The Lunch Trail

When I work from home, I take advantage of the lunch spots in my neighbourhood. I decided to also try out a few near my work. But out in the city's suburbs, they tend to be concentrated at major intersections.

First up at Sheppard and Warden was Eight Noodles, a northern Chinese eatery. They make their own here and has a wide variety of choices. One caveat: most of the menu is in Chinese so you may have to go by the photos and a few text in English. I got a regular bowl of la mien ($6.99). Both the broth and the slices of beef had a strong beef flavour. The noodles were soft and chewy. It was a filling lunch but in my opinion, this style of soup doesn't have the same appeal as pho or ramen.

Next at Sheppard and Birchmount was Kub Khao. The back is more nicely decorated but usually busy, so I sat in the more utilitarian front of the restaurant. Instead of the usual thai curry, I opted for one of their "street food": a plate of grilled chicken and sticky rice called Khao Niew Kai Yang ($8.95). But this lunch was a bust. The glutinous rice was too sticky and sat heavy in the gut. The chicken had some flavour but not much else, neither crispy skin nor tender flesh. The Thai ice tea ($3.95) was nice though.