Yo No

On Thursday, I headed once again to The Rex for some Jazz and then later to a trendy Vietnamese eatery. I suspected that the 5:30 pm show with Jessica Lalonde won't be as fun as Marie Goudy's set but I have enjoyed Lalonde bel canto-trained voice in the past.

It turned out I was right. Her set consisted of more or less Jazz standards (Day In Day Out, Blue Prelude, Squeeze Me). It's technically impressive that Jazz musicians can play competently along to charts but it didn't thrill me that they were still discussing transitions and arrangements before the show. So I wasn't surprised that the playing was filled with walking bass, sax fills, plinking piano chords, and other stereotypical Jazz tropes. I'm not too enamored with Leonard Cohen so Dance Me To The End of Love wasn't improved as a Jazz cover (Madeleine Peyroux). I liked Lalonde's singing and I hope that she'll collaborate with composers (for example, her singing with John MacMurchy) on new music with a bit more vitality.

There was no reason to stay for the 2nd set so I headed up McCaul Street past OCAD to look for a dinner spot. I briefly considered stopping by Manpuku which I haven't visited in 2 years. But I heard some buzz about Dzo, a contemporary Vietnamese diner at Dundas and McCaul. With its bright, plastic lanterns, pulsing music, and young clientele, it exuded a night market meets trendy club vibe.

The papaya salad ($15) was good but it was too large as a starter. I would have preferred a smaller but cheaper (say $8) option. I was tempted by their Mi Quanh because most Vietnamese restaurants do not offer this central Vietnam noodle dish. But I was more intrigued by their Bo La Lot (betel leaf-wrapped grilled beef) Tacos ($19). That turned out to be a culinary disaster.

The wrap was more flat bread than corn shell. But that was an acceptable misstep. The main problem was the over-salted beef: I almost stopped after 2 bites. And instead of letting the smoky and unusual flavour of grilled betel leaf be prominent, some cloying hoisin-like sauce was slathered on. With the final bill including tax and tip close to $50 (and $25 for music/beer at The Rex), tonight was a disappointing hit on the pocketbooks.

Heading home, I noticed that the stretch of Baldwin between McCaul and Dundas was still lively with restaurants. Though with the addition of more Asian spots to mainstays like Ryu's Noodle Bar and Koh Lipe, there is a shift away from European fare like Café La Gaffe.