Toronto eats Archives - Page 9 of 10

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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Ikkousha Ramen Chicken

Best chicken ramen in Toronto, beating most pork ramen

COVID-19 update: 20% off all orders!

Ikkousha (一幸舎) may be a global chain but its ramen are among the best in Toronto. The original store near Hakata train station in Fukuoka, Japan, is famous for its tonkotsu ramen and its rendition in Toronto is just as good. It’s a close second after Santouka (山頭火), another Japanese chain.

While the first Canadian outlet sticks closely to the formula from the original Japanese location, Ikkousha recently opened a restaurant two doors away that focuses solely on chicken. Even the side dishes like gyoza (pan-fried dumplings) are based on chicken. This is the first Ikkousha restaurant in the world that specializes in chicken ramen. And it is out-of-this-world good.

Exterior of Ikkousha Ramen Chicken — Ikkousha Ramen Chicken

Table seating in Ikkousha Ramen Chicken — Table seating

Ok, technically, this isn’t the first Ikkousha restaurant that serves chicken exclusively. Some branches in Indonesia only have chicken ramen to appeal to Muslim diners. However, the menu here is completely different and this Toronto restaurant is the first to be branded as “Ikkousha Chicken”. If you are wondering, there is no halal or kosher certification.

Ramenology primer

There are many ways to classify ramen. Broth seasoning, broth base, and noodle type are the most common. For this review, you just have to know the difference between broth bases. Ikkousha has long been associated with tonkotsu (豚骨), a whitish concoction from boiling pork bones and cartilage for hours. Their second restaurant in Toronto focuses on chicken broth bases. The two types are tori paitan (鶏白湯; literally chicken white soup) and tori chintan (鶏清湯; literally chicken clear soup). Like tonkotsu, tori paitan is made by boiling chicken bones and cartilaginous parts like chicken feet until all the fat and connective tissue melds into the broth. The result is a creamy, umami-rich, high cholesterol chicken soup.

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Nicey’s Eatery

Jamaican hideaway with satisfying plates

I judge a Jamaican restaurant by the carbs they offer. By carbs, I don’t mean nutritional content. I am talking about the starches that are the foundation of each meal. Run-of-the-mill spots will offer just rice and peas, plantains, and if you are lucky, dumplings (fried or boiled lumps of dough). Nicey’s Eatery does well in this regard and offers a large range of Jamaican carbs: festivals, bammies, coco breads, and even hardo bread.

In fact, the menu has all the Jamaican hits from well-known jerk chicken to lesser-known cow’s foot (certain days only). It’s not comprehensive but it gives one a good sample of the cuisine. Prices are similar to downtown Jamaican takeouts, which is surprising given its location in a remote suburb. The good news is that quality is above average for this price category.

Counter and menu board at Nicey's Eatery — Menu boards at Nicey’s Eatery

Kitchen and counter of Nicey's Eatery — Kitchen and counter, with Nicey’s tropical logo in the middle

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Garni Bakery

Giant Iranian breads and the best Napoleon cakes in Toronto

One of my favourite memories of Iran is the morning buzz at bakeries, churning out piles of barbari and the customers that lug these unwieldy breads. I am fortunate to be able to re-live that memory in Toronto, albeit in more sterile conditions.

There are only a couple of Iranian bakeries in Toronto. Garni Bakery is the best place for barbari (نان بربری). Barbari is a giant wheat flour bread measuring about 70 cm by 30 cm, with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. The dough has large and uneven air pockets like Italian focaccia, which gives it its pillowy texture. The other place I know that makes this is Khorak Supermarket.

It might surprise most that European pastries are quite popular in Tehran. Naturally, Garni Bakery has those too. In fact, they don’t make any traditional Iranian shirini (sweet confections).

Confections at Garni Bakery — Confections on display: Swiss rolls, cream puffs, Napoleons, cookies

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Comal y Canela

Authentic Mexican that is not just tacos

The Mexican food scene in Toronto is pretty good if you just want tacos. Outside of that, it’s pretty dismal. Comal y Canela is a rare exception. It serves authentic foods and draws a loyal following from the Mexican community.

The Food

The menu is a smattering of representative dishes from central Mexico: carnitas michoacanas from Michoacan, birria from Jalisco, and quesadilla D.F. from Mexico City. The odd one out is cochinita pibil from Yucatan. There are also pan-Mexican foods like tortas, molletes, sopes, and tacos. If you don’t know what these are, all the more reason to come and check them out. While these foods are easy to come by in major cities in USA (and obviously Mexico), it’s rare to see them in Canada.

One of the specialties here is birria de chivo. This is a mildly spicy goat stew from Jalisco state, said to cure hangovers. I tasted at least 8 ingredients in there, but the dominant flavours are tangy and salty. If that is not enough, it can be seasoned further with an assortment of garnishes: dried oregano, chipotles, raw onions, cilantro, and limes. Personally, I like spice and fresh herbs, so I dumped a bunch of chillies and cilantro into the birria. The goat meat is neither tough nor gamey and there is a good portion of it. Tortillas are included.

Birria de chivo from Comal y Canela — Birria de chivo

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Gujarati Foods

Exceptional dhokla and namkeens

Lately, I’ve been on a hunt for the best dhoklas in Toronto. Dhoklas look like yellow sponge cakes but are savoury and made of rice flour and chickpeas. They are the emblematic snack of Gujarat, India. Not many places in Toronto have them and there are even fewer Gujarati restaurants. Strange, since once would think that the predominantly vegetarian cuisine would attract a strong following from urbanites.

Gujarati Foods is one of the few places in the region that focuses on, what else, Gujarati foods. This is actually a factory in the hinterlands of Brampton. Amazingly, they make their own namkeens (crisp snacks) on premise. This is like finding a place that makes their own potato chips. They have an attached storefront with different varieties of namkeens in giant bins. You scoop up how much you want and pay by weight, like a bulk food store. Brush up on your Indian snack terminology before going. Most bins are not labelled and the price list doesn’t have pictures, just the name of the snack. Prices are higher than packaged namkeens from mega brands like Haldiram’s, but you can taste the quality difference. They average around $5.09 to $5.65 per pound. There are around 20 varieties including common ones like chevdo, chakri, and ratlami sev. The most premium one is special chevdo, also the most expensive at $6.78 per pound. Bhel mix is popular and my favourite because it contains a good variety of components and is reasonably priced.

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