Tag Archives: lunch

Congee King

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 4271 Sheppard Ave E # B
(416) 293-1888

Prior to eating Congee for the first time, I was warned that it was “poor man’s chinese food”. This immediately set off alarm bells. But in the spirit of trying new things, I happily agreed on trekking out to this Scarberian establishment.

Congee is essentially overcooked, mushy rice that is supposed to be very healthy and passes for breakfast in China. To me, it resembles cream of wheat in both look and taste. My grandmother used to transform cream of wheat into her own creation we termed “Smiley Face”. She would sprinkle dabs of Quik cocoa powder for eyes, nose and mouth and then add sugar on top of that. She would tell me to eat my smiley face from the outside in so as to go from cool to hot. What a smart lady.

But I digress, substituting shrimp for the chocolate and sugar is simply no match. Congee ends up tasting like unsweetened cream of wheat even when dipping pieces of sweet bread in it like Congee King provides.

I’m not sure if this restaurant, as implied in the name, serves anything else. If you are looking to try something new, be my guest and try Congee at the King, but don’t say that I didn’t warn you.

Court Jester Pub, The

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609 Danforth Av
(416) 465-6247

Located right at Danforth and Pape, this non-pretentious pub not only has drinks but has a fabulous menu, very diverse with a great selection of food. The place is vegetarian friendly but not vegan friendly and is open very late. The brunch menu is definitely not cheap, but the portions are HUGE. I could not order anything from the brunch menu since all selections involve eggs or meat/sausage or pancakes. Oh well. There is a great outdoor terrace sits about four tables and accomodated for us (we were seven people). The food is very tasty and the prices are about $8-$10 for brunch and $10-$15 for lunch/dinner. The restaurant looks more like a pub and that’s really what it is afterall. This is a place where you can eat, drink, hang out, and relax for hours.

Zyng Asian Market and Noodlery (chain)

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730 Yonge
(416) 964-8410

Located right at Yonge and Charles, formally known as “Forkchops,” this Asian noodle restaurant chain fuses all type of Asian cuisine into one place. It does not feel like a chain so I really enjoy going here from time to time. Mostly serving Asian noodle dishes, visitors can enjoy Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese flavours amongst the dishes the staff prepare. All dishes are less than $10. The food is made right before your eyes and is considered pseudo-fast food.

Restaurant is not high-end, in fact, it has the casual feel. Tables inside are placed very close together so there is not much room for deep, intimate conversation. A summer terrace is placed at Yonge and Charles but the stink and car vapour and traffic and noise of Yonge street makes this a polluted experience. It is best to dine inside. I always order the same thing, “create your own noodle dish.”

I select a protein (Meat, Chicken, Seafood, Tofu or Zoya/TVP), a noodle, (Udon, Rice, Egg, etc..), a sauce (Szechuan, Thai, Teriyaki, Spicy Peanut ) and I give this order to the waiter. The waiter brings out a small bowl and I go to the raw vegetable bar and stack up on Portobello mushroom pieces, carrots, onions, green pepper, water chestnuts, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, and bean sprouts.

Bistro on Avenue and St. Louis Bar and Grill

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Bistro
1678 Avenue Road
(416) 783-1928‎

St. Louis Bar
2050 Yonge Street
(416) 480-0202‎

It was a tradition in high school, that each Tuesday night a bunch of us would head up Avenue Road past Lawrence for half price chicken wings at Bistro. Regardless of the length of the line, we would drool over the fatty wings and delicious creamy “white sauce”.

After University, the tradition continued at St. Louis Bar and Grill on Yonge St. just south of Eglinton. Both restaurants are owned by Louis Nemes and serve the same style wings, fries and sauce.

In the last year or so; however, the tradition has stopped. Partly due to the increasing knowledge that the wings were adversely affecting our body types and partly due to our expanding tastes. The wings are still pretty much the same, but for some reason they just aren’t as good.

St. Lawrence Market

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Having benefited from working downtown for several years, I had the luxury of trying many different foodstuffs in the downtown core. One of the regular places I visited was the Toronto landmark St. Lawrence Market. The Market is renowned for the “Peameal Bacon Sandwich”. I’ve tried this once and did not particulary enjoy it’s plain, salty taste; so do not expect to see any reviews of the varying degrees of this sandwich below.

Usually bustling with tourists and downtown jobbers over lunch, St. Lawrence Market offers a wide variety of independently owned, fresh and almost homecooked food. Here is a sampling of some of my favourites:

Mustacio’s

My favourite, if not most fattening delight, is surely the famous veal sandwich restaurant located right beside the stairs on the lower level of the Market. Standing in the long but fast moving line, one should decide quickly on their order lest they be berated by one of the quick talking and acting servers. I usually fully load my sandwich with fried onions, mushrooms, hot peppers, tomato sauce, and, if that doesn’t sound like the end of a 30 waist, I top it off with my favourite part: a fried piece of eggplant. This is one of the better veal sandwiches in the city, and is comparable to the best: California Sandwiches. (See review of California Sandwiches).

Dina’s Deli

If you have a craving for some homecooked baklava or stuffed pepper this is the place to go. This friendly, family-owned counter located towards the northern side of the first floor of the market has fresh, eastern-european cuisine that smells and tastes like it was just cooked in your bubby’s (grandmother) kitchen. Breaded chicken breasts, roast chicken stuffed with rice, latkes with fried onions and sour cream, and moussaka are some of the favourites here. Prices are extremely reasonable.

Churrasco of St. Lawrence

While this version of the Portuguese style of churassco chicken does not compare to the St. Clair and Christie original, it still offers up several different good chickeny meals that are sure to fill your stomach and leave you satisified. For a quick and tasty lunch, the chicken on a bun sandwich is a tasty delight. Be aware, if you are eating with someone else, you only need to order one fries due to the borderline obscene portions that are provided. Churassco is located on the upper level just as you enter the northern, west doors.

Carousel Bakery

For a healthy, but tasty alternative check out Carousel Bakery, located on the upper level’s west side. If I am feeling particulary fat, I will check out the house salad which comes either with chicken, tomatoes, and cucumbers or in greek style. I usually substitute the cream dressing in the chicken salad for the oil and vinegar which comes with the greek salad. Carousel also offers delicious pre-made sandwiches including a roasted vegetable sandwich on foccacia. And yes, if you must know, Carousel also is renown for the Peameal bacon sandwich.

Yiannis Kitchen

The greek style restaurant on the lower level directly south of Mustacio’s has friendly staff and good gyro and souvlaki sandwiches. The sandwiches come with either a simple salad or fries. The sides aren’t so great but the actual sandwiches come stuffed and will drip all over you if you are not careful! Be sure to ask to add some chipotle or other hot sauce to your sandwich if you like it spicy.

Avli

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401 Danforth Avenue
416-461-9577

Located in the heart of the Danforth, Avli is known for its world famous Greek dips. I thoroughly enjoyed my three appetizers : Imam Biyaldi, a dish with grilled eggplant with pine nuts, cinnamon, and raisins. In addition I had a yummy appetizer with lentils, walnuts, and some kind of cheese. My last appetizer were oversize white beans in spicy tomato sauce. Many of my friends have enjoyed such Greek dishes like Rabbit pie, Meat Moussaka, and other dishes.

There are two floors with music after 10:00pm each night. Staff are quite friendly and accomodating and the summer terrace seats many. Portions are quite large and the display is quite appealing. Always crowded with people.

Azul

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 181 Bathurst Street
phone number: 416-703-9360

Azul was my introduction to the Toronto brunch scene, so it must have some good qualities. A trendy little restaurant in the Queen West area, just north of Queen on the east side of Bathurst; Azul serves up a bevy of meals from brunch to dinner. They also have a wide juice selection which to my memory I have yet to sample. One thing I do like about Azul is their coffee. Besides being delicious, it is served in a large thermos-like container so you can re-fill yourself instead of waiting on the staff.

This time around, I had the Eggs La La, which were poached eggs on a crusty bread with avacado and tomatillo salsa. It came with a sparse amount of potatos and a tasty side salad. I like when brunch is served with salad, since it balances out the heaviness of the rest of the meal. The eggs were good, though nothing stood out as a great combination of taste that other brunches have provided. Lawrence had the Eggs Azul which were similar to the La La but was served on corn bread, an interesting and tasty choice. Definitely recommended, though hardly the best that Toronto has to offer.

http://www.toronto-underground.com/index.html?/food_drink/local/fusion.html
http://www.martiniboys.com/pages/reviews/azul.htm

Bonjour Brioche

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 812 Queen St. East   Toronto, ON
416 406-1250

Having risen early (6:30 a.m. on a Sunday!) for an “all-staff meeting” for work, I was rarin’ to eat some good brunch by 10 a.m. Bonjour Brioche did not dissapoint. Located just west of Hello Toast on Queen St., Bonjour Brioche has a slightly upscale menu and also serves as bakery, with baguettes and ‘brioches’ (sweet buns with a different something inside). After waiting about 20 minutes we were seated in the shade on the patio, which is on the side of the restaurant. Scanning the menu, I was recommended the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and topped with caviar. However, upon further inspection I went with the ‘Tart of the Day’ which consisted of roasted garlic, mushroom and asiago cheese. I’m not sure how a tart differs from a quiche as they seem very similar, but this one was rich and tasty. Brigette also tried a tart but her’s had spinach, ricotta and olives inside. Her’s was milder tasting but also delicious. Marina had the omelette of the day which consisted of smoked salmon and creme fraiche, while Mark (not Polger) had the french toast which was incredibly rich and sweet (maybe too much so). Everyone came away fully satisfied.

http://www.toronto-underground.com/index.html?/food_drink/local/brunch.html
http://www.martiniboys.com/pages/reviews/bonjourbri.htm

By The Way Cafe

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400 Bloor St. W.
(416) 967-4295

Located right at the corner of Bloor and Brunswick, right spack dab in the Annex, this quaint little cafe is quiet, dimly lit, intimate, and serves vegetarian friendly fare.

It also has a beautiful wall mural and has the ambiance of a romantic cafe. There is an identical lunch and dinner menu (prices are slightly higher for dinner) and there are daily dinner specials. Dinner specials range from $12-$16.

The place is small and the prices are a bit high for me, but there’s something special about this cafe. SIMPLICITY!

There is a large summer terrace (patio) that is available all year around (it’s heated during the winter.) They also have a marketing technique where you can join a mailing list and you get a coupon for a free entre on your birthday. Offer is only available the month of your birthday from Sunday through Wednesday.

Soft drink prices are retarded ($3.00 for a small) and the menu is mostly Mediterranean. I usually have the Mediterranean combination platter with hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh and Israeli salads. The platter comes with pita and it $9.00.

The last time I went, I had the honey carrot ginger soup (all soups are vegetarian, unless specified) and the veggie burger. The veggie burger ($10.00) came with fries but I substituted it for grilled zucchini and peppers for an additional $3.00.

I also had the option to order the veggie burger with a bun or pita (I chose pita.) Wendy had the chicken breast stuffed with chevre, and pesto. The dish was served with aromatic rice. Wendy also ordered the African lentil soup and when I tasted I thought it was one of the best soups I’ve had in a long time. Wendy’s chicken dish was $16 and our soups were $4.

Presentation is beautiful at By The Way Cafe.

By The Way Cafe also serves weekend brunch with a variety of dishes including eggs, omeletes, waffles, sandwiches, soups, and French toast. Unofrtunately they charge extra for egg white omeletes (+$1.50) and substituting salads for their standard fries and toast (which comes with every egg dish) (+$2.50). Nonetheless, the food is outstanding and service is stellar, BUT it’s TOO expensive. Accepts all cards and Interac. Beautiful heated outdoor terrace open most of the year.

Cafe Demetre

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 400 Danforth Av
(416) 778-6654

188 Eglinton Ave East
(416) 485-4610 

3280 Dufferin Street
(416) 789-CAFE (2233)

2962 Bloor Street West
(416) 234-CAFE (2233)

If you are looking for a trendy hotspot for desserts (cakes, pies), home made ice cream, sundaes, granitas, gourmet coffee, ice cream floats, come to Cafe Demetre. This place is a chain and it located in many neighbourhoods in Toronto and outside the GTA. Expect to see people who dress up for dessert. Prices are not cheap but portions are huge and made for the gluten in you. There are few healthy selections.

I usually order the yogourt in a tall glass with seasonal fruit and granola or the fruit grannitas which are pureed fruit,and crushed ice. Service is kind of slow (it’s very busy) but staff are friendly and accomodating.  The decor is bright and colourful and filled with Disney paraphernalia.

It has an almost child-like quality to the decor, fun, colourful, funky chairs, almost 1950’s diner style dessert hangout. Many cake varieties with huge “take home” portions that leave people full. A great place to take someone on a date but the place can get noisy and rowdy on a Saturday night. Expect lineups on the weekend, even during the winter.