Good mid-range Jamaican restaurants are hard to come by in Toronto. The majority are budget restaurants geared for takeout. Simone’s Caribbean Restaurant is one of the exceptions. It stands out in the competitive Greektown restaurant scene and has survived for almost a decade. A testament to its quality.
When I think of Greektown in Toronto, I think of tourist traps. Sure, there are many Greek restaurants but they all have nearly the same souvlakis and grilled seafood. If I go there for Greek food, I usually end up at Athens Pastries. It stands out as one of the few specialists of Greek pastries. Perfect for a quick bite.
Athens Pastries has been in Greektown for over 40 years. They’ve become a neighbourhood fixture and admirably kept up with the times with renovations. Part of their success lies in having a small menu that it can perfect on. There are just 3 savoury options and 4 sweet ones. Hasn’t changed in years. Furthermore, their savoury options are really just variations of the same thing: filo pies. Go in the morning to get the widest selection.
Egyptian food isn’t typically my first choice of Middle Eastern cuisine. There are not many unique dishes and flavours are muted. Vegetarians will have an easy time as the dominant street food in Egypt is the trinity of koshari (كشري; rice, lentils, macaroni, spicy tomato sauce), ful medames (فول مدمس; mashed fava beans), and taameya (الطعمية; falafel). In fact, these three dishes are usually found together at street stands.
I remember surviving for weeks in Egypt on these fast foods. Ful doesn’t appeal to me because it’s heavy and an unappetizing shade of grey. Taameya is all right as all deep-fried foods are. But the Egyptian food highlight has got to be koshari. The tomato sauce gives a much-needed tangy kick to an otherwise bland cuisine. The different starches also add textural complexity.
There are only a handful of restaurants in Toronto that have koshari. Papyrus is the best of them. It also excels in taameya and the humble baladi (بلدي; Egyptian flatbread). Their key to success is having a simple menu and executing each component well.
