One of the things I miss most about Toronto is definitely the food. :) In terms of food trends, Toronto isn't far behind when it comes to getting whatever's hot at the moment (USA first, of course...), whether it's froyo (although, US still gets it first), izakayas, ramens, or gourmet burgers.
But there's always simple things I love like tea shops, Asian snacks, and random new discoveries such as a renewed love for Chai Lattes....so here's some of the good places I've been recommended to... maybe I'll cover other areas in due time, after I post about some other topics.
Bubbletea
There's no such thing as the $1.99 original milk tea special here. :( The laid back atmosphere of Dream Tea House reminded me of Sweet Dreams in Waterloo, Ontario, where you can play games or surf the net or chat. There is also another location right outside T&T at West Edmonton, where the cashier will give you a blank stare at their order... when you have a mile long line and your product sells itself, you don't really need to be friendly. Still, their daily specials are worth look and I found their quality pretty consistent. They also only have one size (large), but it's a decent price (around $4) and doesn't have an overly "fake" taste.
Gama Store's name reminds of gangham style, but it's essentially a Taiwanese tea shop. You order up front, and get your drink when the # is called. Little seating areas scattered all over the store (I could swear those were a bunch of Ikea Lack tables), and fun novelty gifts (like candy condoms, whaaat!) are available for sale. I came here for the signature Green Cap Milk Tea which is basically a tea with a foamy layer of...uh, salty cheese on top. When mixed together, it tasted good, but what will get me going back is probably the drinks that have a decent tea taste and their fun, cheap snacks (hot and freshly made Taiwanese cakes and more).
I want to try another place that was recommended to me in Chinatown, but that'll be for another day.
Asian Snacks/Food
I've now been to Lucky 97 and T&T, and discovered that the Banana Cake at Lucky 97 is actually...REALLY GOOD! I LOVE LOVE LOVE banana cake... I've been using T&T as my baseline for grocery store banana cakes (although here the regular price is over $4!), and it's been hard finding anything better (except maybe for the single slice Treats sells for around $2, yummy snack but not good for the wallet). But this version is delicious; with a good crust and savoury flavour (and probably tons of calories, woo). Maybe I got "lucky"with the mini loaf I bought, so I'll buy the $3.99 loaf next time and see if it's still as memorable.
Unfortunately, I only found the BBQ pork at Lucky "so so". Well, the thing with BBQ pork is usually the places I go to give you thin slices of meat that are kind of red and dark on the outside and a lighter colour on the inside where the meat is. I ended up with thick, uneven slices that were dark all over that was almost $5 for a small take-out box. That said, the taste was still decent though despite it being a bit more "chewy" than normal. I fried up an egg, added some soy sauce, and this could've been a meal I was having in a food court in Markham. I might go back if I get a craving for BBQ meats, after I try the T&T stuff.
I can't find a good independent Chinese bakery. As in, not the packaged T&T stuff (which I would still buy, if it comes down to that, but T&T is also far). People recommending the place I went to in Chinatown clearly haven't been to bakeries elsewhere. I'm not a bakery snob, I swear, but I think I just got spoiled by bakeries in my home town where one plaza could have 3-4 bakeries in the mall and then another 2-3 in the adjacent plaza. If your bread sucks, you'll probably go out of business. Individual bread (like pineapple bread, sausage buns) are supposed to stay good until at least the next day, but this was not the case. Bakeries where you pick up a tray and choose your 6 buns (tax free!) that are still warm (or at least, heavenly soft), and maybe order a milk tea and egg sandwich on the side. Here, a person behind the cash picks the buns for you, and damn, it's just not the same. (Even if it's "cleaner" or whatever...)
I don't mean to sound bitter, though...honest. :) I'm sure the bread makes some people happy. But I'm searching for a taste of home, and maybe that's why it's so hard to satisfy me when it comes to simple things.
I did drop by a nice Chinese cafe though, the kind where you can get ramen, toast, milk tea and bubbletea, but forgot the name! It's on a corner though, a short walk south of Lucky 97. :)
Best discovery: the Remedy
The worst thing ever is when your favourite Indian restaurant closes, like the one I loved in Mississauga, ON did (or moved without putting up notice!) -- where do I get the best butter chicken from with such an amazing blend of flavour that tastes like it was made with love over hours and hours? Turns out, The Remedy has some decent Indian flavours. I'm glad my new Edmonton friend mentioned it. :P
They are lacking in appetizers though, they have some pastries, but in terms of hot snack food, I only noticed samosas. So, not being a huge samosa person, I tried them anyway, and they were damn good. Ordered it with their Chai Latte and let me just say, I am now a believer! I've never had a Chai Latte so flavourful and delicious, not at those independent coffee shops, not at Starbucks, not anywhere. I ordered their butter chicken, which was comparable to the one I LOVED in Missisauga. Included is your choice of naan (which I found just okay) or rice (which is fragrant and you can still see some herbs or whatever it is they put in it).
I'm sure some people go for the atmosphere: it's either hippie, or hipster. But if the food and drink wasn't good, I'd never go back, and I'm so happy to say it's good. :D They have lots of seating areas, but they get full even on "quieter" nights; people can get a drink and surf the web, chat for hours, and/or get a full meal. I would contemplate taking out next time if they're full, but their mugs are SO BIG and are just screaming to be enjoyed there on the spot.. :)
So there it is, some good and not-so-good food and drinks. Telus came by today so I have internet and TV and uh, I'm basically just living within civilization again. It's nice.
No comments:
Post a Comment