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Food & Drink

Chef’s night out: John S. Lee

Owner of 2011 NOW Readers Poll-winning fish ‘n’ chip shop Chippy’s (893 Queen West, at Gore Vale, 416-866-7474, chippys.ca)

KING’S NOODLE, 296 Spadina, at Dundas West, 416-598-1817

“I always get the barbecued pork on rice or seafood congee with deep-fried bread. I’ve been going there since the early 80s, when I was growing up on Beverley Street. Everything from the communal seating to the hyper-efficient staff and the world-class Chinese barbecue (trust me on this – I lived and worked with Susur Lee in Singapore) makes me glad that owner/chef Stanley Li makes his home here.”

THE HARBORD ROOM, 89 Harbord, at Spadina, 416-962-8989, theharbordroom.com

“I used to always order either the steak frites (no longer on the menu) or the burger, but I’ve since tried almost everything that chefs Cory Vitiello and Curt Martin have cooked up over the years. Service is always professional and prompt. We’ve gone there for anniversaries, business dinners and even gone solo. With Dave Mitton running the bar, I’ve done a few late nights there as well.”

KOREAN VILLAGE, 628 Bloor West, at Palmerston, 416-536-0290

“Since we immigrated to Canada 36 years ago, this has been our taste of home. As a child I ordered the bi bim bap or the ja jang myun, but our go-to order for family dinners is the bulgogi. The food is consistent, and the owners are now family friends. The wall of photographs of celebrities who’ve eaten there, from ex-Blue Jays to Chow Yun-Fat, proves the Village is Toronto’s version of Montreal’s old Ruby Foo’s.”

Gone but not forgotten

SWITZER’S DELI, 322 Spadina, at Dundas West (1946-1992)

“The last Jewish deli on Spadina. We used to go for knishes, kishka and the famous Bubby Burger. Better than any pseudo-gourmet burger BS.”

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