Ba Noi Tro

With the pandemic, it's been a bit of a Wild West in the food industry as people look for ways to earn a living. On Instagram, there are numerous "catering" businesses operating out of a personal kitchen. Obviously that contravenes official food safety laws and guidelines. New ventures also operate in pop-up locations such as Bread Head (White Squirrel Coffee) or Afrobeat Kitchen (Caravan Tea House). Since food inspection has been on hold in Toronto over the last year, you could argue that buying food made in commercial kitchens guarantees nothing. So a distinction without a difference.

These newish businesses do get a lot of buzz though including new bakery Ba Noi (father's mother in Vietnamese). An Tran took over his father's printing press location near Bloor and Shaw. He was already in the process of renovating and installing kitchen equipment. Covid killed any official openings but since bills need to get paid, Tran has been taking pre-orders for his sourdough bread and other baked goods. He has been selling out (though that may be because the store only opens a few times a week).

I finally went to Ba Noi on Saturday to buy a few items. I wasn't surprised that bread wasn't available for drop-ins. But I did snag chocolate chip cookies ($2.50) and butter tarts ($3). The cookies were crispier than most hipster bakeries (Night Baker, Baker Bots) who tend to go for soft and gooey. I liked them especially since they were less sweet.

But I loved the butter tarts. These national desserts are an obsession in Canada yet I have never had one. So I can't compare these to any ideals. But the runny (but only lightly sweet) filling was a nice contrast to the buttery crust. I wasn't as fond of the crunchy caramelized top. This is only a personal preference as I have a horror of food that sticks to teeth. Other people may enjoy the little bursts of sugar that liven up the palate.

Once things settle back to normal, it will be interesting if Ba Noi and its brethen can maintain the momentum. But my experience tells me that the trendy crowd is fickle and once the novelty is off, they'll have to slog at it like any other restaurant. And even then it's a crap shoot in the long-run (RIP: Dundas Park Kitchen, Through Being Cool, Bloordale Pantry, Steambox Dumplings).

Chop Shop

A few weeks ago, I watched chef Kenji make a NY loose meat sub known as the chopped cheese. So I was excited to discover via Instagram that vegan outfit Harlem Bodega has set up shop in Little Portugal near Dundas St. W and Dovercourt. And one of their specialties was a meat-free version of this sandwich. So on Friday, I headed over to give it a try.

It turns out that they had moved from North York about 2 weeks ago to take over a basement speakeasy called The Libertine. It was next-door to Remix where I saw 90s cover group Hi-Topp. But since the entrance was a non-descript door with a tarot sign, I had no idea a bar was even here. Harlem has helpfully placed a sandwich board on the sidewalk.

Their menu was quite small: a handful of options plus a lasagna special. But I was here for a BBQ chopped cheese ($16.50) and some fries ($3.75). It was a messy but very delicious eat. I don't know if they make their own "beef" but it had a great mouth-feel. Oddly enough, what sealed the deal for me was the nice crunchy pickle slices. The fries were excellent too: crispy and lightly spiced. I much prefer this sort of "unhealthy vegan" food than at The Hogtown Vegan. I look forward to sampling more of their menu.

Is It A Chicken?

The corner at College and Dovercourt hosted popular hipster diner Hadley's for several years before rising rent shut them down. I never bothered with the short-lived outpost of pasta joint Levetto (and apparently Toronto never cared about this chain either as they are down to 1 location). Its fine dining replacement, Faim de Loup, lasted even shorter. I thought numerous times about trying its pricey tasting menu but the semi-random opening hours (and usually only twice a week) scuttled my plans.

There have been renovation activities in recent weeks though. So with outdoor dining now allowed in Toronto, on Thursday I sat down at one of the 3 tables of Gonzo Izakaya's sidewalk patio. Its menu offered more full-meal dishes like donburi and udon than the usual array of small plates of other izakayas. For lunch, I chose Ebi Okonomiyaki ($11) and Kakiage Tempura ($6).

I don't often eat Japanese pancake and this one was tasty if not exceptional. But I did enjoy the variety of flavours of shrimp, cabbage, batter, mayo, sauce, and bonito flakes. However, I loved the tempura. The shredded vegetables added a lot of crispiness to typical tempura. It was almost like eating string fries. Overall, this new place seems promising.

Too Much of Something

My great experience with Afrobeat Kitchen reminded me that around the corner at Bloor and Lansdowne there was an established business called Cassava African Grill House. When I dropped by on Wednesday, I was initially nonplussed when a South Asian chef greeted me. I thought to order the daily special: jollof rice with fish or chicken. But instead I opted for Egusi stew ($11) and a side of jollof ($6).

The menu description of the side dish as steamed rice with salsa was possibly a mistranslation. All rice are cooked via water (i.e., steamed) but this has also been worked over with oil and spices. It was a good plate and I would probably return to Cassava for this.

The stew was a big struggle for me. I hesitate to negatively rate someone's cultural dish, as opposed to some chef's invention, but the egusi was a hard-sell. The immediate aroma was strong and off-putting. I couldn't quite place its unpleasant but oddly familiar smell. Then I made the association with the live barnyard smell of a farm or an agricultural fair.

The mashed melon and gourd seeds with fish chunks may be good on its own. But the seafood flavour often clashed with that of the beef, goat, and chicken pieces. The meat were uniformly tough and hard to chew. At first, it had a smokey sausage feel (making the stew reminiscent of caldo verde) but that good taste didn't last long. Overall, without that jollof rice and some extra veggies from my fridge, I wouldn't have finished the egusi.

I have returned to Afrobeat for some incredible jollof (with chicken) and had planned on sampling its Egusi entrée, too. It will be interesting to try a different take on this dish and hopefully, I will have an easier time of it.

The evening did end on a high note as I enjoyed Uma Nota's online show with Ahmed Moneka, his newly-arrived sister Tara, and numerous musicians playing Middle-Eastern (Iraqi) and Afro-inspired songs.

Update (04/04/2021): On Easter Sunday, I finally had Egusi from Afrobeat Kitchen. The chicken was definitely superior, the aroma muted, but the taste was still strong if less pungent than Casava. This dish is not for everyone. I eventually got used to it and actually enjoyed the leftovers mixed with with steamed rice and fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. I think as a side to a neutral base is the way to make it appealing to the North American palate.