Finger Foods

Kusshi oysters

After the vegan restaurant Calico at Bloor and Brock closed, Bar Neon replaced it last December. This gastro bar is one of a number of trendier businesses that have opened in the Lansdowne area. I dropped by Wednesday for dinner after work.

The decor is typical of new Toronto bistros: bare brick walls, wooden tables, and a bar made from unpainted and untreated wood slats. Two interesting features here: a ceiling made up of riveted squares of metal sheets, and a large painted collage mural. The food is tapas-inspired with tostas, Spanish open-faced sandwich, being the main dish.

Though the East coast St. Simon oysters were $1.50 before 8 pm, I opted to start with B.C. Kusshi oysters ($2.50/each). They were fresh, clean, and tasted great with a pinch of sea salt and freshly grated horse-radish. Next up was the salt cod brandade croquette (3 for $9). These were crisp and not overly oily. They were a bit "too much fish" in that their size made subsequent bites homogeneous; incorporating some herbs or providing a salty dipping sauce would add some novelty.

Brandade croquette

Tosta

For the "main" dish, I chose a vegetarian tosta ($14) from a selection of about 4-5 choices including cured salt ham and duck confit. The bread here was a flat bread, resembling somewhat a cross between Indian paratha and naan. It had a pesto and basil spread that gave it a nice Mediterranean feel. The toppings included cherry tomatoes, arugula, and salty fried shallots. I couldn't taste the espelette pepper but the rest were refreshing and flavourful.

Bar Neon has a back patio. They're only open from 6:30 pm; otherwise, this would also make a good (but a bit pricey) brunch spot.

Hair Of The Dog

The Remedy

There are numerous "sure-fire" cures for a hangover. Though I didn't have one on Sunday, I had just finished a vigorous yoga session, and so I wanted to try the "The Remedy" at Hadley's. This dish, along with their ongoing experimentation with French toast, is one of their go-to dish. A supposed cure for last night's debauchery, it is a popular brunch item on the week-end.

For $14, you get two poached eggs, which is then deep-fried and covered with hollandaise, over a bed of hash brown, beans, smoke cheddar and pulled pork. A side of coleslaw and some fruit slices was the winking nod to healthfulness. The batter had a latin flavour from the corn meal and went well with the gooey yolk. Oddly, it seemed a bit under-salted - not a typical criticism of breakfast dishes. The hash brown, beans, and pork made a tasty combination, but I would prefer a stronger spicy BBQ kick to the meat. Amazingly, it didn't leave me feeling bloated and overstuffed; though I wouldn't indulge regularly if I want the old ticker to keep going.

Lark In The Park

On a warm Saturday, I spent most of the afternoon at two parks in Toronto. Early on, I was in the West End at Dufferin Grove park. It was the first outdoors meeting in 2012 for Circus In The Park, a loose group of circus and yoga enthusiasts. Aerial silks, trapeze, and rings were hung from trees for everyone to enjoy. There was also acroyoga for bendy people. Like always, you get to play for a bit and then the kids in the park come running.

Noticing a young couple setting up a slack-line in another part of the park, we invited them to join us. It was a fun way to spend a few hours, though I was a bit envious of the slack-line dude; must be nice to sit and drink beer with a slender, pixie-haired French girl who laughs at your jokes and tells you in a merry Gallic accent that you are so funny.

Then it was onto the subway over to the East End  for a birthday celebration at Withrow Park. A friend was celebrating a double birthday: hers and her 1-year-old. There was lots of pizza to go around and some tasty home-made mini cupcakes. I enjoyed the chocolate ganache the most out of the 3 flavours. There were babies and toddlers galore, all within a few months of each other: pregnancy must be contagious. Looking around, I can't help but observed that the gathering would give right-wing conservatives nightmares. Couples came in all possible combination of ethnicity, orientation, and gender.

As the afternoon drew to a close, I headed home and spent the evening recovering. You know you're old when you're tired from eating.

Noisemakers

Papermaps

Friday night at the El Mocambo, Goodnight, Sunrise was celebrating their first anniversary. The first 100 people got a loot bag that included a coupon for 2 cans of Foster, candies, and other goodies. The first act was a brand-new band, Rulers of the Moon. They played loud, aggressive rock giving the singer lots of opportunities to scream throat-rending lyrics. For my money, they sounded best when he toned down the yelling and added some synth samples; the industrial rock vibe went over much better.

Papermaps was firmly in the rock ballad mode, with most songs wistfully describing broken relationships. Though the bassist for tonight was the original bassist, they only played a few old tunes and stuck to new songs including brand-new ones such as "Nobody's Perfect" and "Broken". They ended their set with the anthemic "You Are My Gallows". For a second, it looked like lead singer-guitarist Dean Marino was going to smash his instrument. But he changed his mind and a good thing, too; that'd be an expensive way to conduct small gigs.

Goodnight, Sunrise came on a little after midnight. I couldn't get much handle on their music, a kind of generic indie-rock. Not sure if they have found a good sound yet. They have 2 great singers, male and female, and should play on that dynamics more often or gear the songs to one singer or the other. Before the closing song, a cover of "Psycho Killer", they handed out glow-sticks and got the crowd to dance around.

Keep It Simple Stupid

Thursday night, local bar Holy Oak held a small fund-raiser for FoodShare. It was a Prince Tribute night with a core band, but a rotating cast of singers contributed one song each. The small venue was packed and intensely hot. Whether it was hipster sensibilities or not, Prince's monster hits such as Kiss, When Doves Cry, and Purple Rain were left off the bill.

The night started slow with a plaintive Nothing Compares 2 U but starting with the second song, Little Red Corvette, it was danceable, funky, sexy music the whole night from If I Was Your Girlfriend to I Would Die 4 U. The band was sweet and tight, even if there were a few moments when their extended jams got a little ragged. Most singers were good though there were some off-key singing on Paisley and Tamborine.

But the ne plus ultra moment for me was Mary Margaret O'Hara singing Players. That's right, Mary Margaret of "Miss America" did a Prince cover. It should have been irritating because she incorporated her vocal tics: horse neighs and ululations and made up most of the lyrics. But her stage presence was too engaging and her voice too big. I'm always astounded by her voice on those rare accidental occasions when I hear her live. Tonight it was so typically rich and full-bodied that it made the other singers, most of whom are professional musicians, sound like high-school amateurs. Frankly, some of those singers should have given their song to her.

The night ended with a high-powered extended mix of 1999 and Erotic City for the unscheduled encore. Some continued dancing to the DJ set while others went outside to dry off the sweat soaking their clothes.

Two By Four

Some people head out to the cottage for the Victoria long week-end. But Toronto was so gloriously sunny and pleasant, it was just as nice to stay in the city. I wanted to try the new ramen noodle shop owned by Guu on Saturday, but they didn't have any broth and could not open for lunch. So I visited Kenzo Ramen on Dundas for a milky-white tonkotsu ramen bowl. Afterward, I headed down to the Harbourfront to enjoy the International Circus Festival.

This week-end event was best enjoyed by kids, as they are entertained by magicians, acrobats, and jugglers. Even better, they got to jump on trampolines and tried the various circus apparatus. But there were stuff for us grown kids as well. I watched the young students from Zacada circus based out of Hamilton put on a fun show. From trapeze, silks, and aerial hoops, to acrobatic lifts, juggling, and skip-rope jumping, these performers (probably age 8 to 16) got the crowd cheering at their tricks.

Sunday, after a vigorous Yoga class, I enjoyed Blood of the Pigeon, a spiced Middle-Eastern tea, a rolled up lahmacun, tasty fatayar, and conversation in the park. I should have paid a little more attention to the afternoon sun; got red arms and legs from a little too much exposure.

On the Holiday Monday, I wanted to eat at Buca but they were closed. Pizza Libretto was opened and offered their $15 prix fixe. The beet caprese was light and earthy, with generous slices of buffalo cheese; the margherita pizza was crisp and warm; and the chocolate gelato finished off a great lunch. Add a couple of pints of beer, and you couldn't have asked for a more leisurely way to end the long week-end.

Not Loving It

Sometimes you want to hear new music, but now and then we all have a hankering to listen to some "classic hits". I've been hearing about the "supergroup" cover band Loving In The Name Of. Apparently going to their occasional concerts and dancing to live covers of hits from the 80s, 90s, and 00s is quite a fun experience. But it turns out their gig Friday night at The Great Hall was a let-down.

The night started with a DJ spinning lots of great tracks. Everyone was dancing and having a good time, but people were getting restless as the clock ticked on. The band didn't take the stage until just 12:30 am and played only about 12 songs. It was a half-assed effort, which is great if you were hanging out with your musician buddies in the garage. You can't fault their talent, but they played with the energy of a karaoke set, often missed each others' cues, and ended a few songs raggedly. Between every songs, the minutes dragged on as the MC exhorted for more claps, gave shout outs and thanks, and made unnecessary song introductions. The night was only fun in the "I know that song" way. Only the last two songs "Whatcha Want" and "Sabotage", done in tribute to Adam Yauch, had sufficient power to wow.

In contrast consider Dwayne Gretzky, another occasional side-project cover band. From their 3-month residency at The Dakota Tavern last summer to their Horseshoe gig earlier this winter, they treated each gig seriously. It came through in the intensity of their performance and often the length of their sets. They would often cram 20 songs or so into a set, and play 2 sets. Sometimes, feeding off the crowd's energy, they'll add a 3rd set! They came to play, not play around.

Friday Night Bites

Camel burger

I returned to the eateries housed in shipping containers at Dundas and Bathurst. The community centre's website promised a Night Market every Friday night with free shows by the folks from the Fringe Festival. Apparently it happened last week but I was unable to find any evidence of it tonight. But it wasn't a total loss, for there were other food to try from these vendors.

From the Tunisian spot Le Casbah, I grabbed a camel burger ($9). It came with mildly sweet home-made ketchup (honey, cinnamon, fresh tomatoes) and fresh lettuce. The cook added free of charge caramelized onions and also comped me a mint lemonade drink. Camel is a tender but strongly flavoured; it tasted like "wild" lamb. An interesting meat, but not something I would order regularly.

Banana spring rolls

Then it was off to Kanto for some filipino dishes. I was too full for the lechon (fried pork belly) or the other complete meals. I saw that they offered balut (half-fertilized duck egg). But since I haven't eaten that fare since I was a child, I told the vendor I'll have to mentally prepare myself for such an adventurous dish. Maybe next time. I ended up getting turon (6 for $2), bite-sized plaintain wrapped in spring roll, deep-fried, and covered with sugary caramel. Such a great snack, but you'll have to watch out for burnt tongues.

Grilled cheese sandwich

Finally I had a grilled cheese sandwich ($5) from Montfort, a local cheese producer from Stratford. They also sell take-away cheese and sausages. I chose a stronger cheddar for my sandwich. Along with some dijon mustard, caramelized onions and saute mushrooms, this simple dish was ironically the most delicious treat I've had here.

Monkey See

For the first "Return of MonkeyToast", the Comedy Bar was packed. Several shows in, it was only about half-full Saturday night. A situation not lost on the host, comic Ron Tite, when he opened the monologue. The format is simple: a series of improv skits is performed by comics based on interviews with local celebrities. Tonight there were two guests: Amber MacArthur, a local tech expert who has a number of TV and online shows, and Jason Agnew, hosts of a wrestling radio show, The Conventioneers, and stalwart of numerous Canadian game shows.

In a take-off of Tite's cringe-worthy gig at a birthday where a step-son laments about his disastrous life to his dad, the players had an office "gay party" segueing to a depressed Court Jester. Amber's tech experience inspired a Potato app ("identify all your favourite potatoes and their uses") and clueless Apple store employees. With Mother's day coming next week, there was a skit about a basement-dwelling nerd and his home-cooked Mother's day dinner (his mom would prefer a flat-screen TV). Jason's radio show gave us a small-time wrestling circuit trying to rebrand itself for the 21st century. Unfortunately, their decision to showcase their matches at Maple Leaf Gardens, now that it has turned into a supermarket, was a major snafu. There was also a skit about low budget reality-show-based Canadian game shows (with an appearance by Bob Barker), and a little girl who decided to grow giant testicles (courtesy of Jason's trip to a "Rocky Mountain oyster" festival).

The skits were generally funny but they recycled too many gags. The funniest elements from that first show was the recurring character and the we-are-the-world style song at the end of the night. For this show, they kept mining those two with a gimpy tiny-Tim character and an improvised song at the end of every skit. Some jokes do result from repetition but usually, and in this case, it's a diminishing return.

Po + rk = um(2)y(2)

On Saturday, St. George along the University of Toronto was closed for an outdoors "Science Fair" hosted by university students. Parents with children in tow can visit various booths to bounce on top of a wading pool filled with non-Newtonian fluid, set fire to a calorie-rich gummi bear in a test tube, learn about genes, and discover other scientific experiments in biology, pharmacy, chemistry and other sciences.

There were also 4 food trucks on hand to feed the horde: El Gastronomo, Toasted Tangerine, Cupcake Diner, and Shriner's Creek Popcorn. Having already eaten a large corn pie from Jumbo Empanada, I was too full to try very much. But I did get small pork schnitzel ($6.50) from Gastronomo.

It was tender pork, well-breaded and fried but not overly oily. The squirt of lime and chopped herbs added a fresh touch. Though light and flavourful, I'm not sure the garlic aioli added much to the dish.

Unlike other food truck gatherings, there was no line-up. In fact, while I was there, no horde made an appearance. The families who were there didn't seem inclined to pay $8 for Korean chicken wings or pressed sandwiches. The vendors may not have even covered the cost of keeping their generators running.

Soul Man

I was so excited for the one-two punch of soul music from Maylee Todd and Lee Fields Saturday night at The Great Hall that I pulled out the good suit. Sometimes you have to dress up, especially for a show with such a great vibe.

Duane Forrest was the early act at 9:30. This early, only 20 or so people showed to listen to his acoustic soul. Accompanied by a latin percussionist, he got the vibe going with some catchy tunes. He specialized in short staccato rhymes and a laid-back tropical feel to his songs.

Maylee came on at 10:30. It was relatively early for an evening set but the place was 3/4 full with the seats in the balcony also taken. It has been a while since I saw her with a full band. For tonight, she added a trombonist and a Jill-of-All-Trades backup singer/keys/sax/flute to her regular line-up. Those new to her music were pleasantly puzzled by her strap-on harp to start her set, but enjoyed her chill rhythm and clear voice. For the second (also slow-tempo) song, with her on piano and singing passionately "I did everything I could", they were starting to dance. By the time she sang the chorus to Hieroglyphics ("Everybody needs some mouth to mouth") or the slow-burn "I Try", people were either dancing deliriously, singing along, or vocally testifying. She debuted some very "sexy jams" (in her words) as well as a groovy take on Sesame Street's pinball song. When her set ended, with her in the middle of the crowd shouting out "Do You Know What It Is", most people knew who Maylee Todd was.

Lee Fields was a soul singer from the 70s who never got that big hit. When the 80s rolled around and musical tastes changed, he fell into obscurity and left the business. With current interests for that retro sound, his old albums became collector's items and his last album "My World" was a surprise hit. Being in demand, he recorded a second one "Faithful Man", and is currently selling out (if tonight's crowd is an indication). He drew on the new record to sing hurting songs such as "Faithful Man", "Still Hanging On", "Wish You Were Here", "Who Do You Love" or cocky ones like "I Still Got It" and "You're The Kind Of Girl". He also sang some old favourites from "My World" including the titular one and "Money Is King". He was the consummate showman engaging in smooth banter with young women on "Ladies", and often screaming out "I love you" to the crowd. His stage act may be well-practiced, but seeing a 62-year-old man drenched in sweat after singing and dancing for 1.5 hours, you can't deny his passion. He ended his encore with a cover of "Sunny" that started slow and sweet and finished big and exhilarating.

After several hours of dancing to wonderful music, I was also well-drenched. I'm going to have to add the cost of a dry-cleaning to tonight's outing. Worth every penny.

Oldie But a Goodie

Ceviche

Tom Thai opened Foxley on Ossington several years back after closing his sushi restaurant at College and Clinton. It was the first upscale restaurant here before the Ossington strip got hot. Since then, attention has been paid to all the newcomers: Pizza Libretto, Fish Bar, Yours Truly. But returning to this restaurant reveals that he still has the touch, and the restaurant is still full though the long line-up is down to a table or two.

Tom does Asian fusion and fish extremely well, understated but flavourful. No surprise that his Artic char ceviche is perfectly cooked its tart base, retaining a slight chewiness. The black cod stewing in a salty broth with Asian greens is likewise tender and sweet, with a hint of leafy bitterness. The crispy shrimp can be crispier, but each portion is generous and mixes well with the fresh herb. The meat dishes are not as mouth-watering, but they still acquit themselves. The spiced venison wrapped in la lot (betel) leaf edges out the braised beef cheeks in curry as the better dish. However, the la lot needs to be grilled longer, to really bring out its distinct aroma and flavour.

Black cod

Crispy shrimp

Braised beef cheeks curry

Spiced venison la lot

This is a great meal that must be enjoyed in the correct manner: tapas-style to be shared with your fellow diners. Otherwise you end up like the table next to mine: 3 young women picking desultorily at their individual dishes.

Soletaken

Since I missed Steamboat's CD release and their soul/funk music by going to the Garrison last Friday, I decided to remedy my soul deficit by listening to some classic soul covered by A Soul at the Holy Oak this time around. Opening for them was a short acoustic set from Duane Forrest. His reggae-inflected songs, often with short syncopated rhymes, got the groove going. It's the first time I've heard Toronto landmarks name checked in a soul song. He also had a song called "Jersey Shore" (strictly coincidental) that was a lot classier than the TV show.

A Soul was shaggier than usual, playing most songs with lots of extended jams. Luckily, Maylee Todd kept everything in line and on track. At the end of the 1st set, a particularly funky song stopped an Eastern European baba passing by. Inspired by the music and Maylee's dancing, she stepped inside and started to dance too. When the jam threatened to kill the song's momentum, Maylee took control with her vocals and got the band to segue to a rousing rendition of "I Was Made To Love Her".

I Contain Multitudes

Walking past a rather desolate section of Dundas St. W and Bathurst Friday morning, I spy a series of tiny storefronts housed inside metal shipping containers. After talking to the proprietors, it turns out that this was a year-old Toronto initiative to provide cheaper start-up alternatives for entrepreneurs. Although there used to be a mix of businesses, most are now eateries serving "street food". As such, we have Middle-eastern, Korean, Chinese, Filipino, Montford Cheese, etc. A Mexican pupusa joint and Indian "burgers" will open in a few weeks. This seems like a wonderful alternative to the food-cart fiasco as well as the trend-du-jour of food trucks. Let's have lunch.

Korean snacks

First up is Kim's A La Cart. With a plethora of cheap options I settle on gimmari (3 for $2): glass noodles stuffed inside fried laver (seaweed), a pork skewer ($2), Korean pancake ($1.75), squid balls (3 for $1), and pan-fried rice cake ($1). Next time I'll have to ask that they put the spicy sauce on the side, otherwise it's slathered on everything. The gimmari has an unusual taste and texture, like a fishy spring-roll. The pork resembles more a bacon slice: so fatty and tasty. The pancake and squid balls are rather bland. The rice cake is a delicious hit of browned carb.

Next is Le Casbah serving Tunisian food. For $6, I get the "sandwich maison": 2 small merguez (halal lamb sausage from Montreal) with caramelized onions, harissa (spicy chili garlic sauce) in a demi-baguette. The bread is soft and chewy and the merguez has a nice texture. The meat itself is a little mild and could use more spice. I will have to come back for the camel slider/burger.

For dessert, I order a vanilla ice-cream crepe ($4) from House of Jaffles. It's a cool, slightly sweet way to finish off lunch. Next time, I'll probably add nutella or other toppings to give it a little more variety. One concern is that the crepe is served in a small paper bag and not on a plate. There wasn't any leakage but it wasn't conducive to lingering over dessert.

Merguez sandwich

Vanilla ice-cream crepe

I will definitely be back to try out the other stores. Come summer, there will be a Food Truck Rally to highlight these tiny eateries. Of more interest is a new Farmer's Market nearby that will take place every Wednesday. In addition, there will be Night Markets as well. The first takes place this Friday (May 11th). See you there!

Singapore Eats

Salted Tofu

Singapore is famous for its street food, vendors that specialize in a single dish, as well as the variety of food informed by its mixed heritage of Chinese, Malay, Indian, etc. Toronto has never had much exposure to these "hawker" food. I recall going to a Singaporean noodle place in Chinatown (sadly defunct) and a tapas-style food bar (now housing County General). Newly opened Hawker Bar on hot Ossington Ave aims to change that, although neither the owners or chefs lived in Singapore.

Walking in Thursday evening, I find this restaurant's decor is typical of current trends: high, small, wooden tables and dark walls. The menu is small, comprising of about 12 items and 2 daily dishes. They haven't received their liquor license so I will have to satisfy my thirst with their ginger tea. This is an acquired taste as its strong, medicinal smell and flavour never goes away. I order two appetizers: Singapore chicken wings ($9), salted silken tofu ($6); a main dish: Beef rendang, braised ox cheek with coconut rice ($12); and a banana fritter dessert ($4).

Singapore chicken wings

Beef rendang

Banana fritter

The little cubes of tofu are fun to eat with the house dipping sauce but aren't noteworthy. The ox cheek are soft and tender, but the curry could pack more heat. The rice is disastrous, overly salty and wet. The wings are delicious and the best dish of the night. The soy-sauce marinade gives them a wonderful brown with the skin perfectly crispy. The banana fritter batter is infused with pandan leaves, giving it a rather odd green colour. The effort is wasted as you cannot taste the pandan; it is more commonly used in steamed dishes to better absorb the flavour. I believe that regular bananas are used. Certainly, the dessert is very mild and forgettable. Typically, banana fritters use thinly sliced lady finger (sugar) bananas, which gives you a sweeter and crisper treat.

Like all restaurants on the Ossington strip, this restaurant is packed. But for my money, the Hawker Bar's kitchen has some growing pains and need to refine their dishes.