From The Ashes

With the train arriving in Toronto past midnight due to the delay, I got home late. I spent a quiet Canada Day decompressing. There was an absence of fireworks in the evening because most people probably agreed with the sentiments of Indigenous Canadians given recent events. All except my neighbour "Tricky Dick". But given that he allegedly acquired 2 properties and the half acre of private green space that was The Rusholme Lawn Bowling Club through "interesting" tactics a few decades ago, it didn't surprise me that he decided to set off fireworks anyway.

On Friday, I walked along Dundas St. W. to see what the patios were like this year. Most restaurants have expanded and some even hired professional installers like Grip Block. It has been months since I had pho so I sat down at Pho Phuong (Phoenix) near Brock St. Back in the day, I was more of a Pho Linh customer, and occasionally ate at Pho Phuong Hoang (Royal Phoenix) or Pho Canh Buom (Ship Sail). This establishment was an upscale Vietnamese place that opened as Dundas was gentrifying. So I figured I'd leave it for the young hipsters who were flocking to the area.

I chose some shrimp fresh rolls ($6.50) and a small bowl of pho ($11.95). As expected, the presentation was prettier than other places. The rolls had a good chew and didn't fall apart. But their decision to use chopped up lettuce and cut back on the mint and chive made them a bit bland. The pho was also good with a fragrant broth and good mix of noodles and beef. I had chosen both rare beef slice and the more tender brisket.

Overall, it was a nice lunch. I was wincing a bit at the final tally (tax + tip) but even hole-in-the-wall Pho Linh wasn't cheap anymore. But I took a small exception to the fact that the prices were slightly higher than on the menu. Even if the front page stated that "prices may change without notice", I'm not a fan of this practice. The 30-35% typical addition to the bill for taxes and tip are already a sore point for me.

Heaven Is A Place In Berth

On Wednesday, I settled in at Tremblay Station waiting for my 3 pm train back to Toronto. It was a nice month-long stay with family but I was excited to get back for patio season in The Big Smoke. With arrival time just before 8 pm, I decided that I'll grab a pizza slice when I get there. Then we heard that the trip will be delayed due to a railway crossing accident. Some people re-scheduled their travel but most of us hung in there hoping for good news. Finally, it was announced that our train will depart at 6:15 pm.

I didn't want to buy an over-priced dinner onboard. With the new LRT, I thought that I could do a quick hop downtown and find better options. In fact, I remembered a sign for a new Poke place a few years back somewhere on Bank St. I found the website for Paradise Poke and ordered a Sweet Heat ($14.85). After a round-trip to pick up my dinner, I was back at the station.

This was an enjoyable rice bowl due to the combination of sweet mango, crunchy cucumber, earthy edamame, and spicy tofu. The fried scallions added some fragrance. I would have replaced the beet with something soft like zucchini or bean sprouts. That sated feeling gave me equanimity when the time was pushed back again to 8.

I wasn't the only one to get take-out. Others had similar thought but they used food delivery services instead. Ultimately, none of us needed those meals. We were mollified that Via Rail was giving us a 100% credit for the next booking due to the delay. But once aboard they also gave us free snacks, drinks, and eventually huge pizza slices. It was perhaps the second-worst pizza I've had; the worst was a cardboard mess from Amato's (pandemic RIP). Something about its mildly warm doughiness was less appetizing than good cold pizza. But folks weren't complaining and some even accepted seconds. Given the goodwill people have for free stuff, I don't know why Via doesn't simply offer complimentary meals for all riders, not just those in business class.

The Past Is A Different Country

For my run on Monday, I decided to check out Cardinal Heights in summer. It wasn't as leafy as its well-off northern neighbour because it was mostly lawns. The parks were more appealing and this was a nice area of mature houses sandwiched between industrial streets. I kept running eastward past the Elmridge Tennis Club into Beacon Hill South. The pretty houses gave way to densely packed garden homes. Decades ago, my extended family lived in this area as new immigrants. They look tiny today and it's astonishing that for the first few years, we somehow found room for more than 10 people in a 3-bedroom unit. Ridge Park, so huge in my memories, wasn't so expansive in reality. Yet it retained its charm thanks to the numerous grown trees providing pleasant shade.

On Tuesday, I visited Pilos for lunch. Yesterday's run reminded me that this Greek restaurant was one of the first "fancy" places I went to. We were too poor to go out for meals (or even order take-out) growing up. But when I finally had a bit of my own money, what started as dinners with friends at chain restaurants like Eastside Mario's and Olive Garden eventually led to nicer options. After 30 years in business, Pilos was still the only option for fine dining around here.

They have finally built a patio due to the pandemic restrictions. It didn't have much of a view, but it was still enjoyable to sit outside. I ordered the vegetarian moussaka plate ($21.95). The table next to me, probably workers from nearby Montfort Hospital, raved en français about their souvlaki lunches. Pilos has always been popular with francophones from Vanier. As for me, this was reminiscent of most of the Greek restaurants along the Danforth in Toronto. You eat for the nostalgia but with the too-dry rice and the barely-trying Greek salad, this was merely edible. The roasted potatoes and the moussaka were good but not $30 (with tax + tip) good. But in any case, I fully expect Pilos to last another 30 years.

Mama Mia

Visiting family meant that home-cooked meals were bigger than my own portions in Toronto. I have also begun eating breakfast again, after a relative told me a factoid (which has mild evidence) that skipping meals may result in gallstones. In any case, I have kept up my exercise by running in the early morning through vacant land between the Ottawa river and Montreal Rd. This area once housed military personnel. Mattamy Homes are now building townhouses, but large chunks of land closer to the river lie fallow. So it was criss-crossed with small, overgrown roads, dotted here and there with remnants of driveways.

One such run led me all the way to St. Laurent Blvd and Hemlock where I found a small cluster of shops. On Wednesday, I returned with my mother for lunch. I wasn't sure if she would be able to walk all the way here through these old roads. But with mild weather and a downhill trajectory, we made good time.

We first stopped at Bread and Roses. This small bakery offered a large selection of baked goods and desserts, and was also stocked at various stores and coffee shops in Ottawa. We got a banana loaf ($9.95), whole-wheat oat bread ($5.25), and some croissants ($2.25). Over the week, I tried these items. Like the tacos from last week, pretty good for Ottawa but would be forgettable in Toronto.

The patio view at Mia's Indian Cuisine didn't offer much: either a strip mall parking lot (that until last year had a Dairy Queen from 1976) or Beechwood Cemetery. From the lunch menu we chose a chicken curry ($12.95), saag panner ($14.95), and a naan ($3.50). I was expecting a family-style spread but it came out as "thali"-esque. Which is to say a Western-style plate with rice, salad, vegetables, and the main. It wasn't surprising in retrospect since the other customers were elderly white folks.

My mom and I did end up sharing our dishes. This was a good lunch if a bit on the bland side, especially for South Asian food. This seems to be a recurring complaint about this city, whether it was food or any other aspect.