Restaurant Review – Page 34

Tasty Brunch at Good Fork

Published on May 12, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 1550 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Website: https://goodfork.ca/

The first thing I should note is that Good Fork is extremely popular. I showed up a bit after 11:00 on a recent Saturday and the place was an absolute madhouse; it was completely packed, with a whole bunch of people standing around waiting for tables and a 45 minute wait to be seated.

I came back a week later at around 9:30 and got seated right away, and by the time I left it was packed again. They don’t do reservations on the weekend, so be warned: show up early or get ready to wait.

I tried a couple of things. First up was the crispy chicken sandwich: “toasted bun, breaded n’ fried chicken thigh, lemony schmaltz mayo, lettuce, dilly labneh, pickles.” This didn’t particularly knock my socks off, but it’s a very good fried chicken sandwich. It kinda reminded me of an upscale McChicken. I got the salad on the side, which is fairly by-the-numbers, but is nice and zippy and does a good job of cutting through the richness of the sandwich.

I also tried the blueberry halva pancakes, which, unlike the sandwich, kinda did knock my socks off. From the menu: “buttermilk pancake stack, orange blossom ricotta, lemony blueberry, halva crumble, pure hockley valley maple syrup.”

These were some top-notch pancakes; the pancakes themselves strike the perfect balance between fluffiness and substance, and all the toppings were super tasty. It never would have occurred to me to put halva on a pancake, but its nutty richness complements the sweet blueberry sauce perfectly.

I also liked that the level of sweetness was relatively restrained — the dish comes with a bottle of maple syrup on the side, but it’s so good on its own that I found this to be completely unnecessary.

An Amazing Breakfast Sandwich at Hot Pork

Published on May 11, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 932 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Website: https://www.instagram.com/hotpork.to/

I think the Smoked Beef Brisket sandwich at Hot Pork might be the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had? If it’s not the best, it’s right up there, that’s for sure.

It’s the beef brisket. Good lord, that brisket. You’re basically cheating when you make a sandwich with brisket that good. You could put that brisket in/on anything, and it will suddenly be one of the best versions of that thing that you’ve ever had.

It’s just perfectly prepared, with a great level of smokiness that puts literally every BBQ joint in the GTA to shame, and an unctuous tenderness that’s seriously satisfying.

It’s otherwise a very simple sandwich, with just mayo, BBQ sauce (which is glazed right onto the brisket, which is griddled to caramelize the sauce), and an egg on a toasted English muffin.

The toastiness of the English muffin adds some nice texture to the tender brisket and the creamy egg, and the egg is perfectly cooked (normally I’d prefer a runny yolk, but on a sandwich like this I think the more solid texture works).

And the egg/brisket combo works so well (but again, that brisket would be delicious with basically anything).

It’s a phenomenal sandwich.

Great Banh Mi at Saigon Snacks

Published on May 7, 2024 by Michael Nusair2 Comments

Location: 139 Ossington Avenue, Toronto
Website: https://saigonsnacks.ca/

Saigon Snacks is a great little shop that serves a handful of banh mi sandwiches, along with a bunch of sweet coffee and tea concoctions. I fear that it might not be trendy enough to survive on this particular stretch of Ossington, which would be a damn shame, because their sandwiches are top notch.

You can choose from grilled pork, grilled chicken, fish cake, cold cuts, and tofu. The sandwich comes filled with pickled daikon, cucumber, cilantro, mayo, pate, and two types of chilis.

I went with the grilled pork, which was generously applied, tender, and very flavourful. I was a bit concerned when I saw the bread, which is short and squat and looks a bit ciabatta-esque; but no, this is a legit banh mi (and clearly very fresh), with a great delicate layer of exterior crispiness.

And the balance of flavours — creaminess from the mayo, crunch and zinginess from the veggies, and pops of heat from the peppers — is just right.

It’s a classic banh mi prepared with a sure hand and great ingredients. Which brings me back to my “is it trendy enough?” concern. I really hope so, because it’s seriously good.

A Delicious Wrap at Yaseen’s Shawarma

Published on April 13, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 5030 Maingate Drive, Mississauga
Website: https://yaseensshawarma.ca/

Shawarma is one of those foods that’s everywhere in the GTA. I doubt that you can go more than two or three blocks without coming across at least one shawarma joint in most parts of the city. And yeah, it makes sense — it’s fast, cheap, and reliably tasty.

That being said, even with as many options as there are in the GTA, Yaseen’s Shawarma stands out. I got the chicken saj wrap, which features chicken shawarma, zippy pickles, and a very generous amount of garlicky sauce.

If that sauce weren’t so tasty it might have been too much, but it was rich, garlicky, and delicious. I want to buy a tub of it.

The shawarma had a decent amount of crispy bits, and was nice and juicy. It also had an interesting citrusy flavour that helped cut through the richness of the chicken and the sauce (sumac? Lemon zest?).

And the saj flatbread its wrapped in was nice and fresh, and was toasted on its exterior, giving it a light but satisfying crispiness. It’s a great wrap.

Tasty Greek Brunch at Bar Koukla

Published on April 10, 2024April 10, 2024 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 88 Ossington Avenue, Toronto
Website: https://mamakas.ca/bar-koukla/

I visited Bar Koukla for brunch recently, and it was thoroughly delicious. But then this place is an offshoot of Mamakas Taverna, which I like quite a lot, so I probably shouldn’t be surprised.

I tried the patates arnaki, which features tender braised lamb served with Greek-style roasted potatoes and a yogurt sauce.

Every element here is so good — the lamb is tasty and super tender, the perfectly cooked potatoes are infused with an almost meaty flavour, and the yogurt adds a nice zippiness that cuts through the richness of the meat and potatoes. It’s a great dish.

My only complaint about the place actually has nothing to do with the food — I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned the furniture at a restaurant, but the saggy, backless chairs here are absurdly unpleasant to sit on. They’re so flagrantly uncomfortable that I have to imagine that this is a purposeful choice to encourage diners to leave faster to improve turnover. It’s a sour note on an otherwise stellar meal.