Winner Winner Chicken Dîner?

In the last 3 weeks, I went for lunch twice at a new Lebanese fast-casual restaurant near Montreal Rd and St. Laurent Boulevard. Malak Al Tawouk replaced an old location of the Circle-K convenience store. Apparently, it was a franchise that started in Lebanon in the 90s. Inside the 3rd location in Canada, you ordered from a counter situated in front of the open, glass-enclosed kitchen. The remaining space had two rows of hard-tops and 4 banquettes for larger groups. On my second visit, the beige-ish seats were already starting to stain.

I dropped by about three Wednesdays ago and looked over the menu. True to their name, Malak mostly offered grilled chicken as a "shawarma sandwich" or a platter. There were also 1 burger item and fries as a side. I opted for the classic platter ($20.99) which consisted of several, tender chicken pieces, pickles, slaw, and pita. It also came with fries. It was a fragrant meal with more than enough for leftovers.

On Saturday, I came back for the a regular sandwich ($13.99) and upgraded to a combo ($5.50). Showing their French colonial past, the drink and fries add-on was listed as a "trio". The second time wasn't quite as satisfying. The fries were still excellent (golden and crispy) and the wrap started out fine. In fact, the lightly grilled pita gave a nice crunch. My mom had skipped the first leftovers because she thought all  chicken breast dishes were dry. She had a point as the sandwich turned into a slog to finish.

Overall, the platter was the better meal. It was only $1 extra compared to the combo and you got more chicken. The dryness of the chicken was better balanced by the pickles and slaw. But with both coming in at $26.09 and $24.22 with tax and tip, the price was too pricey for me as a lunch option.

Gnarly Semones

I stay home in Ottawa because travelling to venues was an ordeal. But the show ($25) on Monday was  downtown and should only take 30 minutes on transit. I arrived at Club Saw about 15 minutes after doors. The space was full with young folks pressed up right against the stage.

Opener Jahmeema, accompanied by her beau Matt Evans on keys, was a bit jazz-pop and a bit R'n'B. Still quite young at 25, she played new songs (some were written this year) and older ones that she wrote at 17. How were her prospects? After nearly a decade of performing in in a small, local scene, I don't see any big breaks. Her music lacked the catchy hooks and melodies of pop and her lyrics were too wordy for the genre. But the verses didn't have the clever wordplay and flow of good R'n'B. I wonder how her French songs compared.

This was Mei Semones first ever show in Ottawa on her way to the larger Montreal JazzFest. But she already had a large fan-base here. I saw her KEXP show on Youtube and was impressed by the band's virtuosity including her speedy guitar riffs. Like Laufey, Semones drew inspiration from Bossa Nova, but she amped it up with muscular bass and drums, segueing into head-banging (light) rock, and added a touch of chamber pop. This was especially true near the end of her set with the early "hits". The middle third, when Semones showcased almost 15 minutes of new material, was more experimental. My only complaint (as I am a sucker for catchy tunes or driving rhythms), was that the music seemed to change every 8 bars. This gave variety and was interesting for a few songs. But over the course of an hour, this tendency was both too random and yet also boringly repetitive. If Semones (and her band) channeled their talent on more cohesive compositions, I'd be on board.

Flaming June

Sunday was the Summer Solstice and certainly it was a long, hot day. Originally, I was only going to wash my bedding and leave my clothes for the last day of my sublet. But I decided to combine both loads so I wouldn't be rushing on Tuesday. While doing laundry, I revisited and took photos of the murals on Galt. There was someone outside with their dog, and though I wanted to, I didn't ask about the residential situation at the buildings connected by a skyway. I went back for my final samosas (a steal at $3 for 2) from Samosa and Chaat. I noticed that more than a decade later, there was still a line-up at Maha's. Their Egyptian brunch was good, even though I have had nothing but weird vibes from them. But it was the lack of competition that has sustained this business. In the West end, they would be just one of many "pretty good" restaurants.

During this stay, I haven't had exquisite "food-court" Indian from BHK Roll. But I decided to stay closer to home and got a veggie pide from Pizza Pide on Monday. This allowed me to leave half of it for my leaser for when they fly back late from B.C. This wasn't the full portion of vegan miso stew from Afrobeats Kitchen I bought back in 2022 for them. On the other hand, my sublet rent has gone up to $1550 from $1250. In any case, the pide was also quite delicious.

I usually take an early bus back to Ottawa. But with two full bags, I wanted to take my time on Tuesday to pack and have a leisurely breakfast of banh gio ($3.50) from Huy Ky. The later start also let me do a final Yoga practice. When I caught the streetcar just a little past 9 a.m., people were still getting on for the morning commute. We weren't getting into Kingston until well past lunch-time so I had a bao ($3.50) to tie me over. But it turned out that was enough of a meal for me.

With work dead-lines, I mostly stayed inside back in Ottawa. Not that there was much around to do except jog through residential neighbourhood in the morning. On Saturday, after my grocery run, I visited Frys Guys for an Italian sausage ($6.50). The sausage was still the same price but everything else has gone up by $1. Since the owner was also from the old country, we had become friendlier since last year. They asked about my stay so I talked about the convenience of restaurants and shows. Two of their children also lived in Toronto but on the outskirts so their experience of The Big Smoke was noisy highways.

Family Business

I headed over to the main Chinatown on Spadina just before lunch on Saturday. Traffic was still light so the streetcar trip was pleasant. I was looking for knock-off World Cup t-shirts but none were found. There were plenty of German tourists in the area as their country will be playing later on at Exhibition Place.

Stopping off at Jumbo Empanadas for a small cheese empanada ($3.50), I noticed the For Lease sign at the front. I found out from the cashier than the owner was retiring. I later checked online for more details: it was a combination of age and rising prices. Case in point, the empanadas here were now $8.50 from $6.75 back in 2023. More specifically, Irene Morales didn't want to lie awake at night in her 70s being stressed about work. The sign went up in February when I was in Toronto but unknowing. It looks like there has been no takers as of June. From the decades that I have visited the store, I knew that Morales had a daughter and that she used to also own a clothing store just up the street. I didn't know she already had a grand-child in 1999. Before I left with my order, I briefly spoked to an older customer. I admired that unlike other seniors, he did not move away from the city. In fact, he got even closer to the downtown core, now at Queen and Spadina because Bloordale wasn't central enough! I was less impressed with his "Trudeau's immigrants caused the housing crisis" attitude.

Then it was up the street to grab my favourite slice of pizza in the city. It was still busy only 20 minutes after opening but not quite the packed mob whenever I passed by. This gave me a chance to talk to the owners except it was more bad news. Their son had lost $2M playing the stock market. The money came from their condo, houses, and bank accounts since he was a co-signer to these assets. With their savings wiped out, it was unclear what the future holds. I was dreading their business closing up shop soon but I don't want them to keep working past retirement.

Speaking of family ties, I got a call from a cousin on my father's side this week. With my parents divorced decades ago when I was a child, and with him remaining in the old country when we emigrated, I was rarely in touch with anyone on that side of the family including my father. This was doubly true after he died in 2016. In any case, his second wife also passed a few years ago. It turns out her children could not sell the family home because I was also an heir since she did not leave a will. Were they looking for me but don't have my contact or were they waiting out the period of my claim? Who can say as money makes people do the darndest thing.