And Now We Sing

On Saturday, I had already bought a ticket to see Mo Kenney, an acclaimed songwriter from the East coast. But a friend wanted to enjoy a night downtown. Since she doesn't have too many nights off as a busy parent, I couldn't turn her down. First, we stopped off at Banjara. Even though this Indian spot at Christie Pits Park has doubled in capacity, it was fully packed with 5-6 groups waiting for a table. This went on for the whole night. So it was lucky we got there as the last sets of tables were available. It was just good Indian food, not great. Particularly disappointing since the restaurant critic in the Globe and Mail was raving about a new biryani joint in Scarborough. All the great ethnic restaurants are located in the suburbs.

But one advantage of downtown living is the convenience. So after dinner, we walked a couple of blocks West to buy some Korean brown sugar pancakes. It must be the promise of spring because that bakery was hopping with people, too. And so were most places along Bloor St. As we were already in the area, we decided to stop off at a Korean karaoke joint. I've never had the occasion to visit one, so was curious to check it out. Despite the slightly grungy exterior, it was clean and neat inside. Unlike North American bars where you sing in front of everyone, this place was divided into small rooms. For $20/hour, you get your own Karaoke machine. The song selections were mostly Korean but there were plenty of English songs. It was a surprisingly fun activity to wrap up the evening. But for a singer with a limited range, it's easy to strain for notes. I could feel my voice blowing out so I made sure to drink a lot of water when I got home.