Yonge-Dundas Square is a mixed bag when it comes to food choices. There are a few great restaurants but there are many more mediocre chains that survive on tourist and shopping traffic. Well, if you are in the area around lunch time, it’s worth seeking out Elm Street Italian Deli for their subs.
Elm Street Italian Deli
They sell Canadian-Italian subs, or at least that’s what I call them. They are not traditional Italian panini because they come loaded with more meats and ingredients. Also, the ingredient combinations are not something one finds in Italy. It’s closer to American/Canadian-Italian sandwiches. Regardless of origin, I recommend them for a quick, quality bite.
Lai Wah Heen is the grand dame of luxury dim sum, incorporating ingredients like lobster and caviar since the 1990s. It won critical acclaim but standards went downhill for a long time before rising again. Today, it’s still a decent place to try high-end dim sum if you don’t want to make the trip to Richmond Hill and Markham.
Hotel entrance to Lai Wah Heen
Lai Wah Heen
Online reviews are harsh, mainly because the price doesn’t meet expectations. Indeed, some items like char siu bao (barbecued pork buns) don’t taste that all different from average restaurants but are priced higher. The trick is to select the right things. Research on their specialties beforehand and get the unique ones. Then, the experience won’t be as bad as detractors claim.
This restaurant closed in March 2021. Thanks for the memories!
Slurp-worthy boat noodles and other lesser-known Thai noodles
Delightfully ungrammatical name aside, Boat King of Thai Noodles is the place to get a wide range of Thai noodles. Everyone knows about pad thai. Some know about pad see ew (ผัดซีอิ๊ว) and pad kee mao (ผัดขี้เมา). This restaurant offers lesser-known dishes that only Thai food enthusiasts will recognize. For example, its signature and namesake is boat noodles. It’s the best version in Toronto. Then again, there aren’t a lot of competitors. Nana used to offer this before the pandemic. Kiin used to offer it when they had lunch service. Now, Thai Noodle is the only other place near downtown that has boat noodles.
Boat King of Thai Noodles
Kway tiaw reua—the unsung emblem of Thai noodles
I have a confession to make. I don’t like pad thai. This after eating it all over Thailand and seeking the best restaurants. It’s too boring for me and strikes me as a leftovers dish. Even though pad thai is identified as the iconic dish of Thailand, it should be boat noodles. Just like how green curry is unique to Thailand, boat noodles are quite different from its noodle cousins in China and Southeast Asia.
Boat noodles are known as kway tiaw reua in Thai (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ). It also goes by other English transliterations like kuai tiao reua or guay teow rua. I use the least ambiguous spelling here. Boat noodles gets its name from vendors rowing on boats through Bangkok’s canals. The food was prepared in the boat and handed off to customers on the shore. In modern times, restaurateurs have moved to dry land.
The defining characteristics of boat noodles are its small serving size and its blood-infused broth. Yup, you read that right. There is some pig and cow blood to thicken the broth. It doesn’t taste strong like Chinese or Vietnamese blood cakes but it darkens the brown broth and adds to the texture and richness. Most people wouldn’t even notice it. The bowl is small because historically, vendors wanted to minimize spillage when passing it to customers. Nowadays, it has become a tradition to order multiple bowls and stack them up like some kind of trophy to gluttony.
There are several varieties of boat noodles. You can mix and match the type of noodles and broth. Common noodles are sen yai (เส้นใหญ่; broad, flat rice noodles), sen lek (เส้นเล็ก; thin rice noodles also used for pad thai), and ba mee (บะหมี่; yellow egg noodles). Broth choices are beef blood, pork blood, yen ta foo (fermented red bean curd), or tom yum. The blood choices, called nam tok, are representative of boat noodles.
Boat noodles at Pa Yak, near Victory Monument in Bangkok. Clockwise from left: pork sen yai with blood broth, pork sen yai with tom yam broth, beef sen yai with blood broth.
Toppings include meat slices, meat balls, liver, leafy vegetables like morning glory, bean sprouts, fried garlic, and pork crackling. Diners add peanuts, sugar, chillies, and other condiments to taste. It’s a comforting dish. The broth packs meatiness and umami that makes you want to order more.
