It was warmer Saturday morning compared to Friday but the snow was coming down in thick clumps. I decided that my walk today will be a number of shopping errands to stock up for Ottawa. Yonge St. was eerily empty of both cars and pedestrians. The wait for the College streetcar was longer than usual but par for the course with the weather.
I hopped off in Little Italy and made my way to Tsu Chi. I only visited this vegan Japanese café twice when it opened in 2021 because it was pricey for the portion size. But as a treat, I will buy some items on this trip. It never looked busy when I passed by during its first year but on my return to Toronto in the summer of 2022, there were customers sitting outside. Today all the tables were full and there was also a steady stream of folks coming in for take-away. I chose Matcha Tiramisu ($8.50), Haru Tiramisu ($8.80), frozen Karaage strips ($12.80), and a Katsu Sando ($7.20).
Just a few blocks away were two other places on my shopping list. At The Daily Dumpling Wonton, I got some vegan wontons ($16.95) stuffed with spinach and shiitake. Over at Barbershop Patisserie, I filled a small box with Chicken Pot Pies ($7/each), Apple Chaussons ($4.50), and butter croissants ($4). The latter was a recent addition and they looked delicious. I stopped going to Barbershop by the summer of 2021 because a) they looked to be doing well (I was supporting local businesses during the pandemic), b) buying weekly pastries was doing a number on my waistline, and c) I wasn't really a snack or dessert person.
It was time for lunch and my destination was the corner at Bloor and Dovercourt. A pair of related restaurants opened there in 2014: Nova Lisboa and Yauca's Lounge. Lisboa closed in 2016 for Dovercourt Village Pizza and Yauca's hung on until 2019. The pizza joint (known for its spam pizza) opened a second location, got bought out by the owner of Yauca, and has now shuttered completely. Maybe its replacement, Mac's Pizza, will do a better job but Mac has heavy competition with a nearby location of juggernaut Maker Pizza.
I wanted to try Yauca's replacement: OMG Cafe and Tapas. Gentrification has killed off numerous Portuguese and Brazilian businesses in the area so I'm interested in any new venture that attempts to "upgrade" but remain true to the neighbourhood's roots. But unfortunately, it wasn't open.
So I headed toward Dufferin for Pam's Roti Shop. Prices have increased on all dishes. The veggie lunch special that was my go-to throughout the pandemic was now at $8.99 instead of $5.99. Today, I ordered a goat roti ($16.95) for a fragrant wrap with a slight spicy kick. Both the goat and the potato stuffing melted in your mouth. I chatted with the owner and asked about her husband. I had known previously that they caught Covid late in 2020. But I didn't know that they were in the hospitals for 2 and 5 months respectively! I saw him sitting on benches in the summer of 2021 so he had recovered reasonably well. But she thought he needed to stay away from close contact with strangers. So no more restaurant duties.
Before I headed back to the inn, I walked a few blocks west to Lansdowne. The destruction of the 3 schools at Bloor and Dufferin was complete leaving a vast urban tract ripe for development, as evidenced by all the For Lease signs attached to the fencing. This construction is transformational to Bloorcourt and Bloordale. In 10 years, I think the area will be utterly changed.
11/02/2023: The vegan "breaded cutlet sandwich" with its soft shopukan (Japanese milk bread) tasted great with some chips for the train trip back to Ottawa. Still, it was a rather small portion for $8. The tiramisu were creamy and nicely flavoured. The pastries from Barbershop were outstanding, especially the new croissants. I had forgotten about Jill Barber's deft hand at making buttery and flaky textures.
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