THE YUMMY YUMMY TRUCK (corner of Yonge and Edward, no phone) This converted chip wagon woks up inexpensive, garlic-free Cantonese noodle noshes for less than a five-spot. With limited ingredients, Yummy’s always-fresh fare’s not as fancy or spicy as what’s found in most downtown Chinese restaurants, but you can’t beat the price or the portions! Open Monday to Saturday 11:30 am to 6:30 pm (warning: flexible hours). Closed Sunday and holidays. Complete meals for $5 per person, including all taxes and tip. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: barrier-free, no washrooms. Rating: NNN
Rating: NNN
across the street from hmv and just down the block from the World’s Biggest Bookstore sits one of the few exceptions to Toronto’s dismal downtown street food scene. There, in a converted chip wagon, you can find the Yummy Yummy Truck, a mostly unmarked cube van that’s been pumping out inexpensive noodle noshes for nearly a year.
A favourite of nearby Ryerson students and office drones, Yummy Yummy is strictly takeout. (I suppose you could sit on the sidewalk, though that’s probably illegal in this bylaw-berserk burg.)
You place your order at the window and mill about for five minutes or so until your food gets wokked-up on the spot.
General George’s Chicken (almost everything’s $4.25, including tax) — a take on General Tso’s — features a tasty mound of battered, deep-fried chicken with some bok choy for greenery, lying on a mountain of soy-soaked rice. You’ll have leftovers.
The vegetarian special ($3.75) involves a whack of stir-fried chow mein noodles loaded with deep-fried tofu, bok choy, carrot strips and a few green onions.
While packets of not-great hot sauce are available to spice things up, the Yummy Yummy use no garlic or ginger in their cooking. But at these prices, who’s complaining? stevend@nowtoronto.com
