most patrons go for the alcohol, not the food.  Green room, like its sister cafe Red Room, offer a large variety of beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages.