A few weeks ago, on my way to the Ottawa airport, I had a conversation with the taxi driver. He is a Lebanese mechanical engineer who had a successful career working for oil companies in the Gulf for the past 10 years. On the advice of his sister, he emigrated to Canada last winter. Since arriving, he has been driving a taxi for the past 5 months. Of course, he did not want to continue ferrying people about forever. He was hopeful that once he is recertified, he will be able to find work in his field somewhere out west in Alberta.
I hope that he will become one of the successful immigrant stories and not another 'PhD driving a taxi' dead-end. I have heard more than my share of immigrant professionals who have had to give up on their career: first hand, second hand (via my mom who works with many immigrants), or third hand (via the many stories reported in the media). The lucky ones were able to return to their home country, most settle here with bitterness in their heart.
Someone should gather these testimonials and start a website: dontcometocanada.com or perhaps the less hyperbolic truthaboutimmigration.ca.
As a final note, on his very first taxi fare, a local Canadian stiffed him to the tune of $30. Interpret that as you will.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Northern Paradise
Foxley At Ossington
The restaurant Foxley on Ossington just south of Dundas St. W does Asian fusion tapas-style dishes quite well. However, chef Tom Thai has a much defter hand with fish than meat. The meat dishes, though substantial and delicious, are all relatively heavy sauce wise. More than one meat dish will start to feel similar. However, the fish dishes, especially the ceviche offerings, are wonderful. For a dinner for two, with a total of 5 dishes on average, I would recommend no more than 1 meat.
Ossington between Dundas and Queen West is gentrifying. There are now numerous restaurants and trendy bars for hipsters of all stripes. I was here when this strip was mostly Vietnamese restaurants and karaoke. Certainly, this gentrification benefits the newer folks who now frequent this area as well as the landlords of these new establishments. However, are the remaining stores on this strip as well as the surrounding Little Portugal benefitting too? Are the new employees local to the area (i.e., there has been an employment boost)? Are the people going to these places also moving to the area (i.e., providing an economic boost to the area in terms of municipal taxes for schools, etc.)? Are the locals going to the new bars, restaurants, and galleries?
If I had to guess I would say that the gentrification of Ossington has provided little economic benefit or cultural/social relevance to the working-class people who still make up the bulk of this neighbourhood.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Yuzu? I zu!
$60 omakase dinner at Yuzu (236 Adelaide St W, Toronto) not including tax + tip.
Courses:
- 4 piece amuse-bouche in wooden boxes: oyster + raw quail egg shooter, deconstructed crab claw, haddock fried in yuzu sauce, eel stuffed with burdock.
- Soup with shrimp dumplings (contains chopped shiso), shiitaki mushroom, asparagus, and lotus root.
- Presentation of aji (horse mackerel) on a bed of fried leeks, herb, with a tiny deep-fried crab perched on a bamboo leaf, surrounded by ice pellets and pebbles.
- A selection of tempura: eggplant, unagi eel, and shiso leaf.
- Sauteed black cod marinated in a mizo sauce.
- A tiny hot pot of shrimp, enoki mushroom, chinese cabbage and green onions.
- A selection of 4 slightly seared nigiri: shrimp with raw quail egg, + 3 others (most distintive was the octopus flesh which was carved as a tiny octopus with little tentacles).
- Vanilla ice cream with home-made strawberry jam and gelatinous cubes of seaweed.