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Hyderabad Biryani Hut

Solid, good value biryanis

Hyderabad Biryani Hut is one the better biryani specialists in Toronto. By specialists, I mean they have at least 8 types of biryani. It’s even in the name of the restaurant. I was hoping they would stick to that but alas, their menu includes other cookie-cutter North Indian dishes that far outnumber biryanis.

Exterior of Hyderabad Biryani Hut — Hyderabad Biryani Hut

Dum, dum, dum, DUM biryani

Biryani is a distinctly Indian rice dish that has its roots in Iranian polo (probably). Both are prepared by cooking rice halfway, then finished in stock. Meat is layered below the rice and cooked together. Alternatively, meat can be cooked separately and added when the rice is done. Unlike the Iranian version that is fruity and more restrained, the Indian biryani is fiery, more elaborate, and a meal on its own. There are dozens of variations throughout India, Pakistan, and the diaspora in East Africa, South Africa, and Southeast Asia. But the most revered variant is Hyderabadi dum biryani (హైదరాబాదీ దమ్ బిర్యానీ), from Hyderabad, India.

Dum (దమ్) refers to cooking over low heat with a flat-bottomed vessel. The vessel is sealed to keep steam in and impart a bit of pressure cooking. Traditionally, dough is used for sealing. These days, one can wrap a moist towel around the rim of the vessel and put a heavy weight on the lid for the same effect. This method is less tedious and messy.

For authenticity, I look for restaurants that use dough to seal the vessel. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell if this was the case with Hyderabadi Biryani Hut. The biryani was cooked and transferred to a different bowl for serving. To be fair, that’s how it is done in restaurants in Hyderabad. Some Toronto restaurants cook and serve biryani in the same vessel. They leave the dough on so you can slice it open and uncover the mouthwatering biryani within. Khau Gully is one such restaurant.

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Chakula Hut

This restaurant closed on 29 November 2020. Thanks for the memories!

Satisfying East African Indian meals and a wide range of deep-fried snacks

Outside of Ethiopia and Zanzibar, East Africa doesn’t have great food. It’s a good thing Indian migrants arrived and diversified the food landscape away from overdone boiled and grilled meats. They settled along the coast of Kenya and Tanzania, adopted local produce and created a variant of Indian cuisine. You can sample this sub-cuisine at Chakula Hut on the outskirts of East York.

Although the focus is on East African Indian food, they also offer some traditional Tanzanian and Kenyan treats like mandazi (doughnuts). Also look out for their weekend specials.

The food

One such weekend treat was naryal vaaro mogo (coconut cassava) with beef. Mogo is the Swahili term for cassava/yuca. The mogo was boiled and mashed with coconut milk and spices. Chunks of beef were added, resulting in a hearty lunch stew that is unlike anything in other cultures. It’s a cross between khichdi and coconut curry.

Coconut mogo with beef from Chakula Hut — Coconut mogo with beef

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Jessy’s Pizza

This restaurant closed in April 2022. Thanks for the memories!

Nova Scotian chain has finally arrived in Toronto

For some reason, donairs have had a hard time surviving in Toronto. Places that had good donairs, like Fuzz Box and Hopgood’s Foodliner, only lasted for a few years. Here’s hoping that Jessy’s Pizza will have a more successful run.

Jessy’s Pizza is a chain from Nova Scotia that opened 2 years ago here, marking its first outlet outside Atlantic Canada. Sure, it sells pizzas but its main draw are donairs. They are the most authentic I have tried here.

Canada’s own shawarma

Sorry Ottawa, Halifax deserves the title of shawarma king even though it doesn’t have as many shawarma restaurants. While Ottawa’s version is mostly Lebanese, Halifax’s variation is a weird Canadian invention. The donair looks like a Greek gyro pita sandwich. The twist is in the sweet donair sauce made from condensed milk. Also, a classic donair is topped with diced tomatoes and onions. Nothing more. The meat used for grilling is finely minced and packed into thin strips. This results in a mystery meat texture—great if you like Spam.

Only a few regions outside of the Middle East have their own take on rotating meat slices on a spit. Mexico has al pastor, Greece has gyros, Turkey has döner kebabs, and the Middle East has shawarmas. Canada’s very own donair is celebrated on a dedicated website where you can find out where to get it in the country. It hasn’t been updated in a while though.

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JaBistro

Blowtorched Canadian-Japanese sushi for a treat (COVID-19 update)

JaBistro is one of two famous aburi oshizushi restaurants in Toronto. The other is Vancouver transplant Miku. While Miku has the edge over variety and is slightly better executed across the board, JaBistro has better prices and the single best aburi sushi dish in Toronto: the JaBistroll. Both offer more than aburi sushi and have traditional nigirizushi as well. They also have entrees and lunch specials but Miku has more variety and offers desserts too.

Before we go on a detour about what aburi oshizushi is, I want to complain. Why do so many high-end restaurants try to look invisible? JaBistro looks like an abandoned steel workshop from the outside. If you are not looking for it, you are likely to miss it. Whether it is to keep the riff-raff out or to maintain an air of secrecy and prestige, it clearly doesn’t work in the world of Yelp and Tripadvisor. When a restaurant is outstanding, people will come.

Exterior of JaBistro — JaBistro with an industrial exterior

Canada’s own sushi: aburi oshizushi

Most people associate sushi with two forms. Nigirizushi (握り寿司) is a rice mound shaped by hand and has a slice of seafood pressed on top of it. Makizushi (巻き寿司), also known as maki roll, is encased with seaweed and rolled with a bamboo mat. The fillings are in the centre of the maki roll.

A lesser-known sushi type is oshizushi (押し寿司). It is formed with a rectangular mold and requires the least amount of skill. But if you are into geometrical shapes, this looks the prettiest because everything is angular and precise. This form of sushi has really taken off in Canada in the past decade, starting in Vancouver and spreading to Toronto.

To be precise, it is aburi oshizushi that is a Canadian specialty. Aburi (炙る) means scorched. Aburi sushi is blowtorched on top to give extra colour and flavour. This is not new. Aburi nigirizushi has been around in Japan for a while but remains a novelty there. The Canadian twist is to apply this technique to oshizushi and use non-traditional ingredients like jalapeños.

Some people say that aburi sushi is a way to mask poor quality seafood and shoddy knife work. I say aburi has a more tangible impact on flavour and a better test of cooking skills. Knife skills can make something pretty and mold texture but it won’t help a lot with taste. If aburi sushi allows chefs to use lower grade seafood and reduce prices accordingly, I am all for it.

Oh, and if you are wondering why sushi is sometimes spelled as zushi, that’s because the Japanese s sound changes to z when it appears before certain words.

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Kabob Guys

Afghan fast food with soul

Toronto has a couple of Afghan fast food chains. To name a few, Naan & Kabob, Kandahar Kabab, and the reigning champion Bamiyan Kabob. Kabob Guys is the newest entrant to the fray and poses some serious competition.

Afghan cuisine is at the intersection of Iran and Central Asia. From Iran comes polow: rice dishes cooked in meat broth, dried fruits, and nuts. From Central Asia, kebabs and mantu (dumplings). It’s the perfect setup for fast food. Grilled meats on flatbreads works in any culture, whether it is Greek souvlaki, Turkish döner, Mexican al pastor, or Hawaiian plate lunch.

You say kabob, I say kebab

Kabobs and kebabs are different spellings of the same thing. There is no standard transliteration for كباب (same word in Arabic, Farsi, and Pashto). Kabob is used more in USA and kebab is used more in Commonwealth countries. I use kebab here because Canada is part of the Commonwealth and has stronger ties with British English.

Afghan kebabs are almost the same as Pakistani ones. The difference is that Afghan kebabs can be served with rice instead of naans. Not just plain rice, but rice seasoned with broth and spices, like in Central Asia. It doesn’t quite reach the level of complexity as Iranian rice dishes, but is still more interesting than white rice. As for kebabs, a unique variant to try is chaplee kebab, made from ground meat and flattened into a disc.

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Wvrst (Union Station)

Sausage fest with lamb, elk, rabbit, kangaroo, vegan options, and more

Let’s get the most important question out of the way. Wvrst is pronounced “vurst”, which is the same pronunciation as the German word for sausage, wurst. I have no idea why the restaurant is spelled Wvrst. Maybe it’s a throwback to the Roman empire when they didn’t have the letter u.

Anyway, Wvrst is the undisputed champion for sausage variety in the country. Unlike other sausage purveyors, these are not minor variations like different sizes of the same thing or some token herbs thrown in. They have 32 distinct varieties, including uncommon meats like elk, bison, and kangaroo. I would love to see crocodile, ostrich, and emu one day. For animal lovers (not in the consumption sense), there are 7 vegan options.

Wvrst’s original location is on King Street West, 25 minutes walk from this outlet at Union Station. The original location has marginally better food quality but this outpost can’t be beat for location. It’s the transport hub for the region and has a direct link to the airport. It’s a decent choice for a quick but pricey bite. This restaurant has a more sophisticated ambience.

Storefront of Wvrst — Wvrst at Union Station concourse

Proudly taking centre stage is the giant display case of sausages and cured meats. Newcomers are naturally drawn to the exotic meats. Don’t forget that there is a range of traditional sausages from around the world to choose from. Like South African boerewors, Slovenian kranjska, German bratwurst, or pseudo-German Oktoberfest sausage. I wished they offered more varieties of German sausages. The foods I miss from Southern Germany are Weißwurst (white veal sausages) and Nürnberger (bite-sized pork sausages).

Cured meats and sausages at Wvrst — Cured meats (top) and sausages (bottom)

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The Host

Best all-you-can-eat Indian buffet in Toronto

The Host is a venerable Toronto restaurant that also boasts the best Indian AYCE in the city. The draw of AYCE is quantity over quality but this is a rare case where you can get both quantity and quality. This buffet is only offered during Friday lunch hours, so plan your visit accordingly.

Two reasons why this is the best buffet. Every item is good enough to order on its own. That is the hallmark of a great buffet. Even secondary items like naans and dessert are done well. I can’t think of any other AYCE restaurants where everything is a hit. The second reason is that it costs $22.59, which is shockingly affordable. If you need more reasons, it’s consistent in quality and conveniently located downtown.

To be clear, there are slightly better Indian buffets in the Greater Toronto Area which includes Mississauga and Brampton. However, The Host reigns supreme in Toronto proper.

The buffet is hosted in a naturally-lit room at the back of the restaurant. There is plenty of seating space and it’s easy to get a table even though the buffet is popular. It attracts staff from the nearby University of Toronto as well as Yorkville residents.

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Aloette

Elevated classics with a touch of fusion (COVID-19 takeout edition)

Aloette is the more approachable sibling of Alo, the best restaurant in Canada. It takes at least a month to get a reservation at Alo, so Aloette is a reliable fallback that gives a glimpse of what to expect. It has long operating hours, walk-ins are welcome, prices are within a good lunch budget ($20 – $40 mains, after tax), and best of all, food quality and service is similar to Alo. I actually prefer Aloette because the quality/price ratio is heads and shoulders above its competitors.

Exterior of Aloette — Aloette is on the ground floor of a nondescript building. Alo is on the top floor.

Both Alo and Aloette offer takeout in light of COVID-19. Honestly, only Aloette makes sense because Alo’s fine dining tasting menu doesn’t translate well for takeout. People go to Alo for the ambience, the plating, the “complimentary” dishes, and the interaction with the chefs. Even at a lower price point of $73.45 per person for its “Alo at Home” multi-course menu, it’s still a lot of money. Aloette’s casual à la carte menu works better for takeout. They have also reduced prices for most items, so take advantage of the opportunity to try them. When I visited in the evening, the restaurant was slammed with orders. I guess that’s a good problem to have in an economic slump.

Aloette’s menu looks boring. It reads like the usual gastropub fare: burgers, pastas, salads, and pies. There is the occasional twist thrown in like yuzu honey for fried chicken. Don’t let the unexciting descriptions put you off. Aloette’s strength is in execution and presentation. They succeed in elevating these common dishes and inject a bit of their personality in it.

The food

Take the fried chicken, for instance. The accompanying yuzu honey jam was a contemporary combination of sweet sauce in Korean fried chicken and lemon sauce in pseudo-Chinese lemon chicken. The zing from the yuzu zest was potent and lighted up the chicken. The hot sauce was decently flavoured, but not as good as that from Korean fried chicken specialists. The spice was gentle.

Fried chicken (right) with bibb lettuce (left) from Aloette — Fried chicken (right) with bibb lettuce (left)

The star of the show was the chicken itself. When I was bringing the package home, the aroma tempted me to sneak a bite multiple times. The pieces are de-boned for convenience, another thoughtful departure from traditional Korean fried chicken. Meat was moist and seasoned, though most of the spices came from the batter. The batter remained crunchy even a few hours later.

Fried chicken from Aloette — Fried chicken

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Godavari

This restaurant closed in Autumn 2020. Thanks for the memories!

Affordable Andhra cuisine in a lavish setting

The evolution of South Indian restaurants in non-Asian cities usually starts with pan-Indian eateries serving stereotypical food (think butter chicken and biryani). Then, it branches out to general South Indian restaurants serving dosas and idlis. The first regional specialization to emerge is Tamil cuisine. The majority of cities never get past this stage. If there is enough diner demand and sophistication, Keralan restaurants will appear next. Andhra and Telugu restaurants are rare, with the exception of Hyderabadi biryani shops. Only a few cities outside of India and the Middle East get specialists in the least-known South Indian cuisine, Karnataka.

That’s why I was excited to try Godavari, one of only two Andhra restaurants in the Toronto region. Although they don’t have the full gamut of Andhra dishes (like avakaya, a mango pickle), they offer some regional specialties that can’t be found elsewhere in Canada. Andhra cuisine is one of the spiciest in India. Unfortunately, I can’t comment on the spice levels at Godavari because I did not order any spicy dishes for this visit.

Reception hall at Godavari — Reception hall. A complete change in atmosphere from the outside.

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Somun Superstar

This restaurant closed on 22 June 2024. Thanks for the memories!

Yes, the humble Bosnian somun bread is the star here

To be honest, I don’t crave for Balkan food. This cuisine is shared by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia. It’s heavy on meats, dairy, sugar, and preserved vegetables. Light on spices and fresh greens. It’s the sort of food to eat after a day of shovelling snow. The places that offer these foods in Toronto are traditional, no frills establishments. Somun Superstar is one of the few that packages it in modernity while still preserving tradition.

Without doubt, the star of this restaurant is somun, freshly made on-premise. Somun is a Bosnian wheat-based flatbread, like a thicker and more bread-y pita. Honestly, I think the bread can stand on its own but I imagine it would be hard to base a business around one product. So, it’s a smart move to pitch the restaurant around somun sandwiches.

Exterior of Somun Superstar — Somun Superstar

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