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Scarborough Gems
- c
- Connoisseur Feb 13, 2008 08:49 AM
Hidden or not. I think it would be cool to compile a list of great resto's in the east end and Scarborough area.
Although some of us have sung the praises of many on separate links lets try to build one complete list.
- Zen (Brimley/Danforth & Eglington) Great fresh Sushi. Would be at the top of my list.
- Roland's (Eglington & McCowan) Guyanese Chinese and good Roti
- Federicks/Fredricks?? (Bellamy & Ellesmere) Indo Chinese
- Channaman (Eglington & Midland) on the search for the perfect Roti I am a huge fan of The Roti hut (which I will list next) I have been led to Roland's which I really enjoyed and then to Channaman. Although the place was questionable (I took out) the Roti was Great. It was giant and packed with the right flavor mix. Big chunks of potato and White meat (chicken) I will try the beef and goat another time and expect to be equally impressed.
- The Roti Hut (Pittfield & McCowan) great Roti and the BEST I mean the BEST Doubles in the City.
- The Tulip (Queen & Coxwell) good steak without the steakhouse price tag. Great burger Good breakfast, and daily specials pork chops, Spaghetti with meat sauce and not to mention Coconut and Banana cream pie mmmm
-Farhat (Warden & Lawrence) Famous Shawarma
- Armenian Kitchen (Vic Park & Eglington) Middle Eastern nice sit down place
- Tara Inn (Eglington & Midland) arguably the buffalo best wings in the city
This is just a start to get the ball rolling but I am hungry now so will go for lunch...
Great idea for a thread! My own additions:
- Ruby Chinese Restaurant (McCowan and Finch) for excellent Cantonese dinners and cheap dim sum;
- Keung Kee Chicken and Fantasy Eatery (Midland and Finch) for well-priced HK/Cantonese food;
- JTown (Woodbine and Steeles) for incomparably fresh sashimi and value lunches on the weekend;
T & T! (Not a restaurant, I know, but what a great grocery store.)
re: Yum2MyTum
I'm sure everyone remembers but I'll just remind them that Ruby Chinese is no more. They were run into bankruptcy after being shut down for health violations.
A real problem for some restaurants.
BTW, T&T's is now owned by Loblaws. Whether that changes things, we'll have to see.
re: Dimwit
TnT is not owned by Loblaws. It is still indpendently owner by their Vancouver based
owners. They merely had a merger, thus agreeiang to sell President's Choice products, the same as other western food based stores that are still independently owned....TnT will not change in any way; you will just see additional products...
re: Mousette5
?? http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story...
Sounds like Loblaws is the owner. They are letting TnT to be managed as a separate entity.
It's funny, but I've found more gems in Scarborough than in my own 'hood in the east end of Toronto:
Ni-Ji Sushi (Ellesmere & Midland) - Great bento box combo, really fresh
Green Bamboo Vietnamese (Sheppard & Midland) - best spring rolls EVER
Fairview Seafood Chinese restaurant - Great, spicy Chinese food (sweet & sour chicken with chili & spicy pork w mushrooms!)
Francesca Italian Bakery (McCowan & Invergordon) great hot table at lunch
Tandoori Pearl (Nugget Ave @ McCowan) Great thali combo at lunch
Grumble's Deli (Main Street just south of Danforth) Great schnitzel sandwiches, amazing potato salads, relaxing atmosphere
re: currycue
Grumble's Deli...is this the place with the bakery and specialty items in the front and an eating area in the back on the west side? If it is I've never eaten in but the baked goods are very good IMHO. Such an interesting mix of German and Scottish delights in a cosy setting. A bit of old Europe, old wooden floors in a former home. Potato scones, eccles cakes and lots of other sweet treats. Do you get the schnitzel and salads (which look homemade and traditional) to go or do you eat in? Every neighbourhood should have a place like this.
re: currycue
Not really funny currycue. Scarborough has been ethnically diverse since the late 60's/early 70's long before many other Toronto neighbourhoods. The borough has benefitted from this in immeasurable ways, but most noticeably in the modestly-priced cuisine that's readily available. Glad someone's finally attempting to tally this.
Shamrock Burgers (Old Kingston Rd & Highland creek overpass) their homeburgers and rings are very good. http://www.shamrockburgers.com/index.htm
Fratelli Village Pizzeria (Old Kingston Rd & Highland creek overpass) a nice little Italian spot in the end unit of a strip mall in Higland Creek. Their pizzas and tiramisu are pretty darned good.
Lin Garden (Pharmacy & Sheppard) Hakka Chinese. I go for the crispy beef, kan shu green beans, manchurian fried rice, pakoras, their chili chicken isn't the greatest in Scarborough but it is passable.
Little Bavaria (Markham Rd and Eglinton) German, many different schnitzels, chops and sausages. http://www.littlebavaria.net/index.htm
Nun Such Jerk (Kennendy & Lawrence) the jerk pork sandwhich is all I ever order. Made from pork loin, it's not overly fatty, it's tender and moist. Coupled with plantain on a coco bread it's excellent.
Juici Patties (Thornmount Dr by the water tower at Morningside & Sheppard). It's an industrial production facility but they sell to the public. They are similar in appearance to Patty King but the crust and filling is much tastier in my opinion. Call ahead and see when they are cooking the patties, there's nothing better than one hot out of the oven. http://126.96.36.199/gwContent.php?se...
re: Dr Butcher
I have to remove Juici Patties from my recommendations, the last box I got was terrible, the spicing was weak and the most pronounced flavour was lard...... Not good. Things have changed for the worse it seems since Juici bought out the Patty Man,
I have discovered Michidean Patties (7725 Birchmount Rd) since my previous post and they are my new favourite from the area (Randy's are a touch better but are from the west end). Michidean's patties are are an excellent value as well. I get them for just over $8 a box from Charley's West Indian market at Morningside/Sheppard.
I have mentioned Cheetal Indian Cuisine a few times as well. My favourite Indian place in the city to date.
Two big thumbs up to Shawarma Empire and Ibrahim as well.
re: Dr Butcher
Fratelli Village Pizzeria is excellent, but it's always so packed.
Shamrock has gone downhill since they stopped making home made fries and are just frying up some frozen Cavendish ones.
re: sunder1025
Trick is to get there for 5 p.m., you'll be guaranteed a table. Any time past 6 p.m., BUT before 8 p.m, you're waiting. After 8 p.m. it starts to thin out and the wait won't be long. Also there are a couple of seats at the bar and you can eat there if you don't really care for a table. My wife and I do the take out. 15 min. max is what we had to wait for our meal (pizzas are much faster).
re: scarberian
I was invited for dinner at Fratelli's about 2 weeks ago and the food did not disappoint. I had the grilled octopus and it was buttery moist with a slight char flavour. I wanted to cry when it was all gone =(. The mussels were also quite nice especially with the bread.
I also had lunch with the wife about 3 weeks ago at the Black Dog. There is a slight change to their menu, but what really made my day was their fried calamari. I'm not sure if they changed the recipe because I don't recall the calamari being this good. Not a single piece was rubbery AND they were plump pieces. They were tender enough to be able to easily cut with a fork. The next time I go, I'm going to order the calamari and ask for a bun and make a calamari Po Boy. The calamari was just the appetizer, I had the pulled pork as my main. The pork was okay, it wasn't bad nor was it great, just okay. It's one of those dishes that you don't regret ordering, but after having it once there's no need to order it again.
re: sunder1025
I'm pretty sure Shamrock is no more. Last time I checked it was some other name.
re: scarborough
shamrock is still there you must be thinking of something else
re: sunder1025
I ate at Shamrock last night. The fries are definately not frozen Cavendish. I have not tried their onion rings but the pub the chef used to work at had the most incredible onion rings on this planet.......Wings were crappy (kinda dry) , ribs great and also the fries...........Took a burger home with me and it was great for breakfast......Give it another try!
re: Mousette5
Tried Shamrock Burgers (Highland Creek) for the first time today, for lunch. Onion rings were the star of the show. The burger did not impress. It had a spice mix that reminded me of Lick's, which is not a good thing.
I didn't see homeburgers on the menu (on their website or in the restaurant) so I guess they've gone to all pre-fab, which explains the Lick's similarity.
We won't return unless we just want great onion rings.
re: TexSquared
I think all of Shamrock's burgers are 'homeburgers'. They are now outsourced as they are trying to franchise. You can even buy a box of their patties to make at home. They are nice and beefy though, not the 'steakette' type patty you find at most burger joints (before moving up to a 'homeburger').
To me they have what I affectionately call a 'Greek Burger' spicing to them, similar to operations that were started by Greek proprietors. I believe the Real McCoy, Shake Rabble & Roll, Shamrock all have a similar spicing. Shamrock's are, and always have been more heavily spiced, with at the very least, pepper, onion, possibly oregano and other spices. They should be able to provide an ingredient list if they are brought in from a supplier.
I guess it's a matter of preference. I think they are great, I've been eating there since the late 80's and have not noted a drop in quality. In that time, they have switched bread suppliers from Toronto Bread to B&A and it's a shame they moved from home cut fries to pre-fab, they used to have amazing house cut fries as well as their oh-so-artery-cloggingly-good rings.
re: Dr Butcher
I agree about the onion rings as others have mentioned, they are some of the best in Toronto. As for the burger, as doc mentioned they are referred to as "home burgers" and the different names are basically referring to the differences in size i.e. classic is 4 oz., Rockstar is 6 oz., etc. The family and I recently had dinner there and I ordered the rockstar combo (with rings). I actually enjoyed their burger, but I couldn't taste any spices as some have said they've added to the patties. IMO it was a decent burger with a slight char flavour. I would definitely choose it over McD's or Harvey's, and it reminded me more of a Real McCoy burger. I tried my daughter's fries which were pre-fab although they try to make them look home cut by leaving the skin on them. I would go back for the burger since there really is nothing close by in the area and, as I said, it was decent. Definitely get the rings if you go, don't bother with the fries.
re: Dr Butcher
How does Shamrock on Kingston Road compare to Scarborough's Five Guys (burger to burger and sides to sides)?
re: Food Tourist
In an effort to answer my question, we tried Shamrock today (4 oz and 6 oz burger, sweet potato fries, chocolate milkshake). My least favourite was the actual bun - fairly standard no-frills white bun. The classic rock (4oz) patty was lean, a bit gristly and thin, but still tasty. Added fried mushrooms and onions and Rock sauce (dijon mustard creamy). Got spicy bbq and garlic mayo for the fries (dips not exciting). The only reason I ordered the sweet potato fries was calorie savings (their website lists food nutrition values and it's still bikini season, so...) Milkshake wasn't in the same league as Holy Chuck, but probably was half their calories, so I'm not complaining. Thin chocolate taste and a light milkshake overall. http://shamrockburgers.com/downloads/...
re: Food Tourist
If you want to try a burger, try the SteakBurger at T-Bones (Midland and Eglinton).
I haven't tried it in awhile, but for the size, and flavour of the meat which tastes a bit peppery, it's awesome. Price was decent too.
re: Food Tourist
You should be asking "How's Shamrock's burgers to Real McCoy?" Hands down Real McCoy runs away with this category. Make sure you get the home burger at RM. They have the best charbroiled burger in Scarborough IMHO. I like to put their tzatziki on my burger instead of mayo as it gives it a richer flavour. Also RM's fries are excellent and they're real home cut fries not frozen like Shamrocks.
re: scarberian
Thanks! I'm obviously not familiar AT ALL with Scarborough. Looks like RM is within my 10 minute one-way radius for good eat hopefuls.
re: Food Tourist
RM is more of a take out joint. There are no tables or seats, just a ledge along their south wall where you can eat standing up. Also no bathrooms. This is an old school mom and pop shop so lots of faded photos of locally sponsored hockey teams, a photo of Roberto Alomar, hockey memorabilia, wood panelling and friendly service. They are closed Sundays.
re: scarberian
I gotta ask, Scarberian, since you use tzatziki, does Real McCoy use any garlic at all in their burgers? Sadly, I still haven't made the trek.
re: scarberian
Real McCoy didn't live up to its name on Tuesday night. Got the homemade burger with cheese (mozza instead of processed) and another homemade burger with bacon, plus one order of fries to share. We were careful not to order the smaller not-homemade burgers. Regardless, the patty was really disappointing as were the lacklustre fries. We won't be back, sadly.
re: TexSquared
I don't think the Shamrock patties have a spice mix any more. Tasted like a plain beef patty (this is 3 years later...)
re: Food Tourist
Places like Shamrocks, Johnny's are just trying to milk it from their reputation of the past.
The new owners likely bought it for an expensive price, and therefore, they are trying to make up for it by cutting costs, and charging alot, while underinvesting in everything else.
re: 89_9C1
I agree about Johnny's but i would say the quality at shamrock has actually improved with their menu makeover a year or so back. They got rid of almost any premade ingredients, and now have fresh cut fries and all burgers are fresh patties instead of only their top end burgers.
re: Dr Butcher
I would just like to point out that Shamrock Burgers has recently revamped their image and food and they now SUCK!! It was the end of an era as far as I'm concerned. They were one of the best burgers in Scarborugh. I liked them better than Johnny's!!
re: yamfood
"better than Johnny's" isn't anything to brag about...
re: yamfood
I wouldn't say they suck, but, they are trying to franchise and have outsourced the production of their hamburgers. I am not sure of the other items on their menu as I haven't tried any of the new offerings.
The burgers still have the same taste but seem smaller than the burgers of old unless you go for one of the bigger offerings. They used to have a prefab steakette like Johnny's or the house made homeburger. Now I believe they have three different sized burger patties and no longer offer the steakette type of patty.
Long ago they ditched their great house cut fries and went to frozen, their burgers are still tasty (if you like a spiced burger patty) and their rings are still great (although greasy).
I still think the flavour and quality is there, they haven't gone down the tubes, saying they suck it a bit far. I bought a few $10 for $5 WagJag coupons from them a while back and have been going to their Scarborough location regularly this past summer. While the burger patties are now formed, they still serve a great burger IMO.
Super Sushi House - Don't think i see this place mentioned on chowhound but it was one of our regulars when living in Scar. Good food, good service, but excellent value. Combos are about $15-17 for miso soup and salad and teriyaki and sushi/sashimi and dessert/ice cream. Oh its at Kennedy/Ellesmere northeast corner.
Other regulars were Tiffen - east indian food northwest corner Pharmacy/Ellesmere and Kenny's - chinese food in plaza southeast corner Midland/Sheppard. Also a samosa place one light west of Kennedy/Eglinton on the north side, though haven't tried Samosa King yet.
Second Green Bamboo and Roti Hut - mmm fluffy doubles.
My favourite places.....
Beef Patties:
Fahmee Bakery
119 Montezuma Trail (just North of Brimley & Finch)
(416) 754-2126
Wonton Noodles:
Wonton Chai Noodle
4400 Sheppard Ave. East, Unit 6-8 (just West of Brimley)
(416) 335-6326
5 Veggie Samosas for $1.00
Embassy Samosa King
5300 Finch Ave. East (at Middlefield)
(416) 332-0944
Shawarma & Falafel:
Farhat Restaurant
2020 Lawrence Ave. East (west of Warden)
(416) 285-5010
Shawarma Empire
1823 Lawrence Avenue East (just east of Pharmacy)
(416) 285-1337
love this thread since i'm a scarbarian. everyone needs to check out The Perfect Chinese Restaurant at sheppard and brimley.
http://www.perfectchineserestaurant.c... (website has pictures of almost every dish)
it has a huge selection of dim sum and excellent prices. regular dishes are fantastic as well. this place is a definite gem, been around >20yrs i reckon as i've frequented this place my whole life. recently got renovated (within the last 3months) and is open 24hrs (it's that good). go for the food, not for the service (service is on par w/ what u'd expect at a chinese restaurant).
re: T Long
my bad, i was very vague. ur last statement sums it up.
re: T Long
Very touchy but I agree.
The Mandarin has the best service of almost any restaurant I have ever been in.
Not to mention the best Prime Rib and au lus or gravy.
re: blitz
Thanks Blitz.
We went to Perfect quite often many years ago, and guess we just forgot about it.
Will make a return visit.
Have you tried Maple Yip?
Sheppard just east of Midland?
It was a suggestion some time ago from Charles Yu.
He recommended the lobster casserole with glass noodles.
The lobster is small but the dish is excellent.
The food is not beautifully presented, the English menu is not very interesting, but if you ask for suggestions from the Chinese menu, their food is seasoned almost perfectly.
Their sauces are subtle.
Last night we had a whole Talapia, steamed with ginger and onion $10.95
Their hotpot eggplant, also not on the menu is in my opinion one of the best in T.O.
re: blitz
I grew up frequenting Perfect at least once every three months. The food is fantastic, and probably very authentic because so many Chinese people frequent it on a regular basis. Service can get pretty rough at times because most (if not all) cart pushers speak little English. It is busy in the evenings and especially on the weekends - expect a minimum 10 minute wait to be seated! Perfect is definitely a must-go for dim sum fans in Scarborough.
re: blitz
mmm! Perfect Chinese Restaurant! The food is good and the prices are cheap! The food is also carted out - so you can see what you eat before you order it. Unfortunately, if you are planning on going out on a weekend for dim sum..make sure you get there early! Expect to wait about 30 mins for a seat if you arrive around 11am!
re: blitz
The Perfect - Blitz, you took the words right out of my mouth... I used to go to the Chinese Cultural Association's tea room for dim sum (their siu mai were the best) but The Perfect is unbeatable! I've been a loyal for over 7 years... Love their mango pudding.
Rolands - Good roti
Little Bavaria - A tad overpriced and the desserts are kinda dry and stale-ish...
Maple Yip (chinese, mostly fish dishes) hiding in the Southeast corner of Midland/Sheppard - Quite good and reasonable prices. Go early to beat the lunch crowd.
re: Dracodl
What is the address of Chinese Cultural Association's tea room. Didn't show up in google.
re: aliangwb
Sadly, the tea room was closed around 2000 and there is no info on whether the cultural association (a block east of Progress & Markham) will put another tea room or not.
Great list!
Here are my additions:
Oriental Century Palace (inside Oriental Center, NE corner of Brimley & Sheppard E)
ABC Bakery - (Victoria Park) good and cheap Chinese quick food
Remely's Filipino Eatery (Sheppard/McCowan area) - clean and offers a good array of regional Filipino food and desserts - you must try their Goldilocks sans rival slices - layers of meringue, nuts and buttercream
Mike's BBQ - (NW corner Brimley & Sheppard E) Chinese take-out BBQ house - my favourite is their roasted pig
Kenny's Noodle (Sheppard E just east of Midland) - Chinese eatery - I love their fried pork chop on ho fun noodle soup
Bluffers (in Scaborough Bluffs) - great for steak and seafood - continental fare - great view
Finally, Thai in our little (southwest) corner of Scarborough! A new resto called Pho Dai Nam has opened in the mall on the northwest corner of Birchmount and Danforth Road, next to the Albert Cambell library and across from Sun Valley. I haven't had a chance to try much of the menu yet, but the food seems very fresh and the coconut seafood soup is amazing. Has anyone else tried it?
re: voracious
Isn't Pho Dai Nam Vietnamese?
re: Edith S
Sorry, yes -- but they also serve Thai dishes.
re: voracious
I wonder if this is the same as the vietnamese restaurant called Dai Nam that used to be in Chinatown.
The owners closed and moved to Scarborough and opened another Vietnamese resto called Crispy Roll next to the water tower.
re: chocabot
As far as I understand, it's the same owners.
re: voracious
Five tasty stars for this photeria at Birchmount and Danforth Road. Fish ball soup with rice noodles had fragrant broth, firm noodles, and the fish balls with the right degree of fishiness. The spring rolls were crisp as toast. And the bowl of green curry evoked the food stalls in a Bangkok market.
Lots of great restaurants in Scarborough.
Has anyone tried Babu Sri Lankan? It's on Shepherd east of McCowan. They only do take out and have dozens of hot fresh dishes to choose from. Interesting place and maybe a little intimidating for novices. In addition to Sri Lankan / South Indian food they also serve some north Indian dishes. Extremely reasonable prices. Make sure you ask for the square rotis as the round ones are too thick.
Went to a great Chinese restaurant on the weekend called Skyland De Shanghai on Steeles east of Kennedy.
For Shawarma I like Ibrahim and Shawarma Empire. Both serve good shawarma but like other places in the area they are pretty barebones. I found Farhat a little too grungy.
For old school family breakfast my vote goes to a place in my neighbourhood called Bo-Peep.
Wow...all great choices.
Roti Hut on Pitfield just east of McCowan has the best Trinidad style roti in Toronto (despite being located in one of the tiniest dingiest plazas in Scarborough). They recently renovated and expanded into the unit next door. Roti Hut is now a tastefully decorated and clean family resto with a wide variety of roti and carribean foods. Do yourself a favour and go (You can thank me later).
A couple of gems that were missed:
Prague Restaurant: (Scarborough Golf Club Rd. just south of Lawrence) A nice family run czech resto (located in a Czech seniors housing complex so you know the food is authentic). Roast duck, homemade soups, goulashes, fresh spatzel, dumplings, pork roast. We usually go with the Bohemian Plater loaded with sausage, dumplings, cabbage, etc and washed down with a Pilsner Urquell. Go hungry because the portions are huge. Cost is reasonable. Nicely decorated and most tables overlook the Scarborough Golf Club. A real gem.
Vietnam Star Noodle House: Midland Ave in the plaza just north of Finch (Can't miss it)Arguably the best Pho in Toronto. Always busy. huge bowl of pho with raw beef for $5. Lots of other choices for non-soup lovers such as grilled beef on vermicelli. Fast service and quirky decor (huge fake palm trees, chinese soap operas playing on several large screen tv's). A real family place.
Tara Inn: on Kingston Road just west of Midland. Far superior to the Tara Inn on Eglinton. Best wings in Toronto (better than the anchor bar, better than St. Louis Wings, better than Duffs and better than Scratch Danials (before it went downhill)). Real wings (not breaded) with fresh cut fries. Order their beer battered onion rings (also fresh cut, not those frozen stringy things served in most restos). Decor is your traditional irish pub, though it has a few out of place throwbacks to the 80's (i.e. some rattan furniture, fake ivy here and there).
Remezzo: Plaza at southwest corner of Warden and Sheppard. I wouldn't drive across the city to go here, but if you live in Scarborough, they do a nice italian dinner for a good price, Clean, nicely decorated (a bit 80's perhaps, but well cared for).
Amazing Ted's: Old kingston Rd. A real roadhouse diner (Back in the day when the only route east was highway 2). Great breakfasts, fresh pies, homey main courses. Feels as if you've stepped back in time to 1950 (Love the old lunch counter and swivel stools). A scarborough institution for those in the know
re: Finnegan
Waiting to try Tara Inn and Prague Restaurant (been there a couple times now, but closed once, and packed for mother's day the other). Can attest to Vietnam Star, Hopper Hut, Schwarma Empire (prefer to farhat's), Little Bavaria and J-town (i work beside it, and the teriyaki black cod rice balls and the bakery's cream puffs and boston cream donuts haunt my dreams often). Haven't been to the kingston road bo-peep but grew up on the one in the Oshawa Centre when I was little and loved the one at Bridlewood Mall until it closed recently.. moving to SE scarborough in a month, so we are definately going to become morning regulars there. On top of breakfasts they made some of the best patty melts I have ever had.
Also have to include:
Agincourt bakery. (pharmacy north of finch) hands down best veal sandwich I have had in the city to date. Just awesome.
re: Fat Swine
Glad you enjoyed it! We stopped by on Saturday for lunch and were pleasantly surprised to see their new seating area. Their espresso machine is also new and I grabbed an americano that I was very pleased with. I just wish they had had some of their rice balls available on Saturday as they are also delicious, but alas, there were none!
re: Finnegan
As usual I agree with Finnegan, and he is right the Kingston Rd Tara is far better than the Eglington location, and yes the wings are the best of the best, however the wings and the wee Tara on Eglington are The BEST..
re: Connoisseur
Im really confused. so there are TWO tara inns??
re: hungryabbey
Yes! Same owners, but different managers IIRC. I, personally, prefer the one on Eglinton, but that may have as much to do with nostalgia than anything else. I love their steak & KIDNEY pie. I find it refreshing that they opted for the authentic set of ingredients instead of that horrendous comprise involving no organ meat. Terrific Irish breakfast again with the complete list of authentic picks such as black pudding and white pudding and no compromises for the squeamish. The neighbourhood is rough and tumble so don't go there with fancy friends. It's very much a pub in the fullest sense. Go when you're in the mood for honest, Irish food and a pint.
re: Googs
Tara Eglinton has a great Irish traditional breakfast right down to the fried tomatoe if I remember it right. Anyhow I loved the food but I have to say that the place stunk to high heavens of what I can only think of was throw up.
It was in the carpet and you couldn't escape it.
Clean the place up and it will do well again.
re: moondawg21
I wish I could say I still loved Tara Inn. I've had many, many Irish breakfasts and almost as many dinners there. The quality of food has gone downhill in the last while and they've moved the menu to the middle of the roadhouse. I'm very sorry to say that I would no longer recommend it. You can't imagine how hard that is for me to say. I have so many fond memories.
re: Finnegan
I've never heard about Prague Restaurant until now. Thanks, I'll be checking them out for sure!
re: Bobby Wham
The border between Scarboro and Toronto is Victoria Park.
The Beaches are in Toronto.
Here are few places i like:
Judy's Cuisine (Toong Gah Deem) on Midland and north of McNicoll, a great spot my family dines at. They dont use msg, which my dad is allergic to. Oysters are so succulent and large. They have these deep fried milk fritters that are dangerously addicitve. Other favourites include fresh lobster and crab.. all at reasonable prices.
As well, although I am not a fan of Chinese desserts, they have this almond soup with black seasame dumplings that is the perfect ending to a hearty meal.
As well, there is a Vegetarian Resto right beside Judy's (the name escapes me at the moment).. they do great veggie dim sum and the dinners there are filling and yummy, whether you are a meat lover or not.
Casa Imperial: kennedy road.. ok it's pricy, but the surroundings are lux and the service prompt... so if you are in the mood for a fancy brunch on the weekend, drop by for their dim sum (i'm wild about their egg tarts with birds nest right now :)
St Andrew's fish and chips on mccowan and ellesmere.. my first deep fried mars bar was here! an institution.. the resto's been there as long as i can remember
I tried Armenian Kitchen today. Quite good, though not a place I'd go out of my way to get to. We sampled appetizers via their veggie combo with shawarma chicken. The chicken was dry and not flavorful, but the hummous, baba ganouj, falafel and tabouleh were quite good. The falafel stood out - extra crispy outside and soft, flavourful inside. We also ordered the fried eggplant, which I can't recommend. Very, very oily. I tasted the lamb shish ka bob sandwich and the sujok (armenian sausage) sandwich as well. Both were ok but not outstanding. Plain pita, lots of tomato and lettuce and a bit of meat. If there was yogurt sauce or anything in there, we couldn't taste it. The sujok meat was very flavourful so ordering that as a dinner might fare better. The restaurant was quite empty, just 3 tables in use, so the service was prompt and the young waiter was shy but friendly and efficient.
As an aside, we stopped by Sultan of Samosas on the way home, and it's still worth going out of your way for. We took a bunch home and they reheated nicely. Technically not in Scarborough, but if you're heading out O'Connor from downtown, a stop at the Sultan is highly recommended.
-Gourmet Garden (Sheppard just east of Brimley) for Malaysian/Singapore dishes my fave are the Mee Goreng Noodles.
-Duckworth Fish and Chips (Kingston Rd. west of Midland)
-Jetsun Juicyburgers (1900 Eglinton Ave East.) for tasty homemade hamburgers.
-Rolands (McCowan and Eglinton) for caribbean style chinese food. I love their take on Cantonese chowmein.
-Xe Lua (Woodside Square) for Pho.
re: squingy
Wow this thread has been quiet for a while but we've come up with some great places. Here's one more and may be met with mixed reviews???
Curry & Roti (Lawrence & Vic Park)
I don't believe this place has been mentioned and to be honest I've not heard great things however..... I hit the Lawrence strip yesterday for some shawarma and suddenly my mood turned to West Indian. Like I said I have not heard good things but thought what the heck it's been here for 30 years how bad can it be??
I ordered the Chicken Roti and was impressed. Great flavour, and mixture of potato's and chicken. I will repeat.
re: Connoisseur
i guess im just not a fan of undercooked curry spices. underfilled roti. and lack of balance between meat & potatoes. oh well, too each their own.
re: Connoisseur
I wanted to like this place a lot more than I did, since they're making an effort to make healthier rotis. But I just wasn't impressed - maybe because I got goat instead of chicken? It just seemed...bland. When I'm in the mood, I'm still pretty loyal to Roti Hut.
re: Wahooty
Next time you're in that neighbourhood and in the mood for roti, give Blue Water Curry a whirl. Now this rec is based on a single chick pea roti I had about a month ago, but it was good enough that I want to try every version they have. Research, of course, purely for research purposes.
re: Wahooty
In order to conduct a proper clinical trial, the number of participants was increased to 5. Of the 3 that had the boneless chicken roti, all exhibited increased levels of happiness. Of the 2 that had boneless goat roti the "happiness" reaction was more pronounced.
Honestly though, Wahooty, we all found the gravy to be just the right thickness and amount, the seasoning to be bang on, the meat very tender, and the wrap delicate and delicious. This is experienced home-style cooking. The service was both thoughtful and very, very nice.
Next experiment: Which is better? Beef roti or duck (yes, duck) roti.
re: jtamin
Blue Water Curry & Roti on the west side of Victoria Park about 3 blocks north of Eglinton. It's in the same strip plaza as Armenian Kitchen and Charloo's West Indian Foods grocery so you can get a lot done there.
re: Googs
Okay, so I finally got over there today, and went with my usual first experiment of a boneless goat roti. I agree with good gravy, good seasoning...would have liked my meat a smidge more tender, and the wrap was good but a little dried out (to the point of crunchiness) around the edges. For some reason, the potatoes stood out - really good texture on them, soaked up just enough gravy. It seemed a little smaller than the other rotis around town, but not enough to bother me. Definitely preferred it to Curry & Roti, and it's definitely good home-cooking. And it's certainly a CH kind of place - a true hole in the wall.
Now that I've run my control, I do think I need to get back at some point to run a duck unknown.
re: Wahooty
Never had a dry wrap there before. Odd since Friday's tend to be busy at Blue Water. Sorry 'bout that. Best of luck with the duck. Perhaps that's where I'll run into you. Today was a salad kinda day at Arkadia on Eglinton east of Warden.
re: squingy
The mixed Lo-mein at Rolands is also very good. For Canadianised taste, order it with very little oil. Their dalphuries are also very good. They have another location in Pickering (Brock Rd, 1 km north of Kingston Rd in the plaza.
Also agree on Perfect, Zen, Rolands, Fratelli and Ni-Ji. Duckworth's ? Check out the other threads on fish and chips. Duckworth's is okay, but I would go to Malt 'n Salt on Lawson Rd. several blocks west of Port Union or Highland Fish and Chips at Ellesmere and Conlins.
Royal Seafood Chinese Restaurant on Sheppard and Midland (west of Ogden funeral home).
Pho Dau Bo at Markham and Lawrence for very good pho and spring rolls.
Lamana Bakery (Old Kingston Rd just west of Port Union) is great for Italian pastries and sandwiches (especially their veal).
re: scarberian
Sadly, we went to Perfect for dinner and found it below average (mediocre to poor). I realize it probably went downhill in the past 5 years. If there are still any good dishes to order, let us know.
Tara Inn on Kingston Road just west of Midland Ave has undergone and significant facelift. Old tored rugs are gone, cloth table clohes replace plastic, plsatic ferns are all gone as is most of the tacky art, bric-a-barc, etc. Still great wings, fresh cut fries and thick cut onion rings with a creamy chipotle dipping sauce. Good stuff
re: Finnegan
excellent! While i love the food, i did find that location a tad depressing. Will have to swing by again soon, as it's been a few months since I last had some wings.
re: Finnegan
I agree. I love their wings but I was always a bit turned off by the decor. When did this reno happen?
re: hungryabbey
LOL I stopped in last night for half priced wings and noticed the improvements too.
And the wings were fantastic!!!
re: Finnegan
Been there many times, but never tried the wings. After hearing about it, and reading about it here, I'm definitely going to be trying that soon!
A great Indian restaurant is Cheetal Indian-Chinese Restaurant Scarborough near Old Kingston Road and Military Trail. Specifically, I loved the Goat Curry. Worth the trip for that alone (although like many Indian dishes, it is bone in). The butter chicken is ok, and the naan is not the best I've had but all together it is good and comparatively inexpensive.
re: scarborough
Second that on Cheetal. I was at a friend's place for a small get together and he ordered the vegetarian samosas from Cheetal and they were very good. Just the right amount of kick and spices. They weren't oily at all.
I recently had lunch at Zen's and man they're still one of the top Japanese restos in T.O. My wife and I both had the salmon bento and everything was prepared/cooked to perfection.
re: scarberian
I really like the reshmi tikka, vindaloo, tikka masala, aloo gobi and paneer makhni from Cheetal. I wasn't a fan of their butter chicken or korma. I will concur that their naan isn't the best, but, I still pick up a few pieces with my orders. I like the chew it's got.
I do think it's an excellent value and agree with Scarborough on that.
Just chiming in to give another big thumbs up to the fabulously fresh, delicious, and extremely inexpensive Shawarma Empire on Lawrence near Pharmacy. Both the falafel and the shawarma there are top notch. Very charming staff, too. I've eaten there many times. Wish there were somewhere as good downtown.
re: 89_9C1
Pho Dai Nam has the same owners as Krispy Roll? Awesome. Are the prices the same? Do they have the same lunch specials?
Ali's Tandoori House - some of the best indian i've ever had
Ichiban Sushi - the Sushi is amazing quality and the sashimi portions are very generous; service is also great
(these are both located just west of victoria park and queen so are technically just on the outside border of scarborough)
SHAWARMA EMPIRE is the best... i have never been disappointed there... definitely a gem.. inexpensive, friendly service, fresh, tastes amazing! i cant find a place better than this..
farhat on the other hand, went wayyy downhill.. just garbage.. made me realize nothing will beat empires..
blogto voted college falafel for being #1 and that place just doesnt cut it either... ugh.. blogto seems to disappoint me with their best of toronto iists.. will never read them again
re: junkie
Second that. It have been very consitent on quality and very tasty on all my visits.
re: junkie
Address plz? I'd like to go check them out! BTW what kinds of shawarma do they serve: beef? chicken? lamb?
Also do they make falafels from scratch and cooked to order?
re: scarberian
1823 Lawrence Avenue East, just east of Pharmacy.
Beef and chicken, both are very good, the beef has a nice rich flavour. the falafels are good too, don't leave off the hot sauce! It's what really makes it.
re: scarberian
I usually get the falafels. I think it is 2 for $4.99 or 5.99 (have not been in the past few months).
Everytime I go, the falafels are made fresh, so they are hot and crispy.
re: ghetto_scarlem
falafels are 2 for 4.99 made fresh to order in front of you, usually
beef or chicken shawarma 2 for 5.99, heavenlyyyyyy
yes do not skip the hot sauce unless you really cant take spice... all the ingredients the put just meld together perfectly.
re: junkie
Shawarma Empire is the best along Lawrence of Arabia. They close at 9pm on weekdays but it's best to get there before 8pm to avoid disappointments if they run out or you're left with the non-fresh carvings. I prefer their chicken shawarmas, but falafel is also good if you can wait. Another positive is that they alternate the meat inside their pocket pitas, so it's not all just veggies on top with the meat on the bottom. And yes, definitely go for spicy! (Note: cash only)
However, if they're closed or run out, the next best option is Ibrahim BBQ a block or two east - big pitas are used and fairly late hours are the pluses. (Note: there's an extra minor charge if using debit)
Shawarma Empire
1823 Lawrence Ave E, Toronto, ON M1R2Y3, CA
re: epsilontau
Do they have a good garlic sauce at Shawarma Empire?
Shawarma Empire
1823 Lawrence Ave E, Toronto, ON M1R2Y3, CA
Disagree with your recomendation of The Tulip - it's just a greasy spoon diner and I would hate other 'Hounders to make the TTC trek there and be disappointed. The "amazing steak" is coated with margerine before going on the flat gril that has shared space with everything else a diner fries up. If it's great steak you want, do it at home.
re: KitchenVoodoo
And it isn't in Scarborough. I thought the cheap steak deal of Scarborough was T-Bones Sizzling Steaks. Am I wrong?
re: Googs
It's been a while since I've seen/checked the action on this thread and am impressed. re: The Tulip not in Scarborough I hear you and as for the experience my last few visits have been disappointing :( And googs you are right T-bones is still the go to cheap steak deal in Scarborough.
New additions
Big Boy Burgers Kingston and St. Clair. The big boy burger is very fantastico...
Lamanna's Bakery Kingston west of Port Union great! Veal sandwich
Do we have any good BBQ in Scarborough?
Happy hunting
re: Connoisseur
Only when the Rib Fest hits Thompson Park each year. Aside from that you'll have to go into Durham for BBQ at Buster Rhino's. Anyone know what the regulations are in Toronto for opening a resto with a real authentic smoker? And on that note would Scarborough have different laws regarding this due to pre-amalgamation?
Buster Rhino's
2001 Thickson Rd S, Whitby, ON L1N, CA
re: scarberian
Good ribs take 2 hours. Regulations or not, this would be daunting for any restaurant.
re: scarberian
Thanks for the suggestion out in Durham! Will be going East to give it a try.
re: Connoisseur
I have tried T-Bones twice as I thought the first time maybe they were not having a good day.
Unfortunately the second time was even worse.
I cannot understand how a grill and a steak can make virtually no flavour.
The gravy is brown and tasteless.
I don't care how big and cheap a steak is if it doesn't taste good forget about it!!!
The best steaks in Scarboro are still The Black Forest and of course the Blackhorn.
Although they are pricey they are incredibly delicious and both have cheesecakes out of this world, especially the home made at The black Forest.
Thats it I am going there right now.
re: moondawg21
Oh my goodness, I've been wondering about The Black Forest. It's been around since I was a little kid. (Well it was a tad to the east before, but then again so was I.) Are you saying it's worth a dinner there? What would you recommend? Cheesecake and steak, sure, but what else?
P.S. Dine at T-Bones at your own risk.
re: Googs
Lol, T-Bones is good after some drinks. But overall, the Steakburger they have is probably the best thing there.
When it first opened, and they had this cook like the one on South Park, that was actually pretty good and couldn't be beat for the value.
BlackForest just seems it just doesn't fit where its located. But then again, alot of Scarborough restaurants are like that.
re: KitchenVoodoo
Tulip is worth it on different nights.
The owner tries very hard to maintane the greatness of the original and does fairly well.
What made it great was the nightly specials.
I still go for the Corned beef and Cabbage. I think that is Tuesday night.
Phone and find out.
The tulip is and has been a Beaches eatery institution for many years.
re: moondawg21
Boy I remember the Tulip. I used to love their Roast Beef Mondays, Stuffed Pepper Wednesdays and Pork Chop Thursdays. Amazing value and tasty food. I thought it all went downhill after they expanded and had poorly trained staff. I hope it's back to normal.
I don't experiment too much but definitely have some input.
Zen Sushi - wicked for 'real' sushi. Udon is good with the spicy tuna.
Green Bamboo - a favourite of mine, pho tastes extra fresh, as well as the few others I have tried (Calamari, spicy fried chicken)
Chung Moi - on Eglinton and Kennedy.. wicked Chili Chicken, and weekday lunch special at 6.99 can't be beat (huge servings!)
Fossil n Haggis - Morningside & 401 - Sunday and Monday, cheap wings.. Really good juicy pieces.
Green Bamboo Restaurant
4219 Sheppard Ave E, Toronto, ON M1S5H5, CA
re: 89_9C1
How are there like 80 posts in this thread and nobody mentioned Real McCoy, thats an absolute Scarborough gem. Its a burger joint at Markham and Brimortan in a plaza on the North East corner, they sell Burgers, pizzas and other fast food type stuff.
The difference between this place and say Johnny's or Harry's is the quality. I think they are most known for their Mojo Burger, which is basically a homemade burger with cheese and bacon, but its quality stuff for sure.
Personally, my favorite thing to have there is the steak on a kaiser, its absolutely to die for. Their steak is very thin so they grill up a few pieces and toss it on the bun, its always perfectly cooked and delicious(not sure if its marinated). I like get it made with lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo, a bit of BBQ and Steak sauce and some hot sauce. My god is it delicious, I just ate and typing about it is making me drool a bit!
Oh, and they must have some of the best fries in the city, all fresh cut, they taste delicious and their gravy is perfect!
re: jmarcroyal
McCoy is great, heard about it forever, but only got around to trying it in the last month.
The poutine has no curd, it's just shredded cheese, but wow do they ever load it up.
Oh, and quite possibly the freshest buns ever
re: bbbradk
mmm a poutine with those fries and that gravy cant be anything buy great, even if they dont use cheese curd. I might have to try that next time but i highly recommend the steak on a bun
re: jmarcroyal
McCoy is on the best burgers thread!! And, yes, it should be here. I have been eating there since 1979, when I lived in the area as a child. Unfortunately, it is too far for me now to visit on any sort of regular basis, but when I get back there, the burgers, fries and gravy are the same as they used to be. Excellent. And the pizza is surprisingly good, too. I have never tried the steak, but I will have to!
re: Full tummy
You might laugh when I say this, but the best Beef Patties in the city are found at Warden Subway Station. Maybe thats an exageration, but Ive been randomly talking to people at times and the topic came up, and they always mention the Warden Station Beef Patties.
I strongly recommend trying the spicy patty, its delicious! The store that sells them is above the bus platforms in the little bakery type store.
re: jmarcroyal
There are two places in Warden Station that sell beef patties. If you mean Bakery On The Go all I can say is you've GOT to be kidding. They're pretty much a streak of grease between to pieces of cardboard. Even when I'm starving, I'll walk past them.
re: Full tummy
The burgers and steak ona buns are good but the gem of the Real McCoy is their pizza>
They make their own sauce and when you ask for extra cheese it is on there.
My favourite pizza in Toronto for twenty years and more.
Great Greek Fols !!!
re: moondawg21
Yes, George's pizza is VERY good, too!
I ask for extra sauce and well-done and I always get a really great, old-school pie.
I would definitely call them best in Scarberia, but Danforth Pizza and a couple of others surpass them, on a city-wide list, for me :-)
re: jmarcroyal
Now you're giving me a craving for a Mojo burger and a shake. Good thing they're so far away and I'm counting calories...
I like this take-out restaurant (no tables to sit and eat).
Homestyle Caribbean Take-out
3331 Markham Rd. (1 Light South of Steeles Ave E)
Scarborough, ON
- ORANGE building
Tel: 416-293-0550
Open Monday - Saturday
$4.99 lunch special-Mon-Sat 11:30am-3:00pm
Jerk Chicken, BBQ chicken,fry Chicken and Jerk Pork. served with rice n peas, plantain and a free pop.
Daily Dishes:
Ackee & Saltfish
Curry Goat
Pepper Shrimps
Curry Chicken
Brownstew Chicken
BBQ chicken
Fried chicken
Jerk Chicken
Jerk Pork
Escovitch Red Snapper
Callaloo and Saltfish
Grilled Salmon
Sweet BBQ Ribs
re: Connoisseur
You're probably looking for Canadian Chinese right? I don't recall seeing any other type of Chinese resto, but Canadian Chinese in that area. I have tried the take out from Super Buffet (Ellesmere and Markham Rd.) and was surprised by the quality and flavour of the food. It was good as far as that style of North American Chinese cuisine. On Lawrence and Scarborough Golf Club Rd. in the Giant Tiger plaza is Lucky's. They are also okay for take out, but I think they are Haka (they can be oily). Tai Chi was great when they opened (Kingston Rd. and Overture) -- excellent deep fried squid and fried rice -- but several months ago when we ordered from them I think there was a change in ownership and the food just didn't seem the same. Peking Garden is further east on Kingston Rd. and Morningside. They're your typical Canadian Chinese restaurant serving good chicken balls, deep fried wings, and beef with scallions and ginger. The fried rice is okay, but doesn't keep well. I think they use parboiled rice for the fried rice.
Peking Garden Restaurant
4532 Kingston Rd, Toronto, ON M1E2N8, CA
re: Connoisseur
Super Taste at 4465 Sheppard Ave. E., Unit 43A. Dinner For 2, 3, 4, and 6. Very good value.
Super Wok at 5661 Steeles Ave. E., T&T Supermarket Food Court.
Sure Win Cafe at 3833 Midland Ave., Unit 9E.
They are cantonese chinese food. Avoid ordering seafood or fish because you get what you pay for.
re: smfan
I tried to find these places but keep in mind that they are usually closed at night, because they are in buildings and a food court type of establishment.
I did manage to return and try the T&T superwok but was not really impressed, they used the packaged udon and the fried rice was very odd. Prices are cheap but the food was not great.
re: Connoisseur
Lucky's at 3774 Lawrence Avenue East, (just east of Scarborough Golf Club Rd.
Call (416) 431-0383 about 1/2 hour in advance for pick-up. Beef with Black bean sauce is very good, so is the lemon chicken. They also have a location at Lawrence and Midland, but it's not as good (different chef).
re: Connoisseur
I have to agree with Scarberian about Peking Garden: excellent North American Chinese, but the rice does not keep well :(. A little closer to you is Lucky Lin's at Markham and Eglinton, which is more of a West Indian version of Chinese but the food is good at a good price.
Lucky Lin's Restaurant
226 Markham Rd, Toronto, ON M1J3C2, CA
Peking Garden Restaurant
4532 Kingston Rd, Toronto, ON M1E2N8, CA
This thread always makes me hungry. I wanted to mention the foule madammas at Arz Bakery, a middle eastern food store on Lawrence west of Warden. It's a middle eastern fava bean dish that makes a wonderful breakfast on a frosty day. They also serve some toothsome Lebanese pastries and good Turkish coffee. The cafe is in the far n/w corner of the store; you can also find sensational olives, nuts, lebneh and excellent French pastry (though a little stale the last time I tried it). Did I mention home made ice cream? No. Because it's freezing out!
1909 Lawrence Ave E, Toronto, ON M1R, CA
I think Channaman might have closed. I remember passing by it while on the bus and didn't see it's sign anymore.
Oh! Lots of great gems...here is my list:
Chicken & Noodle Chinese Restaurant - northest corner of Sheppard E & Glen Watford - cheap and really good. They have the best hofun noodles in the city. They also have a promo going on. For $25 worth of orders (take out or dine -in) you get a half chicken (yan kok kay) for $1
Super Sushi - Kennedy north of Ellesmere
Bluffers - great steaks, seafood. Service is a bit lax but the food makes up for it. Great view. In Scarborough Bluffs itself
Embassy Samosa - 5 for $1 - middlefield/finch
Vietnamese Noodle Star - great for Pho - northwest corner midland/finch
T-Bones - good steaks, great prices - eglinton/midland
Costco - warden/ellesmere - i had to add this . i like their artisan baguettes - hahaha
Congee King - Sheppard and Glen Watford - congee, fried rice, noodle house
St Andrew's Fish & Chips - I forget the location
Mike's BBQ - best roast pig in the city - northwest corner Brimley & Sheppard
Gourmet Garden - if you miss singaporean hawker eats or love malaysian food - this place is a must - sheppard ave e just east of brimley- same plaza as new wave hair salon - in the food court
Super Taste - great prices on combos. Dinner for 4, 6, 8 etc. Same food court as Gourmet Garden
Bakery on 2nd floor of Oriental centre - brimley/sheppard - best freshly baked egg tarts in the city
Gourmet Garden Restaurant
4465 Sheppard Ave E, Toronto, ON M1S, CA
Congee King Restaurant
4271 Sheppard E, Toronto, ON M1S4G4, CA
re: ensaymada
A most exclelwent List. You are truly a scarborough gourmand.
Chicken and noodle restuarnts looks like a dive but the food is top notch and very cheap.
Shhhhh...Vietnamese Noodle Star is already too busy. Let's keep this great place to ourselves (especially like the pho with tripe and sliced beef)
Mikes BBQ? Can't picture it. What corner is it on?
T-bones has been around for at least 20 years: Have never gone in but will give it a try.
re: Finnegan
T-Bones is a bit of a charactor of a restaurant, I can appear to be sketchy, especially if you go at 2am on the weekend, but for late night eats you cant go wrong. The food is good, from their home burger to their steaks and chops and fries and everything else they sell. They have a great deal, $11.99 for a 16oz Ny Strip with a side of potatos(mashed/roast/french fried) and a ceasar salad. Solid option for those looking for a 24/7 restaurant.
re: Finnegan
hi! thanks!
Mike's BBQ is on the north west corner of Sheppard E and Brimley Rd - same plaza as the TD bank.
re: ensaymada
Does Mike's BBQ have a website?
re: ensaymada
Mike's BBQ? Didn't even know this place existed! Thanks for the heads up ensaymada. However don't say it's the best roast pig unless you try other places. I truly enjoy the roast pig at Bella's Lechon. Lechon is the Filipino roast pig (although judging by your name you may or may not know this) and it's probably different from the way that Mike's BBQ does theirs. I will try Mike's and compare. ;)
re: scarberian
hi there. yup, i've tried lechon - native and cebu style. i love cebu style lechon but have not had an authentic one in toronto yet. as for mike's, they do sell lechon but it's more like Zubuchon style - cebu lechon inside but chinese skin outside. zubuchon is the most talked about lechonerie (i just made that word up now) in Cebu now.
re: scarberian
Where is Bella's? Would love to try it. Is it Cebu-style with the smooth skin?
re: ensaymada
It's in the north east plaza at Milner and Morningside.
re: scarberian
The photos on the Bella's Lechon website are intriguing. Well, not all of them, but some. Others are a little frightening. Is it strictly take-out or do they have a couple of seats in there? Can you order a simple dinner for two or is it party size only? What dishes other than the roast pig do you recommend?
re: ensaymada
I would have to disagree with your rec for Embassy samosa. I find them too greasy and the filling is really small and bland. You can't beat the price but why bother? I'm still looking for a decent samosa place.
re: ensaymada
I believe St Andrews is on the sw corner of McCowan/Ellesmere. When i went way back when, they had deep fried mars bars mmm...
I'm working on a Top 10 List. This is who's made it so far in alphabetical order:
Diana's Seafood
Goody's Diner
Montmartre Bakery
There are other 'good' places I could mention, but these are the ones I've found so far that are head and shoulders above the rest whether in Scarborough or downtown.
Diana's Seafood
2101 Lawrence Ave E, Toronto, ON M1R, CA
2803 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto, ON M1J2E1, CA
Montmartre Bakery
105 Midwest Rd, Scarborough, ON M1P 3A6, CA
Goody's Diner
133 Manville Rd, Unit 17, Toronto, ON , CA
re: T Long
Oh, thank you. You know I've been looking for exactly that south of Steeles. Your reccomendation is highly valued. I'll try Maple Yip asap. Thanks!
re: Googs
Dragon Dynasty and Casa Imperial are both in Scarborough and by reputation are arguably the two best for dim sum that could hold their own against any in the GTA. I have not been to the DD for quite a while, so don't know if their quality has been maintained....perhaps others can comment on this.
Dragon Dynasty
2301 Brimley Rd, Scarborough, ON M1S 5B8, CA
Casa Imperial
4125 Steeles Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1W 3T4, CA
re: Googs
Regarding Goody's and The Real McCoy. I was lucky enough to have some time this week to try both burgers. The following is my review of both as they are cooked in the same manner so they can be equally compared...
Goody's Diner basic burger : thick 8 oz. homemade sirloin burger - grilled
served on a sesame bun (egg bread?) with garlic mayo and pickle/corn relish. Excellent flavour, texture is soft enough but not falling apart, quite moist. Good beef flavour and not heavily seasoned. Could do without the relish as it sweetens the burger IMO. Burger alone is very good.
The Real McCoy 8 oz. homemade "Mojo" burger. Although it's 8 oz, it seems smaller than Goody's basic burger. The patty is thinner, but it is slightly bigger than the bun. It too is grilled not fried on a griddle. The "Mojo", overall, is a heavy burger with cheese, bacon and your choice of toppings. It's an okay burger, but it lacked the flavour that Goody's had. I mostly tasted the bacon.
Winner: Goody's Diner on taste, texture and size. BTW apparently Goody's Noble burger is like the Mojo but they use prosciutto instead of bacon. Gotta like that!
On a side note, The Real McCoy wins hands down for their fries. These fries are great.
Goody's Diner
133 Manville Rd, Unit 17, Toronto, ON , CA
re: scarberian
I meant to stop by Goody's this week but I didnt have the time, I think Ill go there sometime next week. Ill be sure to ask for the burger without the relish, i dont usually get it anyway.
As for Real McCoy's, yea their fries are great, definetely among the best in the city imho. As for the Mojo, it is a decent enough burger but I wouldnt go out of my way for it, thats why you gotta get their Steak on a Kaiser. Their Steak is just so good, and because of the sandwich and the fries, I would gladly go out of my way to this place.
When I was in there one time, I saw this guy order the steak but he got it with bacon and cheese, and not chedder but Mozzerella cheese. They took the pile of steak, put the pizza cheese on it and tossed it in the pizza oven for a minute to melt the cheese, it looked incredible! I havent gotten it with bacon but I got it with the Cheese once and it was soo good!
re: jmarcroyal
Yeah I know I am definitely going back to get the steak sandwich. I was just in a burger mood last week and I thought I'd compare the two places. I'd go back to McCoy's just for the fries! I would put the fries on my steak sandwich with the melted cheese and bacon. LOL! The Mojo underwhelmed me. It may suit others, but for me I preferred Goody's burger. I'd like to go back to Goody's and get the Noble burger with the prosciutto. Now I'm getting hungry.
re: scarberian
The best thing about McCoy's fries is they are very consistant with quality, Ive never had anything but great fries from there, and they go oh so good with their gravy, which I get on the side. I went to BP the other day and the burger was great as usual, but the fries, although ok, werent as good as Ive had them over there.
re: jmarcroyal
BP's fries are their weak point, I am sometimes tempted to just order the burger and not the combo when I am there.
re: scarberian
I'll have to hit up Goody's some time soon. It sounds overall like a great place.
re: scarberian
I haven't made it to the polpo alla griglia at Fratelli yet. Is it only available as a special? Do you get a good taste of the grill with the octopus? Oh, you did say smoke, but I mean char you can chew on. I just love calamari that way too. Is it good as well? Can you tell I'm excited?
re: scarberian
And on the other side of the coin...
I forgot to thank you for the grilled octopus recommendation. It was everything you promised and more. Sheer hedonistic delight. Must get back to Fratelli soon.
re: scarberian
How is the pizza there?
re: jennjen18
Let's put it this way. They roll out the dough in front of you, top it, toss it into the wood-burning oven for a few minutes, plate it, then it hits your table. It's fresh and fantastic. I doubt you'll find better in Scarborough.
re: Finnegan
Hey, say what you want about the pasta being dated, it still tastes good. Is there really a need to complain about a dish being "dated" as long as it tastes good? To me it's like comfort food. I'll go somewhere else to try something new, but it's always good to go back to get what just tastes good.
re: scarberian
Precisely scarberian.
Finnegan, if you want more modern cuisine then Italian probably isn't the right direction. If you want something other than the same old, same old order whatever Fratelli's specials are that night.
Overpriced is subjective. I don't find it so. I find the pricing commensurate with the quantity and quality,
P.S. I eat them. A well made sauce is still a well made sauce. It could only become hackneyed if everyone were capable of making them properly.
re: scarberian
I am sorry to hear of this sad news.Thank God no one was injured.
There is another Italian based rest on Kingston Road and Manse Road just around the corner from Fratellies.
The Belfiero started out a bit rough but they have a newer cook and the food we had a couple of weeks ago was incredible and very well priced.
The owners a nice gut and the staff are very nice and easy to deal with.
Check out the lamb and the pasta and pizza are better than Fratellies in my opinion.
If you ate there a while ago try it again with the new chef. My wife and I are glad we did.
re: moondawg21
I disagree on Belfiero. Gave them 2 chances to win my business (they were lucky I even came back a second time after how bad the first visit was), never again:
re: Googs
I'm happily adding a few more to my personal Top 10 Scarborough Restaurants. I'm certain it'll hit the full 10 soon. In no particular order other than alphabetical:
Blackhorn Steakhouse
Diana's Oyster Bar & Grill
Fratelli Village Pizzeria
Kinnaree Thai
Mama's Boys Burgers
Zen Japanese
Have any of you tried West Hill Wine Bar? That's pretty far for me to travel if there's nothing, but a rather cocky menu.
Must get around to the myriad Chinese and Indian restaurants. Must.
re: Googs
Hi Googs, I find myself at Meadowvale/401 (Rouge/Zoo) quite frequently... are there any amazing must-try takeout or dine-in places (or real coffee) within 10 minutes of this area? A brunch destination would be a bonus. So far, I've travelled quite far to get Ba Shu Ren Jia and Baldwin Burger, and been disappointed at Wimpy's nearby.
re: Food Tourist
As listed above - it's right in the area you're asking about: Fratelli Village Pizzeria http://www.fratellis.ca/
re: blizzardgirl33
Passed by today and noticed Fratelli has wood oven pizza (closed Sun-Mon). North of Mexico tequila taco bar at the corner of Morrish looked interesting (and was open between lunch and dinner on a Sunday). Not Just Patties would also be on my list to try (note: on Mondays, they are Just Patties. Ha.)
re: Food Tourist
I don't know how "amazing" or "must-try" they are, but if you're hungry in that hood you could do worse. I'd say you're kinda asking the wrong person. scarberian is our resident Scarborough East expert.
Black Dog Pub
Fratelli Village Pizzeria (LOVE this place. LOVE.
Highland Fish & Chips
West Hill Wine Bar (yes, a wine bar in Scarborough
re: Food Tourist
I live right near there, and there isn't many that I know of.
-"Ted's Diner" right across the street of Shamrock is a popular choice, although I think it's decent. It's old school Scarborough.
-Another, while it's a bit further out of the way but very close drive, check out "Aunt Mary's" on the North East Corner of Golf Club Road and Lawrence Ave.
I wrote a suggestion on it previously:
"it used to be run by Greeks long time ago (Korean family currently runs it) apparently. But it still has that real classic Scarborough feel.
It's basically breakfast food, burgers, wraps, fish and chips. You cannot beat the VALUE of this place and real Scarborough experience." They're closed on Sundays since they go to Church that day, but are open till about 7-8pm. Feel satisfied everytime I've been there.
-Just around the corner connected to the plaza is the old Lucky's Hakka Chinese food. Worth a go if you're into that (Chili Chicken being a popular choice).
-There's a pretty good Jerk Place right at the Morningside Lawrence Plaza where the Pizza Pizza and Nofrills is.
-"Fossil and Haggis Pub" at Morningside and Military Trail is also ok for the area. Old, and may seem intimidating if you've never been but actually decently cozy inside. Cheap Eats, especially their wing specials. Fries are under $3! Quality of food is pretty good for the price.
http://www.fossilandhaggis.com/ (Daily specials)
-Cheap and Dirty chinese food and Fried Chicken at Chester's on Milner and Morningside beside the old Sobey's. Ok Carribean place beside it too. Really cheap Drink and meal special on Tuesday.
re: 89_9C1
Will definitely investigate Aunt Mary's and Lucky Hakka.
re: Food Tourist
Actually, check out Lamanna's Bakery. Right next to the plaza where the StarBucks is at Kingston Rd and 401. I think the one with the Rogers.
My sister in law just brought us some lasagna yesterday and it was definitely top notch. Gotten pretty good reviews, although the Lobster Tail seems to be not that good.
re: 89_9C1
Have been craving real lasagne since Porzia ran out of lasagne the one time we tried to eat it there on a Sunday night… Yay!
re: Food Tourist
Yes, I was suprised to hear about it too. From the BlogTo article I got a little laugh out of:
"Lamanna's Bakery may be on Toronto's eastern edge (401 and Kingston Road), but it's easily one of the most authentic Italian bakeries the city has to offer."
Definitely check out this article
re: 89_9C1
I guess the 905/burbs second-generation immigrants don't qualify for authentic ethnic anything.
re: Food Tourist
Lol, yea, if it's not along Queen St or Dundas West, it's not authentic.
re: Food Tourist
Technically it's still 416, but yeah Scarborough might have been better off NOT amalgamating with the rest of Toronto. I've had people from downtown and uptown asking me what's it like at Jane and Finch when I tell them I'm from Scarborough. I usually just give them a curious look. We're the black sheep district of Toronto. Even Etobicoke get's more respect.
There are still plenty of Italians in Scarborough even though a few of them moved to the 905. BlogTO needs to check out places like Calabria Bakery on Midland (great veal), Fratellis, or even Francesca Bakery. There's actually a new Italian restaurant (not sure if it's a deli, but I heard it might be) at Port Union and Lawson in the large plaza with the Metro and TD Bank.
re: scarberian
Everyone knows they get their content and ideas from Chowhound so brace yourself for a Top 10 Scarborough post (which will end up being the only ten places to eat Italian food in Scarborough -- much like most of the Etobicoke posts!)
re: scarberian
Francesca Bakery looks promising for my needs!
re: Food Tourist
This is the same place where a car slammed into it several years ago. Luckily no one was hurt (just a few pastries!). I've had their cannoli at a catered event and they rock. I am lucky to work at a place where the "social committee" has people who personally know or are related to the owners of these bakeries. We've had gatherings catered by Francesca, Lamanna and Calabria. All three did not disappoint.
re: scarberian
Is that new place by Port Union Bakery and Thai Square? If you find out the name, let us know please.
re: Food Tourist
Francesca's cannoli are really top notch. Veal Sandwich was pretty good as well, but I prefer Agincourt and Primo to them (funny enough, it was the owner of Primo's that tipped me off to Francesca's cannoli!). Lamanna cannoli are good, but not as good as Francesca's. I would rate their veal better, but still not up there with my scarborough faves. There is just something about Pharmacy Ave and veal sandwiches!
re: elrik
I would rate Calabria's veal better than Lamanna's and Francesca's. I had it recently at a my godson's birthday (God bless the parents for ordering a whole tray of it!) and they were juicy and flavourful with a nice tomato sauce. I must have eaten 2 sandwiches and about 3 without the bun.
re: scarberian
Thanks, I will have to check them out.
re: elrik
Actually one that's even better is the veal sandwich from Maraschino. I just had it over the weekend and it was the best I've had so far. Their veal is made to order so it comes out hot with crispy edges. It doesn't sit in sauce and the sauce that's added doesn't ooze out everywhere. Order it with the hot and sweet peppers.
109 Old Kingston Rd
re: 89_9C1
Every time I try going into Lamanna's it is packed with lineups (weekends). Insanely popular. I've only managed to try a sfogliatelle and an espresso so far.
re: Food Tourist
I went early to Lamanna on a Sunday - and scored 6 pastries and a doppio latte with only 3 people ahead of me in line. Excellent sweets, decent coffee, thank God!
re: Food Tourist
I would strongly recommend AGAINST Aunt Mary's. My wife went in the fall and ordered a roast beef sandwich for $7. She got a stale bun, a few slices of grocery store roast beef that had that green sheen that the cheap stuff gets when it has sat around too long, and a small portion of crappy freezer fries. She promptly asked for her money back and went elsewhere.
For coffee, i like village roaster at markham and kingston. They used to be where north of mexico is on old kingston but moved a few years back. Some nice roasts that they do themselves, and you can hop across the road to the buthcher shop for some meat while in the area.
re: elrik
Ah, good warning - it was past the 10 minute one-way mark anyway (Aunt Mary's location).
Village Roaster: 3452 Kingston Rd. (West of Markham Rd.) Toronto, ON, Phone: 416-752-1780 http://www.thevillageroaster.com It's too far for our purposes but certainly good to know there's real coffee in that area if needed.
re: Food Tourist
It's been awhile since I've been to Not Just Patties, but my past experiences were quite positive. That said it may depend on WHO is serving you. Each time I've gone it was an elderly gentleman (probably the proprietor) who was friendly and served good portions. My wife has encountered a woman behind the counter on some of the occasions she's gone. The woman seems to skimp on portions or rather, let's say is very conservative with portions. She seemed more business than chatty. They made a very good oxtail and rice. Their roti was also very good.
Fratellis is very consistent with their quality. The food, IMHO, is excellent, but don't expect cutting edge Italian. They serve old school dishes like penne ala vodka (rose sauce), chicken parmesan, spaghetti, risotto, deep fried calamari, etc. My favourite is their grilled octopus it's a must try. Their pizzas are delicious with a thin crust, about the size of a dinner plate and many options. Friendly service and they're usually packed by 6 pm so get there early. They won't take reservations unless it's for a large group (6 or more).
When I initially tried North of Mexico I was disappointed at their portions. I didn't know it was meant to be only tapas. The quality of the food was good and it's run by a Mexican family. I recently passed by and noticed patrons with dinner sized meals. I guess people requested for dinner portions. The plates I saw had a pile of rice with beans along with the main entree.
As for coffee there is a Starbucks at Kingston Rd. and Rylander which is just west of Port Union and Kingston Rd. If you're on Sheppard and Meadowvale, follow Sheppard east till you hit Kingston Rd (Hwy 2). Sheppard actually changes to Port Union at this intersection (at the Esso station). Take a right at Kingston Rd (Hwy 2) and head west. Starbucks is across from the Shell station.
Another decent place to eat at is Lamana's (not sure if there's 2 n's or 1). It was mainly an Italian bakery, but they've expanded and I do believe they have a hot table now (not sure on this). They did offer veal sandwiches in the past. You can probably get a decent espresso there.
The Black Dog Pub is a very good English style pub. They have a beautiful patio (although their main dining area needs an overhaul). Friendly service and the pub fare is very good. The non-traditional pub fare can sometimes be inconsistent in it's execution i.e. Asian dishes, fusion dishes, etc. I would stick with the fish and chips (home cut fries), burgers, lamb, pot pie, sandwiches, wings (definitely do wings), and their smoked ribs.
On Lawson and Centennial, you'll find Malt and Salt fish and chips. Very good fish and chips. Their fish has this nice thin crispy batter and an order will be loaded with fries.
At Morningside and Sheppard, just south of the gas station on the east side is a small plaza. Here you'll find Bella's Lechon. Lechon is Filipino roast pork. It costs about $10/pound and, IMO, a bargain. They also have other Filipino dishes on steam trays.
re: scarberian
It's funny how we already frequent that Starbucks a few times a week (we can walk there for major exercise) - their drive-through is impressively quick and efficient. Inside needs a more thorough cleaning every few hours.
The Mucho Burrito is also in need of a good cleaning. Tacos are mediocre, as expected. Next up for a try: Menchies froyo.
Lechon sounds terrific, as do ribs at Black Dog!
There's a nice neighbourhood Thai restaurant called "Thai Naka", at 2440 Kingston Road, on the north side a block west of Midland. It's run by the same people who used to run Thai Cashew, which was on Kingston Road east of Brimley.
I've had the coconut chicken soup, duck with tamarind sauce (listed as fried fish, but it's available with duck, too), lemongrass noodles, Thai cashew fried rice and mango salad recently - all very tasty. Probably not worth a drive across the city, but nice if you're in the neighbourhood.
Their web site is http://www.thainaka.ca/
Jerkalicious at Neilson/McLevin (Malvern Town Centre):
Great jerk! Especially the pork which is tender and spiced like no other jerk I've had in Toronto. It is intensely smokey. The same goes for the chicken version. However, both are not always consistent, but in this case that means good at worst and frequently excellent.
Too often the pork is unavailable, which is sad as it's the gem on the menu. The rice and peas, coleslaw and oxtail gravy are quality, but it's the jerk that shines.
Corn soup is tasty. Other menu items include salted fish and chicken curry, but I can't get past the jerk.
The $3.99 chicken special is the sweet spot for value. You can take-out or sit on one of 3 stools at the counter.
I think this place is in the wrong location and deserves a better audience.
re: mcsantos
How are the Jamaican patties?
re: callitasicit
I've not had them, but I'll post here when I do.
On that note, Caribbean Queen of Patties at Bloor/Lansdowne has what are apparently homemade patties. Flakey, tender, heavier on the meat than average, and also more saucy with a noticeable sweetness. The jerk can be okay too and the oxtail is quite tasty. She has a $3.99 special also! Be prepared to wait.
The Caribbean Queen of Patties
1279 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6H1N7, CA
re: mcsantos
Much appreciated:)
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, since it's been a while since this list started, but, if you're still getting your fried chicken from KFC, you're missing out on a great, homegrown alternative that has entirely replaced KFC in our house.
Chck-n-joy chicken not only tastes better than KFC, but, their fries are homemade and delicious (especially if you can salt them right when they're cooked). Also, our family is a fan of their salads (epecially the suprisingly healthful bean salad). There's lots more healthy fare on the menu (we just can't get past the value and taste of the chicken and fries).
Also, their Toonie Tueday like promotion is available either Monday or Tuesday. I think that the Pickering location is slightly better than the Morningside location.
re: scarborough
Few comments on Chick-N-Joy. Agree on your assessment on the chicken, and more importantly they serve larger pieces of chicken, not the baby chickens that KFC Canada (as well as Popeye's Canada) serves. CNJ serves chickens closer to the size KFC serves in the U.S.
Fries, yes, they really do need to salt them. They're served without salt and I find myself having to quickly open the box and salt them before they cool down.
Salads, huge win. Their coleslaw is almost exactly like how it's served at KFC in the U.S. (meaning, not the lime green mush Canadian KFC serves). Hard to find good coleslaw here.
Big negative is their biscuits. They were disgusting. Biscuits are supposed to be light and fluffy with just slight chewiness to them. CNJ's version are doughy hockey pucks, more like a dense roll that tasted like sweetened Wonder bread with a strong smell of yeast (which should not be in biscuits). Totally wrong.
re: TexSquared
I have usually had really good, rich , light biscuits at Chick 'N Joy. I wish the gravy was better, maybe they could work on that.
I like to go there when there is a line up on Tuesday, and everything is super fresh and hot.
The Pickering location is definitely better, with great service for a fast food place.
Chick N Joy Restaurant
705 Kingston Rd, Pickering, ON L1V, CA
re: jayt90
How would you guys compare it to Mary Browns' Fried Chicken? I havent been to CNJ in years, there used to be a location at Coxwell and O'Connor and Id stop by for lunch when I was in school, but it has since closed down. I did really like the place at the time, mustve been 10 years ago, but it was good value and good food for sure.
Mary Brown's
1920 Dundas St, London, ON N5V3P1, CA
re: jayt90
Been to the Pickering location twice and both times the biscuits were the dense sweet hockey pucks I described. Their recipe is totally off. Definitely not "rich and light" as you're calling them. Even Popeye's Canada at least makes a biscuit that's close to the original; CNJ isn't even close.
re: TexSquared
Well, there you go, a sample of two!
I've had cold dry biscuits maybe two times out of 50, but never pucks.
Anyway, it's an $0.80 add-on in a $4 feed.
As for Mary Brown's, I only tried a $6 chicken sandwich there once and wasn't impressed. Much like McD's or BK. The place is very quiet.
re: jayt90
The biscuits were never cold. Always quite warm. But they were definitely not "rich and light" by any stretch. They were "doughy" or "chewy", which are good textures if I wanted a nice dinner roll, but totally wrong for biscuits. If they just called them dinner rolls I'd have no complaint, but to call them biscuits, no.
As for "a sample of two", these visits were 3 weeks apart. If they had it wrong once, statistically speaking they should have had it right the other time. But I got identical product both times which to me means that's their recipe.
I won't let the one bad item (especially one that minor) ruin it for me. The chicken and sides are done well, no argument from me on those. The decent coleslaw was a pleasant surprise given what usually passes for slaw up here. And the serving sizes to price ratio is excellent compared to the poor clones of KFC and Popeyes we have here.
re: TexSquared
How are the mashed potatoes?
re: callitasicit
I haven't tried the mashed potatoes , but I doubt if they are authentic. and also, the gravy is packaged, when they could make a good chicken gravy. The large tator tots were not so good , bland and starchy, but only one sample!
Stick to the salad, fries, chicken, and maybe biscuits and gravy. That will run $5.50 Mon-Wed.
Chicken N Joy
3555 Thickson Rd N, Whitby, ON L1R, CA
re: jayt90
re: jayt90
The only people I know who rave about Mary Brown's are east coast ex-pats.... nothing against the east coast, but it's "their" chain and a taste of home to them.
Mary Brown's
1920 Dundas St, London, ON N5V3P1, CA
re: scarborough
I almost went there tonight (well.. actually I did but did not feel like waiting in the line) @ Morningside. Wife much prefers their chicken to KFC; less greasy. I will admit to liking their biscuits though (I wait to hear the collective jaws DROP)!
re: Spelunk
They're not biscuits. They're doughy dinner rolls shaped like biscuits.
re: TexSquared
At their worst the biscuits are a soggy sugary yeasty mess that will definitely shorten your life by a few minutes a piece. I can feel my artery's clogging up as I ingest their ooey goey goodness. I agree that Popeye's biscuits are better in consistency, solidity and expectation (they are a biscuit not a dinner roll), but, the taste is better at CNJ. It reminds me of yeast buns I had at another arterial clogfest joint in the American South known as Ryans.
I agree with Jay - stick to the salad, fries and chicken. Anyone tried any of their sandwiches etc? I'm curious but always the deep fried goodness calls my name...
re: scarborough
Now about their fries... It's been years since I've been to CNJ, but the one thing that I truly remember are their fries. I use to call them "artery blockers" due to how rich they tasted. Not sure how they taste today, but I sure hope they haven't changed. I do recall one "incident" that I personally experienced regarding their fries. I went to the local CNJ at Markington Square (Markham and Eglinton) just to order their fries. I swear by this... I saw the server rubbing what looked like butter or margarine on the fries before they were refried. I do remember that what really made their fries stand out was this rich flavour that I just couldn't pinpoint. Seeing the server rubbing the butter or margarine on the fries confirmed what I suspected. Not sure if this is common practice at all CNJ, but this is what I saw. Not sure if they still do it today. but God bless that woman for making such tasty fries... now I must go to a corner to drool.
Has anyone tried the new (to me) restaurant/cafe called Seraphia in Cliffcrest Plaza? It looked promising but I didn't have time to go in.
re: voracious
I really like their spanakopita (feta and spinach wrapped in phyllo). Flaky, moist, but not salty. With a mixed green salad or Greek salad it makes for a very good lunch. That's all I've had there so far.
BTW there's also an excellent bakery in the same plaza on the east side beside Kelly's bar and grill. I believe it's called Cliffside Bakery. Excellent breads and baked goods. The Butcher Shop sells their baguettes and the last time I was in the bakery I had a sample of their chocolate cherry loaf. It was a dark bread with chunks of melted chocolate and crushed cherries in it.
re: scarberian
Thank you, I will definitely try the bakery. I also keep meaning to visit the tea room in the same mall ... there are not a lot of tea options in Scarborough!
re: voracious
I like going to David's Teas at the STC (second floor near The Bay going towards Walmart) if you just wanted tea. At Christmas they had this awesome tea with chills and chocolate. Sadly my stash of that tea is all gone. I have to wait for winter =(.
As for high tea or afternoon tea, it's best just to head downtown to one of the major hotels that offer it i.e. King Eddy, Royal York, Windsor Arms (which IMO is the best), etc.
Windsor Arms
18 St Thomas St, Toronto, ON M5S, CA
re: scarberian
http://thecliffsidehearth.blogspot.com/ is the bakery.
re: scarberian
Is their Spanakopita better than Athens Pastries?
Athens Pastries
509 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K, CA
re: jmarcroyal
Never had the Athens Pastries version, but I have had many versions of spanakopita from restaurant quality to homemade over the years. Seraphia makes a buttery and less salty version that's rolled in phyllo and then turned into a spiral. The look of it is appealing to me and it doesn't shout SALT LICK, like some versions I've had.
Hey Spelunk thanks for the correction of the name. I knew it was Cliffside, but I just couldn't come up with the second half.
re: scarberian
dude, you dont know what you're missing, Id say(and I think many would agree) that Athens Pastries makes the best Tiropita and Spanakopita in the city, its just so good. Not to mention they have these Loukomades(kinda timbit sized honey balls, crisp and bursting with honey, absolutely delicious).
They have been on the Danforth for as long as I can remember, located near Logan, but a few years ago they opened a location on Victoria Park south of Sheppard(north of 401) in the plaza directly south of Johnnys Hamburgers(beside the popeyes chicken and TD bank).
Do yourself a favor and stop by this week, the prices are decent and the food is nice and fresh. You will love the Spanakopita and you gotta grab a dozen Loukomades too!
Athens Pastries
509 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K, CA
re: jmarcroyal
Alright I will try the one at VP and see if what you say is true (although you had me drooling at the loukomades -- I had those at a party once and man were they addictive). I'm gonna ask you to try the spanakopita at Seraphia and tell me what you think.
re: scarberian
Will do, where abouts is it located?
And dont forget to get cinnamon on your loukomades!
re: jmarcroyal
Seraphia is a small restaurant in the Cliffcrest Plaza at Cathedral Bluffs (McCowan) and Kingston Rd. I believe it's beside the Mac's Milk convenience store or just one or two stores east of the Mac's Milk.
re: scarberian
Is Seraphia take-out only?
re: jmarcroyal
Hey jmarcroyal, I had the Athens spanakopita and I all I have to say is mmmmmmmm. That was some tasty spinach pastry. To me it tasted differently from Seraphia, but damn good. So, IMHO, I would place them at a tie where each has their own flavour niche. IOW I can't decide which I liked better. Maybe I'll get both and just sandwich them together!
As for the loukomades, holy doo doos Batman, I could eat a bucket full of those things. Yes I had it with the cinnamon and it took it another level.
re: scarberian
Im glad you liked it! Athens Pastries has been a favorite of mine ever since I was very young, I remember going with my mom to the location on the Danforth, she'd give me the money to run in and she'd circle the block because parking was horrible there. My favorite thing to do, maybe its a habit more than anything, is to eat the pita layer by layer, eating the crispy philo before I get to the soft, cheesey, tasty interior.
Im so glad they opened the location at VP/Sheppard, and the best thing is the quality hasnt dropped at all. I still havent been to Seraphia but I still plan to, maybe Ill go today...
Athens Pastries
509 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K, CA
re: jmarcroyal
I'm planning Seraphia as part of a Kingston Rd trip. I'm going to hit that plus The Butcher Shop and Cliffside Hearth. It's so funny, I think that bakery is in the same plaza where my mom used to take me to see my pediatrician. Talk about coming home.
re: jmarcroyal
Just ate at Seraphia twice in the past 3 weeks. The first time my daughter and I ordered the cheese burgers and these homemade bad boys were juicy, grilled and simply delicious. It was an excellent burger. I had the roasted garlic potatoes as a side, but I thought they were just okay. BTW all their salads are homemade and they have a good variety from your typical mixed greens to tomato/cucumber to legumes and even tabouleh.
The second time my daughter had the cheese burger again and I was able to order the steak sandwich, but I had it on the mixed greens sans bread. The steak was tender and cooked medium rare. The mixed greens included mushrooms, thinly sliced onions, tomatoes and a nice homemade dressing. It was a very good steak salad. The chef is classically trained, seems nice although a bit quiet. I was glad he allowed me to mix two items from the menu and only charge me for one. We will definitely go back again.
re: scarberian
Hey scarberian, there's a feature length article about Cliffside Hearth on the 7th page of the Globe & Mail's T.O. section today. If their website's search function worked worth a damn I'd give you the link. You were right again. Enjoy!
re: Googs
The Cliffside Hearth article.
re: scarberian
About The Butcher Shop... I don't like my meat pre-marinated, wrapped in another thing, or otherwise tampered with. I also have no particular need for Kobe, just give me a fine triple A. Am I gonna hate this place?
re: Googs
Not necessarily, they have a wide range of meats, some marinated, some not, all pretty pricey. I've been told it's Mennonite beef, not sure about the chicken. There is also a small selection of gourmet foods and they make their own sausages. Last time I was there they carried Maple Dale Cheese, which I like and which I don't see a lot of other places.
Re your earlier question about Seraphia -- there is a small table inside, and one outdoors. Yesterday we took out some potato salad with basil mayonnaise and some orzo with roasted vegetables and they were sensational, especially the potato salad. The owner is a third generation chef and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of New York.
re: Googs
As for The Butcher Shop, the owners Tony and son Paul used to be in the Elaine Plaza on Eglinton at Danforth Road. Only vegetarians might hate the place. The Kingston Rd. store they moved to some years back is a meat eaters paradise. Closed Monday only. The best selection is usually after Tuesday or Wednesday in time for the weekend crowds. I've had a lot of great steaks and the best burgers made from their ground beef from them over the years. Oh and the chicken souvlakis! WOW!!
re: Googs
Hey Googs, the Butcher Shop is excellent quality meat and the owner told me they age their beef on the premises. I've mostly had their plain boneless leg of lamb and every time it's been a winner (unwrap, marinate it yourself in olive oil, a head of crushed garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary then bake in the oven 1 hour at 350 F). I do find their pre-marinated stuff a bit salty at times so I always stick with just the plain and prepare it myself. Their bacon is excellent, lightly salted, and I can't get enough of it... so much better than that watery package mess from the supermarkets. I also really like their bangers and the organic whole chicken is quite tender. Surprisingly some of the best salmon fillets I've bought have been from the Butcher Shop.
re: scarberian
Did you say salmon? I love to go to a butcher and buy seafood for that night and meat for the next. Do they carry anything else?
re: scarberian
Not at all. I used to be one of the spoiled brats who could do just that at St Jamestown Steak & Chops. I'd pick up perfect produce there too! It's the model of a well-run butcher shop that's tuned in to the neighbourhood's needs.
If I can do the shop-every-2-days-eat-fresh-every-day-when-the-weather's-good thing I'll be much happier. The freezer's getting a bit too much of a workout for my liking.
re: scarberian
With no offense intended towards you, scarberian...
Cliffside Bakery's breads better be excellent for the prices they charge. 7 bucks or more for a teeny loaf of bread?!?!? I can get my entire order at Montmartre for the same price. Sure, it isn't fancy, but it's damn good. I hate places that charge by the word.
I feel similarly about The Butcher Shop. The aggressive upsell of the barkers, the men behind the counter describing the goods in such precious terms to the wide-eyed. I felt like I was at a circus sideshow. The use of meat lighting that makes everything appear bloodier than it is is always my cue to turn around and leave. I won't shop at butchers that employ them. I'd rather go to Highland Farms. Real butchers, no bull.
I'm prepared to pay dearly for dinner, but not when it comes with a show.
Highland Farms
850 Ellesmere Rd, Toronto, ON M1P, CA
Montmartre Bakery
105 Midwest Rd, Scarborough, ON M1P 3A6, CA
re: Googs
A show at The Butcher Shop? When I go every other Saturday I don't ever recall the servers behind the counter describing the meat. They usually just ask you what you want. I also don't recall any special lighting although I am no expert in these matters so if they did have any I wouldn't know if it hit me on the head. To me the The Butcher Shop has their meat lined up in the case with, what looks to me like regular lights. I know they like to chit chat with regulars, but it's usually more of a personal nature like "How did that (whatever) go?" or "How's your back feeling today?" etc.
As for Highland Farms they are my other goto place for meat. Since they are right at the corner from my house and they are one of the few butchers left that sell medium ground. Gotta have medium for those burgers!
I haven't been to Montmartre yet, but I usually get the baguette from Cliffside and it's not expensive (The Butcher Shop carries their baguettes).
re: scarberian
T'is true including the barkers. I have no doubt of your experiences either. I suppose if it were my neighbourhood butcher, I'd swallow the lighting trick and go. Since it isn't the case, I'll stick with the combination of Highland Farms and making the trek to St Jamestown Steak & Chops.
re: scarberian
That's the one, yes sir, on Kingston. I recognize the lighting when I see it. For example, at the St Lawrence Market. Di Liso and Witteveen use them, La Boucherie doesn't. Works for some produce as well.
If you want to test this easily, the next time you're at Pusateri's Yorkville, look at the tomatoes in the bin. Lovely, right? Now take that same tomato and walk it over to one of the windows and look at it in sunlight. Notice how pale it is in comparison to the lit version? Suddenly, you'e thinking you might not take that home with you after all. I simply won't shop where hoodwinking the customer is so blatantly part of the strategy.
All this aside, you eat their meats which is, after all, the most important part. If it tastes good, who cares?
Have to add this recommendation in.
If you're looking for authentic (Japanese-made, not Chinese or Korean) sushi but Zen is out of your price range, make a "run for the border" into Pickering and try Kobo Gourmet on Kingston Rd.
It's been discussed in other threads; I like to say that if you want to step up from the bush-league Chinese McSushi Rolls From Hell but aren't quite ready to "take the plunge" at major league Zen, this is a great way to try the authentic stuff and see the difference without breaking the bank. Call it the "triple-A" level of Toronto sushi :-) Get the omakase for $22 and try some hot foods too, the tonkatsu is excellent.
I tried a place called Spice It Up Jamaican Takeout on Lawrence Ave E. west of Bellamy Rd.
I saw an oil barrel type BBQ out in the parking lot so I had to try it. I was in a big hurry so I ordered only jerk chicken to go. I got a takeout container with a good amount of really tasty chicken. They are moving out of 633 Markham Rd. They have lots more than jerk chicken. I need to return for another fix. And I must ask about hot sauce for it. Funny it was spicy with flavour but not 'hot' spicy at all.
Nasib's would be on my list of favourites for falafels or shwarmas.
Another favourite is Babu Catering & Take Out at 4800 Sheppard Ave E. west of Shorting Road. It's take-out only there for South Indian and Tamil dishes. It's all fresh and can be quite spicy. It's the real thing after all. I love their hakka chicken and biryani rice for under $5 plus pop or juice. $7 for twice the meat. ; ) The chili chicken is really tasty but not nearly as hot. Also a big selection of vegetarian dishes that look really good. Can have a good line-up at mealtimes but it moves pretty quick. Oh and the parking is far from ideal due to so many food places in the immediate area. Some say the butter chicken is spicy there. I didn't think so but to each, their own.
1867 Lawrence Ave E, Toronto, ON M1R2Y3, CA
re: GlennScarborough
LOL! I see them in the parking lot at 633 Markham all the time; corner of Lawrence and Markham. Never tried anything though.
re: Spelunk
I tried the jerk pork last year on Markham, found it dry, served with an attitude.
re: jayt90
I was back today (Bendale Plaza) for a $4.99 Lunch Special. The jerk chicken w/ rice & peas was really good. You can tell this chicken is actually slow cooked on the BBQ unlike the usual oven baked style. It was juicy not dried out. The rice was actually very good. I'm used to fairly bland stuff. A nice piece of plantain banana was included. It was a good tasty lunch. They have jerk beef, fried chicken, stewed chicken, ox tail, curry goat and various fish as well. But NO jerk pork. Dang! What's up with that? I've never been to the Markham Rd. store.
Blackhorn Dining Room
(416) 449-2841
251 Ellesmere Rd (at Warden)
I've been going to Blackhorn since 1975 and it's still one of the yummiest steak/rib restaurants going!
Blackhorn Dining Room
251 Ellesmere Rd, Scarborough, ON M1R4E4, CA
My personal favourite egg tart in Toronto is located near Finch and Midland called Cakeview Bakery and Cafe. I cannot recommend anything else there but the freshly baked egg tart is pretty delicious!
There is a small Indian bakery hot food takeout only in the same strip mall as the Real McCoy. I have only been once because I am almost never in this area but what I had was very tasty. I really enjoyed the biryani, the naan and butter naan?, a lentil dish, and a spinach dish. Sorry I'm not more familiar with this type of food, but to me it tasted and looked homemade and fresh, The spinach I think had nuts in it? and was pleasantly spiced. Prices were very reasonable and the gentleman serving was patient and helpful. Sorry I didn't make note of the name.
re: scarborough
scarborough ... you had me REALLY scared but after digging ... just really annoyed at CHOW.
To be honest the biggest use I had for the restaurant pages were as a consolidation point for reviews. I didn't use it at first and just used a search and clicked thru.
re: kerwintoronto
Hey Kerwintoronto,
Does that mean it's just the actual reviews that get taken down or these forums? I printed out this page just to be sure as there's some great information on it. I'm not sure why CHOW would take down any user generated content as it discourages use and interaction. I can go to lots of other sites to get restaurant reviews, but, I really like the user-generated real world detailed content here.
re: scarborough
Can somebody clarify what has happened.
re: Herne
This is all way off topic. Get your information and voice your opinions here:
Well, I did a resto search on these forums and this thread popped up for "Arkadia", but I couldn't find the posting. Anyway, one doesn't need to go to the Danforth to get very good Greek food. Arkadia is an institution in west Scarborough on Eglinton just west of Birchmount on the south side. This place has been around God knows how many years now. I was there on the weekend celebrating my brother's birthday and I enjoyed my meal.
I started with a salad (typical North American "Greek" salad - with feta, regular greens, one olive, etc. that comes with your meal) that had a very nice thin creamy dressing. Then I had a cold octopus salad which wasn't chewy at all, generously served, and quite delicious with a simple marinade of lemon, olive oil, celery and red peppers. For my main I had the beef souvlaki dinner with rice and vegetables - nicely done, but nothing extraordinary. It's better than what you'd get at most of the Greek restos on the Danforth.
re: scarberian
Have to disagree on Arkadia. Unless they've changed BIGTIME since my last visit I'll never go back:
Any place you can walk in without a reservation on Mother's Day and be seated immediately (with a group of 6 no less) can't be good. That's all Arkadia is good for -- if your family needs a big table on Mother's or Father's Day on short notice and couldn't get a reservation anywhere else.
re: scarberian
You join the many that hold their celebrations there. I'm always seeing parties of one kind or another. I think it's been around since my mom used to have to hold my hand while shopping at the Golden Mile.
I also enjoy Arkadia. The service is slow, but I don't dine out when I'm in a hurry anyway. The food is as good as any standard Danforth Greek restaurant, but a whole lot easier to get to from home and a smidge of free parking. Not outstanding or reinventing any wheels, but this is the Scott House family. Maybe not on anyone's Top 10, though certainly respectable restaurateurs.
scarberian, should you go again, I recommend skipping the Greek salad and going for the real deal Horiatiki salad. It's simpler and more delicious than the Greek and, at least for me, of a size that invites sharing. I also like their Calamari (okay, I'm a sucker for that dish) and anything involving either lamb or eggplant.
re: Googs
You couldn't get away from the salad since it comes with the meal. I wish you had the choice between it and the one you're talking about. Anyway it was still good and you also get a complimentary plate of pickles and olives. The fried calamari was nice, not chewy, good flavour. The grilled octopus, although not as good as Fratelli's, was very nice and as I said, I really enjoyed the octopus salad.
re: scarberian
BTW the dressing for the salad reminded me of the dressing for the salad at Peter's On Eglinton in Mississauga.
re: scarberian
BTW, scarberian, I created this map of sit down restaurants (mostly) in Scarborough. It's a compilation of recent recommendations on the board about, and places I've been to in, Scarborough. If there's anything you think should be added or dropped, I'd love to hear it. Your guidance on the east side has been quite valuable to me.
Aunt Mary's on Scarborough Golf Club right at Lawrence rd. It used to be run by Greeks long time ago (Korean family currently runs it) apparently. But it still has that real classic Scarborough feel.
It's basically breakfast food, burgers, wraps, fish and chips. You cannot beat the value of this place and real Scarborough experience.
re: .alias
I'd keep a close eye on The Grid. Not only do they review restaurants that aren't on Ossington, they seem to understand Scarborough as well. Great ethnic food at a low cost in humble settings with tables always available and ample free parking. That just wouldn't go over downtown it would seem judging by the other reviewers.
There's also my own attempt to round up a 2012 selection that resulted in this:
from the conversation started here:
Surprised that no one has included Mandalay. It's small place at Lawrence and Markham hidden behind the Public Optical. Very pretty inside - been there for years. It is the go to place in our family for birthdays and special occasions but not pricey at all. Excellent food - pastas, thai, great desserts. Can't say enough about it. Our favourites are the chicken penne and the spicy sirloin.
Out of respect for the OP and the wealth of contributors to follow, I've held off on creating a new Scarborough Gems 2012 post. I think this merits a new beginning:
Whaddaya say ladies and gentlehounds of Scarborough? May I?
re: hal2010
Yes please Googs and link to it from this page for future reference.
To reaffirm another Scarborough Gem (Bellamy and Ellesmere or in Pickering near the Freshco) that may be controversial but "Thai One On" - before you go all "that's a chain and it's vile" you must exercise self control over your tongue and just try the Golden Curry. Some of their dishes are not good but the creamy, spicy goodness that is the Golden Curry Chicken will arrest that negative attitude and instead you will be singing it's virtues.
It's ONE DISH, I know, but it is worth it... You need to trust the Scarborough name....
re: scarborough
Sorry to disagree. I live in Pickering, tried Thai One On and hated it, and not because it's a chain (despite what I will say next - I am definitely not a "chain hater on principle" like so many on this board). There's a much better, locally owned restaurant across the street called The Red House which not only produces better food and puts out larger servings, they charge less for it.
re: TexSquared
Yeah, I'm in the never-ever-again category, too.
Did it once, and it was a terrible experience both during and after, if you catch my drift.
I still haven't found decent Thai in Scarberia, personally, but Thai One ON is a no-go!
re: scarberian
Will do. It'll take some time, but I'll definitely do it.
re: DUH CAR
It failed us completely on the last delivery. It smelled and tasted just like every other low-rent joint in the neighbourhood. The one before showed evidence of slipping. When's the last time you ate L's food?
re: Paulustrious
It's going to take a while even if I hurry. This is a 70 page extravaganza. Then there's all the other Scarborough posts... A while indeed.
re: Paulustrious
I still plan to start a new thread. In the meantime...
Well Paulustrious, this oughta keep you busy for a while. Every place ever mentioned favourably on this post that I can confirm is still open and hasn't been yellow carded in the last year on one map. Let us know how the new experiences go.
re: scarberian
There's just no replacing Goody's.
The map will get buried in this 326+ post thread just like everything else. That's the only reason I'll be starting a new one. I can't really do justice to all of the insight and opinions given here over the years. It is time we had a new forum with a road map that's easily edited to show the new and remove the old. Long live Goody's Diner.
re: Googs
Anyone tried yet Railee's Diner that opened very recently in Goody's old spot?
re: BJC01
This must be the worst designed web site for a restaurant. I can't for the life of me find the hours of operations. I know it says breakfast and lunch, but I'd like to know when they close. The menu looks solid for a diner, but I'm wondering if those fries are fresh cut or frozen. That steak and eggs looks quite delicious.
re: scarberian
It's Monday to Friday 7am to 7pm.
re: scarberian
Yep, that's way up there with worst websites. They've been entering placemarks on other review sites where you can actually get info in an organized manner. Such as this:
I note that I can find no record of them having been inspected. That's why I haven't been.
re: scarberian
Dear God. What a horror of a site.
re: Googs
Bravo, Googs.
That type of facility should be available inside chow itself.
You are right. You should start a new thread with your map as the first line. When I go to Costco / A1 Premium / Colangelo / Whatever I will be looking at that map. It's already bookmarked so I don't have to find this or another thread.
Googs & Google go good.
re: Paulustrious
Aw shucks, thanks. It's already paid off having this in an editable format. Sadly, Gu-Mi has closed. Happily, I could add websites for those without one. Hey, if you don't write about yourself, someone else will. Beware.
And don't the Food Twice Eaten gals write just the cutest reviews?
re: Googs
And another place dropped. I'll be doing a weekly check of the naughty and nice list. Slackers be warned.
re: Googs
Three down (can't be named) and two added.
Tex, Tex, Tex.... I wasn't defending the whole menu - just the creamy goodness that is their Golden Curry. And, honestly, though the Red Square is decent, I prefer the Golden Curry from Thai One On. Thai One On's pad thai is not very good at all and some of its other dishes taste very similar (not bad, just similar) but the Golden Curry is worth a try.
It's really the wrong time of year to be posting this but we love Made in China China Hot Pot for a nice winter pick me up - 3280 Midland Ave E (Midland and Finch). The place is always packed.
Hi Chowhound, long-time lurker, first-time poster; lived in Scarborough for many years now and I've come to appreciate some of the low-key places we have! I think the east-end has pretty honest food - big portions, lots of flavour, and a good value, probably nothing posh or fancy compared to upscale eateries you'd find sprinkled downtown, but that's often just the way I like it.
I'm a big fan of caribbean food and just thought I'd mention 'Twice as Nice' and 'Gramp's & Elaine' for anyone who LOVES jamaican oxtail with rice and peas, my favourite take-out places.
re: duperman
THAT'S IT!!! Gramps & Elaine is the place that's supposed to have the real deal coconut milk. Do they still? It's worth a special trip to me. Canned coconut water is undrinkable. Real coconut milk is heavenly.
re: Googs
You want excellent coconut water then try Blue Monkey coconut water. It's just pure coconut water and comes either simple coconut water or with pulp. Not sure where to get it as my mother-in-law is the one who gets it for us. She swears by it and grew up in St. Kitts drinking the fresh stuff.
re: scarberian
Pusateri's?!?!? That's some high end coconut water your m-i-l buys. Funny, but maybe if the good stuff goes mainstream it could become more readily available. Here's the retailers list from their website: Thanks for the tip. And oh look, just in time for summer. Now to learn how to make conch fritters.
re: duperman
Hey duper!
I totally AGREE on Twice-As-Nice! +1 for sure!
Best Jamaican Fry Chicken, Oxtail, and Curry Goat with rice & peas I've tried in a long time, and I am absolutely addicted to their house-made pepper sauce! It's pulpy and almost fruity and full of fresh flavour, not just heat.
I not only liberally douse my fry chicken in it, but I buy it from them to use at home, too!
Say hi to mama for me! :-)
re: duperman
Try "Not Just Patties" in Highland Creek Village. It's a small West Indian resto that just does take out and I can't get enough of their rice. Their ox tail and rice combo for lunch is ~$6 and it fills me up (and I'm a big guy). I don't know what it is with the rice but every time I eat it I get an almost buttery aftertaste. The restaurant is on the same side as (IMHO NOT-SO) Amazing Ted's and it's about 2 doors west. There's parking right in front of it.
Fortune House for traditional, fast-paced, Chinese banquet/multi-course style dinners. Good wok power, awesome sweet and sour pork (their house special, at $5.95), and free soup and dessert (made in house). Go go go!
Fortune House
New restaurant to add to the list:
Barkada (Filipino) Restaurant
Same plaza as T&T Supermarket in Steeles E & Middlefield
Modern take on Filipino food. Sit down, casual dining.
I had the Crispy Kare Kare which is tripe, fried pork belly in a toasted rice, peanut sauce $12. I also like their steak all day breakfast. $9 for two pieces of marinated flank, two eggs any style, mango pick de gallo and garlic rice. Do try their pork sisig. It's basically the meat from the cheeks, ears, of the pig, chopped up with liver and chili served on a sizzling plate. Doesn't sound appetizing but believe me it tastes great especially with garlic rice. Their roasted chicken (lechon Manok) has hints of onions and lemongrass. I would order it whole to ensure a good juicy chicken. It's flavours are more subtle than what I'm used to but for the price $15 for a whole chicken done Filipino style, I can't complain,
Asian Legend on Sheppard and Brimley is also good. Not sure if anyone mentioned this.
Update: Sadly, my ever favorite Chicken & Noodle Chinese Restaurant on Glen Watford closed down. Not sure if they moved. Loved that place. Never thought it would close down.
re: ensaymada
The appetizer menu at Barkada looks like a PILE of fun. Have you tried any of them?
Just tried MFC Diner which is in the north west plaza at Manse Rd. and Kingston Rd. waaaaay in the east end of Scarborough (actually diagonally across from Bel Fiero). This diner originally comes from Dunnville and they are supposedly well known there for their burgers, fried chicken and fish and chips. They do serve many things home made, but the strike against them is their fries... sadly NOT fresh cut. The fries also have that coating that KFC had/has on their fries and it doesn't do anything to it. That aside the rest of the meal was quite good.
My daughter and I stopped by for a late lunch and it was quite empty (location and time?). Anyway the lone waitress was quite nice, engaging and answered my questions regarding the food. The meatloaf is freshly made and they have a soup of the day that is made fresh (it was chicken noodle this time). I ordered a double cheeseburger and my daughter had the fish and chips. I didn't realize how big one patty was so I was surprised by how large the double cheeseburger was. It was a thick homemade patty and looked like it was cooked on a flat top. I couldn't taste any smoke so that's why I think it was cooked on a flat top. They use "American" cheese so it had that creamy melt to it. I will admit it was a very good burger... juicy and tasty. My daughter had the fish and chips and the fish (haddock) was quite meaty. She ate the whole thing. Again my only strike against them were the fries. How hard is it to make fresh cut fries? I think I will go to Malt and Salt and order their fries then head over to MFC to get a burger.
re: scarberian
Ah! Finally refound the thread this post was from! Was searching for it after my horrible burger at MFC but for some reason couldn't pull it up. I went and tried them back in September remembering having read this review you wrote. Burger came and it was one of those miserable bear claw shaped frozen burgers with frozen french fries(though you at least warned about the fries). Having enjoyed the stone cottage on many many occasions and only once having a bad meal (incidently fish and chips) i couldn't believe that they had so totally changed their menu since your review. As recompence i request you give the cottage another try. Try one of their fresh ground burgers, or perhaps the grilled cheese with bacon and chutney (so good), and enjoy with an innis and gunn from the taps. 1000 times better than mfc!
re: elrik
Can't believe I never noticed your reply elrik. Anyway that was a shame about their burgers. The one I got wasn't a typical frozen bear claw (those I would notice a mile away having scoffed down many of them at family barbecues). The burger I had didn't have that neat edge of a bear claw and it had a nice beefy flavour. Well all this is moot as MFC closed shop sometime last year. Sunny Up, I believe, moved over into that spot.
I will give The Stone Cottage another try.
My wife and I went to Federick's the other night and although the price was fantastic and the amount of food you get is almost American in enormity, we both found it to be intensely over salted and MSGeezy (subsequent headaches ensued due to - I'm not kidding - dehydration).
Shame because I had heard so many good things about it. I wonder if they would dial down the salt and MSG if we asked...
I've heard great things about Fratelli's but alas, they're closed for some reason (renos?) and not very forthcoming about any date for future re-opening. There was a new Italian joint that opened in a strip plaza near Old Kingston and Kingston but it looks like it's now closed. It was above average quality-wise, but the pricing was a little high for the area (my wife and I spent $120 on an app, entrees and a modest bottle of red with tip). Not quite in line with the demographic me thinks.
Personally, I think they need a good ol' pub in the Guild. Let's get a move on with opening something in the Guild House itself - I'm pretty sure the demo there is prime for a nice place to eat. If only I had a few hundred extra G notes kicking around...
re: NonStickSteel
Have you tried Stone Cottage? http://stonecottagepub.com/ I've eaten there a few times and quite enjoyed the food.
re: Spelunk
Yeah, it's a good pub for sure, the food has always been great but it's a little too "open concept" to really be a pub in my eyes. It's more like a tavern really. I'm talking about something right down in the Guild say in the plaza that has the valumart - you can't really stumble to the bottom of the Guild from the Stone Cottage, especially in winter.
re: NonStickSteel
Sure you can :) Just slide down the hill on your butt !
re: NonStickSteel
I agree.
It's a cozy area down there that could benefit from a casual joint to liven up the area a bit.
re: NonStickSteel
Fratelli's is closed because of a fire several months ago. They've only just started renos due to red tape with permits. It's gonna be awhile, but I've heard they will definitely re-open.
I do share the same sentiment regarding having a really good resto or even pub in the Guild area. The Bier Markt would be a nice addition to the area, but that ain't happening.
I tried the Stone Cottage back in the summer of 2011. My wife and I were always wanting to try it, but to tell you the truth it was quite underwhelming. Now my wife did get a very nice fruit beer that she can't get at the LCBO, but the food, in our experience, was pretty bland. I had fish and chips and the fries looked and tasted like the frozen variety. The fish itself was meh. I've had much better food at The Black Dog, Bier Markt, Highland Fish and Chips, Malt and Salt,... I had good expectations from the Stone Cottage and really wanted to like it, but we won't be back.
re: NonStickSteel
I noticed an invitation to tender to The Guild in the Globe & Mail the other day. Of course, I can't find anything online now, but I recall they were looking for some kind of food service types. Maybe there's hope.
While you're waiting for the return of Fratelli's, you might console yourself at the Crazy Tomato.
re: Googs
Wasn't the Guild Inn suppose to be taken oven by Centennial College for their hospitality courses? Or did that fall through? It would be nice to see part of the Guild Inn being a tea room that serves afternoon and high tea. Imagine afternoon tea or high tea on the grounds on a warm summer's day or clear, cool fall day. It would be nice.
re: scarberian
That deal fell through when the college tried to amend their plans to include condos and people got upset, so everything is back to square one.
My grandma had numerous memories of high tea at the old guild inn back in the days. Would be niceto see a return but not sure howviable an option that would be. One can hope though!
re: scarberian
Well here ya go scarberian. It seems you have just 3 more days to put your skills to good use and submit a tender to the city. I can see it now. Guild Inn High Tea & BBQ.
re: Googs
Such a shame. I am actually planning on having a tree planted in memory of my late mother on the Guild grounds. This place is truly a gem and the last thing we need are condos. I can picture myself Googs sipping some Earl Grey while feasting on a mess o' ribs smoked for hours or munching on some finger sammies of pulled pork while daintily wiping a glob of bbq sauce off my chin with a pressed napkin.
re: scarberian
LOL. That would totally work if you did crispy tea smoked ribs to go with the Earl Grey. I'll let you figure out the mop. Don't forget to extend your pinky while plowing your face into the ribs!
re: th3hungrycat
Nice list. Makkal Chon is tops in the GTA for quality korean IMO. Surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet.
re: th3hungrycat
I finally recently got around to trying Mona's roti and it was delicious!!! I wanted the oxtail but by the time I arrived there at 1pm, they were sold out. I ordered the goat roti w/channa and the jerk chicken roti w/pumpkin. Needless to say, we devoured it all and it's really filling. I like how they give the option of what toppings to have it with as I am not a fan of potato and have been to other places where there's more potato than real meat. The place was packed with the lineup out the door but worth the wait. I spoke to the owner while waiting (I think he said that he was?). Really friendly people working there.
I also went to try out The Roti Hut just around the corner for the first time. Tons of seating space where they'll bring over your food and the server was really nice. I wouldn't hesitate to go back if I wanted to eat in but for take-out I would be more likely to go to Mona's.
re: meatnveg
Silver Spoon - Do you mean Warden & Ellesmere?