Grillmasters

Not being much of a meat-eater anymore, I don't usually frequent restaurants that do deep-frying or grilling. But I recently visited two such places and I admit that these types of meat preparation are delicious and make most people reluctant to switch to a plant-based diet.

With the unbearable heat last Wednesday, I wasn't going to cook dinner. I wandered along Bloor through Little Korea almost to the start of the Annex looking for a dine-in option. I was happy to see that non-descript Her Chef was still open despite the pandemic. It was a nice discovery just before the first lockdown in the winter of 2020. During my meal tonight, the other diners and take-outs were young folks because this kind of comfort food (and generally wallet-friendly prices) appealed to their lifestyle. My dinner of Coco Shrimp ($5.99) and Chicken Mayo on rice ($7.99), so lip-smackingly oily, was perhaps a little too decadent for my waistline or arteries. But those dishes went down easy!

On Monday, I met up with some out-of-town friends. They wanted to try a Yakitori (grilled chicken) place because although Ottawa finally has Izakayas, these niche places haven't made it there yet. I suggested Zakkushi in the East end on Carlton between Jarvis and Parliament. I warned them that I haven't been there in years but the quality would likely have remained high. I got there early and walked around the neighbourhood to gauge its gentrification level.

I needn't have worried because my pals were blown away by the food. We tried a lot of the chicken skewers from heart and skin to thighs and various meatball concoctions. But we also ordered plenty of beef and pork. There was only 3 vegetarian dishes on the menu, not counting the seaweed salad, etc. I thought that the king oyster mushroom more than held its own in flavour and texture. A highlight was a pork skewer wrapped in sticky rice. Like Yaki Onigiri, the crispiness of the rice made the dish quite addictive. 

We ended the night heading to Parliament looking for a dessert place. Unfortunately, one of my friend was suffering major knee pains and we couldn't walk too far. We also ran into a few indigents who are being pushed out of all Toronto neighbourhoods. These encounters were normal for me but for suburban folks, it was all rather scary.