Journey To The East

I headed over to Lula Lounge on Tuesday for the CD release show of Autorickshaw, an Indo-jazz duo comprising of Suba Sankaran (vocals) and Ed Hanley (tabla). The Humours of Autorickshaw is their first disc in 7 years, and the 4th in their catalogue. Tonight, they had a full band comprising of numerous musicians who played on the CD including Andrew Craig (producer/synth), Jaran Freeman-Fox (violin) and Gordon Sheard (accordion).

Proficient at both Western jazz and singing and Indian ragas and rhythms, Sankaran easily straddled both worlds. Hanley was a dynamo on the tabla. Their set, featuring almost every new song,  often had complex rhythm and signature changes. Even a cover of Big Yellow Taxi was done in 7/8. Outside of the slow lullaby Raj Kumari, which provided suitable dreaminess for a yoga relaxation, the music was typically upbeat and fast, sometimes dizzyingly so. Such as the appropriately named Kapi-Wallah (Coffee Seller). Since Sunkaran is also part of 80s a cappella band Retrocity, she enlisted their help on choral piece Kamalajadala and Paul Simon's Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard.

I preferred their performance on the songs where they played as a smaller group. The sound system at Lula Lounge was too underpowered to provide support when there were multiple mic sources onstage. I felt the mix got a little muddy in that situation and it became cacophonous. Overall though, it was a great set with some power-house musicians.

So Yu Think Yu Can Dance

Saturday night, I headed over to the Distillery District to see CanAsian Dance's Kickstart. This program of six shorts paired up new choreographers and established mentors. It also featured Asian performers and themes. Several pieces were quite funny, belying the stereotype of "serious" Asians (and also contemporary dance). It was an enjoyable evening with some interesting ideas.

NINEEIGHT took as its main theme the 1998 repatriation of Hong Kong to China. With projected headlines speaking of "returning home" and "motherland", the 3 dancers (Michelle Lui, Milton Lim, Alex Tam) explored the meaning of these loaded terms. Inspired by the absurdist comedy of 1990s HK films (mo lei tau), they often used kinetic motions in situations that were often Buster Keaton-esque: a love triangle; an over-the-top "bro" greeting; a Wuxia-like confrontation. I found Lui's solo turn, with her slender limbs, over-sized blouse, and jerky arm movements oddly creepy. It was like watching a puppet having a nervous breakdown.

Bageshree Vaze's Kathak piece In My (Dis)Place was the most traditional. The experimentation came in the musical choices and various effects layered over her live chants (tala is a set of syllables that describe Indian drum rhythms.) The title became clear when Vaze told the audience, as she put on her ankle bells, how the bells came to her possession: her grandfather had ordered them for her mother, when she was growing up in Africa, which Vaze inherited when she started her dance lessons in Newfoundland.

Despite the title, Japanese dancers Mami Hata and Yuichiro Inoue expressed more child-like play than pain in Itai. It started with them pretending to be giant monsters destroying a city made from a collection of tape rolls, proceeding to teach the audience some Japanese phrases, and rolling gleefully around the mess. But there was also darkness, when Inoue flipped and jerked or Hata became emotionally, even autistically, lost in a series of turns and spins.

Emily Law and Troy Feldman (Translating Translation) also engaged in play as a couple who watched kung-fu movies and provided their own sound effects or narration. In parallel, they danced in solo or pas de deux in reaction with improvised choreography drawn from urban dance including break-dance. The competitive nature of a b-boy battle was a natural fit with the clips.

d.b.k. was laugh-out-loud funny. Robert Abubo was so enamoured with Ben Kamino's solo in nudity, desire that he has decided to recreate it ... in karaoke form. So the audience laughed along with Abubo as he, only passingly familiar with all his electronic gear, tried to put together the tracks (drums, guitar, voice, etc.) for a version of You're So Vain.

The final short, a slow awkward, was also the most "traditionally" contemporary. Ziyian Kwan and James Gnam started in full worker coveralls and ended in their skivvies. Along the way, a pair of suitcases, some violent confrontation, and a whole lot of sensual dance illustrated the arc of their relationship. I've never seen contemporary dance done in high heels. But the pas the deux between Kwan in red heels and a bare-footed Gnam looked worryingly dangerous (which was probably intentional). One wrong foot or kick and there could have been a world of hurt.

Bite-Sized Balls

Red Sauce is not quite a candidate for my "regular eats" list, which contains spots with tasty food in the <$15 range, since the bill averages around $20-30. On the other hand, with knuckle sandwiches and the like, it serves tasty no-fuss grub. Perhaps it's time to start a "semi-regular eats" list.

I did head over there for Saturday. This time, I opted for some calzone appetizer ($6) and the smaller meatball hero ($9). Instead of 1 large pizza pocket, I got several small ones. With the hot crust and gooey cheese filling, it reminded me of a baked version of Jumbo Empanada's cheese empanada. Although there was a sprinkling of salt, a good pepperoni slice inside would make them perfect. But to make them also palatable to vegetarians, the kitchen staff decided not to include any meat. The meatball was rich and fragrant, well-packed yet crumbled deliciously in your mouth. The single piece of fresh basil added some refreshing contrast. The soft bun was perfect to squeeze the balls tight and prevent ejection, though you still have to measure your bites.

Bang Bang

Friday night, I headed north to the Jamaican-Canadian Association center near Weston and Finch for "dinner and a movie". A local, "crowd-sourced" film was being shown, but before that: a buffet dinner. There was also to be some dancing afterwards and live performers. Things were a bit late so we didn't eat until 9 pm.

It was Jamaican food with two non-Caribbean dishes. Since they were lasagna and pasta, the combination reminded me of Kensington Market's Jamaican/Italian spot Rasta Pasta. But the carbs couldn't compare with the other choices. The fish was too tough after sitting too long in the tray. I liked the fried chicken but it was a tad greasy. However, both the curry goat and jerk chicken were good, with spices not toned down. Add some rice and beans and it was a filling meal.

The movie was hit and miss. The big technical failure was the lack of professional boom mics during the shoot. It made the audio too low and noisy. Combined with the strong Jamaican accents, and  I was lost for the most part. I'm pretty sure there was a lot of swearing though, as I heard some phrases made recently famous by our crack-head mayor Rob Ford. Also with the late hours, the fancy-dressed crowd was more in the mood for dancing and taking advantage of the massive sound system (which would shame many downtown venues) instead of sitting down. So it made for a fidgety audience.

Because of a long day, I headed home after intermission so I didn't know if they got to the dancing. But the music played before dinner was uniformly catchy and tropical.

Apres Le Deluge

Tuesday night, Red Bull Select was hosting a show at The Drake Underground. If you RSVP ahead (convenient way for them to collect email addresses and other info), you can get in for $3. There were hundreds of name on the list, but only about 60 people showed.

Paradise Animals was first on the bill. When I first saw them at Mill St. Brewery, they had some good songs but were scattershot in their musical genres. They have since tightened up their approach and provided a lively set to get the crowd dancing. Now solidly in the electro-pop/dance, they nevertheless had some interesting arrangements. They usually have a basic foundation, whether it's 4-on-the-floor dance or 70s-style funk, and transition in and out of sections with odd time signatures or poly-rhythm. It made for a enjoyable set especially when the cowbell came out and also a cover of Vitamin C (Can).

Two-man band Ark Analog (Dan Werb, Maylee Todd) was next. With a phalanx of synth machines, they were more electronic dance. In fact, they were at their best doing "experimental EDM" where, over driving bass and beats, they layered and played with many effects, including manipulating live vocals by routing it through a synthesizer keyboard ("auto-tune" gone mad). With Todd's hair in a blonde mohawk, rhythmic dancing, repeating phrases, and pounding beats, at the end there was a real electric pow-wow vibe to the music.

With trio I Break Horses coming from Sweden, perhaps the dancing can continue a la Ace of Base. But singer Maria Lindén pointed out that outside of upbeat songs like Faith and Denial, they were bringing "Dark Sweden". So despite her often up-raised arms and flying hair and the frantic drummer, it was a moodier, quieter atmosphere: with lots of reverb, sustained synth chords, and layered vocals. The crowd had thinned, but there were obvious fans who stuck around.

Family Fun Day

With so many friends shacked up and reproducing, finding kid-friendly activities are a necessity for meet-ups. So on Good Friday, everybody headed over to Walkley Bowling for the uniquely Canadian experience of 5-pin bowling. Turns out this jaunt is both wallet-friendly and fun for the tykes. 1.5 hours of bowling + shoes rental (and a free pop!) worked out to about $8 a person. The smaller and lighter balls, sans finger holes, made it easier for the kids. The really young ones can roll their balls down a plastic "dragon" ramp positioned by the parent in front of the bowling lane. The time allotted was also perfect for their attention span, since by the end they were more interested in the arcade cabinets and prize machines at the back.

For lunch, it was on to 168 Sushi, which probably started in Mississauga. Like every AYCE (all you can eat) sushi joints everywhere, there's not much to say. You can get your fill of mediocre sushi, maki, and tempura. For variety, you can try other dishes, usually Korean (kalbi, tofu, short ribs), and some Chinese (dumplings and such). This place is Chinese-run, which meant that the service was not as attentive as restaurants staffed by Japanese people. Despite a large gathering that grouped itself into two areas, and submitted two separate orders, the food was placed willy-nilly. Not to mention missing plates and unwanted (i.e., never ordered) ones. Getting glasses and cups refilled was also a chore.

Seasons

Despite being well into spring, it was still snowing with cold temperatures in Ottawa. But with better weather mid-week, I headed on out to see Captain America: Winter Soldier on Thursday. The previous day, I had watched the wonderful film Vertigo at the Bytowne, an elegant old-school cinema. I wasn't expecting a classic for this Marvel pic, but hoped that it wouldn't be too idiotic. Despite all the sound and fury on screen, I was unmoved. Mostly because there was no stakes involved. Neither good guys or bad got hurt (if you ignore all the faceless fodder and bystanders), even with the non-stop fighting, car crashes, and gun battles. It turns out that superheroes, villains, and regular spies and spooks all are terrible soldiers since they cannot seem to hit anything.

After the movie, I went to dinner at the Coconut Lagoon, a cozy neighbourhood South Indian restaurant. Out came some vegetable samosas ($7), lamb korma ($16.99), and beef vindaloo ($16.50). Like the movie, it was all too over-the-top. In this case, oily Indian which exceeds any similar places in Toronto. They were tasty dishes, but not subtle. Add to that the fried basmati rice and puratha (which is not baked like naan), and the meal sat heavy in your stomach. Both movie and dinner were reasonably enjoyable during the experience, but left you feeling mildly rueful afterwards.

On The Road

On Friday, I headed down to Chinatown to load up on provisions for a trip. Some of the items were gifts: tropical fruits that may be of lower quality in a smaller city. As I was making my choices, I was struck by the fact that despite the cosmopolitan cuisine found in Toronto restaurants, Asian ingredients including the wide variety of vegetables and fruits are not incorporated into dishes outside of ostensibly Asian dishes such as curry. I would love to see new and innovative menu items.

Other items were provender to be consumed along the way. After grabbing some bite-sized snacks, I decided that my go-to meal shall be the giant Chinese burritos I found at Qian He (the price has gone up to $3.99). The counter was occupied by a woman this time, though she was equally non-proficient at English. We could not even communicate well enough for me to learn the Mandarin names of these wraps. She was also less adept at the hot plate, so the dough did not rise as prodigiously. But the burrito was just as tasty and satisfyingly greasy. I do think this is a fool-proof dish: simple ingredients like onions and bean sprouts; store-bought sauces: sriracha, hoisin; the only tricky bits may be the salty BBQ pork and making the wrap. Why won't somebody open a franchise? And yes, it was just as delicious eaten cold the next day.

Let's Dance

Thursday night at the Horseshoe Tavern promises fun instead of mopey indie. First up was Coronado with an updated 80s electrobeat sound complete with funky bass, slinky guitar, and catchy synth. Despite the early 9 pm set, they started the evening on a upbeat note. There were plenty of new songs, and some off their debut EP. All got everybody dancing on the floor, although some couldn't quite put down their cool stance and wriggled ironically. By the time the cowbell and polyrhythmic Latin drums came out, my heart was racing from the boogie.

Second set belonged to Triple Gangers, who mined intelligent electronic dance music for their tunes. Being only 2 members tonight, they relied on bass machines and other synth aids. This gave less oomph to their songs, a live drummer would really liven up their act. But their commitment on stage to deliver sweaty music still came through and kept the crowd moving.

For proof of the power of live drumming, Language Arts was the perfect example. Though the songs were driven by singer/guitarist Kristen Cudmore (she is Language Arts), her new crew including drummer Daniel McIntosh added dimensionality to her music. Tonight, she augmented her band with a trumpetist and a backup singer. There was less dancing, but the crowd was mesmerized by the layers in every Language Arts song. Cudmore's hip-hop affinity went beyond shout-outs and dropping verses, incongruous with her twee voice, she often sing-rapped her dense lyrics. When McIntosh dove into his signature syncopated heavy beats, it was propulsive and thrilling. The Horseshoe's perfectly balanced sound showcased their wonderful music. It was their CD release, and their biggest crowd yet, including Cudmore's folks from Nova Scotia. They deserve to break out, though the CD don't quite do their music justice. It was a night of great and fun music: no sad bearded dudes in lamentation, no faux-folk instrumentation, and no emotional wailing.

Oh Brother

Before heading over to the Horseshoe for some hopefully fun music, I stopped by Isshin Ramen for dinner on a rainy Thursday. This noodle house is one of only 2 that I know that offers vegetarian broth. Given that the standard pork-based ones are so high on sodium, even if rather tasty, I decided to go for the veggie option this time around. First came the kaarage appetizers. These fried chicken strips were hot and crispy, perfect to dip into the mayo/aioli sauce. The ramen (got their special "twisty" noodles) was also good. But overall, it was disappointing. First, the broth was milder but still salty. More importantly, the vegetables weren't as abundant as expected. I was hoping for mounds of bean sprouts, mushrooms, and the like. They were there, but in about the same quantity as the regular ramen (and you get pork with those). Another misfire was the ground pork replacement in the form of firm, shredded tofu bits. Gritty and bland, they were not good. Simple, deep-fried tofu cubes would be better.

Definitely Maybe

I miss the low-key charm of "Polish Village" Roncesvalles since the area has been gentrifying for several years now. But there are new perks including trendier restaurants. Sunday night, I ventured out to Pizza Defina, one of a wave of "authentic" (i.e., has fancy brick pizza ovens) pizzeria that opened in Toronto.

The little restaurant was full but luckily a large group was leaving, freeing up several tables. I ordered the Defina Sausage ($16) with a Neapolitan crust. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of toppings from cheese (fior di latte) to sausage and miscellani (gorgonzola, shallot). Trendier trats usually go light on the ingredients. The crust wasn't as good as other places, though still quite a step up from your standard pizza joint. But the whole pie was rich and filling. Defina is a great neighbourhood spot and would be perfect before a movie at the Revue just up the street.

Socks and Soles

To raise money for Girls Rock Camp, there was a swap meet at the Garrison on Sunday afternoon. For every item, you get a ticket which can be used to get something else. I didn't have any merchandise, but I thought I'd drop by to support them and watch a few bands.

The inventory was laid out in the larger back room. Most of the items were women's merchandise: clothes, shoes, jewellery with a small men's section. Not surprisingly, there were also hipster gear including vinyls, cassette decks, turntables, etc. For whatever reason, the house lights were off. Under the dim bar lights, everyone had to scramble around with flashlight apps on their phone to see anything.

The bands were playing in the front room. I figure it would be either acoustic sets or at least with small amps. But it turned out to be quite loud from the house equipment as well as the gear brought by the bands. And the Garrison's reputation for terrible sound continues, though some of it are with musicians who relish cranking up the volume regardless of the space. So the breathy vocal of Twist got buried in the mix, when it was not ear-piercing high frequency spikes. The girl-punk/doo-wap harmonies of Patti Cake fared better, but were still overwhelmed by their instruments. Looking outside at the sunny day, I decided to spend the rest of it soaking up the rays.

3-Hit Combo

I was heading home after spending the afternoon in the northern part of the city. Passing by the new Stockyards shopping centre on Weston Rd, I was amazed at its size (including the parking garages). I suppose that outside of the downtown core, there is still enough land to build suburban-style mega-structures. Feeling rather famished, and with the subway stuck at Dufferin station, I decided to exit and grab a bite at Carla's Gourmet Burger.

To draw in more customers, they had an $8.95 combo. Certainly there were more diners than the last time I was here. The meal was perfectly sized: enough burger and fries to satisfy. I found ordering separately  before was too much food. But they should make it clear that you are getting smaller portions. Otherwise, the $7.95 burgers listed on the menu would seem too pricey for its "size". Personally, I would have paid for the regular burger because I was looking for a big protein fix.

The Pebble Is A Lie

On Saturday, I stopped by a new vegetarian place near Spadina and College for lunch. Unsurprisingly, Grasshopper offered vegan (v), gluten-free (gf), and many other acronyms. The interior is minimalist wood with vacuum-tube light bulbs. I opted for a "pulled pork" banh mi ($8.50) with kale salad and a walnut brownie ($3). It was probably the waitress' first service job, although the funny-looking iPad ordering app didn't look too helpful. Forcing waitstaff to enter options in a fixed series of steps and selecting items by picture are not good design.

The vegan sub was reasonably tasty with a softer bun. There was a good balance with the tangier daikon and carrots. The kale was also fresh with bits of crunchy cabbage. But I couldn't get over the portion size given the $8.50 price tag. The salad was a mere (literal) fistful. And I can get veggie banh mi of similar quality for less than half. The brownie was dark and rich. But like other flour-less dessert, it was too dense and cakey. I was done after about 2 bites. Hmm, half the size for half the price. That would be a good menu choice. A good enough place, but unless vegetarians can grow money trees, not much of a deal.

Dare To Be Stupid

Friday night, I excitedly went to The Comedy Bar on Bloor St. to catch a show called "Weird Al Karaoke". To my disappointment, there were no Weird Al songs, but local comics and others trying to write their own parody songs. To be fair, there were funny numbers and performers. We had food songs: Bad Beef Stew (Sad But True) reminding me of Heavy Metal Vegan Chef, Chinese Food (Spiderweb); slighly risqué tunes: Mohels (Royals), Porn To Cum (Born To Run); and Hollywood tributes from a Save By The Bell song called I Hate You Zach (I Want You Back) to a Games Of Thrones number entitled I'm Jon Snow (Let It Go). Along with props and audience participation, it was a fun evening.

But it also clearly showed why Weird Al has such a long and on-going career when many of the parodied artists have faded. He has a knack for writing quite clever songs, and we're not even talking about his great original numbers. Unlike many tonight, he doesn't restrict himself to the same rhyming sounds, giving him more freedom to write. At the same time, he maintains the rhyming scheme, inducing a strong feeling of similarity. In fact, most parody songs (tonight and also most online) fail this crucial restriction. Which only leads me to believe that someone should host a real Weird Al Karaoke night in this city.

Everywhere You Cook

After a few mostly vegetarian meals, I really wanted a meaty dinner. I thought about good old Korean BBQ. So Thursday night, I headed over to Koreatown on Bloor. Unfortunately, my top choices were full. I finally settled on Korea House, though it was mostly empty. It was established back in 1973. Old and deserted weren't good signs but we shall see.

I ordered the Bulgogi dinner ($14.95). Along with an 4 kim chi dishes, a large metal plate of beef short ribs came out. There weren't the interesting variety like other joints, but the kimchi was spicy and of average quality. The ribs were fatty, reasonably tender (given the price and portion size, it won't be the primest cut), and filling. Service was lackadaisical compared to other Korean restaurants and in fact reminded of the taciturn owner of the Korean "fast food joint" Yummy BBQ. Okay food but no great shakes, it will be low on my list of options for the future.