Welcome to NOW’s new Toronto delivery and takeout column, Takeout Five.
While New Toronto Restaurants goes on hiatus, we’re spotlighting just a small handful of the local restaurants offering new and innovative delivery or takeout options during COVID-19. Join us here every week until this whole mess is over.
To see our full list of new delivery and takeout options during the pandemic, click here.
The Good Fork
This brunch-friendly Middle Eastern spot (one of our 2020 best new brunch picks) got a particularly raw deal during COVID, completing their beautiful, sprawling new home on Dundas West just a couple of months before the pandemic hit. Though you can’t bask in the jewel tones and terrazzo floors, as of this week, you can avail yourself of pantry items like dips and pancake batter, meal sets (including a special Mother’s Day offering), and more. Ordering is done via preorder and is limited to certain windows during the day follow them on Instagram to keep tabs on what’s coming up.
HOW TO ORDER: Contactless pickup and delivery (for orders over $60) Friday-Monday. Order online here. 1550 Dundas West, 647-352-5955, goodfork.ca
Bar Koukla
Similarly to The Good Fork, Koukla – a wine and cocktail bar spinoff of Mamakas and Agora – opened its doors just a little while before the advent of COVID-19. Though Agora has remained open for takeout and delivery post-shutdown, Koukla is finally getting in on the act this week, offering a variety of booze options: Greek and low-intervention wines available as solo bottles or curated packs, plus bottled cocktails, like a Greek take on a dirty martini (complete with caper leaves).
HOW TO ORDER: Pickup only Wednesday-Sunday preorder here. 88 Ossington, 416-901-7899, koukla.mamakas.ca
Miku
At-home temaki kits – like the one from Sushi Notomai we featured last week – have been turning luxe sushi into a fun at-home activity. (Assembling your own hand rolls does take some skill – but if you do mess up, least you don’t have to worry about accidentally scorching anything!) The latest to get on the bandwagon is Miku, who launched takeout and delivery (together with the rest of the Aburi chain) not long after the pandemic hit, but recently rolled out a temaki kit with everything you need to roll up dinner, including the chef’s choice of seafood, pickled veggie fillings, sushi rice and nori. Also available: Soba peperoncino meal kits.
HOW TO ORDER: Delivery via Uber Eats or pickup via Ritual or takeout (call or email info@mikutoronto.com 10 per cent off direct orders). 10 Bay, 647-347-7347, mikutoronto.com
Sakai Bar
Are you craving elegant takes on Japanese homestyle dishes – or a whole lot of sake? Either way, Stu Sakai has got you covered. For the past little while, his namesake bar on Dundas West has been doing weekend bento deliveries that change weekly past offerings have included beautiful pork sandos and braised pork belly meals. Sake is also available by the bottle, or you can sign up for a curated Sake Club box.
HOW TO ORDER: Email sakaibarto@gmail.com to join their mailing list. 1576 Dundas West, at Sheridan, @sakaibarto
Sang-ji Fried Bao
Sang-ji shut down not long after the pandemic began, but as of this week, we can once again avail ourselves of some of Toronto’s best dumplings. Their bao – a chewy, pan-fried cousin of the soup bun – are best enjoyed still hot if you live anywhere in the Yonge and Finch area you owe it to yourself to grab some. (And if not, there’s always a brand-new meal kit that lets you cook up their dry noodles with scallion oil at home.)
HOW TO ORDER: Delivery (UberEats, Fantuan, Lanyangyang) and takeout (by phone). 1 Byng, at Yonge, 647-346-9199, @sangjibaotoronto
@nataliamanzocco
