Serbian Food in West Toronto

When we talk with our relatives and friends about foods and culture, it might be unlikely that Serbian food is mentioned. Recently I heard about a good place to try Serbian food in Toronto, and I became interested in it.

The restaurant is Bonimi, a Serbian restaurant near Islington subway station. About Serbian food, I have to say that its traditional cuisine has several influences. We can highlight the influences of the Mediterranean world, the old Austro Hungarian Empire and some Slavic influence.

One of the most popular dishes is the Ćevapi, or Ћевапи.  It is grilled minced meat, related to the popular Turkish Kebab. Rolovani Ćevapi is a mix of pieces of grilled beef, veal, and lamb, wrapped in bacon. It is accompanied with potatoes and salad. I read in several pages that traditionally a dish has groups of 5 or 10 pieces, but I did not find a specific reason for the numbers.  

One of the most popular starters that this restaurant offers is lepinja sa kajmakom. Lepinja is a flatbread. Kajmak is typical cream cheese. The word kajmak Is of Turkish origin. Interesting to note that I read in different sites that both foods are traditionally served as sides in a meal with Ćevapi.

Grilled Calamari can be seen in different styles in the Mediterranean cuisine. What is different is that those large squids are grilled already stuffed with mozzarella cheese and smoked prosciutto. 

Salsa Festival in St. Clair and Street Food

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the “Salsa on St Clair Street Festival”, perhaps the most famous Latin street party of Canada. This event is a good opportunity to enjoy dancing different rhythms from Latin America and to taste some street food from that area.

Latin American street food is diverse. Some dishes are very well known as “Empanadas”. Beef is very popular in South America and to find options offering grilled meat is very common. But there are some other very popular options that are not widely known outside the area.

Ceviche is a popular seafood dish. Although it is considered to be originated in Peru, it can be found in other countries of the Pacific area like Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and certain Central American countries. It is made with raw fish or shrimps cured with lemon juice and spiced with Chili peppers and other ingredients. It is served cold.     

Shrimp Ceviche with Corn

Pupusas are made of corn. They are flat and are eaten like bread. They are from El Salvador but can be found in other Central American countries. They resemble another popular dish from the Caribbean which I already dedicated 2 articles in this blog: Arepas. They are prepared with the ingredients used to stuff it, which can be cheese, beans or pork.

Pupusas with Spicy Cabbage and Sauce

Fried sweet plantains (in Spanish they are called: Platano Maduro), are popular in many countries of South America. They can be sliced before preparing them and cheese is commonly added. They can be eaten as a side dish or just a snack.

But not all the food options are related to Latin America. Today it is common to see different options in each festival that come from different parts of the word. In this case, I was delighted to see a stand of Uyghur food.  They were serving grilled lamb and octopus, prepared in a traditional way. I will research more about Xin Jiang food in Toronto to see if I can post more. 

  

With Grilled Octopus

    

Northwestern Chinese Food

Chinese food is always popular around the world, and in Toronto, there are many options to taste it. We always expect to see in the menu some fried rice, noodles, dumplings or BBQ meat.  

But the truth is that Chinese food is very diverse, and from one region to another, the ingredients and the style can be so different, that is like going from one country to another. In this case, I had the opportunity to taste the food from northwestern China.  

The restaurant I want to recommend can be found with the name “Northwestern Chinese Cuisine” or西北风味 (Flavours of the northwest). In Google, you can also find this place as 白家老汤 (Homemade White Soup). This place used to be known as “Potato Noodle Soup of Bai” and still you can find this place with this former name. There are different branches, but the one I have visited is located in North York, at Yonge and Finch.

The northwestern food prepared in this location is based on a combination of styles from regions such as Shānxī (山西), Shănxī (陕西) and Sìchuān (四川). The salty flavors from Shānxī and the spicy from Sìchuān. In this cuisine, it is common to see the use of Chicken, Lamb, Pork, and Duck. Peanuts are present in many dishes.

The first meal that I had was鸭丝养生鱼粉, that is translated as Multi-grain fish rice noodles with shredded duck. A noodle soup that has peanuts, beans, and lettuce.  It is an interesting combination for a warm soup.  

As an appetizer, I took Black fungus and Onion or洋葱拌木耳 (Mix of onions and Fungus). An interesting combination with a sour flavor.

In a different visit, I had Spicy chicken gizzards or香辣珍心 (Spicy precious heart) as an appetizer. The Spicy and fragrance combination creates an interesting sensation to my mouth that I never felt with other spicy tastes.

The main dish was Lamb Pàomó or羊肉泡谟. This is one of the most popular dishes from the province of Shănxī (陕西), a hot lamb soup cooked with chopped leavened bread. It uses black fungus and noodles. A typical dish that you will not find in the cuisine from other parts of this country, full of culinary traditions.   

Arepa: From Venezuela to Toronto

Arepa is a symbol of Venezuelan gastronomy. It is made of maize dough mixed with salt and water and then grilled. It is flat and round. It is usually eaten filled with meat, chicken, cheese, and vegetables. It is also a popular dish in Colombia.

Some of my friends have been asking me about Venezuelan food. There are some places in Toronto that offer this dish, prepared and served as they have been traditionally offered in Venezuela. I am going to make a review of 2 of those places

Gordo EX Café

Since 2013, Gordo EXcafé offers a great selection of traditional Venezuelan dishes, not only arepas, but they have empanadas, cachapas, tequeños, pabellón, and other traditional dishes as well. It is a small cozy place in Bathurst St. where food is made from scratch.

I had a Reina Pepiada. This is an Arepa filled with chicken, avocado and mayo. It Is one of the most popular forms to eat Arepa among Venezuelans.  The word “Reina” means “Queen”. It is said that this flavor was created to honor the first Venezuelan Beauty queen, Susana Dujim, after she won the Miss World 1955. The chicken can be cut in strips or minced.

Reina Pepiada

The Arepa with Queso Amarillo (Yellow Cheese) is filled with shredded American cheese. Because arepas are served warm, it is traditional to serve them with cheese that can melt with high temperatures.

Arepa with Queso Amarillo

As an extra, I had Tequeños. These are fried breaded cheese sticks. It is served with a selection of sauces to dip. They are very popular in my city of birth, Maracaibo. They are served as snacks in gatherings and parties.

Tequeños

Arepa Café

Arepa Café is a Venezuelan restaurant located in Queen St. W. Since 2009 it offers a selection of Venezuelan dishes, including the famous arepas. A different option to spend a good time in downtown Toronto.

For those who have no knowledge about the kind of arepa you want to try, you can start with an Arepa sampling (Like I did). This is a selection of 3 mini arepas, Reina Pepiada, Carne Mechada (Shredded Meat) and Black Beans. 3 traditional flavors in the Venezuelan Cuisine.

I had rice pudding for dessert (in Spanish “Arroz con Leche” or literally “Rice with Milk”). It is white rice mixed with milk, cinnamon and sometimes it has raisins or other dried fruits.  This dessert exists also in many European and Asian cuisines.      

Greek Food in Danforth

In Danforth, between the subway stations of Broadview and Pape, there is an area that most Toronto residents know as “Greektown”. This area is very famous for Greek restaurants and other businesses that are part of the daily activities of the greek community in Toronto. In August, there is a famous and very popular event called “Taste of Danforth”. 

But I did not wait for the event in August, and during the last weeks, I was visiting some places where I could eat Greek Food. Here are some places I that I like and recommend.

I need to say that in all those places, although I went to eat in a moment when they were all busy, the service was always excellent in all of them.  

Messini  

This place specializes in Gyros, one of the most popular Greek dishes. Gyros (In Greek: γύροσ) is a wrap sandwich, very similar to its Turkish equivalent the donner kebab or the shawarma, It is often stuffed with pork or chicken, and in special cases with lamb. It also contains onions, tomatoes, and Tzatziki, a greek sauce made with Yogurt.

I had my Gyros with Chicken and with sides of roasted potatoes and Greek salad. As an appetizer, I had Spanakopita, a Greek spinach pie with feta cheese (In Greek Spanakopita: σπανακόπιτα, where σπανάκι = Spinach).

Chicken Gyros and Spanakópita 

Roasted Potatoes, Greek Salad, and Pita Bread 

Pantheon  

This place serves traditional Greek food. You can find here a fine selection of dishes based on meats and seafood. In this place, I decided to try the fried Calamari (or fried squid). As an appetizer, I tried Melitzanosalata (In Greek: μελιτζανοσαλάτα). This dish is the Greek equivalent of the Baba Ganouj, mashed eggplants with seasonings and eaten as a dip. It often has olive oil and lemon. According to their own menu, the names of the spices used are kept in secret.   

Fried Calamari

Melitzanosaláta

A complimentary dessert. Honey Cake

Astoria 

This place is one of the most famous places I Danforth. I had a great time here with a friend celebrating his birthday. We both tried the same dish, Lamb Chops. We tried it with roasted potatoes and rice. The meat was well cooked. 

Eating Chicken in Toronto

In Toronto, just hang out with some friends and pick a place to eat chicken can be a different experience. We will not only find some of the same places and franchises that exist in any of the major cities of the world, but there are some offers that come from different Geographical areas.

In this article, I will talk about my experiences eating in 3 different places that you will not find in any city, at least not yet.

Jollibee

Jollibee is a Filipino multinational chain of fast food restaurants.  Jollibee is a very popular chain in the Philippines. Its international expansion started quite long ago, but its presence in Canada, especially in Toronto is new. 

With only one store in Toronto, a city with a very big Filipino community, this place is very popular. The lineups in front of the store are already famous, although not as crazy as when it started. In my personal case, I queued for approx 15 minutes just to get into the premise.

The quality of the Fried chicken is excellent, with its traditional spicy flavor. You can find different sides, I preferred corn kernels and mashed potatoes. But if you are looking for a different option, you can count on their burgers, or some more traditional options like jolly Spaghetti or Palabok, that is a dish based on thin noodles topped with shrimps, pork and sauce.  You can also try their peach mango pie as a dessert. It is a fried chicken with that special Filipino flavor.

Mega Street Food Complex

Although originally I went there to taste its fried chicken, this place is more than that. It is a small food court just north of Finch Street. The options here are all related to Asian food. 

My first option was to  try the Taiwanese fried chicken from Hoo Hoo Large fried chicken 

(  好好台灣大雞排 which means “Good good Taiwan Large Chicken Chops”). The chicken 

is cut in small pieces and is crispy outside and very juicy inside. In a different


visit I tried the Sichuan Style Fried Chicken, similar but spicy. 













The existence of other places in this same food court leaves us options


to have with our fried chicken. I tried the Shrimp Wonton Noodle from Jacks
Wonton Noodle Soup. 

Nando’s

It’s an international fast food chain founded in South Africa.  It is a Portuguese style grilled chicken with some African influence. It is a different option for those who do not want Fried chicken.

Their Peri-Peri chicken is famous. It is previously marinated for 24 hours and then cooked. Their sauces are imported from South Africa. They have different locations in Toronto.

Chef Burger

After a very busy January and the first half of February, I received an invitation from my friend Hengameh, to meet with her and some friends to have lunch in a place that she had recommended me before. I am talking about Chef Burger.  

Chef Burger is a Persian style sandwich store. Located in Richmond Hill, it is a non-franchise burger place, very unique where everything is freshly made. It is a good low-cost option for groups to gather and have a nice time together.

There are different options in the menu, but perhaps the most popular is the tongue Sandwich, that can be from calf tongue and lamb tongue. Here are some pictures of some of the dishes that we had in our lunch. 

Tongue Sandwich

Grilled  Chicken Breast Sandwich

A great moment of friendship around the table.