Japanese Food – Green Tea, Vegetable Salad, Short Ribs with Scallion, Shiitake Udon Soup with large Mushrooms and Fish Broth, Sushi and Spring Rolls Combo

With spring in the air, warm soups and sushi fit the bill.

In an area of the city known for Asian foods, there was a busy Japanese restaurant that was worth visiting. New Generation Sushi was found at 493 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1Y2. The restaurant was in a district that approached the downtown. This meant that parking by car in front of the restaurant was busy. Nevertheless, there were two solutions for tonight's congestion problem. Smart motorists found additional parking along side streets. One of the other options was to use the subway system (a five minutes’ walk from Spadina station to the restaurant).

 

Once inside the little diner, polite servers greeted us and directed the way to one of the available tables. The sushi chef was placed in the front end of the establishment for curious onlookers that wanted to watch the art taking place.

The first real impression of this Japanese restaurant was of the great service. Employees were courteous and attentive. That remained consistent throughout the night. During the visit, up to three wait-staff interacted with the table and provided prompt customer service with smiles.

Looking through the menu, one order of Short Ribs ($7.95) started off the night. After ordering the appetizer, a complimentary Green Tea was served in traditional Japanese kettle and drinking bowl set, accompanied by a small Garden Salad – mostly filled with lettuce and stringed carrots. This allowed time to unwind from the day and join the atmosphere of great conversations taking place in the diner.

Soon, the short ribs arrived. They were topped with Scallions and Sesame Seed, and were succulently sweet. For the main entrée, one Shiitake Udon Soup ($8.95) – with large Japanese Mushrooms, Fish Broth and Noodles – was next up for review. It was exquisite because the mushroom and broth were full and rich.

A Sushi Combo was also reviewed.  The “Matsu Combo Three” ($16.95) included some of the following: Butterfish, Tuna, Hamachi, Salmon, Tako, Unagi and California Rolls with Avocado. The sushi was held together neatly. It was also fresh and had subtle organic flavours – not much soy sauce was necessary. Finally, New Generation Sushi in Toronto was a gem!

Italian Food – Veal Parmesan Spaghetti & Pasta plate, Mushroom Panzerotti with Double Cheese, Bacon and Eggplant

It has been 41 years since Oakwood Pizzeria Ltd. has been serving up home-made Italian meals at the same location. They were located at the corner of 434 Oakwood Ave. and Hanson Rd. But, if you didn’t look for it carefully, the restaurant could have easily been mistaken for one of the neighbourhood houses. It was built to look like a family home… on the inside, Nonna was sitting watching the news, like at home.

 

Family was seated in the dining area watching TV, also. The menu board was above the entrance to the kitchen, ready for business. Tonight’s Italian special was one order of Panzerotti – stuffed with mushrooms, bacon, double cheese and eggplants ($14.00). Along with that, Spaghetti Veal Parmesan completed the order ($13.00). This restaurant    

specialized in pastas, sandwiches, panzerottis, pizzas, etc.

 

Attention was given to making each item from scratch. So, it left time to talk and get into great conversations. The server tonight was the daughter, Ida, and Papa was here, too. Looking around inside the villa restaurant, many pictures and ornaments covered the walls with over 40 years of history from cars to plaques, trinkets and a flat-screen television.

After the necessary cooking time, the freshly baked Panzerotti was placed on the table. Its portion was unexpectedly large. The taste was grounded together properly, with a crust that was warm and did well to wrap the stuffing. The Veal Cutlet and fresh Spaghetti with tomato sauce and melted parmesan then arrived with a separate Bun, plus an additional bowl of parmesan cheese. Dinner was served!

 

The veal was tender & enjoyable and the spaghetti noodles were hearty & filling. The family perfected the seasoning of the young tomato sauce with herbs. Each of the dishes that the tomato sauce was used in didn’t overpower the rest of the plate with a tart taste. Finally, tonight at Oakwood Pizzeria Ltd., the time taken to prepare a fresh course Italian dinner was worth the wait. The success of history was baked into every bite.

Greek Food - Spanakopita, Greek Salad, Medium Rare Lamb Souvlaki with Brown Rice & Potato Halves

It was clear that we were in GreekTown. City lights now announced it, arching from one side of the street to the other, and “Welcome to Greek Town” was the slogan used in this district. (So, when in Greece, do as the Greeks.) This meant that an authentic restaurant was in order and Astoria Shish Kebob House was recommended as just that.

A burly Egyptian waiter showed us the way to our seats. He confirmed that the chef and cook were in fact Greek. That same claim was soon proven true, as the two were in view on the way to the table.

The appearance inside the restaurant was dim and romantic. It resembled an enclosed patio. It was overgrown with hanging vines, trellis, recessed ceilings and windows with archways that had clear plastic tarp over them to stop any winter draft.

On each table, either a bottle of white or red wine waited. My order included a glass of water and one Ginger Ale. The appetizer was Spanakopita with Spinach, Feta Cheese and fresh herbs ($8.99). The main plate was a large Lamb Souvlaki with Brown Rice, Potatoes and Tzatziki Dip ($20.99). The large was recommended by the waiter as a leaner cut of meat, with less fat.

 

 

 

Minutes later, a Greek Salad appeared. It was filled with fresh Lettuce, Onions, Oregano, Tomato, topped with a vinaigrette sauce, Feta Cheese and an Olive. This was accompanied by the spanakopita. However, one bite of the large filo snack proved difficult. The inside of it was hardened and tough. It was too dry to chew. Fortunately, the salad was there.

Next, the entrée followed within minutes. It was more promising. The lamb was succulent; yet, the potatoes and rice were at different temperatures – both were no longer hot. Once having tried all of the plates, I told my server of the inedible spanakopita and he removed it immediately from the bill with the approval of his manager – no questions asked. Finally, Astoria Shish Kebob House was busy late that night, serving many guests. It was possible to make a mistake at some point. The manager’s quick thinking recovered the restaurant’s reputation in some form when a mistake did happen. But, if quality alone was judged, it’s safe to say that the presentations of the two plates did not live up to Greek food standards. The normal energies in these two meals were turned off.

Mexican Food - Gringas, Ginger Ale, Deep-Fried Chips, Dips & Sauce

Mexican food was on the menu at King’s Taco restaurant. The mixture of ethnic restaurants in the area of Saint Clair and Dufferin St. was surrounded on all sides with a diverse collection of Old-World mom and pops bistros, with authentic eateries and traditional ones mixed together. This set the backdrop for one Mexican eatery found along the street front at 1216 St. Clair Avenue, Toronto, ON. Inside, the dining area was well lit and unpretentious. The servers were attentive and spoke as if family, while the diner conversations of other relaxing customers filled the air. The atmosphere was happy. It was shortly after that when menus were brought to the table. I chose one order of the renowned Gringas and a can of Ginger Ale to drink, of which the total came to $19.65. The recipe for this Spanish plate was quesadilla taco, layered with thick mozzarella cheese and marinated shredded-pork, grilled on both sides in the same way as quesadillas are done. Having finished ordering, a complimentary appetizer was soon brought forward. The platter consisted of one small basket of freshly deep-fried Totopos Chips, three Sauces (Chipotle, Avocado, Red Peppers; all three were spicy), plus two saucers of Lime Wedges and Onions with Parsley mixed together. Eating this full bodied meal was a pleasant surprise; it not only lived up to the appetizing appearance it had, but it surpassed my expectations. The meal was robust and flavourful. As I ate, a little boy walked from the back room with an employee, toy in his hand, then went back to his normal playing somewhere out of sight. The arrival of this 4 year old explained why the meal here was so good: King’s Taco cooks for family and friends. Finally, I arrived here as a result of the recommendation of friends. But, I will return to this establishment because it lived up to that reputation.