Around Every Corner

On my trip to Toronto, because of heavy dinners at Lao Lao and Pho Hanoi, I made an effort to run the next morning. Thursday was quite chilly so it was a short 30-minute jog. I ran along Gloucester St. and observed new buildings alongside older homes. Amazingly, at Jarvis and Earl, I saw a sign for a condo development. The townhouses it will replace were a mere 24 years old since they were built only in 1999. When I reached Sherbourne, I ventured into the dense apartment complexes I had seen before either walking on Sherbourne or travelling on buses along Parliament St. through Cabbagetown. They were just as depressing and derelict up close as from afar. But rich and poor live (or used to) cheek-to-jowl in Toronto. Because a stone's throw away just off Bloor St. was Castle Frank crescent. Hidden away in this cul-de-sac was some finely appointed homes. And next to it was the grand Rosedale Heights School of the Arts.

For my more pleasant Friday morning run, I took an hour and approximately the same route with minor variations. Some old-school businesses were hanging on along Howard St. despite development all around. When I crossed the Bloor Viaduct over the Don Valley, I fantasized about running on top of the stone railing. With tightly-spaced steel rods installed in 2003 (named The Luminous Veil) to prevent suicide jumps, there was no chance of falling. The Danforth and Greektown was mostly empty this early, though commuters were starting to head to the subway stations.

I have also been doing long walks, too. So later on Friday, I headed to the Dovercourt and Ossington area along Wellesley. I got a bit turned around in the Queen's Park area and the ongoing construction of King's Circle on the University of Toronto campus. I finally made it to Harbord to continue my walk. There was plenty of construction along there as well including the entire closure of Palmerston Blvd for new water mains. After I picked up some pastries from Barbershop, I hopped onto a streetcar heading back the other way.

I took transit because I wanted to grab lunch at a new restaurant called The Cottage Cheese. This fine-dining Indian bistro was at the original location of Urban Herbivore. I've eaten at the latter countless times and have also taken advantage of their outdoor bench for people-watching during Pedestrian Sundays.

The first two dishes were excellent. The complimentary raisin and corn fritter had a light airy chew. The Shashlik Paneer Tikka ($16) comprised of thick paneer (cottage cheese), bell peppers, and pineapple that have been all roasted in a tandoori oven. This gave the cheese and peppers a smoky crust while the pineapple oozed juicy sweetness. Combined that with chutney and a sprinkling of masala powder and this appetizer was quite satisfying.

Unfortunately, the entrée was a let-down. My veggie biryani ($18) was covered by naan bread. The server then proceeded to slice it open. So the biryani wasn't actually cooked inside an entire naan "bowl", which would have been quite a feat. But interesting gimmick aside, there were several problems with the dish. Despite this place's aspiration, the flatbread wasn't fluffy and tasty. It didn't compared to the humble Lahore Grill, my yardstick for quality naan. Also, the byriani was too wet and a bit bland. It lacked enough cardamon seed (and other spices) for good flavouring.

There have been attempts at upscale Indian including Aravind and Amaya. The Cottage Cheese wasn't at their level, let alone the ne plus ultra of Chef Debu Saha. The owner-chef will have to up their game if they want to succeed. One interesting note: their music playlist sounded familiar from the first few tunes. Then as my lunch continued, I realized it was all songs that went viral on Tik Tok.