Scarborough Archives - Global Toronto Eats

Onam sadhya in Toronto

Partake in the largest celebratory feast in the Malayali (Kerala) calendar

This review is for 2021. Keep an eye out for the next onam sadhya on 2022-09-08.

Toronto’s burgeoning Kerala food scene explodes in one summer weekend of the year. That’s for onam sadhya, a feast celebrating the harvest festival. Restaurants shut down normal service and assemble the same onam sadhya set meals all day. Lines are long but most are in a jovial mood. It’s a fun activity to join in, even if you are not from Kerala.

Onam sadhya in Kerala

Kerala is a southern Indian state with a bountiful coastline. Its cuisine is not widespread in Toronto, so onam sadhya is a good occasion to sample them. I am not familiar with Keralan food. I was going to visit Kerala in 2020 but COVID happened. So, I can’t judge the authenticity of restaurants here.

Onam (ഓണം) is the harvest festival of the Malayali people in Kerala, falling between August and September. Sadhya (സദ്യ) means banquet. Put them together and you get the harvest feast. More than 20 items are splayed on a banana leaf. The meal is traditionally vegetarian.

Packed onam sadhya from Thanima Kerala Kitchen — Onam sadhya for takeout (Thanima Kerala Kitchen)

One of the first things you’ll notice is that the rice is not typical of the rest of India. It’s matta rice, a short-grained and plump variety. It has the texture of brown rice and is similarly coloured reddish-brown.

Rice from Thanima Kerala Kitchen — Red rice from Thanima Kerala Kitchen

Other food items in onam sadhya may include any of the following. I hope you like coconut.

Achaar (അച്ചാർ): Super sour pickle.
Avial (അവിയല്‍): Blanched, semi-dry vegetable mix with curd and grated coconut.
Eriserry (എരിശ്ശേരി): Pumpkin curry.
Olan (ഓലൻ): Ash gourd, black-eyed peas, coconut, and gigner.
Pachadi (പച്ചടി): Vegetables in yoghurt and coconut sauce.
Palada pradhaman (പാലട പ്രധമൻ): Dessert dish. Rice pudding with milk and dried fruits.
Pazham pradhaman (പഴം പ്രധമൻ): Dessert dish. Banana pudding with coconut milk and jaggery.
Pappadam: The familiar lentil cracker found throughout South Asia.
Payasam (പായസം): Dessert dish. Rice pudding with milk and jaggery.
Puli inji (പുളി ഇഞ്ചി): Thick sauce made from tamarind and ginger.
Pulisseri (പുളിശ്ശേരി): Sour yoghurt and coconut curry.
Rasam (രസം): Spicy tamarind soup. Also a Tamil mainstay.
Sambar (സാമ്പാർ): Spicy, thick lentil soup with vegetable chunks. Also shared with Tamil cuisine.
Sharkara upperi (ശർക്കര ഉപ്പേരി): Sweet banana chips in a jaggery batter, sliced in wedges.
Thoran (തോരൻ): Finely chopped vegetables with grated coconut and mustard seeds.
Upperi (ഉപ്പേരി): Banana chips, sliced crosswise.
Whole banana

This being Toronto, there aren’t exactly a lot of banana trees to pluck leaves from. And importing banana leaves is too expensive to feed the masses that slam Keralan restaurants for onam sadhya. So, restaurants here use a waxed, green-coloured paper instead. And in the era of COVID-19, it’s all takeout and DIY.

Onam sadhya is a big deal in Kerala, similar to a Christmas dinner. I recommend pre-ordering to avoid waiting in line for an hour or more. Nearly all Keralan restaurants here offer online ordering.

Continue reading “Onam sadhya in Toronto”

Bhai Biryani

Classic Colombo-style biryani and short eats

There is no shortage of biryani restaurants in Toronto. The dominant style is Hyderabadi, cooked with a panoply of spices and sealed with dough to lock in flavours. Finding other regional styles is slightly more challenging. I haven’t come across a good Sri Lankan one until I stumbled upon Bhai Biryani.

Continue reading “Bhai Biryani”

Minerva Tiffins

Minerva Tiffins is moving to 16 Lebovic Avenue.

Freshest South Indian snacks in Toronto

Nestled in an industrial plaza near the Golden Mile is a little stall called Minerva Tiffins. It used to be the only tenant in the desolate food court for a long time. Today, it’s joined by three or four others but make no mistake, Minerva Tiffins is single-handedly running the show here. On the occasions I’ve visited, all the diners went straight for Minerva.

Interior of Minerva Tiffins — Minerva Tiffins

Undoubtedly, word-of-mouth and some media coverage helped, but the reason for its sustained success is its incredibly fresh-tasting South Indian food. Specifically, Andhra snacks. It’s grown so much that it’s moving to a proper restaurant of its own.

Continue reading “Minerva Tiffins”

Sushi Nishinokaze

This restaurant closed on 30 April 2022 and will be moving to a new location. Thanks for the memories!

21-days aged sushi in Toronto, edomae style

Sushi Nishinokaze is the latest darling in the omakase space. It opened in late 2021 and is one of three restaurants specializing in edomae sushi. If you’re wondering, the other two are Shoushin and Sushi Masaki Saito. Nishinokaze is also the cheapest at $169.50, compared to $316.40 and $680.00 respectively. Lots of Japanese air-flown imports and the intricacies of fish curing push up the price.

Exterior of Sushi Nishinokaze — Sushi Nishinokaze

The 19th-century ancestor of contemporary sushi

Edomae (江戸前) literally means “in front of Edo”. Edo is understood to refer to the castle in Edo, now modern-day Tokyo. Edo is also the name of the imperial period from 1603 to 1867 before Japan opened up to the world and brought about industrialization, political reform, and World War II, among other things.

The sushi from the Edo period was quite different from that of today. Because of the lack of refrigeration, fresh fish sushi was rare. Chefs had to think of ways to preserve fish like curing in soy sauce, salt, or vinegar. To put it in a nice way, fish could be “aged” anywhere between a few days to a few weeks. There’s less moisture and the protein gets more mushy from enzymatic action.

Box of fermented fish from Sushi Nishinokaze — Chef prepping fish slices. Box of aged fish on the right.

Edomae sushi is slowly gaining awareness in North America. Mainly in top-end omakase restaurants going for hundreds of dollars. Such an irony considering that edomae sushi was originally fast-food for peasants. I guess it can be justified because there’s more chef work compared to regular sushi.

Prepared fish from Sushi Nishinokaze — Prepared fish

For example, one defining characteristic of edomae sushi is the red vinegar (赤酢; akasu) used to prepare the rice (酢飯; shari). It gives the rice a brown hue. This vinegar is more expensive to procure and the taste is more complex than the white rice vinegar used in regular sushi. If you arrive early like I did, you can watch the chef make the finishing touches to the giant tub of rice.

Shari tub in Sushi Nishinokaze — Tub of shari on the right

Continue reading “Sushi Nishinokaze”

Maeli Market

Gorgeous Taiwanese goods and foods

Maeli Market is a Taiwanese lifestyle supermarket that also happens to make fantastic hot foods. It’s the only of its kind in Toronto, but the concept has been in East Asia for decades: a chic designer store with curated goods and an attached cafe. The shopping experience is a highlight in itself, akin to browsing an art gallery. Maeli Market is unusual in that its wares are packaged foods instead of stationery, apparel, or household items, but the attention to detail is the same.

Design shops sometimes run into the folly of emphasizing style over substance. Happily, there is no such issue here. Their rice dishes, in particular, are a successful elevation of peasant foods.

The groceries

All their products are made in Taiwan or are Taiwanese favourites. Half of them can be found cheaper at other Chinese supermarkets. What you should come here for are unique imports like pineapple cakes (鳳梨酥), muah chee (麻糍; glutinous rice balls with filling), pickles, and teas.

Taiwanese biscuits at Maeli Market — Taiwanese confections and biscuits

All their wares are precisely arranged like a sculpture. They might even be colour-coordinated.

Grocery display at Maeli Market — Grocery display

Their chilled and frozen sections have a fair selection. It’s rather pricey though since they are specialty imports.

Chilled section at Maeli Market — Chilled section

Frozen goods at Maeli Market — Frozen goods

They don’t have the full gamut of Taiwanese instant noodles. No manhan feast (滿漢大餐), a renowned brand with real chunks of beef. Nor TTL chicken noodles with rice wine (花雕雞麵). Probably food import restrictions.

Instant noodles at Maeli Market — Instant noodles

Still, they pack a surprisingly large variety of products in a small space and make it seem spacious. There is even a small section for housewares.

Continue reading “Maeli Market”

Casa Imperial

Respectable dim sum in a pretty mansion

Toronto has bountiful dim sum at all price points. Quality is comparable or better than Hong Kong. At the high-end, there are over a dozen restaurants that will compete for your dollar. By high-end, I mean luxury ingredients like lobster, truffles, foie gras, etc. Surprisingly, prices are not that stratospheric. The average plate at these restaurants range from $5.65 to $11.30 (after tax). In the past, it was common to have “early bird” discounts for diners that show up before 9am. It’s rare to see that these days but you can still get discounts (usually) by paying with cash.

Exterior of Casa Imperial — Casa Imperial

Casa Imperial has the best setting amongst its competitors. It’s in a mid-19th-century heritage house, originally the Hood-Gough House. Think chandeliers, oil paintings, and fine china. It’s faux-glam but consumers love it for its perceived elegance. For pandemic dining, seating has moved outdoors and so has the dining finery. Even the tents are a step above the average restaurant. Sturdy and matched for an establishment of this calibre.

Continue reading “Casa Imperial”

Puff Samosa

Flakey samsas and intricate Uzbek manti

Uzbekistan is a poster child for Central Asian cuisine. It has all the representative dishes like plov (rice cooked with meat stock and the occasional dried fruit), laghman (thick, handmade noodles), and several varieties of kebab. If there is a Central Asian restaurant somewhere outside Central Asia, chances are high that it is branded as an Uzbek one.

There are a handful of decent Uzbek restaurants in Toronto. Uzbek cuisine is popular amongst Russians and hence they are usually located near Russian enclaves in North York or Vaughan. But not Puff Samosa. They chose to set up shop in decidedly non-Russian Scarborough. And an industrial park at that. Not that I am complaining. Scarborough sorely lacks Central Asian restaurants.

Puff Samosa is best described as a samsa specialist that also runs an industrial choyxona (чойхона; teahouse). It has none of the charms of a traditional choyxona and all the brutal architecture of a pre-fabricated commercial block. I visited when COVID indoor dining restrictions were in effect, so I didn’t get a chance to linger for tea. But the food alone is still worth the trip.

Continue reading “Puff Samosa”

The Suya Spot

Savoury, smokey Nigerian grilled meats

Suyas are easily the most accessible Nigerian food. Unlike other traditional dishes like slimy cow foot soup (nkwobi) or mud-like amala (yam flour paste), barbecued meat is a crowd-pleaser. It’s no wonder that the majority of Nigerian restaurants in Toronto offer suya. The Suya Spot is one of the best places to sample this meaty delight.

Exterior of The Suya Spot — The Suya Spot

Do you want your West African meats well-done or extra well-done?

In my travels to West Africa, I’ve sadly never had revelatory food experiences. Grilled meat is popular and goes by different names: suya in Nigeria, soya in Cameroon, and brochette in Niger. However, quality ranges from ho-hum to bad at most places. I’ve never been to Nigeria (I blame unreasonable visa fees), but my experiences in surrounding countries indicate a philosophy of overcooking meat. It could be for hygiene reasons or a local preference. But it does tend towards dry and tough proteins.

Suyas are no exception. Good suya places will grill them just under the verge of being overdone. Bad places will just give chewy or burnt meat. Suyas have a unique flavour profile compared to other meat-on-a-stick delicacies from around the world. It comes from the use of West African spices like uda (a type of pepper, also known as grains of Selim) and kuli kuli (deep-fried groundnut flour). I recommend trying them at least once to broaden your horizons.

Continue reading “The Suya Spot”

The Central European dumplings of Toronto

Discover the starchy delights of spätzle, knedlíky, halušky, and nokedli in Toronto (and finding the best)

The iconic Central European food is undoubtedly the schnitzel, a thin, breaded slab of meat. It’s filling and easy to make, which explains its popularity outside the region. Witness cotoletta (Italy) and milanesa (Argentina and Brazil).

But we are not here to talk about something that is famous enough already. Today, we go on a tour of the second-most iconic food of Central Europe: dumplings. These are the underappreciated workhorses that give the cuisine a reputation for being heavy and starchy. Not to be confused with Asian dumplings, these dumplings are bite-sized lumps of flour, potato, or egg. They are also universally bland, so the skill comes in the texture and shape.

Toronto is blessed to have full representation of the dumplings of Central Europe: Germany/Austria/Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary. (I left out Poland because their most famous dumpling, pierogi, is too divergent from the others. But if you are interested in Polish kopytka, Café Polonez is a good bet.)

One can easily go on a taste test around the city and debate which is the better variant. And that is exactly what I did.

Continue reading “The Central European dumplings of Toronto”

Fusion Sri Lankan food in Scarborough

Surprising Sri Lankan creations in the Tamil heart of Toronto

Along Markham Road near the northeastern border of Toronto lies one of the Little Indias of the city. The section between McNicoll and Steeles Avenue is the geographical centre of the largest Tamil population in Canada. It may not seem like it because of the industrial location but it sprawls out north into the residential areas of Markham and south to the more populated areas of Scarborough.

Markham Road and Steeles Avenue East, the centre of the Tamil community in Toronto — Markham Road and Steeles Avenue East, the centre of the largest Tamil community in Toronto

Markham sign at Markham Road and Steeles Avenue East — Markham sign at northwest corner of Markham Road and Steeles Avenue East

Tamils are an ethnic group from Tamil Nadu state in India and northern Sri Lanka. Large numbers migrated from Sri Lanka to Toronto during the civil war period from the 1980s to the early 21st century. As a result, Sri Lankan cuisine in Toronto has become synonymous with Tamil cuisine, even though Tamils are a minority group in Sri Lanka. The majority group, the Sinhalese, use slightly different spices in their cooking. By the way, it is surprisingly difficult to find a Sinhalese restaurant in Toronto. Check out Banana Leaf Catering and Take Out if you are interested.

On the other hand, Tamil restaurants are thriving in Toronto. For the most part, they have remained traditional and cheap takeout businesses. But enough time has passed since the 1980s to allow for deviations with classic recipes. Toronto is one of the few cities in the world that have the right conditions for fusion cuisine to emerge: a large Tamil population, a multicultural food landscape, and a sophisticated audience eager for new things and not adverse to paying more. The scene is still burgeoning, but here are some of the places I’ve come across in Scarborough.

Continue reading “Fusion Sri Lankan food in Scarborough”