Tag Archives: lunch

Sierra Grill

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 2901 Bayview Ave (Bayview Village)
416-224-1700

Food is a big part of my (Jewish) identity. This place has food and I mean large portions. Located at Bayview and Sheppard, in the parking lot of Bayview Village, a posh mall with designer names and posh labels, Sierra Grill, formally known as Sunshines is a Jewish paradise of food, flavour, and fun. The food is not “Jewish” per se, but most of the clientele is Jewish and the preparation and style of the food is “Jewish style”, schtuppy, rich, large portions, and filling. The menu had Jewish jargon, so that was comfortable. Known as the best and largest salad bar in Toronto, I opted for the salad bar as a meal and my partner opted for a large Seafood medley with unlimited salad, potatoes, all for $16.95. Entrees are between $12.95 and $18.95 and the salad bar as a meal is only $12.95. I was stuffed as I gorged on sauteed vegetables, like eggplant, zucchini, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and green peppers. I also took advantage of the many other salads like chick pea salad, cous cous salad with vegetables, and many stir fried vegetable dishes. In addition to the salad are a variety of fruits, fruit salads, breads, desserts, soups, marinated and sauteed vegetable dishes. I was so stuffed, I felt full for the next two days. The ambiance is loud, like a mall. The tables are far apart- enough for intimate conversation, but be prepared to speak loudly. There were no lineups and reservations are not required. The restaurant is very large and sits over two hundred people. The salad bar consists of five areas, and the food is fresh, colourful, not greasy, and very flavourful. It is not super spicy but not bland either. The prices are a bit high but the portions are large and be prepared to be stuffed. Drinks are expensive but large quantities. Overall, it was too loud and had that “food court” ambiance. The decor is pleasant, very “dining room” type of theme- woody, bright lights, and people everywhere.

Beacher Cafe, The

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2162 Queen E
(416) 699-3874

A major disappointment! From what we thought it would be, we thought it was some deep jazz cafe with lots of cool, diverse dishes, with some funkiness. When we got inside we found spacious tables, a beautiful outdoor terrace, all resting on top of a hill in the eastern tip of the Beaches. The artwork is stunning and it resembles a gallery where customers can purchase the art if they so desire. The food is BLAH! Really nothing special, and there is nothing vegetarian at all. I had a pathetic vegetable and rice stiry fry that lacked flavour. The plates were nice but that’s it. The staff are friendly but nothing spectacular. The ambiance is nice, it had me wanting to come back. My food was warm and the stir fry sauce was plain soy sauce, how boring. I was hungry after that meal, so I was very disappointed. I really had high expectations for this place. It is a great neighbourhood place and they have lovely art on the walls (for sale too) but the food is BLAH.

Chopan Kabab [Chopan Kebab] [closed March 2005]

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798 Danforth ave
(416) 778-1200

*closed March 2005*

Located right at the edge of the trendy Danforth, east of Pape, this place is known as the only Afghan restaurant in Toronto. Prices are really affordable and dishes resemble Indian cuisine. Appetizers include Bolani (stuffed pastry with potatoes and seasonal vegetables), Mantu (steamed dough filled with ground beef, onions, and spices topped with yogourt and beef gravy), ($1.49-$2.99) as well as many types of vegetable salads and soups. ($2.99)

Mains include a selection of kababs (skewers of beef, tekka (lamb), chicken, lamb kidney, all $9.99-$11.99). Combo dishes include rice, two side vegetables, chatnee sauce, and bread. (all $9.99). Karayees are meat dishes served with Afghan salad, bread, and chatnee sauce. Karayees come in Lamb, Ground Beef, and Chicken, all between $14.99-$15.99. Complete dinners are $9.99 and include meat, rice, bread, and two side vegetables. Some dinners include lamb, ground beef, with rice and vegetables while other dinners include beef and onion dumplings or a lamb or Afghan beef soup with potato and salad.

I remember not having any choice but to have two vegetable side dishes. Both were good but resembled two vegetable curry dishes. One was composed of carrots and peas and the other was composed of other types of vegetables. We sat cross legged on a carpeted platform without a conventional table. The ambiance and decor was interesting and service was nice. The restaurant was empty and we wanted to try it out. The two vegetable side dishes I ordered were indeed good and my friend ordered a lamb dish which came with rice, bread, and two vegetable dishes. He was quite satisfied but I was not. Drinks include a traditional Afghan drink called Dough ( like an Indian lassi- a yogourt drink with mint, cucumber, and salt), as well as a selection of a traditional teas and coffees. Desserts include traditional Afghan ice creams, puddings, rice pudding, and Baklava (I did not know Baklava was Afghan) all $1.49-$5.99.

Unfortunately I do not think I will go back to Chopan Kabab due to the lack of vegetarian options. It seems all I could get were peas, carrots, and potatoes. I was hungry and unhappy. Accepts all cards and takeout.

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.

Brownstone Bistro

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603 Yonge
(416) 920-6288

How can I sum up this restaurant? Great food, trendy decor, friendly staff, but very slow service, but when I went last summer 2002 to Brownstone, the waiter failed to mention that all of the food we ordered was not available so they got creative and made up their own dishes. To our surprise, the food we ordered contained nothing that we expected. The food itself was fresh, tasty, and flavourful. The prices are high and the head waiter had major attitude. He argued with us that he ran out of the food we had ordered so he had his team of chefs make something completely different. He never notified us that the meals we ordered were not the meals we received. The service was very slow and the head waiter was very rude to us.

In sum, I would never go back to Brownstone ever again because they are disorganized and they do not listen to their customers. The head waiter kept on telling us how we did not understand that he ran out of the food needed to prepare our dishes so he made us alternate dishes. The problem was that none of the waiting staff informed us. Too stressful, too pricy, too long a wait, this place was a great disappointment.

Biryani House

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 25 Wellesley St. East
416-927-9340

Newly opened at the corner of Yonge and Wellesley, Biryani House offers flavourful and succulent Indian cuisine that you will remember. I usually have channa (curried chick peas) and rajmah (curried kidney beans) and it is totally yummy and quite affordable. The bad news is….it was once a cheap, intimate, cozy restaurant hidden at the corner of Yonge and Bloor (Roy Square) but this northern Indian spot moved from into a larger venue and into a more expensive neighbourhood Unfortunately the low prices have nearly doubled ? goodbye, $5.00 meals. Complete meals for $30.00 per person, including all taxes. Ambiance is beautiful but the whole experience of dining at Biryani House has been transformed from fast food to fine food.

Circle Thai

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1521 Yonge 
(416) 924-8467

Fine, elegant ambiance, right in the heart of Yonge and St. Clair. Offering creative dishes like Mango Fish, Circle Thai Lobster, and Rack of Lamb. Circle Thai has an extensive menu with some vegetarian selections. Served on large plates, with linen napkins and tablecloths, this place is very chi chi poo poo. Portions are normal and food is very fresh and flavourful. The ambiance is slightly fancy and a bit upscale.

I ordered the thai vegetarian curry with sauted vegetables and tofu [YUM]. Prices are $9.95 and up. They serve amazing cold mango vegetarian rolls but the peanut sauce is not chunky enough for my likings. Elegant ambiance and right in the heart of Yonge and St. Clair.

Grapefruit Moon

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968 Bathurst Street
(416) 534-9056

Grapefruit Moon is a neighbourhood spot north of the Annex, at Bathurst near Dupont, owned and operated by the Moon sisters. They have a liquor license. It?s friendly, relaxed and has a warm neighborhood feel. Music, food, service and prices are all affordable.

It has a limited menu with a few selections. Only contains between three to five tables and serves home cooked food. Serves mostly vegetarian selections and the menu is quite small but there is much diversity in the selections.

Some vegetarian options include carrot ginger soup, quesadillas with choice of fillings, organic salad, veggie burgers, TLT’s – tempeh, lettuce and tomato sandwiches.

Funky, artsy decor and nice outdoor terrace (summer). Special brunch available on weekends. Highly recommend for the couple seeking a quiet intimate setting.

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).

Vichy, Buffet

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7205 Newman
514-367-1731

Located right on Newman Boulevard near Dollard Ave, on one of the main strips of Lasalle, this place has the most diverse menu of affordable, fast food for the hungry one in all of us. If you like to over-eat, then this place is for you. They offer huge roasts of beef, veal, lamb, ham, turkey, all kinds of seafood, every variety of chicken, pizza, pasta, sausages, ribs, kebabs, salads, fruit and desserts. GROSS. The cost is $9.95 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, $7.95 all other nights. Lunch is $4.95; Sat. Sun. brunches are $6.95. Excellent value for your money but not for your tummy.

Buffet Vichy offers a large dessert menu (cakes, pies, ice cream, fruit salad) and prices are low. Quality is low and food is not that fresh. There is a section where you can make grill your own meat. I don’t recommend this place if you want high quality, healthy food. In terms of freshness, it’s a gamble. Since the food just sits there it may not be sBuffet Vichy is not fresh, unless you go right when it opens, and often times, most dishes have a lot of salt, preservatives, and a thin layer of oil. YUCK. In general, I usually have salad, bean salad, sometimes a pasta item, and ice cream, fruit salad, or jello for dessert. Not the healthiest of places and can be packed and loud like a baseball stadium at times.

530 seats, expect lineups on the weekend. Accepts all cards.