Yummis

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chicken shawarma...so full of chicken it spills out

Two streets north of wellesley on yonge is Yummis. It might look like just another shawarma place on yonge st. but inside is where magic happens...well maybe not quite but they do make a pretty damn good shawarma and burger. So good in fact I've been ignoring my food blogging duties lately and just going back here. Great value and friendly service too. I think for cheap quick lunch downtown, Yummis is hard to beat.

The chicken shawarma ($4.99 + tax), I'd rank as one of the best downtown and the fact that it comes with a drink is just icing on the pie. Unlike most places that roll up their shawarmas, Yummis just stuffs the pita full of delicious chicken. They also put tzatziki sauce, mixed with I think dill, in the shawarma which gives it a unique taste compared to other places...but in a good way. So to sum up, reasons for trying the chicken shawarma at Yummis? Cheap, tasty, big, and comes with drink. Reasons not to? None.

Another one of their offerings is the Yummis burger ($4.99 + tax, cheese extra $0.50) though this one doesn't come with a drink. It's just a simple massive 10oz unpretentious burger for $5...what's not to like? I don't think I've seen hamburger buns that big before and the pictures really don't do it justice, it's alot bigger than it looks in the pictures. Even though the patty is so big, the meat wasn't dry at all and much like the shawarma, gets the thumbs up.

Cheap and tasty...now if they just had a bunch of busty asian waitresses I'd I've died and gone to heaven but even still, Yummis is probably one of my favourite lunch spots downtown.

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Yummis burger with cheese

Yummis
646 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON
RATING:

CJ Lunch Box

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shrimp tempura roll / dumplings

Just off of Spadina on Richmond St. is CJ Lunch Box and it's exactly like how the name sounds...well I guess except for that CJ part. First, LUNCH, this place mainly caters to the lunch crowd, their hours are really limited like from 11am - 3pm. Second, BOX, all the food comes in plastic boxes...sushi, sashimi, edamame, dumplings, and any other japanese food that can fit neatly into them. That just leaves CJ which...??? but who knows or cares when the sushi is this cheap and I mean like dirt cheap. None of their rolls cost over $4 for at least 8 decent sized pieces (and not just the crappy ones like cucumber roll). Also inside is not so much like a restaurant or even a takeout counter but more like a mini supermarket where you pick out your boxes of cheap food and then bring them to the cashier to pay.

I randomly picked out a box of tempura shrimp roll ($?.??) and a box of 10 dumplings ($?.??). Don't really remember what they cost individually but together the total was $8.50 with tax so I'd guess the roll was around $3.75? and the dumplings $4. This obviously isn't the highest quality stuff here but for that price I'm not complaining and I was satisfied with my $4 sushi. The dumplings were decent too and they also heat up them for you which is a nice touch. So overall, cheap? and sushi? I like it.

CJ Lunch Box
403 Richmond St.
Toronto, ON
Rating: /

Green Thai Viet Thai Fusion

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thai red curry with beef brisket, roti / vietnamese assorted plate

Yep, that's no typo, for some reason they felt the need to include the word thai twice. Green Thai Viet Thai Fusion is on bayview just north of highway 7 in richmond hill. When I heard about their free curry crab promotion (when you spend $45) I was all over that like an asian family on free samples at costco. So I rounded up some friends and off we went. I like curry crab and I like free, so together it must be amazing right? right? ...well let's just say life doesn't always work like that and if it didn't work for twinkies on pizza, it might not work here.

We had to order enough to get to $45 so we started with an appetizer, vietnamese assorted plate ($12.99 + tax) which came with 2 satay sticks of beef, chicken, and shrimp, 2 tiny ass spring rolls, and some shrimp paste on sugarcane. The meat was kind of greasy and while it didn't taste bad there was absolutely no way that was worth the $13...a trend we quickly discovered.

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deep fried chicken in pandang leaves, thai royal pineapple fried rice / curry pad thai

Thai red curry with beef brisket ($6.99 + tax) with roti (3.25 + tax) lacked meat and was mostly just alot of filler like celery. Deep fried chicken in pandang leaves ($9.99 + tax) were pieces of chicken that were like half fried and half boiled which wasn't too bad but any sort of fried chicken is automatically good by default. The main complaint with that dish was that it was annoying peeling off the leaves to get to the chicken. Thai royal pineapple fried rice ($8.99 + tax), the rice was mushy and I realize they had to make it fit in the pineapple but they still could have given a bit more. The last dish to get the total up to $45 was the curry pad thai ($8.99 + tax) which just wasn't anything special at all and again on the small side.

Finally the curry crab ($free). The one thing that could have saved this dinner...sadly didn't. The crab was old/dead/frozen/whatever but it certainly wasn't fresh and the meat was sticking to the inside of the shell. The curry itself wasn't too bad...but sauce alone couldn't save this dinner and I'd much rather to go Saigon Star for curry crab even if this one was free.

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free curry crab

At first we were worried we wouldn't be able to eat $45 worth of food and a free crab but by the end of it we actually were still a little hungry (well at least me anyway haha). Overall just not worth the price. I don't mind paying more if it tastes good but the dishes here were just mediocre and combined with the small portion sizes, Green Thai Viet Thai Fusion gets a thumbs down. So just goes to show that the old saying holds true...if it sounds too good to be true, make lemonade.

Green Thai Viet Thai Fusion
8750 Bayview Ave
Richmond Hill, ON
RATING:

Ho Ga Oriental Cuisine

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bulgogi and tempura / chicken katsu

Another lunch in the PATH, this time to Ho Ga in the Standard Life building...not to be confused with the similar sounding Ho-Shim in First Canadian Place. Their menu of takeout japanese and korean food also practically identical to Ho-Shim's but with some key differences...actually just one, Ho Ga has chicken katsu! (and fish)

I wanted to do a comparison with Ho-Shim so I got the bulgogi and tempura ($5.97 + tax). Portions were smaller than Ho-Shim's but the coleslaw and noodles were slightly better. The bulgogi didn't have alot of flavour but at least they gave me more than two pieces lol. The tempura however was much better, the shrimp was decent enough for food court standards and the potato tempura was actually cooked all the way through. My friend justin got the chicken katsu ($5.53 + tax) which came with the same rice, noodles, coleslaw and also two fried dumplings. The dumplings were just ok and so was the chicken. It's certainly no FMP food court katsu though...

In my opinion better than Ho Shim but still nothing special.

Ho Ga Oriental Cuisine (in the standard life building)
121 King St. W
Toronto, ON
RATING:

Le Cafe Michi

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beef curry rice / trifle

Another authentic japanese restaurant...Le Cafe Michi is by Sheppard/Pharmacy in scarborough (same plaza as Lin Garden). It's a small place with a few tables at the front and then a few more in the back with the sushi bar. The sushi here is supposed to be good but I wasn't really feeling it and decided to just go with one of their lunch combos. The interesting thing about the lunch combos here is that they come dessert....and just not some crappy orange slices, I mean real dessert...I guess with being a cafe and all they have quite the selection with stuff like green tea cake among many others.

Me being me, I of course got the beef curry rice combo ($13.50 + tax/tip) which came with salad, this appetizer trio thing, the curry, dessert, and tea (tea is otherwise extra). Some of the combos come with miso soup too but mine wasn't one of them. Unfortunately no pictures of the appetizer which was a trio of some tofu skin, some sort of spinach, and a small fried fish...all of which were ok. No katsu curry here so I had to settle for beef curry which also had some carrots and potatoes in it. Portion size was kind of small, the quality of the beef wasn't the best, and the flavour of the curry was lacking...needless to say I wasn't very impressed with the curry here.

For dessert you get to pick so I got a trifle. Layers of fruit, whipped cream, custard, and sponge cake...I'm not too big on desserts but this was pretty good. I was still kind of hungry after the curry but after polishing off that trifle I was definitely full.

Even though the curry was disappointing, this is probably another case of me not picking one of their better dishes. They seem to get alot of good reviews so I'll have to go back again and probably give their sushi a try...but at least that trifle was tasty.

Le Cafe Michi
1802 Pharmacy Ave
Scarborough, ON
RATING:

Joe's Hamburgers

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big joe's burger combo with fries

Joe's Hamburgers is located just north of Yonge/Elgin Mills in the plaza beside the Leon's. Despite the name, they don't just serve burgers and are actually probably more well known for their shawarmas. Another one of those unassuming places that don't look like much on the outside but on the inside....well the inside isn't that great either but the food...amazing!

I knew exactly what I wanted which was the shawarma combo ($9.70 + tax, $6.70 + tax for the shawarma alone). Shawarma in a wrap/pita, fries (I opted for onion rings), and a drink. Even though it's just a shawarma and you could go somewhere else and get one for like half the price, trust me it's worth every cent here. First thing to note is, it's huge, in fact it puts all other shawarma places to shame. To shame! Second, great selection of toppings, with all the regulars including pickled turnips (Y) but also some other stuff like cooked onions and coleslaw which as strange as it sounds goes really well with it. Third...the chicken! Tastes great and they really don't cheap out on it, even down to the last bite it's still packed with chicken.

The Big Joe's Burger combo ($7.95 + tax, $4.85 + tax for the Big Joe's Burger alone) comes with a 1/2lb burger, drink, and fries. Even though I only tried a bite, I was really surprised with the quality of the burger which despite being a big 1/2lb patty was still very juicy and flavourful. The fries are also homemade and highly recommended. Actually they're so good I think I have to repeat that...get the fries! The onion rings though weren't anything too special but I still thought they were good...but I love onion rings so I always think they're good lol.

Maybe a little expensive for what it is but I think the price is definitely worth it considering the quality and amount of food you get. I'd rank it as one of my favourite shawarma places in the GTA and can't wait to go back to try one of their burgers for myself...which is hopefully soon...hopefully very soon.

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shawarma combo with onion rings

Joe's Hamburgers
10825 Yonge St.
Richmond Hill, ON
RATING:

Konichiwa Japanese Restaurant

katsu curry rice

Konichiwa Japanese Restaurant is in that group of restaurants on Baldwin St. (east of spadina, between college and dundas) and one of the few places in Toronto for authentic japanese food. It's a small place so there aren't that many tables and they really cram them together...so if you're planning to rob that bank, probably not the best place to talk about it here. I first went here a few years ago and had a pretty decent bowl of ramen but haven't been back since then.

As part of the ongoing search for the best japanese curry in Toronto I had some high hopes for this place...maybe a bit too high. Though not the cheapest place to have lunch the katsu curry rice here is ($12.95 + tax/tip) which I thought was pretty expensive for a plate of curry (well for my cheapass standards anyway). With the usual pork cutlet, rice curry, comes some steamed vegetables and the red pickled...something. Points for the red stuff which I personally like and not every place gives. The pork was alright, maybe a bit thick for my liking, but other than that no complaints. The curry however was disappointing and I found lacked alot of flavour especially compared to some other places. Overall just not worth the price.

Konichiwa gets alot of positive reviews from people so maybe the curry just isn't one of their star dishes...and that bowl of ramen I had years ago was pretty good so I can't say stay away entirely but I definitely wouldn't recommend the curry here.

Konichiwa Japanese Restaurant
31 Baldwin St.
Toronto, ON
RATING: for the curry but maybe a given everything else

Green Fusion

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pork banh mi / pork and spring roll vermicelli

Fuuuuuusion haa...well I'm sure some of you got that. Green Fusion, formerly known as Ginger 2, is at Yonge/Gerrard and serves decently priced decently tasting vietnamese food. Half takeout half restaurant style, you order at the front, they give you a cardboard number, you go sit down, and then you get to watch them try and find where the hell you're sitting. Maybe not the best system but at least you don't have to leave any tip. Forks, spoons, knife, chopsticks, napkins are at another counter on the side...and not to mention the freee tap water!

Just looking to grab a quick bite I got Green Fusion's take on the banh mi, the "Specialty Vietnamese Jumbo Sub" ($2.85 + tax). No comment on the name lol but it's much different from the chinatown ones. The meat is grilled and you have your choice of pork/beef/chicken...and of course I got the pork. This was like back in september so...but from what I can remember, too much bun, not enough filling, not that good.

What I usually come here to get is the pork and spring roll vermicelli ($5.95 + tax) which is always good. It's no different from other places...pork, spring roll, vermicelli...and of course the obligatory lettuce and cucumber hidden at the bottom to make the bowl look full. The pork was tasty and so was the spring roll...and then the rest is kind of hard to screw up so if it can pass those two tests it's good enough for me.

Green Fusion
403 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON
RATING: ...though some dishes are better than others

Tokyo Kitchen

beef curry with breaded chicken/ beef curry with omelette

Hidden on a side street close to the Bloor/Yonge intersection, Tokyo Kitchen opened up again after going through renovation a while ago. This place is most popular with its curry rice along with other authentic Japanese dishes. One important note is that this place does not exactly have an exact operating hours, but what I know for sure is that they close quite early, probably around 7:30pm – 8:00pm (is it a Japanese custom to close early? Seems like they all close before 8 or 9, which is too early for my liking). It was fortunate that I had an early dinner that day or else I would have missed this place AGAIN.

I ordered the special of the day, which was beef curry with breaded chicken($8.95 + tax), and my girlfriend ordered the beef curry with omelette ($7.95 + tax). Both dishes also come with a side salad. Portion-wise, it falls in the average category, as every authentic Japanese restaurant seems to serve in smaller portions than one would expect. However, quality over quantity and Tokyo Kitchen is no stranger to this. The breaded chicken was to my liking, not very crispy and greasy with a decent thickness. The curry was quite thick and flavourful, with pieces of beef brisket within to give you added beef flavour on top. The rice is just right in my opinion, not too dry, moist and sticky. As for my girlfriend, she describes her beef curry with omelette as scrumptious, but it was just a layer of egg on top of the rice and the only difference between our dishes.

Tokyo Kitchen offers very good curry among the various authentic Japanese restaurants downtown. In fact, I believe that it is one of the best Japanese curry downtown aside from Tokyo Grill (need to revisit). My suggestion for you guys? Give both places a try. Some like Tokyo Grill, others like Tokyo Kitchen. Quite similar to Coke and Pepsi, don’t you think?

Tokyo Kitchen
20 Charles St. E
Toronto, ON
RATING:

Le Petit Dejeuner

Eggs Florentine with Sautéed Spinach / Toast/ Eggs AAA Sterling

A little brunch joint located west of Jarvis on King Street, Le Petit Dejeuner offers by far the best eggs benedict in Toronto. I actually found this place online as I was looking for eggs benedict so it is not only me who agrees with this. The restaurant itself is quite small in size (as it is an independently owned store), so seating is limited. As a matter of fact, when I went on a weekend, I had to wait for about 20-30 minutes just to get a seat. Also, they stop serving the breakfast menu after 3:00 pm so be prepared to go earlier or else you might miss out on the bennys. If you are unfortunate enough to miss the brunch, they also offer a dinner menu which includes pasta, sandwiches and steak along with a few fancy entrees such as duck confit.

I ordered the eggs florentine with sauteed spinach ($12.95 + tax) while my girlfriend ordered the eggs AAA sterling ($16 + tax). Having overheard that their french toast ($1.50 + tax) was supposedly very good, we tried that as well. Not being particular biased, the eggs florentine remained my second favourite below the AAA sterling, and it remained consistently good. The english muffins on the bottom were soft and warm while the poached egg was cooked just right, with the yolk still runny. Then, they are topped off with a very thick Hollandaise sauce. The eggs benedicts come with an apple coleslaw on the side too, which I think just adds a bit more variety of flavours to the dish. The eggs AAA sterling has a 6 oz rib eye steak between the english muffins and I definitely recommend everyone to give it a try. The steak was very tender and marinated well. Combined with the Hollandaise sauce and poached eggs equals to my favourite eggs benedict so far. My only negative comments about the eggs benedicts is probably the fact that they don’t come with a lot of Hollandaise sauce and their hash brown always seems to be cold and hard. Unfortunately, the toast was a disappointment. It tasted average and similar to any other restaurants (shouldn’t have eavesdropped on other people’s opinions).

So, for everyone who decides to have brunch downtown, a trip to Le Petit Dejeuner is a must. Don’t believe me? Check out their website, they have been reviewed by numerous other food critics and the results are the same. Le Petit Dejeuner is a place for all Eggs Benedict enthusiasts or just a nice decent place for brunch. Bon Appetit!

Le Petit Dejeuner
191 King St. E
Toronto, ON
RATING: