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. 

Yemenite Food

When we think about Arab cuisine, most people have in mind dishes that come from Mediterranean countries, dishes like kebabs, Kebbeh, Falafel, Hummus and the famous Pita Bread.

The truth is that the Arab cuisine is composed of many regional cuisines, very different one from the others and they usually are many centuries old.

In Toronto, thanks to some posts from a friend, I had the opportunity to taste the food from a place that is not well known in our countries. This place is Yemen, a country located in the south of the Arabian Peninsula, very far from the Mediterranean sea. The restaurant I visited: Hadhramaut Restaurant.

Hadhramaut Restaurant (  مطعم حضرموت  ) is a popular place to taste the Yemenite food. You can find more on their website. The place is very small but the food is excellent, service is outstanding and prices are not high. They suggest that Mandy is like their signature dish.

During my first visit, I had a Lamb Mandy ( لحم مندي ). Mandy is a traditional dish that consists of Lamb, rice and a blend of spices. It is cooked in an underground oven. The juices of the lamb and spices are used to cook the basmati rice. As a result of hours cooking, the lamb is so tender that the meat can be easily pulled from the bones. I must add that the lamb leg was wrapped in Aluminum foil. Over the rice, you can see pieces of caramelized onion and raisins. 

In a second visit, I had Lamb Haneeth ( حنيذ لحم ). [As I note, bear in mind that the Arabic word “Lahm” “  لحم” means “Meat”]. This dish has also rice and spices. But the main difference with Mandy dishes is that the Haneeth lamb is cooked under airtight pressure.  

In my most recent visit, I tasted chicken Maqluba (  مقلوبة دجاج ). This dish is actually Palestinian, something I learned after my visit. The term “Maqluba” “مقلوبة  “ means “upside down, inverted”. The chicken is cooked with rice and fried vegetables in a pot which is flipped upside down when served.  In this case, they used potatoes with the chicken and rice.

And here is a cup of coffee to finish my visit. Turkish coffee. 

Multiculturalism in the Teahouse!

Recently, while researching about possible places where I can taste Russian dishes in Toronto, my interest was caught by a place that just its name, looked interesting for me. I am talking about the restaurant Chaihana. 

The word Chaihana in many languages from Central Asia has the same meaning: House of Tea / Teahouse. A place to have some social interaction while Tea and light dishes are served. (In Persian: چای خانه.[Chay Khaneh]; in Turkish: Çayhane;  in Uzbek: Choyxona; in Azeri: Çayxana; in Tajik: Чойхона; and in Russian: Чайхана;  

The first thing that impressed me was its decoration. You can see some pictures on their website. This place advertises as a restaurant that specializes in Tajik and Uzbek food. The truth is that you can find there a great selection of dishes from different parts of what was once the Soviet Union, from Russia to Kazakhstan, and from Georgia to Ukraine.

My First visit started with a Borsch (Борщ), a Ukrainian style sour soup where its main ingredient is the beetroot. This dish is in general very popular in Eastern Europe and it might have Cabbage, carrots, potatoes, onions, and a tablespoon of sour cream is added. Meat can be added but is optional. This is one of the dishes that I used to eat frequently in my home since my early childhood.

The main dish was a traditional sausage-like food from Kazakhstan but very popular also in neighboring countries: Qazı or Kazy. It is made mainly with Horse meat, from the ribs. The dish had a side of salad and Kasha (Каша), a popular dish in Eastern Europe, similar to porridge, made with buckwheat.

To take out, I asked for a Khachapuri, a cheese filled bread, traditional in Georgia where it is its national dish.

My next visit started with another soup. This time I had Kharcho (Харчо), a Georgian lamb soup, that has walnuts and rice and served with finely chopped coriander. I will try to prepare this same dish in my home soon.

Then I had Chicken Tabaka, a traditional Georgian food. It’s a traditional pan-fried chicken with herbs. For better effect, the chicken is first flattened. It is common to use a pan with a heavy cover to fry the chicken under pressure.   

Meet up in The Station Café & Kitchen

During the last Sundays, I have been meeting with the Esperanto Club in a very interesting place for gathering and eating: The Station Café & Kitchen. More information can be seen on their website. 

This place that opened recently is minutes walk from Ossington station. The food is simple and made with fresh ingredients. There are interesting options for Vegans and people who want to eat a salad. But meat lovers will not be disappointed with the options of burgers, sandwiches and other dishes. But this place is also ideal to go and have a cup of good coffee or chocolate, or a local beer. Wine is also available.

Another particularity of this place is that is promoting itself as a place for events, and meetups are welcome. These are some reasons for our Esperanto club to choose this place to have our conversation meeting with beginners. 

Here is a selection of the dishes that I had during my visits: 

Below is the Station cheeseburger, with a side of fresh salad. A simple well-cooked burger with a house-made sauce.  

The Teriyaki Bowl is one of the most complete dishes they have. It has soy chicken with a homemade teriyaki sauce, fresh vegetables, and crushed cashews. They are served over white rice. A very healthy option for a Sunday lunch. No  need to cook this day (Indeed, due to an unexpected situation, this dish saved my day)   

And here we have another healthy and interesting option: Cajun Fish Tacos. A tasty taco for the occasion.  

Esperanto Toronto bonvenas al ĉiuj kiuj deziras partopreni en niaj kunvenoj kaj lerni Esperanton. Ĝis la venonta dimanĉo!  

Labour Day, BBQ and ….. Arepas!!!

Last weekend was Labour Day Weekend. I went to meet my Translators friends Ana, Claudia and Esperanza with their families at a BBQ that we organized. To have a BBQ for Labour day is a common happening in Canada. What was different from other BBQ’s, in case we talk about foods, is that we had a very special Ingredient, and that was the Arepa. And Claudia allowed me to take pictures of the process of making this typical dish.

In Wikipedia, you can read more about this dish in different languages. Arepas are typical in our countries of origin, Colombia and Venezuela. In the BBC in Spanish, you can read more about this dish in both countries.

The first step to make arepas is to mix flour, water and Salt. In this case, we added cheese to the mix. Then press and lightly knead the dough.

Make some pieces and shape them into balls. Then you use the palms to flatten.

Then grill the arepas. A flat grill was used.

Cook the Arepas until golden brown.

Then you can serve with the selected sides.

We can add some drinks and refreshments. The day was sunny and very warm. But we spent a nice time outdoors. 

  

And for the closing, a nice cup of Colombian coffee. 

It is possible that I might write an article about coffee in Toronto. There are many places where you can sip a cup of traditional coffee from different parts of the world. But I am interested also in places where you can go and have a taste of traditional arepas from Colombia and Venezuela. I am open to suggestions.