Out of Africa

Though I have been to the Danforth and Donlands area, it was usually for dinner parties. So on Saturday, I decided to walk around the neighbourhood. There was a good mix of restaurants and other stores along this stretch of Danforth. But there wasn't actually a lot of foot traffic. I claim that this was due to the fact that the street was too wide. It felt more like a thoroughfare than as an area for strolling around.

I finally stopped at Le Plato, a restaurant serving West African food, that opened last year. Unfortunately, being located in the basement, you can't really see it. Even the sign is tucked away above the stairwell. In addition, it was hidden around the corner at the bottom so the first thing you see is a boarded up store.

Inside, the restaurant was small and cozy, though the lighting was perhaps too dim. As West Africa had primarily French colonies, the menu was in "la belle langue". The server also spoke fluent French so feel free to practice yours with him. For dinner, I ordered Makayabu ($10), a fish dish, with Jollof rice ($5) and Alloco ($5). While waiting, I also got a glass of Bissap ($2). The drink, made from hibiscus flowers, was fruity. The salted cod came grilled with onions and bell peppers and a mildly spiced sauce. Its saltiness wasn't too strong, though it definitely overwhelmed the sauce and veggies. The rice itself, from the one-pot-meal family of dishes, similar to paella and possibly the ancestor to jambalaya, was red and fragrant. It was on the dry side, so I found it was tastier to soften up the rice by mixing in the sauce and sautéed veggies. The Alloco, or fried plantain, was crisp and chewy. It was a delicious meal from an under-represented part of the world.

The Big Sound

Friday evening, I went down to the Roy Thompson Hall patio for a musical collaboration. As part of their summer music series which highlighted local musicians, they had also formed the "Massey Hall Band" composed of 18 players: trombones, saxes, trumpets as well as percussion, bass, and so on. Tonight, they were showcasing 10 songs from Bry Webb, each arranged by a different band member. Webb himself was also there to provide vocals and guitar.

Any thought of Kenny G smooth jazz or even Motown funk disappeared with songs like Asa and Big Smoke from Webb's recent solo efforts. It was modern arrangements that augmented the pop roots of these tunes. Highlights included the shimmering harmonic swell of Rivers of Gold and the cinematic Low Life. But as Webb comically noted before Ex-punks, his 15-year-old skateboarding self would have sneered at him.

But how did they do on heavier songs including those from his old band The Constantines? Actually even better. The arrangements captured the distortion and feedback of a rock back with Colin Stetson-esque solos, controlled cacophany, and propulsive bass and drums. Webb looked thrilled to be able to let loose with raging vocals despite standing in front of horns instead of cranked up amps. Young Lions was great and The Constantines' unofficial anthem Shine A Light was a KO punch. Well, perhaps under other circumstances. Because amazingly, Love In Fear, a song that Webb hasn't performed in 10 years, was even more jaw-droppingly powerful. I honestly thought they out-rock The Constantines when I saw the latter at Massey Hall last year.

Bry Webb released a vinyl of his own solo performance at Massey Hall. With the concert being professionally recorded tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if there was another release. This was an unexpected but astonishing collaboration.

Seat and Eat

On Friday, I went to the Howard Park and Dundas St W area for lunch. This area is still a bit down-at-the-heels but gentrification is happening along this stretch. One of them is Dundas Park Kitchen which the Globe and Mail restaurant critic raved about last year. Since this husband-and-wife team isn't open on the week-end, I haven't had a chance to try it.

Inside, the space was surprisingly large. But since it was almost entirely taken up with an open kitchen and prep area, there are only a few seats by the store-front window. Everything looked great but I decided on a "summer intern" sandwich ($10.75) with a cookie for an extra $1. It was a big sandwich stuffed with roast chicken, sprouts, pickled green tomatoes, red onion jam, sweet corn, and bacon mayo. The chicken was moist but not out-of-this-world, I would add a bit more fattiness perhaps in the form of crispy skin (which you'd probably get with the chicken dinner). But what made the sandwich excellent was the perfect balance of flavour. But if Alex Tso's chicken is good, Melanie Harris' chocolate walnut cookie is amazing. I am not a sweets person but I inhaled that dessert. I've never had a richer confection. It had a wonderful moist chew, closer to a cake than a cookie. This was a wonderful lunch. I'm looking at my calendar to see when I can come back and try their pot pies or galettes.

East Meets East

On Wednesday, I went to Great Eastern for lunch. This small restaurant at Sheppard and Victoria Park serves Indian Chinese (Hakka) and Thai as well as Halal meat. So it wasn't surprising that most of the clientele were from South Asia rather than farther East. From the lunch specials, which came in 2 groups: the $6 and $7 options, I chose the sambal chicken ($7).

The sambal sauce was interesting. It was slightly spicy, tangy, and with just a peanut-y hint. Along with the thinly sliced vegetables, it went pretty well on top of the steamed rice. I enjoyed the chicken as well but it had an odd texture. This was the softest chicken I've eaten. If I wasn't told, I would think it was some sort of bland fish. Not really sure I want to know what they added to make the chicken that tender. In any case, it was a cheap and filling lunch.