Dang It

On these trips to Toronto, I still work remotely. But I take advantage of the early wake-up to get most of my work in. So after the daily meeting before noon, I was done for the day. Friday morning, I struggled to get through some peer reviews. Perhaps I'm turning into a cranky greybeard, but these greenhorn always implement unnecessarily complex solutions to simple problems. Paradoxically, they don't scale to handle the hard problems. But our flat structure meant I have no authority to be the final arbiter. So perhaps it was time to take a step back: "not my circus, not my monkeys".

Filipino cafe Teako opened after my sublet. I tried their tea on one of my later visit to the area. I promised to sample the food, and one year later, I finally made good on it. Instead of crepes and sandwiches, I chose from the filipino section and ordered Chicken Adobo ($16.99). The sky was partly cloudy but the oppressive heat was still in place. So a Jasmine iced tea ($5.99) sounded like perfect drink.

The tea was refreshing with a hint of sweetness from the honey. I almost finished it by the time my lunch came out. The wait was worth it though. The chicken was exquisite: lightly sauced, tender, and juicy. The garlic rice was delicious but different than the typical one at filipino restos. Its buttery fluffiness called to mind an elevated version of Uncle Ben's. I felt bad that the owner gave me a complimentary slice of cinnamon roll. I would try their entire menu if I still lived in the area. But I might not return before they close because realistically speaking, their store was at a desolate intersection of a still working-class neighbourhood. The sad demise of Jinglepear Deli, just a few doors down, was proof. Ditto the loss of other recent contenders who didn't even make it to two years: Leni Poki became Cafe Xin Chao (itself not currently opened), Montreal Smoked Meat turned into a Josie's Lock and Key, Fusion Factory (replacing old stalwart Great Burger Kitchen) was also "temporarily closed". 

I spent some time at Greenwood Park digesting my food while watching numerous activities. There must be some sort of day-camp and/or community organization: the playground, wading pool, and outdoor rink were filled with kids. Adult softball teams were playing at the baseball diamonds. The games were from different rec leagues, though one set of teams had uniforms. There were also exercisers, dog walkers, and sun-tanners. This was much busier than my local park in Ottawa.

Since I supported POC proprietors at lunch, I decided to keep doing so for dinner. So I headed to Greenwood and Queen to the tiny Dang Smoke BBQ. Dang Quach started his food truck in 2017 (long after my obsession with them) and finally opened his tiny, mostly take-out spot in 2023. I didn't meet him but two workers sweating in the heat. I chose a Smoked Brisket sandwich ($16) with a side of slaw ($5).

Sadly, this dinner was a bust. The slaw was runny and a touch too sweet. The brisket did satisfyingly fall apart but it didn't have enough seasoning or smoky flavour. What little it had was masked by the "whisky bbq sauce". This cloying gloop came from a large, plastic jug bottle. It didn't matter if it was house-made or came from Sysco, it was just bad. The sticky, chewy brioche buns dealt the final blow. There is never a reason to use this overrated bread. After several great meals including Teako, this was an ignoble last meal for this trip.