Checked out Parallel Basta in Kensington Market. I like it!
This is the Sabich Hummus plate ($19) and butter bean salad ($4). I requested vegetables instead of pita.
Have you tried Afrobeat Kitchen? That has been our top Nigerian spot so far but admittedly we’ve only tried a handful of places. Prices are around the $20 range too but the specials are even more. We will have to return to try the specials when we have more people to share.
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Thanks. Happy to give it a try as we haven’t sampled widely either.
Take-out dim sum from Wok Theory, recommended by a chef friend. Excellent. Roughly same price point as Rol San, busy but not too crowded, and no line. More space between the tables . Nice owner and staff. Food was ready in 20 minutes.
Also, it’s wheelchair accessible, with restrooms on the main floor. Just west of Spadina on Dundas.
I haven’t been to any of the fancier places lately, so can’t compare. This is a 15 minute walk for me, and I enjoyed the shrimp and chive dumplings and ham sui gok/ 鹹水角 as much as the dim sum at Pearl Harbourfront.
I also tried an omelette rice flour roll, which I haven’t noticed elsewhere. It was fine but I like other fillings more. I think the dim sum at Wok Theory is more to my taste than my most recent orders at Rol San (before their move across Spadina, in 2022) or Sky Dragon (Aug 2019)
My friend also recommends the vegetarian eggplant hot pot served at dinner time.
Very good roasted chicken from Alimentari’s hot table tonight. $19 and change. Better than any recent grocery store rotisserie chickens I’ve purchased, and better than my most recent Sanagan’s roast chicken. (That coming from a Sanagan’s fan girl)
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Actually did Wok Theory and Pearl Yorkville back to back last week and in terms of food, slight edge to Pearl Yorkville. Wok Theory has better value. But at the end of the day, still don’t find them that refined and can’t say I have tried a really good one here in Toronto yet
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I’m not expecting refined in Chinatown, I’m expecting Hit the Spot!
I think there are at least 5 levels of dim sum.
2 fancy levels: the level where people drive 45 minutes out of their way level, which would have been Yang’s for me around 2009, and the expensive downtown level with cloth tablecloths which includes Pearl. I haven’t tried Moon Palace yet.
I put Wok Theory in the fantastic (really good for me) for Chinatown level, ahead of the decent for Chinatown level, and the cheap fill your belly level.
There’s no accounting for taste, so your experiences and rankings could be completely different than mine!
I also do not go north of Bloor to eat, and haven’t been to Scarborough for food since 2018, so location is something that sets limits for the dim sum I’m ordering.
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So sad, you’re missing out on some excellent food 
I ordered take-out Ukrainian food tonight:
cheese chebureck (fried hand pie, hadn’t thought about it before today, that the word chebureck/ cheburek is related to or borrowed from Yugoslavian burek/Turkish borek/ Israeli bourekas etc),
sauerkraut bun,
borscht,
and perogies from the Heavenly Perogy
Everything tasted good. The prices seem steep for the food, considering the restaurant is run from a church basement. I still like it .
My meal came to just under $40 including tax and tip.
I thought there would be plenty of leftovers. I’ll probably finish the 4 perogies and half Chebureck later tonight.
I like Heavenly Perogy.
Cafe Polonez on Roncesvalles provides a little more bang for the buck, if you’re looking for a perogies and borscht dinner.
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Good fried spring rolls and pork meatball vermicelli bowl from Ca Phe Rang on Spadina near Richmond. I’ll be back to try more.
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Man of Kent beef and ale pie (ordered take-out but ate it outside). I was really happy with the Scotch Egg and this pie. I will be back soon for take-out.
Take-out momos
Beef momos and potato momos from Loga’s Corner ($9 for 10 momos), and beef momos from Tashi Delek on Jameson ($8.99 for 10 momos, the momos at the bottom of photo). The Loga’s beef momos had cumin. The Despak beef momos had more garlic and the beef filing was more tightly packed. We preferred the Loga’s beef momos. Loga’s Corner’s potato momos were spicy and the filling was curried.
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Another dinner from Café Polonez .
Tonight, I ordered one borscht with mushroom dumplings ($8.50), pork schnitzel with mushrooms main ($23.95), a side of perogies ($5.95 upgrade to a main), potato pancake stuffed with pork goulash main ($22.95) and lecso with beans main ($18.95). Each main comes with a container of 3 prepared vegetables. Rye bread and butter was also included.
Happy with everything. This meal came to around $100 including tax and tip.
The lecso with beans.
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We had noticed Casa Manila open on the Danforth sometime during the pandemic and added it to our long to-try list. We then heard that Suresh Doss and one of the chefs from Lake Inez are fans, so we got around to trying them for takeout recently. We really don’t know Filipino food that well, but overall the food had rich and interesting flavours.
Tamarind Soup (Sinigang) - we went with the vegetable version with imported dried tamarind (no MSG), garlic, onions, tomatoes, bokchoy, okra, daikon, Asian eggplant, and green beans. The broth was tangy and vibrant and great for a cold night.
Atchara Pickled Papaya Slaw - made with young papaya, carrots, ginger, raisins, and red pepper. This was fun, not too vinegary, and a nice contrast to the richer dishes below.
Adobo Tofu, Green Beans & Eggplant - adobo sauce, tofu, eggplant, green beans, and a blend of spices. Complex sweet sauce with a bit of tang.
Peanut-Garlic Beef Stew (Beef Kare-Kare) - beef in peanut garlic sauce, with eggplant, green beans, and bokchoy - rich nutty flavour, with a highly umami fermented shrimp paste as a condiment.
Seafood Noodles (Pancit Palabok) - rice vermicelli dish with a sauce made from boiled shrimp heads and shells, topped with shrimp, squid, fish flakes, chicharon, boiled egg, fried garlic, and green onions. A riot of flavours and textures, and very, very rich.
Ube layer cake with ube halaya inside and a buttercream icing. Eye catching, but a bit dry and ho-hum.
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I hadn’t even ordered take-out from Free Times Café before. I thought it was pretty good. It had been around 25 years since my last visit for the brunch.
Matzoh ball soup and smoked salmon latke slider. $18.95.
Vilda’s has latkes during Hannukah. I haven’t been yet.
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Mortadell and provolone on a crusty roll($12 tax included) from La Salumeria with my own side salad. Haven’t had one of these in ages.
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So, I am shocked. Vilda’s, the takeout snackbar/sandwich cousin to Taverne Bernhardt and Dreyfus, has latkes during Chanukah.
They look great on IG.
I ordered some. I bit in. The inside was grey. I grew up eating potato pancakes and occasionally latkes .
Turns out, the onion that has usually been part of the potatoes pancakes I have had at home, has a purpose beyond flavour. The acidity prevents the potato from turning grey, if the latkes are made in advance. Vinegar or lemon juice can be added to the potato mixture, as well.
Vilda’s latkes must not contain onion or vinegar.
I’ve tried 5 take-out potato pancakes of various types over the past 4 months:
Takeout Latkes available year-round at Grace Meat Market in Little Italy, a 4 th Gen butcher shop, Café Polonez (filled with pork gulasch) , the rösti at Union which is thimble-shaped, taller than traditional, Free Times Café’s latke slider made with 2 latkes, and Vilda’s.
Vilda’s version.
Too grey. Needs onion, vinegar or lemon juice added if they are making them in advance.
$9 Cdn before tax for 4 generous pieces, but better latkes are found elsewhere!
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My mum’s potato latkas were always grey inside. I thought all latkas were grey…lol
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I thought maybe Vilda’s added mushrooms 
I’m glad grey latkas are a thing in some households Maybe this is a family recipe that I’m knocking. I hope I don’t hurt anyone’s feelings 
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The Heavenly Perogy under St Vlad’s Cathedral on Bathurst has Xmas baskets to go. I’m not a fan of their veggie cabbage rolls, so I would stick to the veggie borscht, perogies and some seasonal stuff
Take-out this weekend from:
Wok Theory (not good this time)
Daily Grind’s breakfast sandwich with bacon, avocado and cheese. $7 before tax, can order through Ritual. A good breakfast sandwich, maybe not worth a detour. They have a Vietnamese Croque Monsieur that looks interesting.
Alimentari’s hot table on Roncesvalles:
Tomato and garlic butter slice and some cabbage leek lasagna. Excellent as usual.
Blackbird Baking Co in Kensington Market:
Mortadella, bocconcini and pistachio on Focaccia sandwich. $14 before tax, great.
Beast Pizza :
The beets, carrots with blue cheese,
broccoli with fish sauce, Caesar salad, pepperoni pizza with mushrooms added, meatballs and pasta with pork Bolognese. Everything was excellent. This order came to $120 including tax.
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