Rating: NNNNN
Caribbean
Albert’s Real Jamaican Foods 558 Queen West, at Bathurst, 416-304-0767. Another branch has long been popular at the corner of St. Clair and Vaughan expect lineups at both that snake out the front door at dinner time. Minimal decor – a Bob Marley poster, and that’s about it – but no one comes here for the ambience. Although there’s a small stand-up counter, most do takeout. Best: slowly stewed bone-in Island-stylee jerk chicken with allspiced rice ‘n’ peas and JA slaw melt-in-the-mouth oxtail dinners salt-cod fritters fresh sugar cane juice. Other location: 542 St. Clair West, at Vaughan, 416-658-9445. Complete dinners for $10, including all taxes and a bottle of Ting. Open Monday to Wednesday 11:30 am to 3am, Thursday to Sunday 11 am to 5 am. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: barrier-free, no washrooms. Rating: NNN
Contemporary
7 WEST CAFé 7 Charles West, at Yonge, 416-928-9041. Next time you need a little post-club grub, forget the slices and street dogs and check out this 24-hour haven. Three floors cater to varying moods, but only the second and least interesting is open all night. Ground level makes an ideal first-date locale, all red velvet drapes, intimate arched nooks and homey gas fireplace. The third’s more modern – deep cranberry walls offset by a vaulted steel-blue ceiling, a pair of church windows and retro rock on the stereo. The round-the-clock menu features a wide selection of nibbles and salads, pasta, pizza and sandwiches. Best: Hot Bread, four thick slices of Italian loaf laden with a concassée of onion, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, layered with melted cheddar and mozzarella Fritte-Prosciutto sandwich, a salty pile of dried ham and sautéed onions on crusty baguette with tomato and optional buffalo mozzarella melt, sided with sweet red pepper, cucumber, chick peas and greens Rosie Ravioli, a large saucer of spinach- and ricotta-stuffed pasta in creamy rosé, paired with soft Italian bread. Complete dinners for $30 per person ($20 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a glass of wine. Average main $10/$8. Open 24 hours year round. Brunch Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 3 pm. Licensed. Access: five steps at door, washrooms in basement and second floor . Rating: NNN
Chinese
GOLD STONE NOODLE 266 Spadina, at Dundas, 416-596-9053. Chinatown’s most popular noodle joint jumps from early morning till well into the morning of the next day. Rock-bottom prices and a 400-plus Cantonese card guarantee a full house, but remember to KISS – keep it simple, sinophile. Best: from the window display, barbecued meat – non-fatty five-spiced duck, succulent pork and tender goose – over al dente mein and barely cooked greens in grease-free chicken broth Soya Sauce Chicken, an alarmingly moist whole steamed bird with mild black bean gravy and incendiary raw garlic ‘n’ chive accompaniment 20-some Shrimp Szechuan Style with sweet green bell pepper seriously tasty pounded, peppered and Pan-fried Steak with Spaghetti Hong Kong Style (really!). Complete meals for $15 per person, including all taxes, tip and a domestic lager. Average main $8. Open Sunday to Thursday 8 am to 2 am, Friday and Saturday 8 am to 4 am. Licensed. Access: barrier-free but crowded space, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Happy Seven 358 Spadina, at Cecil, 416-971-9820. An unofficial offshoot of Swatow, this Cantonese seafood haven is one of several Chinatown spots that now stay open every night till 5 am. Before ordering, make sure to ask for both menus: the white offers standard Spadina fare, the pink far tastier stuff. Best: aquarium-fresh tilapia with fermented black bean sauce zaftig sea scallops in deep-fried taro nest on a bed of decorative kale and edible broccoli ‘n’ shrooms stir-fried stalks of Chinese broccoli ($6.95) or garden fresh Malaysian-style tung choi ($8.95) rich with oyster sauce definitive hot-and-sour soup for the adventurous, honey-skinned mahogany-fleshed fried pigeon, French Southeast Asian-style deep-fried frog legs, or stir-fried chicken with apple. Complete dinners for $30 per person ($15 lunch), including all taxes, tip and a Tsingtao beer. Average main $12/$8 Open daily 11:30 am to 5 am. Licensed. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
House of Gourmet 484 Dundas West, at Spadina, 416-217-0167. Ever wondered about the mysterious dishes listed on the walls of Chinese restaurants in Cantonese? This brightly lit space in Chinatown answers those questions with its 700-odd-item menu that goes from bacon ‘n’ egg sandwiches served with Ovaltine to Deep Fried Crispy Intestines downed with Grass Jelly. Best: crispy chow mein House Special Fried Noodle with barbecue pork, sliced scallops, chicken chunks, squid, shrimp, baby bok choy and ‘shrooms all-day breakfast congee with chicken and mushrooms, garnished with scallions and kicked with hoisin and sesame paste Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper Sauce. Complete meals for $18 per person, including all taxes, tip, and a bottle of Tsingtao beer. Average main $7. Open Sunday to Thursday 8 am to 2 am, Friday and Saturday 8 am to 4 am. Licensed. Access: Four steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
NEW HO KING 416 Spadina, at Nassau, 416-595-1881. Late-night Cantonese spot with friendly service, better than average decor and lower than usual prices. Best: spicy Hunan Beef, pounded meat with al dente green pepper and onion Moo-Shu Vegetables with Pancake, a pile of shredded napa cabbage, onion and mushrooms to be folded into crepes along with raw scallion, English cuke and a squirt of hoisin Dry Sautéed String Beans Szechuan-Style, the dish that made nearby Peter’s Chung King famous back in the 70s Ho King’s Special Fried Rice, a humongous serving of short-grain strewn with baby shrimp, barbecued pork, fluffy scrambled egg and forgivable frozen corn. Complete meals for $20 per person ($15 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a Tsingtao. Average main $8. Open Sunday to Thursday 11:30 am to 4 am, Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to 5 am. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Rol San 323 Spadina, at St. Andrew, 416-977-1128. Retro Cantonese cuisine in a pleasant space a notch above the usual for the area. In the rear, past an open kitchen, a second room reminiscent of a cheesy Hong Kong discotheque decked out with posters of Charlie Chaplin and Princess Di handles the overflow for weekend dim sum. Always packed, so expect a wait at the door especially once the bars close. Best: steamed live sea bass in black bean sauce minced pork with long beans dim sum like sticky rice in lotus leaf, scallop dumplings with bamboo shoots, and deep-fried shrimp with chive cake beef short ribs in black bean sauce multi-textured soup dumplings stuffed with shrimp and mushroom in briny broth. Complete dinners for $30 per person ($15 for daily dim sum brunch and lunch), including all taxes, tip and a Tsingtao. Average main $12/$8. Open daily 10 am 5 am. Barrier-free. Licensed. Rating: NNN
Swatow 309 Spadina, at Dundas West, 416-977-0601. Steaming bowls of noodles and soup rule at this no-nonsense noshery named for the province in eastern China. Traditionally less fiery than the well-known Szechuan, dishes here are consistently well executed and generous, the menu extensive, and extended weekend hours accommodate peckish insomniacs and clubbers alike. Warning: lineups at peak hours, especially Friday and Saturday nights. Best: namesake Special Fried Noodle, wide rice noodles in a smoky syrupy sauce studded with shrimp and chicken, dressed with raw scallions and sprouts Shrimp Dumpling Soup, six plump dumplings filled with shrimp, ginger, green onion and shredded black fungus in a clear broth with a fragrant sesame oil finish, paired with Chinese broccoli Swatow Roasted Duck with Special Sauce, crackling duck breast off the bone cut into 12 sizable pieces served on a bed of canned pineapple chunks, sided with six inflated shrimp chips and thinned plum sauce Fried Noodles with Beef and Black Bean Sauce, a heaping portion of vermicelli tossed with abundant slivers of tender beef, green pepper ‘n’ onion chunks in black bean sauce incendiary chili sauce to garnish. Complete dinners for $20 ($10 at lunch) per person, including all taxes and tip. Average main $8. Open Sunday to Thursday 11:30 to 2 am, Friday and Saturday to 4:30 am. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Deli
Mel’s Montreal Delicatessen 440 Bloor West, at Howland, 416-966-8881. The closest thing to authentic Montreal-style smoked meat as you’re going to find in Toronto, at an extremely bright family-style deli that’s open 24/7. Note: all smoked meat available in four grades – lean, medium, medium fat and downright fat. Best: massive half-pounder Montreal smoked meat sandwiches on rye with mustard plus a sizable side of crunchy coleslaw and a quartered dill pickle house-made beef chopped liver with caramelized onion, hard-boiled egg and drippings of chicken fat creamy homemade potato salad smoked-meat poutine with gravy and melted cheddar curds pickled garlic blintzes stuffed with ricotta and cottage cheese topped with sour cream, blueberry sauce or rhubarb. Complete meals for $20 per person ($15 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a domestic beer. Open 24/7. One step at door, washrooms on same floor. Licensed. Rating: NNN
Diner
Dangerous Dan’s 714 Queen East, at Broadview, 416-463-7310. Located across the street from a peeler palace, this no-frills steak ‘n’ burger joint looks kinda scary. Dangerous, even. But the friendly kids behind the counter and rock-bottom prices won’t frighten away the value-conscious. Better still, Dan’s delivers! Best: the humongous 24-ounce Homeburger – yes, the equivalent of six Quarter-Pounders – served with crisply golden chunky fries Bronto Ribs Dinner featuring 2 and a half pounds of meaty dinosaur-sized beef ribs in spice-spiked barbecue sauce char-broiled 11-ounce New York strip with grilled mushrooms, a credible Caesar and fries enough for two poutine: cardiac arrest in a box first-rate Greek salad with creamy feta. Still hungry? Massive chocolate brownie piled with chocolate ice cream, chocolate syrup and real whipped cream. Complete dinners for $25 per person ($18 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a domestic beer. Average main $10/$7. Open Monday to Thursday 11 am to midnight, Friday 11 am to 2 am, Saturday 11 am to midnight, Sunday noon to midnight. Licensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN
5 ALARM DINER 555 Church, at Monteith, 416-972-1708. By keeping things simple and doing them very well, this luxe luncheonette pulls off a trick few others in the nabe can manage: edible food. Add stylized retro decor, fireman fetish objets and all-day breakfast/brunch till late on weekends and count on a crowd. Best: dense old-fashioned meat loaf unadorned with foie gras but sided with superb buttery mashed potatoes with gravy and period-perfect canned peas grilled ham steak with very cheesy scalloped potatoes ‘n’ peas beefy 4-ounce burger with tasty frites-like house fries eponymous lasagna, a rarity – more meat than pasta, with a salad of mandarin orange, iceberg lettuce and a sensational house Ceasar dressing that’s also great with the fries. Complete meals for $17, including all taxes, tip and a $4 domestic beer. Average main $8. Open Monday to Thursday 8 am to 11 pm, Friday 8 am to 2 am, Saturday 8 am to 4 am, Sunday 8 am to midnight. Licensed. Access: 10 steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
SHANGHAI COWGIRL 538 Queen West, at Bathurst, 416-203-6623. Noisy and smoky, this rockin’ resto offers updated greasy-spoon grub with soul-food twists in a room that recalls a sleek deco diner. Best: Sterling Silver Sirloin, a considerable 12-ounce steak sided with roasted potatoes, perfectly timed buttery green beans and pan jus battered schnitzel-like Chicken-Fried Steak with dairy-rich country gravy and corn on the cob Cajun-spiced Blackened Tater Salad in smooth house-made mayo Seoul Food Salad, cool cellophane noodles over leaf lettuce, peppers and onions with a sesame oil vinaigrette Trailer Trash Sushi, grilled moist chicken breast on Portuguese pada with watercress and wasabi-spiked mayo pecan pie or boozy Jägermeister chocolate mousse for dessert. Complete dinners for $30 per person ($18 breakfast or lunch), including all taxes, tip and a domestic beer. Open Sunday to Thursday 10:30 to midnight, Friday and Saturday 10:30 am to 4 am. Licensed. Access: short step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
East African
NEW BILLAN 183 Dundas East, at Jarvis, 416-943-0330 . Those who can get past this African eatery’s scary exterior and equally intimidating décor – yes, that’s a functional bathroom sink in the dining room – will be rewarded with multiculti eats that twist Bangladeshi curries through Somalian-style stews scented with middle Eastern spice. True Toronto food! Best: delicious char-grilled Chicken Steak marinated in lemon, garlic, cardamom and vinegar, sided with biryani rice strewn with plump raisins, roasted potato ‘n’ onion, ripped romaine leaf, pickled pepper hot sauce, a bowl of coconutty curried goat meat soup tender-on-the-bone roasted goat in tangy bitter gravy with Muufo chickpea pancakes. Bonus: huge portions. Warning: side orders of spaghetti are just that – mushy, over-cooked supermarket pasta with tinned tomato sauce. Complete meals for $10 per person, including all taxes, tip and a glass of watermelon Freshie. Open daily 11 am to 1:30 am. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: short step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Greek
ZORBA’S 681 Danforth, at Pape, 416-406-1212. Old-school taverna with home-style Greek grub on the boulevard of broken plates. Ignore the printed menu and point at whatever you fancy from the steam table. Warning: scary offal-stuffed lamb heads. With teeth. Best: thick ‘n’ meaty grilled lamb ribs sided with fabulous baked lima beans and waxy oven-roasted spuds super-moist 2-pound takeout chickens lasagna-like pastitsio, penne over ground lamb topped with eggy béchamel-sauced mash Arni Fricasse, slow-braised lamb shank with artichoke hearts in dilled avgolemono lemon sauce traditional feta-strewn Greek village salad. Complete meals for $20 per person, including all taxes, tip and a domestic beer. Average main $24. Open Tuesday to Sunday 8 am to 4 am, Monday 8 am to midnight. Licensed. Delivery. Access: short step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNN
Italian
CAFE DIPLOMATICO 594 College, at Clinton, 416-534-4637. Family pizzeria drawing crowds since 1968 serves basic Italian fare at reasonable prices, with not a hint of attitude, on a spacious, sunny patio. Best: veal sandwich – large breaded cutlet with tomato sauce, optional cheese, fried onions, hot peppers or mushrooms panzerotto, deep fried and stuffed with your choice of fillings like basic mozzarella, mushroom and pepperoni, topped with extra tomato sauce medium pizza starting at $10 with toppings either 75 or 95 cents each. Complete meals for $15 per person, including all taxes, tip and beer. Average main $9. Open Sunday to Thursday 8 am to 2 am, Friday and Saturday 8 am to 3 am. Licensed. Access: half step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNN
Japanese
NEW GENERATION SUSHI 493 Bloor West, 416-963-8861 . An anomaly on the Annex’s sushi strip – unhurried atmosphere and friendly, efficient service. Couple with comfy booths and better-than-average vittles, and this generation could outlive its competition. Best: Dragon Red, a visually intriguing “serpent” of nori-wrapped rice, tobiko, avocado and cucumber topped with raw salmon and headed by tempura shrimp deep-fried gyoza dumplings stuffed with shredded pork and kicked with vinegary dunk almond-age chicken nuggets layered with slivered almonds tofu salad with greens in creamy miso mayo. Complete dinners for $20 per person, including all taxes, tip, and a glass of sake. Open Monday to Thursday noon to 1 am, Friday and Saturday noon to 2 am, Sunday and holidays noon to 1 am. Licensed. Delivery. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Korean
Il Bun Ji 668 Bloor West, at Manning, 416-534-7223. Since its redecoration, this is Korea Town’s most stylish eatery. While the menu is half Japanese – sushi, teriyaki, tempura – it’s the Korean dishes that deserve attention. Reservations are required to dine in one of the six semi-private rooms. Best: Yuk Hwe, shredded sirloin tartare charged with garlic and pinenuts Doo Boo Chigai, comfort-food-style casserole – pork, bok choy, tofu, enoki – in kimchee-kicked broth brazier-grilled Kalbi marinated short-ribs Sunomo salad with raw octopus, scallops, nori and eggy tamago noodles. Complete dinners for $40 per person ($20 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a $5 Asian beer. Average main $13. Open daily 11 am to 2 am. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms upstairs. Rating: NNN
KOREAN GRILL HOUSE 214 Queen West, at Duncan, 416-263-9850 . Suburban all-you-can-eat do-it-yourself Seoul food barbecue chain moves downtown with mixed results. Pig out on the ‘cue but avoid ho-hum bento boxes. Warning: next to nothing for vegetarians other than salad. Best: thinly sliced fatty pork, beef, chicken and salmon sided with sweet kimchee, spicy raw sprouts, deep-fried tofu cubes in red pepper powder, miso-like beef ‘n’ radish soup and plain white rice. Other locations: Korean Barbeque Restaurant, 3280 Midland, unit 26, 416-754-8141 and 505 Hwy 7 East, building C, suite 70-73, 905-762-1338. Complete meals for $20 per person ($15 at lunch), including all taxes, tip and a prune juice. Open Sunday to Thursday 11:30 am to midnight, Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to 2:30 am. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN
the owl 700 Bloor West, at Clinton, 416-538-3030. With minimal signage, this second-storey spot is one of the more obscure fuelling stops in Korea Town. By day, this decidedly shabby spot attracts an older crowd bent on Old World comfort food, but as the night grows long and the volume of the booming Asian techno pop increases, the small room fills with animated club kids from nearby karaoke bars. Best: from quite possibly the shortest menu in town (four items), bulgogi, described as “some beef, some noodles, some vegetables,” but actually stringy strips of quickly seared soy-marinated beef over sweet potato noodles stir-fried with carrot, scallions and button mushrooms in smoky sweet red pepper paste Pork Bone Soup, the Seoul-food version of goulash, thick with delicious marrow-full shank slowly simmered in broth and thickened with potato, salty fermented miso paste and hellishly hot pepper powder. Complete meals for $13 per person, including all taxes, tip and a domestic beer. Average main $8. Open 24-7. Licensed. Access: eight stops at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Pakistani
King Palace 105 Sherbourne, at Richmond, 416-306-1888. Neither royal nor palatial, this Pakistani take-away offers cabbies and club kids filling and fiery curries from its modest digs in a downtown gas station. Ignore the advertised kebab n pop specials and point. Warning: rudimentary condiments – thin yogurt dressing, wimpy Chinese hot sauce and ketchup (!) in packets, no tamarind dip for first-rate samosas. Bonus: open seven days a week till 5 am! Best: a near-tagine of gorgeous on-the-bone lamb with chickpeas in fiery tomato sauce roti-style bones-n-all lamb in curried cream cauliflower and potato garnished with fresh coriander stalk al dente yellow lentils fired with green chili moist basmati biryani rice flecked with curry leaf for dessert, ambrosial smooth rice pudding in sweet condensed milk dusted with crushed green pistachios. Complete meals for $12 per person, including all taxes, tip and bottled water. Average main $5. Open daily 10 am to 5 am. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNNN
LAHORE TIKKA HOUSE 1365 Gerrard East, at Highfield, 416-406-1668. Hectic east-side Pakistani take-away takes it outdoors during summer months to a riotous 200-seat sari-tented patio set with family-style picnic tables. Warning: order any dish hot and be prepared for jet propulsion. Best: slashed red snapper tikka, smoky from the charcoal-fuelled tandoor, skewered with lightly charred turmeric-tanged onion, potato and tomato aromatic minced lamb kebabs lemon-scented aloo gobi rich with waxy spuds and al dente cauliflower butter-brushed naan tossed with sesame seed house-made almond kulfi ice cream on a wooden chopstick. Complete meals for $15 per person, including all taxes, tip and a $3 glass of freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. Average main $8. Open Sunday to Thursday noon to 1 am, Friday and Saturday noon to 2 am. Unlicensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Pizza
Pizza Gigi 189 Harbord, at Borden, 416-535-4444. Nothing nouvelle here – old-school pizzas with not-too-thick crusts and first-rate sloppy toppings. Best: traditional super-special pizza with pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms, green pepper and onions unashamedly retro tiki-tastic Hawaiian with pineapple chunks, ham and double mozzarella. Medium pizzas for $20, including tax and tip. Open daily 4 pm to 4 am. Unlicensed. Cash only. Access: four steps at door, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNN
Tex Mex
BURRITO BOYz 120 Peter, at Richmond, 416-593-9191. This tiny subterranean take-away in the heart of Clubland is perfectly positioned to satisfy the Tex-Mex hankerings of hungry day-jobbing office types and late-night party people alike. Bonus: Friday and Saturday, the sombrero-outfitted joint stays open till 4:30 am. Best: flour burritos grilled and available in two sizes – 10- and 7-inchers – stuffed with tasty strips of grilled chicken, steak or battered halibut along with creamy tomato rice, smooth refried beans and melted Jack as well as optional submarine-shop toppings like spice-spiked mayo, guacamole, chopped iceberg lettuce, ripe tomato and hellaciously hot jalapeños and if thats not fiery enough, intensify the heat with the Boyz off-the-scale habanero hot sauce. Complete meals for $8, including all taxes, tip and a pop. Average main $5. Open Monday to Thursday 11:30 am to 11 pm, Friday and Saturday noon to 4 am, Sunday 11 am to 7 pm. Closed holidays. Unlicensed. Access: six steps at door, washrooms on same floor Rating: NNNN
RANCHO RELAXO 300 College, at Robert, 416-920-0366. Best known as a rock ‘n’ roll venue, Rancho also offers solid Tex-Mex grub that’s better than most this far north of two borders. With its eclectic digs and kitschy soundtrack (imagine Don Quixote on mushrooms), Relaxo is the perfect spot to kick back when you’re in the mood for massive rice ‘n’ refried bean carb ingestion. Bonus: quite possibly the most authentic margaritas in town. Best: Pollo Borracho, tender chicken breast sautéed in tequila, salsa and Mexican herbs Pescado Corona, pan-fried Atlantic grouper smothered in avocado salsa Chile Relleno, poblano pepper stuffed with either chicken, beef or bean picadillo Mexican Mice, deep-fried jalapeño peppers stuffed with cheese, served with sour cream for dessert, Sopa Pia, homemade banana ice cream swimming in Kahlúa and honey, with deep-fried flour tortilla wedges. Complete dinners for $30 per person, including all taxes, tip and a $5 imported beer. Average main $9. Open nightly 5 pm to 2 am. Licensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNN
