Cheap Eats Toronto restaurant guide blog

Sun's Kitchen Hand-Made/Hand-Cut Noodles

One of the cool things we did this weekend with some of our visiting CheapEats Ottawa writers was to the Pacific Mall (and it's food kiosks!)

After getting lots and lots of suggestions of which places to try first, and lists of people's favourites, the first thing to hit us was the smell of fresh waffles wafting down the narrow aisles. The next thing we noticed was the smack-smack-smack sound of hand-made noodles being kneaded at Sun's Kitchen.

 
We decided to cruise all the restaurants, food kiosks and vendors in the food court before making a decision, but we all ended up in front of Sun's Kitchen ordering noodle soups anyway.

The noodles are made to order and with the smack-smack-smack sound of the noodles being stretched, and the guy across the aisle playing tunes on his small pipes, it really attracts a crowd.

If you listen carefully you can hear us ordering spring rolls and pan fried dumplings to round out our noodle soups.

Tip - the Noodle Soups are the way to go. Skip the spring rolls and pan-fried dumplings. While the dumplings come with a great honeycomb thing that's pretty to photograph, it's super greasy and not in the same class as the Noodle Soup.

Technorati Tags: noodles, markham, pacific mall, noodle soup, food court, cheapeats toronto, sun's kitchen

Sushi Train

Sushi Train
photo by Gordon Jennings.

Photos & article by Gordon Jennings

Where
Sushi Train
750 Yonge St. -- just south of Bloor near Charles St.

What
Sush Train, a modern version of the Sushi Boat as eaten in California and the rest of the world.

How
Cho Cho choose your dish. Priced according to colour. From 2.50 to 5 bucks. Pour your own free green tea using your own personal hot water tap. Miso delivered to the table.

Buzz
Has been open about 1 month* and is starting to get busy. Everyone wants to sit at the sushi bar. There are several booths for large groups and a private dining room in the back.
Fast and Cheap!

Hey!
where's the Tuna.  Apparently the SushiTrain changes passengers often.  I had trouble finding Tuna.

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Thanks Gord a copy of CheapEats is on the SushiTrain to your door.

* Gord wrote this in early October, and he's not kidding about the buzz.  By mid-October, Sushi Train had already appeared in NOW, Catherine had dropped by from CBC's Beyond Burgers, Martini Boys commented on it's opening and the gossip started on Chowhound in early August.

Introducing - Featured Reader Reviews

As you know, we love to hear about where your are eating and what you are eating.

We ask, we listen and we check them out.  But in making the final selection of restaurants that will  get recommended in a CheapEats Restaurant Guide one of the criteria is that the restaurant  have longevity and aren't just a flash-in-the-pan.  This means, we don't generally include restaurants that have been open for less than a year.

However, with this blog, we have the opportunity to spotlight some restaurant that have been recently opened and recently recommended to us.  So we are going to start a series of Featured Reader Recommendations sent to us through the website, this blog and the CheapEats flickr group.

If you have a restaurant you'd like to recommend to us, or that you have already written up on your blog, feel free to let us know about it here, or here, or here.

And as always, we'd love to hear what you think about any restaurant that is in CheapEats or on this blog.

Andrew Currie's T.O. Turkey Smackdown

As the first in our upcoming series of CheapEats' Celebrity Recommendations, we are keeping in season by presenting Andrew Currie's T.O. Turkey Smackdown. For Thanksgiving 2005 Andrew sampled the turkey dinner offerings at two of Toronto's old school favourites and provided us with his views on their turkey, 'taters, and pie.

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Andrew Currie's T.O. Turkey Smackdown'05

... Wherein your humble author declares the victor in the ages-old battle for turkey dinner supremacy between Fran’s and The Tulip.

First up: Fran’s

Toronto’s oldest surviving diner (I think) scored points right off the bat for serving up their Thanksgiving special all weekend long*. My lady friend and I took them up on it early Friday evening.

For $19.99 we got a three-course meal, including soup or salad to start. Knowing what was in store we both chose the salad, and were rewarded with a bowl of huge uncut chunks of iceberg lettuce soaking in a small pool of Italian dressing.

And then, the main attraction…

All Night Noshes For Your All Night Art Thing

Trying to get to all 130+ installations at Nuit Blanche? You may need to stop for a bit to keep your strength up.

Get out there and eat!

24 Hour Places

• Fran’s - 200 Victoria St. & 20 College St. (pg.70)
• Vesta Lunch - 474 Dupont St. (pg.149)
• Owl of Minerva- 700 Bloor St.W. (pg.113)
• 7 West Cafe - 7 Charles St.W. (pg.30)
• Mr. Tasty Burgers- 348 Queen St.E. (pg.105)
• Mars Diner- 432 College St. (pg.98)  - note they are only open 24hrs on the weekends
• Mel’s Montreal Delicatessen - 348 Queen St.E. (pg.99)

Need A Little 3am Boost?

Eat Like a Pirate

Avast, me maties! Today be September 19th -  International Talk Like A Pirate Day.

I have been rackin' me brain t' come up with where t' drink me grog and fill me belly t'day without spendin' all me dubloons.

No barnical soup and salt pork today, here be my ideas on where t' Eat Like A Pirate:

   
• Yung Sing (pg. 154) and Akram's (pg.31) on Baldwin - so cheap tis like yer robbin' them! But you can leave yer cutlass at home.
   
• Fish Store & Sandwich (pg.68), British Style Fish & Chips (pg.45) or McNie's Fish & Chips (pg.99) - tis not chum, tis much much better.
   
• Athens Bakery (pg.36), Banh Mi Che Cali (pg.38) or Jumbo Empanada (pg.86)- great hook-food for when yer up t' crow's nest.
   
• Caribbean Dutchpot (pg. 51) or Albert's Real Jamacian (pg.31) - for a taste o' t' islands.

Lunch Money Day - Feb 23rd.

Today is Second Harvest's Lunch Money Day.

The idea is to brown bag it and donate what you would normally spend on lunch.

My friend, and CheapEats contributor AW sent me the following reminder: "As much as I'd hate to become known as a one-stop beg-a-thon, here I am, asking you to part with a buck or two tomorrow to help out on Lunch Money Day.

Second Harvest is my very favourite non-profit on earth - great people with great ideas doing great work - getting surplus fresh food that would otherwise go to waste, and delivering it into the mouths of Toronto's hungry and homeless. I just so happen to be volunteering for Lunch Money day tomorrow - if you're by the Exchange Tower, pop by and say hi while I sing for scheckels!"

It's a little late to brown bag it now, so to make it a little easier I've put a list of cheapeats where you can get lunch for under $5 below the fold.

Love will break your heart - but it shouldn't break the bank

You don't have to be rich to be romantic - check out cheapeats toronto Valentine's Day recommendations.

Toronto, Canada - Feb. 10, 2006 - Each year, men and women alike face the task of finding the perfect spot for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner.  It's even tougher for those of us who are last minute planners or on a tight budget, so cheapeats toronto has pulled together some great romantic and cost-effective spots for you to wine and dine your sweetie.

Winner - Teresa D for Thai Kingdom

Teresa D just won a copy of cheapeats toronto 2006 for recommending Thai Kingdom:

"The food is great, portion size is extremely generous and the price is amazing. The atmosphere is so-so, but it's decent, clean and the service is great."

Thai Kingdom
200 Marycroft Ave (Highway 7 & Weston - in Woodbridge)
905.264.1688 -- http://www.thaikingdom.ca/

CETO Note: They have some excellent takeout and delivery combos - Combo for 2 $14.95 to Combo for 5 - $39.95, which includes drinks if you pick it up yourself.

Congratulations Teresa!

The Fine Print

Winner - Kynan Cheng for Umi Sushi

Kynan Cheng won a copy of cheapeats toronto 2006 for recommending a Mississauga restaurant - Umi Sushi:

"Good quality sushi, authentic Japanese proprietors, $7-$11 for lunches, $13 all-you-can-eat lunch"

Umi Sushi
3960 Grand Park (Burnhamthorpe & Mavis)
905.615.9650

Congratulations Kynan!

The Fine Print