Back to Toronto for a cousin’s wedding and even had some time to watch some women’s tennis at the Bank National Open.
Island Foods
Yang Teashop
Café Polonez
Ed’s Real Scoop
The Merseyside
Bacan
Manpuku Japanese Eatery
Mizzica Gelateria & Cafe
Bellwoods Brewery
Bang Bang Ice Cream
Chaihana
Dutch Dreams
Forno Cultura
Arabesque Cafe
Blood Brothers Brewing
Island Oysters
Tumi Dumpling House
Island Foods
Our first meal of the trip was to Island Foods as we have family in town that have been many times. It’s a family run restaurant that specializes in Caribbean food. They have another location out in Markham.
Hours.
We dropped in on a late Monday (around 1:00pm) to grab takeout.
Didn’t see a single soul eat in. Line up at the counter to order, then pay.
Closeup of their patties.
The menu consists of snacks, dinners and rotis.
4x Boneless goat roti ($10.99) – this is the relatives go to order.
Boneless goat dinner ($12.95)
All their dinner options come with rice & peas, curry potatoes and mixed vegetables (cabbage). All three sides were mute and one-dimensional. Never tasted such uninspiring flavours. The goat was unfortunately a touch on the dry side.
Oxtail (stew) dinner ($13.50)
This was the better of the two dinner options. Oxtail had much better flavour.
Cash or debit only.
Island Foods
https://island-foods.com/
1310 Don Mills Road
North York, ON
(416) 487-7717
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Yang Teashop
We were in the mood for some BBT so we decided to try Yang Teashop. It’s a few doors down from Cheese Garden Japanese Cheescake. YT has four other locations in Toronto/GTA.
Signs outside.
We came in on a slow Friday (around 5:00pm). The shop is run by one individual that does it all.
She was nice enough to let us use the 50% off deal when you sign up for their loyalty program. Normally, it’s only applicable for your next purchase.
Drink menu consists of marble, milk tea, tea latte, fresh fruit and slush.
Prices are $6.50 (regular) to $6.80 (large).
You can choose your sugar and ice levels.
Mango tea slush ($6.80 large), 2x Marble boba tea latte ($6.80 large) and marble fresh taro tea latte ($6.80 large)
We added grass jelly ($0.80) to our mango tea slush and went with half sugar. The drink was a bit disappointing as there were small chunks of ice that hadn’t been fully blended. Tea flavour was weak and surprisingly, the drink wasn’t sweet enough. One friend said the boba tea latte flavour wasn’t prominent. The other friend enjoyed theirs much more.
Wasn’t that impressed with our first visit to Yang Teashop.
Yang Teashop
https://www.yangteashop.com/
5295 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON
(647) 352-8840
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Café Polonez
Café Polonez is a staple family run, Polish restaurant that’s been around since 1981. They’re a few doors from Ed’s Real Scoop.
We dropped in on a Friday evening (with 7:00pm reservations). The inside was busy but didn’t feel squished as tables are well placed. The sidewalk seating (shaded with umbrellas) was packed. Service was friendly but we weren’t checked on once it got lively.
The menu is two pages but with a plethora of options. Starters, salads, soups, sandwiches, Polish classics, Polonez signatures, schnitzels, combo plates and desserts.
Chlodnik ($8.95)
Kefir, diced cucumber, beet, dill and hard boiled egg. It came with a side of potatoes; these were cold and bland.
I had a taste of the soup and the cold borscht was fantastic. Our friend, whose Polish, said it reminded him of his grandma’s cooking.
Flaczki ($7.95)
Paprika infused beef tripe soup. First time trying this and it was so satisfying.
Tripe was incredibly tender and the broth was pure bliss. It came with a pile of rye bread.
Platter for 1 ($24.95)
4 pierogi (we opted for the sauerkraut & mushroom), bigos (hunter’s stew), Polonez schnitzel (we opted for the pork loin) and combination of salads. The boiled pierogis were heavenly with a great bite. The bigos was super flavourful with sauerkraut, sausage, pork and mushrooms. The schnitzel was a very generous portion topped with mushrooms. Nicely breaded and pounded thin. The beet and cabbage helped to balance things off.
Cabbage roll ($4.95)
We opted for the pork (stuffed with rice, pork and topped with tomato sauce). Decent but fairly standard fare.
Pulpety ($20.95)
Minced chicken balls topped with a creamy dill sauce. The 6 chicken balls were massive, tender and the sauce really dilly. Plate came with potatoes, carrots, beets and cabbage. You can easily share this plate between a couple.
I’d come back to CP in a heartbeat. Great portions and delicious Polish comfort food.
Café Polonez
https://cafepolonez.ca/
195 Roncesvalles Avenue
Toronto, ON
(416) 532-8432
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Ed’s Real Scoop
We grabbed some ice cream after dinner at Ed’s Real Scoop. I’ve been to one of their other locations (The Beach) before but impressed they have four shops total. It’s a few doors down from Café Polonez.
Flavours posted outside.
We dropped in on a busy Friday evening (around 8:45pm). The line kept on getting longer and was eventually out the door. That being said, service is quick and efficient.
There’s a good variety of ice cream, gelato, sorbet and yogurt options.
Scoops are $4.56 (kiddie), $5.57 (regular) and $7.82 (large).
Nice that you can get two flavours with any size option.
They also have pies, cakes, ice cream sandwiches and pints.
Regular ($5.57)
We went with the red hot chili chocolate and apricot sorbet. Both flavours were satisfying and the texture was spot on. Apricot was fruity and a touch tangy. Red hot chili chocolate had a subtle, underlying heat and reminded me of a not too sweet fudge. Our group also tried passionfruit yogurt and espresso, all of which were thoroughly enjoyed/devoured.
ERS is a solid ice cream spot.
Ed’s Real Scoop
https://www.edsrealscoop.com/
189 Roncesvalles Avenue
Toronto, ON
(416) 531-3113
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The Merseyside
We were recommended by family to check out The Merseyside. They’re known for their handmade scones. It’s across the street from a FreshCo.
Sign.
Hours.
We dropped in on a Saturday morning (around 10:30am). The inside is tiny with the tables blocked off. There a couple spots outside if you want to sit in the scorching sun.
Besides coffee, there’s breakfast sandwiches, regular sandwich and scones. Not a fan of spots that don’t put up prices. Coffee beans are from Propeller Coffee Co.
Latte ($4.25 medium)
B opted for oat milk ($0.90 extra). Very smooth, nicely balanced.
Ham + cheese scone (~$4.50)
Tiny cubed pieces of ham inside. Scone had a light, slightly crumbly texture.
Peameal bacon breakfast sandwich ($~5.50)
They grill it to order. Decent.
Solid cup of joe at TM.
The Merseyside
https://www.themerseyside.ca/
2413 Dundas Street W
Toronto, ON
(647) 679-3113
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Bacan
We stopped into Bacan for a light lunch. They’re a Venezuelan restaurant that specializes in arepas and empanadas. You’ll find them next door to Stamp’s Lane Restaurant.
Sign outside.
We dropped in on a Saturday for lunch (around 12:15pm) and sat outside on the sidewalk patio. There’s a bunch of tables inside too. Service was friendly.
The menu consists of appetizers, empanadas (Argentinian and Venezuelan style), arepas, cachapas, combos and platters.
Papelon ($2.50)
Venezuelan lemonade with sugar cane. Not to sweet. Similar to an iced tea.
Venezuelan chicken empanada ($4.00)
This was my favourite thing that we ordered. Chicken was moist and tender. The dough reminded me of something my grandma used to make. The side of wasacaca (garlic mayo and herbs) was also tasty.
Pabellon arepa ($10.00)
Slow-cooked beef, beans, sweet plantain and cheese. Beware: all the meat is stuffed into the first half of the arepa.
The beef was succulent and flavourful. However, it was very greasy.
Llanera arepa ($10.50)
Top sirloin, cheese, sweet plantain and avocado. Liked the addition of the avocado here. Sirloin was nice and the cheese was oozing out of the arepa.
Decent Venezuelan street eats at Bacan.
Bacan
https://bacan.ca/
369 Roncesvalles Avenue
Toronto, ON
(416) 535-2222
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Manpuku Japanese Eatery
I wanted udon and Manpuku Japanese Eatery is one of the few places in town that offers it. It’s located inside the OCAD food court.
We dropped in on a Tuesday (around 12:45pm) and it was bumping. We waited about 15 minutes for a table to open up. Service is okay but you’ll have to flag them down for water/tea refills.
Menu is split into rice, noodle, Manpuku specials and desserts.
Prices are reasonable from $2.49 to $14.99. Sadly they were out of the yakitori don.
Chawanmushi ($4.25)
Egg pudding with seafood (fish cakes) and shiitake mushroom. It came out hot but a little underwhelming flavour wise.
Tsukimi udon ($5.49)
Fish cakes, 1/2 cooked egg, wakame and tenkasu. The fish cakes were good but the broth was plain and lacked depth.
Curry udon ($6.99)
We opted for the beef slices. This was my favourite bowl. Curry had good flavour and came with potatoes, onion and carrot. Great portion for the price.
Manpuku ramen ($7.99)
You choose your meat (we went with pork belly). Broth is a chicken soy sauce base, which was surprisingly decent. Same goes for the tender pork belly. Noodles were mediocre but that was expected. Can’t complain too much.
Negitama gyudon ($8.99)
Beef rice bowl topped with green onion and egg.
Hotate rice ($8.99)
Rice bowl topped with scallop and egg. This was almost omelette style.
Perfect spot for a filling, cheap meal. Wish I had MJE back when I was a uni student.
Manpuku Japanese Eatery
http://www.manpuku.ca/
#29-31, 105 McCaul Street
Toronto, ON
(416) 979-6763
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Mizzica Gelateria & Cafe
After lunch, we walked over to check out Mizzica Gelateria & Cafe.
They’ve proudly displayed all the gelato competitions awards that they’ve won.
Signs outside.
We dropped in on a Tuesday afternoon (around 2:15pm). They let you sample before choosing.
There was 18 gelato flavours available.
Along with croissants and desserts.
Gelato prices are $4.95 (small), $6.25 (medium) and $8.35 (large). Pints are $13.99.
They also have drinks if you’re in the mood.
Large ($8.35)
We went with the pistachio from Sicily, passionfruit and mixed berry. The texture is delightfully airy. The pistachio flavour was deep. Passionfruit was bright and bursting with flavour. The mixed berry wasn’t memorable; I’d opt for a different flavour next time.
Large ($8.35)
M went with the pistachio, stracciatella and bacio.
Would come back again to try more of Mizzica’s gelato.
Mizzica Gelateria & Cafe
https://www.instagram.com/mizzicagelato/
29 McCaul Street
Toronto, ON
(416) 754-0515
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Bellwoods Brewery
Always interested to see what new beers come out of Bellwoods Brewery.
Signs.
We dropped in on an early Tuesday evening (a few minutes before 5:00pm). Note: the dining area opens at 5:00pm but the bottle shop’s open at 11:00am. There was a small queue when we arrived.
There’s a couple menus; dinner, draught, wine, cider, reserve bottles and non-alcoholic options. Not sure why they don’t state on the menu that 4oz beer samples are offered.
Sparkly water ($3.00 for 16oz)
Raspberry and lemon. Very carbonated. Light in flavour.
Pink grapefruit radler ($4.00)
Decent but found it a bit unbalanced.
White picket fence ($4.00)
Blended foeder saison. Had a bit of barrel aged, wine-like flavour.
Jelly King peach, orange & grapefruit ($4.50)
This was B’s favourite. I found the grapefruit overpowered the other two fruits.
Jelly King raspberry & peach ($4.50)
This was my favourite from the four tasters. Refreshing and juicy.
Jelly Royale mango lassi ($8.00)
Not available to sample so we grabbed a can from the bottle shop to try. Tasted like an alcoholic mango lassi. Good thickness. Keep an eye out for their other smoothie sours!
Wish BB offered more of their beers on tap to sample.
Bellwoods Brewery
https://bellwoodsbrewery.com/
124-126 Ossington Avenue
Toronto, ON
(416) 535-4586
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Bang Bang Ice Cream
Been a few years since my last visit to Bang Bang Ice Cream. Nothing has changed and that’s a good, good thing.
We dropped in on a busy Tuesday evening (around 7:30pm). The line was long but the queue moves quickly.
Menu is split into ice cream/vegan flavours (about 30 options!), cookies and stuff me.
Sad that they didn’t have the ginger amazake flavour available.
Flight ($6.95 for 6oz)
We opted for the lychee rosewater raspberry, cassis sorbet and milkjam Ontario sour cherry (twist of roasted milk-brown butter and sour cherry). All were tasty and bursting with flavour.
Full ice cream sandwich ($9.25)
M went with the banana puddin’ custard and miso mon cherry. Banana pudding tasted just like the dessert.
A must visit to Bang Bang for all ice cream lovers.
Bang Bang Ice Cream
https://bangbangicecream.ca/
93A Ossington Avenue
Toronto, ON
(647) 348-1900
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Chaihana
Chaihana peaked my interest as they specialize in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan food. I’ve only had Uzbekistan food out in Calgary (RIP Begim). This spot is located inside an office complex next to Amitié Café.
Sign.
We dropped in on a Wednesday (around 6:45pm) and had the entire place to ourselves. The inside is spacious with an abundance of tables and a banquet hall in the back. Service is slow and inattentive (we had to ask the one and only waitress for sharing bowls, water refills, the bill, etc.).
The menu consists of salads, cold & hot appetizers, soups, khachapuri, mains, fish, kebabs and Azerbaijani dishes. Sadly, none of the khachapuri along with dessert options were available.
Lagman ($10.99)
Beef, noodles, carrot, onion, potato and bell peppers. Broth reminded me of a lighter tomato soup with more depth. Noodles were passable but didn’t have much of a bite.
Salmon shurpa ($10.99)
Salmon soup with onion, potato, carrot, celery and dill. The dill really elevated the broth to the next level. Found this tastier than the lagman.
Pilaf ($16.99)
Lamb, carrot and green onion. Normally, this comes with a clump of roasted garlic. Alas, the osh was still satisfying.
Lamb shank with braised vegetables ($20.99)
Lamb shank with carrots, onion, bell peppers and zucchini. Both the vegetables and the sauce/juice from the lamb was delicious.
Lamb itself was tender and succulent. Some potatoes (as indicated on the menu) would have been ideal to complete the dish.
Siberian pelmeni ($9.99)
Russian style dumplings with ground veal served with sour cream. You get 12 small dumplings; plump, good filling and with a nice elasticity.
Lulya kebab ($19.99)
Two skewers of mixed ground beef and lamb. We opted for the home style potatoes, topped with dill, which were light and crispy.
Not sure what happened with the garden salad, which never came with our kebab meal. However, the skewers were great and paired perfectly with the homemade ketchup sauce.
Would definitely return to Chaihana to try more dishes.
Chaihana
https://chaihana.ca/
1000 Finch Avenue W
Toronto, ON
(416) 650-1973
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Dutch Dreams
Dutch Dreams is a staple ice cream spot in town, that’s been around since the 1980’s. My friends in town have been going since they were young. They specialize in frozen desserts and imported Dutch candies.
We dropped in on a Wednesday evening (around 9:15pm). There was a small queue outside but the wait was only 10 minutes. You order at the entrance and then pay/pick up your dessert at the back window.
There’s 41 flavours on the menu.
You get to add toppings to your order: whipped cream, cotton candy and/or fruit.
Social distance cone ($9.75 for two scoops)
I decided to try the watermelon sherbet and pistachio almond crunch. The watermelon sherbet was refreshing while the pistachio, a vibrant fake green colour, was a complete letdown. Tasteless but at least the bits of almond were okay.
2x Social distance cone ($8.24 single scoop)
My two friends went with the moose toppings.
Vegan dream
Mango soft-serve gelato. Not bad at all for vegan soft serve.
Dutch Dreams
https://www.dutchdreams.ca/
36 Vaughan Road
Toronto, ON
(416) 656-6959
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Forno Cultura
We were meeting up with a cousin who wanted to grab coffee at Forno Cultura. They’re an Italian cafe with two other locations in town. You’ll find this one next door to a WVRST branch.
We dropped in on a Thursday morning (around 10:00am). Even spotted a famous top 20 women’s tennis player inside grabbing a cup of joe.
They have a mix of items; bread, pre-made paninis, pizza, pastries, soft serve gelato and drinks.
A large selection of wines too.
Latte ($4.75)
B subbed for oat milk ($0.75 extra). Latte was decent.
Torta caprese ($6.00)
They charge by the weight ($60.00/kg) which is crazy. This was one of the few pastries that was gluten free. Ground almonds, cacao and lemon curd. A little denser in texture but not sweet. The bottom half of the loaf was light and lemony.
Decent stuff at FC but not a fan of places that don’t show prices in their display cases.
Forno Cultura
https://fornocultura.com/
609 King Street W
Toronto, ON
(416) 603-8305
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Arabesque Cafe
We were looking for a light meal and decided to check out Arabesque Cafe. They’re a Middle Eastern (Lebanese/Turkish) cafe that’s run by one man.
Hours.
We dropped in on a Thursday (around 12:30pm). Service was friendly and warm.
Cute touch with newspapers on the tables, relaxing music and a pet bird chirping in the background.
The menu is short with sandwiches (vegetable and meat options), dessert and drinks.
The prices are extremely reasonable with sandwiches in the $4.50 to $7.50 price range.
Falafel ($4.50)
Ground fava bean, chick pea and parsley with a citrus tahineh. All their sandwiches are stuffed with mixed green salad, hommos and olives. Falafel was a touch dry but can’t complain too much at this price point.
Shish kebab ($7.50)
Minced beef, sumac onions, parsley and all spice hommos. The hommos was tasty and really liked the addition of the sumac onions. Solid sandwich.
Namoura ($1.50)
Honey, rosewater and almond. Good bite and not too sweet. The owner also threw in two pieces of baklava mini fingers.
Arabesque was a nice neighbourhood find. Come for the cheap, tasty food.
Arabesque Cafe
https://www.arabesquecafe.ca/
1068 College Street
Toronto, ON
(416) 504-8146
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Blood Brothers Brewing
I’ve been wanting to check out Blood Brothers Brewing for years. They always have interesting sour and funky beers (aka. their Paradise Lost and Autopop lines).
There’s a separate entrance if you only want to grab beers.
Wish the bottle shop had more of their sours to buy.
We dropped in on a Thursday afternoon (around 2:30pm). Most people were sitting outside on the picnic tables and keg barrels. Service was decent as they checked on us a few times.
The drink menu is a mix of sour & funky, pales & lagers and one stout. They also make seltzers and carry Revel Ciders. Lame that they don’t offer any flights. All their beers are either 8oz or 12oz. Food menu is from Beast.
Beer cans are in the $3.95 to $6.95 price range while their barrel aged bottles (500mL) are $14.00 to $16.00.
Paradise Lost: guava ($5.25 8oz)
Golden sour ale with guava nectar. Medium-bodied, slightly creamy and faint tropical notes of guava.
Paradise Lost: soursop & lychee ($5.25 8oz)
Sour ale with soursop, lychee and sabro dry hops. I enjoyed this one more than the guava. Lychee note came through at the end. Much more balanced.
Okonomiyaki fries ($8.00)
Pickled ginger, kewpie mayo, bonito flakes, green onions and togarashi.
Fries were a nice snack. The togarashi added a slight kick.
Blood Brothers is solid if you’re into the more sour and funkier beers.
Blood Brothers Brewing
https://www.bloodbrothersbrewing.com/
165 Geary Avenue
Toronto, ON
(647) 628-6062
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Island Oysters
We were looking for an oyster place to try while we were in town and stumbled upon Island Oysters.
Sign.
Hours.
Outside menu.
We dropped in on a Thursday (around 4:00pm). There’s two picnic tables outside.
The menu consists of 9 types of shucked oysters, caviar and seacuterie & sandwiches.
They have some great deals if you buy in bulk.
100 malpeques ($100.00) and 100 beausoleil ($115.00). Can’t beat it!
East dozen ($28.00)
Four each of raspberry point, beausoleil and pristine bay. All the oysters were fresh, crisp and cleanly shucked.
The platter came with lemon wedges, horseradish, seafood sauce and an apple-shallot mignonette. The seafood sauce was tasty but a bit too overpowering for the oysters. Horseradish had a nice kick. Mignonette was too vinegary for our taste buds.
Island Oysters was a nice find. Shuck them yourselves for an even better deal.
Island Oysters
https://www.islandoysters.ca/
3 Bartlett Avenue
Toronto, ON
(416) 534-6061
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Tumi Dumpling House
We checked out Tumi Dumpling House as they’re a Northern Chinese spot that offer gluten free dumplings. It’s a few doors down from Full Stop Coffee.
Sign.
Hours.
Outside menus.
There’s a few $13.00 lunch specials (from 12:00pm to 3:00pm).
The menu is split into appetizers, dumplings, noodles, rice, main dishes and bings.
We dropped in on a Thursday (around 8:15pm). Service was decent and our waitress checked on us several times.
Gluten free pork dumplings ($15.00 for 10)
We opted for pan fried ($1.00 extra). The texture was good but didn’t develop much of a dumpling lace. The filling (ground pork and cabbage) fell flat.
Singapore fried vermicelli ($16.00)
Vermicelli, shrimp, BBQ pork, egg, onion and bean sprouts. Good wok hei. Decent portion size.
Would try the XLB’s next time at TDH.
Tumi Dumpling House
https://www.tumidumpling.com/
2904 Dundas Street W
Toronto, ON
(416) 532-8762
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That’s a wrap. See you next time T-dot.
CHERRY BOB-OMBS 