Location:
1422 Gerrard St East, Toronto (Gerrard St. or Little India)
Cost: $10-15
The Indian McDonalds, we call it. Much like the famous golden arches the red Motimahal signage is iconic to Gerrard street.
(Top photo via Flickr: Andrew Alexander)
It's one of the oldest restaurants in Little India and definitely one of the best, if not the best. The consistent food and familiar tacky interior makes Motimahal a reliable (and recognizable location in Deepa Mehta's Bollywood/Hollywood) and satisfying place to dine in the East end.
The cafeteria-like "diner" setting, with slanted laminate seats, red tables and ceramic tiled walls (with only recent update of painted red swirls and circles) is all part of the charm. As is the plastic trays, cutlery and styrofoam cups filled with water from steel jugs.
Also, your urge to wipe the table or seats down with paper towels is entirely normal. As is suppressing the urge to pee so as not to visit the washrooms downstairs (which are, actually, not that bad). This place is not for everyone...and yet, everyone seems to come here. There is always a steady stream of customers chowing down on veg thalis (the best in the city), masala dosas, tandoori chicken and naan (my favourite), chaats, samosas, butter chicken (incredible), just to name a few. There is also a colourful array of indian sweets for you to choose from.
My favourite dish is the tandoori chicken with naan; ask anyone - this is what I will, 90% of the time order from Motimahal. This time I went with the tandoori WINGS (it was 3pm and this was our 'snack' time between shopping).
I don't know if I've ever mentioned how much I dislike cilantro, but I do. It's more the smell of FRESH cilantro that makes me nauseous. However, for some reason, and this baffles my loved ones (and me), I do like a good bit of cilantro chutney - the kind that comes with tandoori chicken and that little side of carrots and onions - it's just so tasty (with tandoori chicken and that little side of carrots and onions).
My sister's love for chaat is like my love for tandoori chicken. Whenever she visits; there's nothing like a good bite of chaat (mixture of potato cubes, crispy fried bread and chickpeas, garnished with onion, coriander, hot spices, topped with yogurt).
It's very simple...if you're looking for a place to eat in Little India, look no further than Motimahal (or Udupi for South Indian cuisine but I'll save that for another post).
New Timmy's!
Blue Mountain Bistro has shut-down and a shiny new Timmy's HAS OPENED TODAY in its place!
It's got a great corner; north-east of Spadina/Adelaide.
BRB, gotta go get me some timbits.
It's got a great corner; north-east of Spadina/Adelaide.
BRB, gotta go get me some timbits.
Astoria Shish Kebob House
Location:
390 Danforth Avenue, Toronto
www.astoriashishkebobhouse.com
I trust you've already heard of my love affair with Greek food. I simply adore it.
And at Astoria, there's so much more to love. The portions are gigantic!
This particular day, we were out on the patio; which is always packed in the summer months (I'm SO looking forward to that, aren't you?) and the sun was shining and the beers were cold.
We had the "Astoria’s Appetizer Platter", which consisted of deep fried calamari, dolmades (grapevine leaves stuffed with rice, herbs and spices) spanakopita (spinach & feta cheese pastry) and two homemade dips (we chose hummus and tzatziki, I believe).
[I had an awful experience with calamari once which involved: barely cooked calamari + some form of sausage + smoky lounge (back when smoking was allowed indoors) + car-sickness = a lovely bout of vomiting ]
Now then, if you're not completely revolted, let's continue...
Calamari, when breaded and deep fried like this, is quite alright....I think.
I think part of ordering chicken souvlaki is knowing that those potatoes will also be there. Happy potatoes.
Oh souvlaki, how I love thee.
Funnily enough though, three out of the four of us had some...er... "discomfort in the digestive tract", after our meal at Astoria (I had the chicken, one had pork and the other lamb). It's never happened before, but it's true. Unless...
Dear calamari, I think it's best we part ways.
The Jason George
Location:
100 Front Street East, Toronto
I've been to the Jason George twice. Both times I had the fish n' chips. Hey, why change a good thing?
It's crispy, flaky, tender, tasty. And the yam frites are scrumptious.
Whether indoors or out, the ambiance is fun and friendly.
A great local pub.
Peter Pan Bistro
Location:
373 Queen Street West, Toronto
Cost: $10 per entree
www.peterpanbistro.com
A landmark on Queen St. West since 1921 (read the history here), Peter Pan Bistro has always been a prime lunch time spot, perhaps for it's ambiance (spectacular tin ceiling) or delicious lunch dishes for under $10.
Whatever the case, how befitting it was to have a baby-shower gathering at a venue named Peter Pan.
I was more interested in the dessert menu than anything else that day.
Mmm.....Death by chocolate sounded like the way to go!
Very rich, very deadly. (I think I passed out about 1/2 an hour after eating this. :))
Everyone else's dishes looked fantastic (and from what I heard, tasted just as good!)
You can see the expectant Mom's beautiful polka-dotted belly in the background of this shot, nicely contrasted by the pretty almond cheesecake and wildberry tea. Here's a close-up of the almond cheesecake.
Lemon tart.
Warm beet salad, honey roasted pears, walnuts, goat cheese on mixed greens $9 - photo credit: Jen D.
Daily special - Omlette - photo credit: Jen D.
"Bistro Salad", olive oil & rosemary cake, arugula, proscuitto & tomato, finished w/ a two minute egg, truffle oil and shaved parmagiano $10 - photo credit: Jen D.
With new condos springing up everywhere, Peter Pan Bistro, now in it's 88th year at the corner of Peter and Queen, is practically a historic site, so go now! Go and enjoy it.
Flip, Toss & Thai Kitchen
Location:
141 Harbord St. (at Brunswick Ave.)
Cost: Approx $15 each for a soup & entree
www.fliptossthai.com
When I called to make reservations, the lady on the phone was so polite, hesitating only when I asked for a table for six, but then graciously took down my name and confirmed the reservation. Later, on my way there, a friend of mine called asking if she'd found the right place, as she was seeing only a counter with a few stools and a table with six chairs around it. I told her those six chairs were for us! I guess we were all surprised by the ambiance; which is minimalist to the max (read: no washrooms); only a few seats, an order counter, a cola box and a blackboard with most of the menu listed.
[It's ironic that we dined there during Earth Hour; it may have been the only place with it's florescent light spilling out into the night...or at least as far across the street to the laundromat with it's own florescent sparkle].
Still, whatever the ambiance lacks in at FT&T, the cuisine more than makes up for and we can thank former Salad King chef, Suzchen Sun, for that.
There's the same chili scale system that Salad King has, but the service and flavours are authentic to FT&T.
= ½ chili
½ chili = 1/6 tbsp chilies
1 chili = 1/3 tbsp chilies
3 chili = 1 tbsp chilies
And so on
Our host, Wei was extremely patient with us, addressing our vegetarian needs with helpful alternatives and suggestions. The reason we picked this place, we told him, was because it's #3 of the top 10 vegetarian places to eat in Toronto (according to Urbanspoon) and we're so glad we did.
Here's why:
Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup $3.89
We were also able to put in a special request for Hot and Sour VEG Soup for $3.65 (same price as the Chicken Coconut milk soup) which came with tofu instead of shrimp. 'Twas indeed hot and sour! Most of us were coughing because of the heat, but the flavour was great and I was content having more than two shrimps in my soup! The only downside to the soup (for us) was biting into largish chunks of lemongrass and ginger(?); however, the surprise of it was only slightly and temporarily off-putting.
Basil Chicken $7.26, served with rice (and blurred in the background, Spicy Tofu $6.79 [served with rice])
I opted for the 3 chili (medium) heat - and didn't find it too hot at all, but I'd ordered the Thai Basil Fried Rice $7.02, which wasn't already spicy, like the Spicy Eggplant or Spicy Tofu.
Boy, was it ever tasty!! Best fried rice I have ever had...I normally wouldn't have finished a whole plate of rice, but I gobbled this up and even considered ordering another to go!
Spicy Eggplant $7.04 (served with rice but opted for rice noodles). I only tasted this, but again, wow! I wish I'd ordered it!
Pad Thai $7.79. Wonderfully not ketchupy like the one at Spring Rolls.
Thai Bangkok Noodle $7.79. By this time I was too stuffed to try it - but I heard that my fried rice was better than this :)
At Flip, Toss & Thai Kitchen, the service is refreshingly friendly but it's the food, my Goodness, the FOOD which is simply FANTASTIC! So fresh, so quick....as easy as a flip and a toss (har har). They also deliver and do take-out! What more could one ask for? It's evident by the sheer quantity of customers that filtered through (for sit-in, take-out and pick-up) while we were there that this place is doing great!
I'll certainly be back!
Frugal Fare #1: CJ Lunch Box
"Frugal Fare" is going to be a new feature on Foodhogger, where we'll cover the more affordable places to dine for lunch/dinner in Toronto and still get great food & service.
CJ Lunch Box (but everyone refers to it as "Lunch Box") is one such place.
Location:
409 Richmond St., W, Toronto (Spadina/Richmond)
Cost: under $10 (cash only)
There used to be something else in it's place, but I can't recall what it was (anyone remember?) and now it's very clear what's there.
Lunch Box is a small lunch time spot serving little containers of sushi, deep fried chicken, noodles, edamame and dumplings...for as little as $3 - $5! What a steal (and tasty too)! These days business is booming and it's our first in Foodhogger's : Frugal Fare.
Salmon sushi with chicken combo $5.97 (with free miso soup)
Veggie Dumplings: $3 - a bit on the greasy side, but it makes a good side or snack.
Although Lunch Box has started increasing their prices (almost everything is one or two dollars more than before), the raised cost hasn't seemed to deter the crowd. The line-ups are almost always curled around the counter in the tiny restaurant, where in cafeteria-like fashion you pick your boxes.
Chicken? $4.
The staff are cheery and highly efficient (one at the cash register, one packing your lunch, one making the sushi, one warming the dumplings; there's at least 6-7 people behind the counter). Not to mention that the turn-over is so high, the food's fresh. In fact, if you don't see any more sushi of your desire, they'll roll it up for you in 2 min! (Sushi connoisseurs [of which, I am not one] beware: it's not gourmet sushi, but it's great for lunch)
Salmon sushi $4
There are also a handful of tables if you wish to dine there, with a newly added flat-screen TV playing concerts by different artists everyday (last time it was Celine Dion and before that Beyonce) to keep you entertained.
Also, I hear that with every purchase you get a free miso soup but I will have to confirm this (as I found out only after my purchase, sans soup) and this should be relatively easy considering I'll most likely be back there next week!
They're open from 11am to 5pm on weekdays only - so if you wanted some chicken or noodles to take home after work, you're out of luck. I think they would do well to stay open for dinner, but then it would have to be called CJ Lunch/Dinner Box...which doesn't have the same ring to it.
Penelope
Location:
225 King St. W. Toronto
Cost: approx $50 for two
http://www.peneloperestaurant.com/home.html
I love Greek Food. Sure, it's just meat and potatoes...but that is precisely why I love it. There is something very comforting about Greek food. How can it go wrong?
At Penelope, it doesn't.
Around the King Street area, dinner options grow sparse the more times you dine out and very quickly the "Il Fornellos" and the "Urbans" of the downtown core give way to our very instinctual and basic needs. Such as meat and potatoes. Such was the case when we remembered Penelope, the only full-out Greek restaurant in the heart of the city. Much like Penelope herself, we exercised patience and loyalty and reserved our hunger pangs (whilst making our way down King street past all the upscale dining venues with their Winterlicious sandwich boards) for the simplest dinner of them all: the chicken souvlaki dinner.
Once there, we were allowed to be picky selective and were seated at a corner round table (even though there were just the two of us).
Our server and the manager (it seemed) were on hand to take our order and offer us drink choices. The manager recommended the Greek beer, Keo, which we thoroughly enjoyed and I highly recommend it (I'm more of a Guinness person myself, but Keo was very refreshing.)
And we already know that there would be one chicken souvlaki dinner (with a side of pita bread...just 'cause) and then to mix things up, an item from their dinner specials that day: swordfish.
Both mains arrived at our table incredibly quickly. My (usual) request for chilli flakes and/or hot sauce (which sually ends up being Tabasco, which I don't really consider hot sauce) was greeted with hearty props from our server who has been working there for 7 years. 
As expected, the chicken, rice and potatoes were glorious. The side of veggies bordered on frozen-then-over-cooked-and-greasy and I'd have preferred a side of Greek salad (this reminded me of the time The Healthy Greek didn't have Greek salad !)
The swordfish was surprising good and a huge portion, at that! This time, the Greek salad was in attendance and I couldn't complain. 
There were some serious left overs for taking home and an overall feeling of wholesomeness that only Greek food can provide.
It's nice to know that in a city full of restaurants with big attitudes, big plates and tiny, tottering portions, there are restorative places like Penelope. It's true then, for Penelope and for us, patience certainly was a virtue. 
Plaza Flamingo
Location:
423 College Street, Toronto
Cost: $7.95 for the lunch buffet
www.plazaflamingo.com
Plaza Flamingo is one of those places you fall upon one day, having been there years before but have no recollection of the food. Ages ago, (at least 8 years) I remember dining with the whole family and watching a flamenco performance at Plaza Flamingo. It was highly entertaining as far as I can recall. The food, however, I could not bring back to mind.
So when we were searching for a place to dine for lunch on a bitterly cold day, not only did the "lunch buffet" clapboard stand out to us, but feelings of familiarity began to stir within me. Somehow Plaza Flamingo had seemed a lot further West when I was younger; not smack in the middle of busy College street near Bathurst.
It was an easy decision once we'd seen the buffet and knew that it was all for only $7.95. Perfect.
Chicken. Rice. Pasta. Beans. Salad.
What more could one ask for, for lunch?
These fried sweet plantains were especially tasty.
I enjoyed them so much, I had them with the dessert, as well!
While the fare isn't spectacular by any means, it certainly isn't bad. And it hit the spot that day. I wouldn't run back to PF everyday for lunch, but if I was back in the area and needed a nice place to sit down and not be disturbed by what can sometimes be annoying wait-staff, this is the place!
And although it certainly wasn't packed for lunch that day, it's fairly obvious that there are a few devoted patrons who have probably been frequenting Plaza Flamingo for many years.
Those who, unlike me, have not forgotten about it.
Martha's Exchange
Location:
185 Main Street, Nashua, NH
Cost: approx $9-15 per lunch entree (after 5pm, approx $15-19)
www.marthas-exchange.com
I've been to Nashua a slew of times but never dined at Martha's Exchange on Main Street. Martha's Exchange has no relation or connection to Martha's Vineyard or Martha Stewart. It actually began as a sweet shop which simply grew and grew. More of it's history can be read here.
We made it there for lunch one day and found it quite busy. We only had about 45 minutes for a quick bite so we had to order quickly, although I would have liked to have perused the menu better and also enjoyed a beer with my meal considering it's brewed on the premises. 
Our dishes took a fair bit of time to arrive; turned out the delay was due to a large party of 30 on the other side of our booth.
However, when our dishes did arrive, we were very pleased.
My Mum ordered the Jambalaya ($12).
The Jambalaya was better than I've tasted in New Orleans! It's ingredients being: blackened chicken, andouille sausage, shrimp and fresh veggies sauteed in a spicy marinara sauce. It had a good kick to it (you know how I like it hot!) and was very fresh.
I'd ordered the Almond Maple Salmon ($15)
Fresh Atlantic salmon topped with sliced almonds and baked in a maple butter sauce. Baked IN a maple butter sauce INDEED! My salmon was having a long hot soak in a jucuzzi of butter!!! I'd have preferred it not having quite so much R&R. It was, however, quite tasty but the rice it came with was nothing special.
At one point during our meal the elderly lady in the booth behind us spilled her drink creating quite a commotion (someone may have been enjoying the beer afterall!). It seemed it was her birthday and she was treating her daughter and a couple of other friends to lunch. They all left before she did and the lady told us as she was leaving that she was alright and we nodded and sympathised with her. The next moment my Mum spilled her drink all over the seat as well! Very strange. Perhaps Martha's is haunted by a playful ghost? The website doesn't say but you never know......
I'd love to go back to Martha's and try out the beers and more of the dishes...the menu was quite extensive. I'm also sorry now that I didn't try any of the sweets from the still existing sweet "shoppe" in the corner of the restaurant! Argh! I hate metered parking!!
Harbord Fish & Chips
Location:
147 Harbord Street, Toronto
Cost:
$8.99 for the Halibut ($11.99 at Chippy's)
As far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong with eating a good meal of fish n' chips once in a while. And it's pretty hard to mess up deep fried fish and strips of potato. The real issue is how much you are paying for eating the deep fried goodness. At Chippy's you pay an arm and a leg and are lucky if you get to rest the other arm and leg on a stool inside the tiny compound (especially if it's raining outside!); it's also pretty hard to eat battered fish from a chinese take-out container.....okay, so I guess it's not that hard to mess up deep fried fish and fries, but don't get me wrong, I'll still eat at Chippy's if I'm ever craving some fish n'chips in the west-end. For the East-enders, the ultimate fish and chips place used to be mom n' pops' Woodgreen Fish n' Chips, which I believe has shut down (can anyone confirm this?). I'd love to try British Style Fish & Chips on Dundas/Coxwell which I've heard is superbly authentic.
However, around the Spadina/College area and at Harbord FnC, you can get deep fried goodness for less and a place to rest your whole being (on the picnic tables outside). The joint also feels very sea-shore-ish; with the mom n' pop serving you piping hot fish atop fresh fries (on paper), which you get to douse with vinegar and salt the way you please, but be cautioned, the tarter sauce comes in wee lil' packets.
The fish sits fresh and tender inside a wonderful deep golden interior of golden crust, whilst soft, yellow, starchy pods of potato poke out of the breaks in the crispy, skin-covered edges of the chips.
With the right amount of malt vinegar, salt, ketchup and tartar sauce (and a beer if you can manage to sneak it in as we did this time) you're all set for a trip to fish n' chip heaven.
San Francisco: Zachary's Pizza
Location:
5801 College Ave., Oakland, CA
www.zacharys.com
Zachary's pizza is the BEST!!!
Or, so I've heard from everyone who lives or has ever lived in SF, but alas, it was closed due to the Easter holiday.
Boo urns....I will have to wait until next time I'm in SF to try the famous deep-dish pizza!
Trimurti
Location:
265 Queen Street West, Toronto
Cost: $10-15 per entree
www.trimurti.ca
Trimurti is one of the other Indian restaurants on Queen street nestled somewhere in between Babur and Little India Restaurant AND India Palace (all of which I've eaten at, at some point or another). This was my first time trying take-out at Trimurti (sitting in wasn't any better).
I ordered the chicken biryani ($10.95), which although tasty was a tad on the greasy side. Lahore Tikka House's chicken biryani is still better (but nothing beats Mom's!).
The butter chicken ($11.50) came looking more red and tomatoe-y than buttery; and those who ordered it agreed that it wasn't the best they've had. It's a huge quantity that arrives in the take-out container, and doesn't include rice, so be sure to get a separate order of rice ($2.95).
Someone else got a Mulligatany soup ($3.50). The literal translation in Tamil for mulligatany is "pepper-water" but the variation at Trimurti was made with lentils and chicken, which was a bit strange.
The pakoras ($3.50) were overly greasy and not very flavourful.
Trimurti definitely has some competition being one of the three indian restaurants on Queen Street. I'd say, opt for Little India Restaurant or India Palace (which are both very good) when trying to decide which Indian place to try on the busy South side of Queen Street. Or better yet, save your taste-buds for the trip to to the East side and enjoy a veritable feast (albeit in a portable) at Lahore Tikka House.
Madras Palace: Take 2
Location:
1249 Ellesmere Road, Scarborough, Toronto
Cost: $40 for two (incl. tip)
www.madraspalace.com
The last time we went to MP, we had some service issues, but we've since realized that the key is to go when it's not crazy busy because the food really is exceptionally good.
This time we got there for dinner around 6:30 and while there were still quite a few diners preoccupied with their dosas, we still managed to receive plenty of attention from our servers.
The owners of MP, the Purushothams opened the restaurant in 1991; the first South Indian eatery in Scarborough. For this reason, you don't really mind the decor, which has already undergone an update into its current look of Floridian-style cane seating, dark green walls and wood paneling. Sure they could benefit from a sleeker design in keeping with current trends, but that would certainly risk losing it's homely, authentic feel. Although, I must say they could turn up the dial on the light switch and their bathrooms could use some revamping.
If you only need to wash your hands however, there's a sink placed conveniently on the same floor at the back of the restaurant. Anyone who's been to India knows that it's very common to have a sink in the corner of the dining room for convenience and hygiene, especially because South Indian food really requires the use of fingers for eating.
But, on to the food!
We already knew what we wanted, so we got a masala dosa to start, a Kerala fish fry (I admit, this is the same thing I had last time I was there!), the chilli chicken masala, one chapathi, some plain rice, a beer and we knew we'd have a coffee after.
I timed the wait, thinking it would be a long time before we got our dosa, but less than 20 minutes later, our crispy pancake arrived, piping hot!
The potatoes are spiced just enough to satisfy any pangs of longing for back home. Every finger-ful of dosa that's dipped into the separate compartments of coconut, tomato and cilantro chutney creates the perfect savoury combination on your tastebuds. The sambar is so incredibly tangy that you needn't have any accompanying dosa to go with it, it's delicious on it's own. It's just heaven on a thali (plate).
Everything went down really nicely with our Kingfisher Indian Beer.
We sure cleaned up well!
Next up was our Kerala fish fry, chilli chicken, rice and chapathi.
All I can say is Yumyumyum!
The Kerala fish fry was must better presented this time and the king-fish was fresh and well marinated, tangy and spicy very spicy. Also, curry-leaves are my all-time favourite herb (Karuveppilai in Malayalam or Kari Patta in Hindi are leaves that grow on small tree plants native to India). I love it fried and garnished like this, in everything, and hate to see it wasted on someone's plate! The aroma and flavour of them really highlights a lot of Indian cooking. It's sort of like the bay leaf in coconut milk curries. I also lovelovelove bay leaves.
Sigh.
Okay, moving on.
The chilli chicken was incredibly hot and spicy, but oh-so-delicious! The curry was dense and the chicken perfectly cooked to fall off the bone. We both felt our pores open and sinus's clear during this meal!
You will not have fully enjoyed a meal at Madras Palace without leaving with an excellent cup of
coffee.
I think you really have to know your stuff when you go to MP - or go with friends who know the food. I've read too many negative things about the food on Restaurantica because people don't know what to order! You don't order mattar paneer here, if you want mattar paneer, go to Lahore Tikka House or Babur! If you want really authentic Kerala/South Indian cuisine, this is really one of the best places to get it. The other place is Saravanaa Bhavan, but that's for another review.
I Love Sushi
Location:
494 Queen St. West, Toronto
Cost: $34 - 44 per platter (61-64 pieces)
www.ilovesushi.ca
Contrary to this post's title, I don't love sushi. I opt for it only when I get crazy pregnant-woman cravings. I am also not pregnant.
However, when you're working late and the options are pizza or sushi. And you're lactose-intolerant and you don't feel like grease, sushi sounds mighty good.
I Love Sushi is very popular at work and cheaper than most sushi places and for the value, it certainly isn't bad take-out (I've never eaten at the restaurant). They have a kick-ass website too.
Our company ordered a couple of platters - one veggie and one seafood, a couple of tofu salads ($3.50) and a couple of containers of edamame (boiled soy beans with salt - $3.95).
The platters arrive full, I just couldn't manage to capture a shot before everyone jumped in on the rolls!
The seafood platter.
The veggie platter.
The tofu salad, which was really, really delicious; the tofu was smooth and flavourful, the lettuce (albeit iceberg) was crispy and fresh.
And edamame is always a yummy snack.
I've had good sushi experiences at Ichiban Sushi, Ho Su, Sushi on Bloor and Kuni Sushi Ya in Baldwin, but I'd definitely like to try the more upscale sushi bars like Blowfish, Sushi Train (conveyor-belt sushi) and Hiro, but as I said, sushi definitely isn't my forte, so you'll have to tell me what's best.