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The Spot

Need a good spot to grab a bite or maybe somewhere to catch up with a old friend or go on that fun second date, well I got the place for you. Film Cafe Restaurant by Eative is your spot.

Walking into Film Cafe there is this hip fun feel, a screen showing old cartoons, stuff like Bugs Bunny. The staff strikes with the grace of special forces, informing you to get a table and take a menu. Some may dislike this I frankly enjoy the straight to the point. The menus are on clipboards displaying it’s different sections from breakfast, sandwiches, pancake,sushi rolls, okonomiyaki, Japanese street eats and donburi rice bowls. I ordered the Kyoto Breakfast, I also happen to be dinning with my friend Darkness as he shall be named, all three times we went he got the Sapporo Breakfast.

The Kyoto Breakfast arrived, I had take moment to grab a photo because that’s life. I dove into the tamago yaki (egg roll) they we’re light fluffy and a little sweet, the shrimp tempura and I know this was good because normally I don’t get shrimp tempura because it lets me down but not today tempura not today! The shrimp had this freshness and the batter light the kind that doesn’t make you wanna take a shower after eating something fried. The onigiri was my first experience and I enjoyed each bite wondering if I could just order some of those to go, they simple sweet nutty flavor left me wishing for more.

Now Darkness and I have been here three times on the second time out I got the Katsu Curry Don this dish inspired me to make Japanese Curry it left me with a longing for more. It arrives one side a pool of curry I wish I could swim in, the other side nutty purple rice with a omelette on top with a breaded pork fillet and one tiny little piece of broccoli, good we understand ourselves eating out isn’t the time to be healthy.

This was my first bite of Japanese curry and it was awesome, not one big blast of thats beef but many different little flavors making a party in my mouth. I would love to eat this on a rainy day it would warm the soul. Each time I took a spoon full I mixed it with rice, with omelette, pork nothing over powered the other I wanted them all in my mouth at the same time. The pork’s breading that had coated it once again not feeling heavy despite being deep friend Darkness got the same meal he enjoys it.

The third time out I ordered Subuta Pork Don (Sweet and Sour Pork on top of a bed of rice and cabbage) and I was excited. As someone who enjoys sweet and sour pork I was on the edge of my seat while Darkness was telling me about his super cool band. Now the food comes and I’m use to the sweet and sour sauce almost looking like syrup and regret . This though had a texture and colour similar tomato sauce but when took a breath it tingles your nose, the back of your mouth and all the way down your throat. The cabbage and rice are ok but the sweet and sour pork is the superstar of this dish. The sourness of the sauce and fatty pork strikes a great balance while listening to Darkness up coming shows.

I would suggest not going on a Sunday as this place can be packed but if your looking for a fun place to eat I suggest going to Film Cafe Restaurant by Eative located at 230 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2L6

Crazy Week!

Sorry for no updates this week I started a bunch of classes one of them Thai Cooking and I shall blog about that starting next! Thank you for being patience some times I get knocked off balance but next week I shall be back with more tales!

Learning to Cook.

When I fall in love with cuisine from another culture I always say to myself ” I gotta learn how to make this” At this point in my apartment there’s a cook book on ever surface open. While I dance around trying to decide what I shall make and today I landed on Korean Home Cooking written Sohui Kim and I decided to make Japchae.

This is a beautiful book filled with wonerful photos and great instructions.

Now every Saturday at the old cheese store our boss buys us lunch. We have a selection of places and one day we got Korean. I ordered the tofo teriyaki which came with a side of japchae. I remember biting into it, the first thing I noticed is the temperature is perfect, I know that’s insane about a meal but it gave it this sense of home to it. It was savory and soft. I had to learn how to make it, on top of kimchi and a wide array of other dishes but other stories for another time. I had to learn how to make this sweet potato noodle dish with veggies.

Now with Japchae you actually don’t need a lot of ingredients you can decided how many veggies you want. For the noodles you need dried dang myeon. Your first step is to boil the noodles for 7 to 10 minutes. I did this and the following day when I told my boss who is Korean I made japchae she asked if I soaked the noodles before? Now in the book it says just to cook straight from dry but once again what I’m learning from cooking, lotta ways to cook that egg. So next time I’m soaking em!

While the noodles cooled I chopped up all my veggies I got peppers, mushrooms, onions and carrots. Now testing the noodles I found hard because like a silly I was trying to pull the noodles out of the pot with a spoon but these noodles got some stretch. I eventually learned my lesson and got those tongs. Once the noodles were cooked I got them em a bowl after I shook all the water off. Now I got a big bowl with height this was a mistake because when I tried to mix in the sesame oil and soy sauce I found I was trying to move a boulder around as the noodles got twisted around each other. Now once again my boss pointed out to me that I needed to have a wide big bowl it would have been easier to mix and that I had priced the hot sauce wrong, what a day!

Now next you need to cook each of the veggies separate, this doesn’t take as long as it sounds each of them only really takes a few minutes in the frying pan. The reason for cooking them separate is because you want each of them to be at this point of perfect to have this amazing texture. You don’t want your carrots mushy or your peppers burnt. When you cook the onions make sure to add chopped garlic and when you do the mushrooms add ginger. Now my only problem with this is how much oil I used cook all these veggies. I think next time I’m going to steam them

When I served everything Shoe loved them she kept being like ” the sauce is amazing what is it?” And I was like ” sesame oil and soy sauce all it was!”

Its a simple dish to make I suggest you give it a go!

The unexpected joys.

Waiting in line seems to be one of those facts of life we all have to experience like taxes and death but I good food festival is worth the line.

This past weekend I decided to go to the Toronto Filipino food festival by Kanto, a night time food festival. You know those shipping containers near Bathurst and Dundas? Well it was there and I was glad to see other vendors decided to be open and see if they grab a few people.

Getting there I just charged right to the back of the line not even waiting to be stunned by it’s length. I could already tell it was a little disorganized but any food event is bound to me, you just never know how many people are coming! When I got to the end I was starving and waiting for Pepper my sister join me. With luck Gushi one the other vendors had set up a little stand outside their container with a sign for gushi chicken and Takoyaki. I jumped on that chicken because Japanese fried chicken on a cool relaxing Friday night after work hits that spot. The first bite the skin isn’t oily and the meat is tender juicy, with a slightly spicy mayo that gives it a nice step up for the evening. At the bottom of the box was a dipping sauce. A mixture of sake and soy sauce, I only liked to take little dips of this sauce as I found it to be to sweet in large amounts for me, a lady in front of me was drinking the stuff right out of the box! I was so happy with this I wanted another but decided to save my self for what I really came for. I shall return though!

The line the line gah it only felt like it was moving when people gave up and left! Pepper showed up laughing asking me what I was thinking and also inform me to answer our mothers emails. I wrote back to her, to thank her for the carrot muffin she bought me. We got our tickets, 1 ticket was $5 and some items were one and some were two you get the point. You should have heard me when I found out we was in the drink line we dropped that line and when to the food one in flash of a second!

Pepper didn’t want any meat she got a lovely noodle dish called Pancit while I got pork belly with rice, pork/chicken skewers and let me say I was so excited for this meal and it was a let down!

The skewers were cold rocks and twice as hard to chew, I thought the chicken would have been great because there was a hint of orange on them but sadly cold ice and forgotten memory of the flavor they once held. I then dove into my pork belly it was good but the rice with the sweet sauce it came with was better than the belly that was some what cold and felt like it had been tossed back on the grill.

I have no problem waiting in line for great food but I don’t think it’s to much to ask that when you go to a event that is saying its a BBQ event to have your BBQ at least at room temperature ! My fried chicken from earlier sure was hot!

Pepper and I were walking away I couldn’t even finish the last few bites of my belly and I’m strongly against wasting food, if something died for your meal you finish it! The evening felt like a let down but then off in the distance I saw the blinking lights of Nam Wam.

Nam Wam I have been trying to track down their Thai bubble tea and mango sticky rice for ages! Pepper and I shared a milky mango and a sticky rice. Evening saved! That milky mango fills my dreams to this day I wake up wishing I had one in my hand, it’s creamy refreshing slap of mango cheered me right up after my let down. The sticky rice gah it came hot, warm and gooey. The stunning blue rice mixed with the perfectly ripe mango made the evening feel not so cold that day.

Important lesson to learn life comes in waves sometimes things will be a let down but if you keep an open mind you will discover some unexpected joys! I will for sure be going back to Gushi and Nam Wan!

Something sweet and gooey

I love going to grocery stories across the city the other day I was at Queen Supermarket located at 1431 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6K 1M3! I love this store it’s small but packed with everything I need. It’s also on my way home. I was in search of something sweet but wanted something new my sweet tooth wanted to bust out and just live a little and like a glowling beacon there is was calling to me. Kesari shrikhand I had no idea what is was but it’s bright blooming red label called to me. It had a picture of a bowl of golden delight with little bits of saffron.

I bought this delightful container took it home to give it a try and oh to the taste buds it’s overwhelming. I thought it would be more like ice cream but its more like frozen yogurt except gooey and so sweet! It overloaded my mouth all I could hear was ” CAPTAIN I’M GIVING IT ALL I GOT WE CAN’T TAKE MUCH MORE OF THIS!” As hints of saffron and cardamom poke at your tongue. What I really liked about this treat you can only have a little then back it goes.

I did a little research into how it’s made, you just hang your yogurt in a cheese cloth let it drain into bowl then mix the spices and sugar into it freeze or eat it fresh.

Its good but only in small amounts its a lot to handle!

King of the Sausage

Sausages are a great way to make a meal quick and easy but you just don’t want any sausage no no you want the king.

At the St Lawrence market tucked away in the northwest corner near the front is a delightful sausage shop that is presented by Bespoke Butchers. Bespoke is a wonderful butchery and they make and supply all sausages and other meats for their location at the St Lawrence market.

The wide range of flavors will make your mouth water, my favorite is the curry chicken. I found my self staring into this sunflower yellow fat sausage think I had to have it! Take it home brown it up in some butter from PEI and wow. When you take that first bite it isn’t just some standard curry off the selves spice blend. You can taste the whole range of spices in their with a little heat making the chicken that much more playful. It be a shame to dress this sausage.

Their smoked beef of man it taste a hotdog that got to evolve! This sausage oh the texture on this sausage dog when you rip into it your mouth is filled with beefy smoke. Slap it down on a plate put it in a bun but make sure you have a BBQ sauce that is a little sweet but not that much smoke. You want that woody smell to fill your lungs as you devour one of these bad boys with some cheese or fried onions.

Maple bacon breakfast sausage wholly crap will this make your kitchen feel like a pig is running around covered in maple syrup. It just fills the room in this delightful aroma that make you think ” Damn today is going to be a great day today!” once again browning them up in pan with some nice butter slowly then toss them in the oven to finish them off. I had mine with some munster and Shoe with some seven year old cheddar.

This is just the tip there a whole party to pick from sage, spicy, bbq chicken, lamb, bratwurst the list goes on. You can get bacon and pork chops there as well. I plan to make my way around everything.

Another method I enjoy cooking my sausages in is the sous vide. If you go to Sausage King you can ask to have them vacuum sealed lined up nicely. One day do I will do a more in depth post about sous vide but when you bit into that sausage it is a waterfall of maple or smoke or curry depending on what you got yourself.

You can find Sausage King at the St Lawrence Market which is located at 93 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1C3.

From the Tiffin.

I have no BBQ but it’s summer and I’m going to make myself some Tandoori Chicken. Living wild here riding no bbq, lucky it’s been a rather cold summer so turning the oven on won’t bake me!

Now I made this in my level 1 Indian cooking class at George Brown but I wanted using the recipe from my Tiffin the 500 recipes from Indian cook book because why not!

All that was different was in class in we used a powder that gave our chicken that deep orange colour, in Tiffin they did not call for that item so I did not use it. Oh we also had access to a tandoori oven sooooooooooo I mean was there a huge different….YES a tandoori oven is way better than my oven or a bbq. One day I will have a tandoori oven myself. I can dream can’t I. Why is a tandoori oven so much better? Higher heat and how the heat is sealed inside also you use metal rods. The rod heats up and cooks the inside of your chicken oh but don’t use this rod https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJBPZjCCz_w

Now I know when your cooking any Indian dish you get over whelmed right off the back looking at the ingredient list and seeing item after item but DON’T! If you go to a Indian grocery store they will have everything your looking for so your shopping is all one stop. Also can we talk about how much fun it is to go to grocery stores that aren’t Sobey’s. More ingredients does not mean it’s more complex just scale all your items out at the beginning. On top you will use a lot of those spices again for other dishes so really the list gets smaller and smaller till you run out!

With tandoori chicken all your doing is making a marinade for the chicken to rest in for four hours then tossing it on the BBQ or your apartment oven because your girlfriend won’t let you BBQ on your balcony because of fire code. I mean come on I would have a fire extinguisher ready, I use to be a pyro technician fire is my jam! I will figure this problem out.

Now grab your yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, green chile paste, red chile powder, ground coriander and don’t do what I did and get ground cardamom I caught it at the last second before I put it in. Now cardamom powder is nice for mango lassie but it wasn’t called for in this recipe! You will also need garam masala, tandoori masala, ground cumin, lime, oil and chaat masala. I forgot to do the chaat masala as well you melt oil and brush oil on the chicken on after then sprinkle the chaat masal. I really messed this one up!

Now the book doesn’t say where to add the lime. I’m guess it’s for at the very end maybe to drizzle on top. I wasn’t sure but I took a note of Salt,Fat,Acid,Heat and added it to the marinade. The acid helps to break down the chicken making it tender and juicy.

Grab your yogurt and combine everything except the chaat masala, lime and oil. I know I said I added the lime up there but you don’t have to. I’m playing around I’ve made this already I was having fun.

When I began to added the spices I heard my teachers voice ” spice to who your cooking for” what does that mean, well simple Shoe doesn’t like a lot of heat. So I give the red chile powder a try and it had some kick. So I cut the amount down by half. I also didn’t add the green chile paste for that very same reason. I might have the belly of a dragon but Shoe does not. Whisk everything together don’t use your hands only do that when your adding the chicken.

Something I’m guilty for is I haven’t tried all the spices on their own next adventure!

Also don’t be all fancy and what not buy a cheaper yogurt your just using it as marinade which leads me into my next point you just have to let it sit for four hours. I did 24 hours and that’s the maximum you should go or as it is written or been told. Now the reason I did it for 24 hours is because I prepped it for dinner the next day. What could go wrong!

How it went wrong! I forgot to tell Shoe to take it out of the dish I had them marinading in and onto their own pan so the skin will crisp up, she just slide it in the oven in one easy go. Had I explained that and not just texted her put the chicken in the oven be home in 45 minutes. The chicken takes 20 to 30 minutes.

Normally you would grill it but I live in apartment in Toronto so get off my back it had to be the oven man! Anyway the chicken still turned out great! The top of the chickens drier bbq skin texture and the bottom was moist any juicy it made for a great combo.

Now I went out and bought samosa and made mango lassi but we will talk about those another time.

This was a simple recipe to make and it’s a good one if you do the prep the night before. I find this helps cutting down on the cleaning myself.

Now something I wanna talk about the Tandoori masala is a spice blend you can buy at any Indian Grocery store. Look for MDH (Mahashian Di Hatti), they have rows and rows of splice blends that will add that little something extra to spice up your life! See what I did there gah that’s a terrible joke!

Tell next time!

Where it all began.

Some of us have that one meal that brings us joy and comfort,others it sparks curiosity down a unknown path and for some it awakens a deep since of wonder to go see it all.

That meal for me was at the okonomi house and that meal was okonomiyaki.

My mother was a single parent and a chef, it took me 28 years to realize where my love of food came from and it was from her. When I figured it out I whacked myself on the head with a wooden spoon getting sauce all over myself.

My mom took me to the okonomi house first when she was pregnant with me and when I could handle solid food when I four. Whenever I’ve walked into the restaurant the room has always warmed my heart, with it’s soft red lighting and comfy sets. You can watch the chef make your food on the massive grill, I sat there watching, wondering and thinking ” How could I make that food”. Watching the chef toss the noodles up, spill the batter onto the grill that would become the okonomiyaki.

When the okonomiyaki arrives at your table sizzling hot and you catch a whiff of the crimson sauce on top and it gives you this bit of relief from a busy day. You grab your chop sticks and begin to pick at this savory pancake that comes in beef, pork, chicken, veggies and seafood. I normally get the veggie because I love the peppers. Now you can eat this a few ways you can pull it apart bit by bit and dip it into the tangy mayo that rest perfectly in the centre or you can do what I do. You see I like to work my way to the centre carefully enjoying each bit of that crispy batter and the crunch of the steamy bell pepper. When I get to the end I carefully get my chop sticks around the centre piece hoist it up to my mouth and with a explosion that causes you to forget rent it is due your left in a after math of savory tang and full mouthfeel pleasure.

My love of tofu began here with their tofu teriyaki, I always enjoyed that sweety crunchy first bite into the silky beyond, it also came with sprouts bathed in the salty sweet teriyaki sauce. No matter what brand of teriyaki sauce I try, it just isn’t the same!This is my life some days looking for that spice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfxabSYFs88 .

The yakisoba my oh my what a delight, thick noddles that you slurp up and hidden treasurers of salty beef strips and crunchy shrimp and once again the sauce I just can’t find it. It mocks me in my search! The noodles took me forever to find but with so many different grocery stores opening up in Toronto it has become even easier than ever.

Last is the miso soup and I know your like ” miso soup what you talking about this last?” This is the miso soup I hold up to all others. This miso is the bomb of soups, it’s the only soup I enjoy. Pieces of tofu and kelp floating about the perfect size so you don’t choke as you sip away on your salty, savory bomb. I’ve had other miso soups before and when I drink it I’m often offend by how watered down some of them are but not the one at the okonomi house.

Why is this restaurant so important to me because it launch my life long love of Japanese food, tv, music and culture. One day I will buckle down and learn how to actually speak Japanese. It’s what gave me my strong work ethic when I was in theatre tech, always trying to improve always trying to become perfect but always knowing I could never reach it. Most important this restaurant gave me a since of wonder and curiosity to always go out and have new, exciting experiences and it all began with one savory pancake!

A cheesy Goat

I will never forgot when I had a bite of real cheddar, it wasn’t rubbery like the super market barrel stuff That shall not be spoken of. It was salty, creamy, it had bursts of tang oh the tang baby.

Now I understand those cheeses are meant to feed the masses but I like to slide this idea towards you. Eat better cheese that costs more and eat less of it. Real cheese and I mean stuff where he cheese maker often has their own animals and is there for every step of the cheese making. Cheese in small amounts is good for you but over do it and gah!

Anyway I bring this up because today I was able to have some great Ontario goat cheddar, Lindsay Cheddar!

Now as you’ve guested this oily delight is from Lindsay Ontario.

It is a bandaged pasteurized goat cheddar. Now bandaged is a new term for me but it’s when the cheese is covered in cheesecloth and oil. I believe it is interchangeable with cloth bound because the Montgomery cheddar is wrapped in clothes and has lard rubbed all over it. I know this sounds silly but these types of aging processes help to give these cheese their deep umami and delightful salty ways that has you licking your lips.

Now Lindsay cheddar is pasteurized goat milk, normally cheddar is cow but hey the world is on fire so lets just change the rules up and enjoy ourselves.

I wish I had this cheese at my store, this would be one of my converter cheeses. When people tell me they don’t like goat I often give them some Midnight Moon a goat Gouda and it changes their mind right up. I watch their faces this is important to do you can general see when some doesn’t like something and their just trying to be polite and say its good. No one has never not loved Midnight Moon. Their eyes explode with shock, the utter words of disbelieving that a goat could taste so savory and salty!

When you first see Lindsay cheddar it’s oily tanned rind opens beautifully when you cut into it relieving slightly yellow white paste, you look at your knife you see the fatty oil on your blade. Do not lick the knife!

That first bite of this cheese just crumbles in your mouth releasing all those feel good tastes that get your buds on up and moving.

Right off the first bite you get a wave of

Umami: The ride hits you making you close your eyes.

Salt: Little crystals of salt you find in your bite making not only a fun ride but great texture. This makes sense as the cheese is aged for 12 months. It gives the cheese time to lose much of its moisture and the salt crystals to form.

Sour: You can feel the little tangy acidity that rolls around in your mouth helping to tame the wild fatty flavorful.

Sweet: It’s sweet but just enough that you can enjoy it with some chocolate or little pink wine.

Bitter: There is not bitter in this goat not even on the rind!

What’s great about this cheese it would be perfect on a hot summer day with a nice cold drink. I would want it with something sweet and fruity most likely a carbonated water drink with some lime. Perhaps a gin and tonic with splash of lemon. I have crumbled this cheese into salads for a little added kick or maybe slide a little into the center of a burger. It would be one epic grilled cheese with a apple cider!.

I got my Lindsay Cheddar in Montreal but shops around Ontario carry it.

If you see it try because it will change your mind on goat.

DUCK IN A CAN!!!!!!!!!!

Well if you haven’t guess I had duck in a can and I had it atAu Pied De Cochon.

Au Pied De Cochon is a gem within a already beautiful city of Montreal. Walking along the brick path shaded with some trees the August summer air is mild. It’s nearing 5:30 Pm where Shoe and I have made our revisionist at Pied De Cochon.

The room is cozy warm but also vibrate and fast as the staff are slinging out dishes and shouting out orders but it’s still quiet enough for Shoe and I to have a conversation.

Now the staff here are the special forces of wait staff. There quick, on top of matters, plate is empty it’s gone. Your water empty it is filled, no one came by when I had a hunk of food in mouth to ask ” Hows the meal going”. Lets be honest we’ve all thought it that the wait staff comes over when we have food in our mouth to ask how it’s going so we can’t really answer. Maybe it’s just me always having food in my mouth.

Shoe and I looked down the menu and it was full of delight. Tarts, foie gras poutines and my oh my they had Duck in a Can. The only problem at Au Pied de Cochon is what do you pick! My suggestion go with someone so they can help split the load. Shoe and I started off with some drinks she got a mojito which was damn so good. She never had one and this was a great way to start, a good drink should never be over powering in my mind it needs balance now the gin and tonic with maple I had was solid till the last sip where the maple had pooled at the bottom giving me a blast of sugar and my taste buds were overwhelmed.

The first item we got and my favorite to devour was the tomato tart! It arrives a sizzling fluffy tart with a cheesy centre and tomatoes. Three different kinds cheeses melted into one creamy, fatty pool with the acid of the tomatoes with warm pastry to brings each bite together. Such joy!

The second was the foie gras duck poutine, ok buckle up because what a ride. The foie gras slowly melts rolling down dancing with thick gravy coating crispy fries, stab at one with your fork and make sure that it’s loaded with gravy and foie gras because each bite is a ride of joy. Now grab some duck with it’s crispy outside and soft warm centre you sit back and think I don’t care if I die early I’d eat this every day.

The third plate arrives and yes I got the Duck in a CAN! Now this sounds silly getting canned food at a fancy restaurant but hear me out! Now a little back round the owner of this restaurant and head Chef, owns their own duck farm. They can everything themselves. A duck breast with veggies and 100 grams of foie gras is canned and then cooked in boiling water for 30 minutes. Now they show up at your table open it and you watch it slide out of can plating it self perfectly. Which leads me to think they carefully place everything within these can so it unfolds just like this. Now Shoe went right for the foie gras now I went for the breast. I took my first bite and I honestly thought I had just taken a bite of a steak. It was so tender and juicy but my lord the fat on this duck I could sit there and chew and hit after hit to my taste buds of pure joy. I let Shoe have most of the foie gras because secret time I really don’t enjoy it or truffles.

We finished the meal off with a creme brulee now I’ve had creme brulee before but this tasted like campfree to me. I asked Shoe if she felt the same but she said I was nuts but damn that yummy gooey paste in side was the perfect way to finish off the evening.

The hardest part was the 200 dollar bill we got at the end but it was worth it.

I also discovered a great new joy, now when you go into bathrooms in some restaurant its sometimes a horror show but not at Au Pied du Cochon so clean perfect lighting easy on the eyes and I got to try a bidet. I will say nothing more but please if you ever have the chance try a bidet.

If you do happen to find yourself in Montreal please please please book your self a table and be ready to die because you will be sent to heaven by a dish it self.

Au Pied Du Cochon is located at 536 Avenue Duluth E, Montréal, QC H2L 1A9

Adventures in Toronto Part one

Toronto summers often feel like your at the gates of hell and someone forgot to turn off the humidity. This is the reality for those of use who love blizzards of winter nothing can fix this but but cold drink, cold snacks and deep fried pork ears with crispy fries. Hey listen it’s hot but it ain’t all salad.

I went out today to venture on my bike to find this bubble tea place that I had heard so much about only to discover it was close even when it said it be open! I will return to this place and speak its name another day!

I cursed the sky and time it self but ll was not lost because after all this is adventure and just down the way were a bunch of street food vendors in shipping containers. I decided to grab a bite and sit on the patio because if you don’t know this Canadians love patio weather. Toronto citizens love it some much we give up what little road space with have so we can have a bite outside. We should share the road with annoying cyclists like myself.

Now I use to dine at a Filipino buffet when I lived in Halifax and I loved it the old grandmother often informed me I didn’t eat enough while both being to fat. I miss her dearly.

Today I dined at Kanto by Tita Flips. I loved the menu the second I saw it, bits of pork fried, blood pudding and cold drinks! Bonus everything is in shipping containers because in my mind I could get a collection of small items and have a little meal. Today though I got the sisig fries, sisig is a brilliant meal someone came up with not too waste the head of the pig. Chopping up all the bites up from the head into tiny bits and frying it. Hailed as labor of love this dish is said to be and they are right! I once tried to butcher a pigs head in class and of boy it is no hill of a task! Don’t worry it was a butcher class. This Sisig came with fries and tasty mayo.

Oh man when it came it was heavy and crispy and tasty and fatty. The heat from the sun didn’t even bother me cause I was in chewy hog heaven. I will die young that is for sure if I keep eating like this.

Now the advantage of all these shipping container vendors I could walk over to the Thai stall and grab me a cold Ice Thai tea

Heck after that a stones throw a kengiston market over to the Toronto popcorn company in Kensington market for some garlic popcorn for Shoe!

I needed another drink because it was hot hot hot! I found my way into World Tea House and got the thickest biggest mango fruit tea I’ve ever had. I don’t care if rent sucks in this city and getting around on the TTC can sucks I love it. I feel nothing but luck and joy for being able to grow up in a city where so many different people from some many different walks of life have come together. In many ways it feels like a glimpse into a far bigger adventure that just calls out to you.

If you like to enjoy these street vendors head on down to 707 Dundas St West.