japanese – Fare..Eat..Ales

In many ways, the Toronto lunch melee has become as competitive as the dinner one. As opposed to the drawn-out, cocktail promoting, upselling strategies of the evening scene, the lunch philosophy is a bit different…quick, fresh and cheap. There are a few main events on the midday fight card; the burger battle, the ramen rivalry, the sushi skirmish and the burrito brawl. I plan to tackle each of these battles separately but first there is a need to discuss Banh Mi Boys, a popular lunch spot that beats by its own drum, offering real fusion flavours unique to this Queen West take out joint. I tried a variety of offerings including the Banh Mi (sandwich), tacos, steamed Bao (buns) and even a few fries.

Must

The Banh Mi sandwich threw me into blissful confusion. A baguette topped with delicious tofu (yes those words can co-exist) and topped with a signature mix of pickled carrots, cukes and cilantro jilted my gustatory system with an offering of French, Mexican and Asian flavors. The bread was surprisingly delicious, with a texture competitive with other gourmet sandwich offerings spattered throughout town. It was comforting yet edgy but quite satisfying and at a decent price point of $5.49.

: Tofu Banh Mi Sandwich

Maybe

Kimchi fries….hmmmm. An interesting concept providing you like kimchi..and fries. Supplemented with mayo (maybe a bit too much) and green onions, this $5.99 dish (although it is quite a sizable portion) is a definite deviation from standard poutine offered at almost every food truck, gastropub burger joint within a 15 km radius. Kimchi is one of those “in moderation” type foods I could only take these fries in a small dose. The mayo offered a creamy texture and rich flavor but the fact that the meltiness of the cheese and heat of steaming gravy was missing left me just a little sad.

: Kimchi Fries

The $3.99 taco was also unorthodox, moving away from the traditional mexican corn or wheat shell toward a thicker, stretchier chapati-type cortex surrounding, in this case, a southern type pulled pork filling and topped with the right amount of kimchi, crunchy cabbage and those incredible pickled carrots.

: Tacos and Steamed Bun with Jicama Salad

Mundane

Even a decent braised beef cheek and the magical carrot elixir couldn’t save the bao (see above) which tasted as if it might have been steamed a while ago. It lacked the melt-in-your-mouth-wonder-bread-dipped-in-a-bit-of-sugar taste I associate with a perfect steamed bun. Sigh.

My Take

I applaud Banh Mi Boys’ understanding of fusion cuisine to mean more than adding salsa to pizza and calling it Mexican-Italian. This is one of the more unique lunches you can score along the busy Queen street corridor, mixing flavours and concepts together create a tantalizing smorgasbord of pungent, sweet and savory gusto surrounded by world examples of starchy staples at a decent price. Currently, Banh Mi Boys stands alone but given it’s apparent success and unique concept, there will no doubt be other contenders throwing their culinary aprons in the ring attempting to attract those not interested in burritos, burgers or one of the other ubiquitous main events peppering every downtown street corner. I can taste the jalapeno, panko-coated bologna calzones already.

Mulling Moment- Please Comment!

The dining scene in Toronto has diversified over the past few years. Gone is the choice between snooty white linen, chain restaurants or seedy local bars. Diners are looking for more than food, they want an experience which will either complement or overshadow the food itself.

Guu Sakabar is marketed as an experience gone Gangnam style, characterized by loud music, singing cooks and a modernized version of old school Japanese dining including removing your shoes to sit at a kotatsu (low Japanese table which puts your head at eye level to your server’s knees). Some may see it as fun, hip and lively, others may see it an adult Chuck-e-Cheese or a glorified Lick’s. Most of the dishes are simply prepared and presented.

Must

The Hokke (mackerel) was a simple grilled fish, lightly seasoned and presented bone-in. No instruction was provided on proper boning technique so it may present an annoyance for some. The fish was cooked perfectly, moist and flaky and it was a good-sized portion. The only issue was it came 10-15 minutes after everything else which made it a little less appealing to eat.

Maybe

The Ebimayo (fried prawns with spicy mayo) were decent. The prawns themselves were a good size, cooked right but were too slathered in the less than impressive mayo which made them a bit soggy.

There are a number of maybes on the menu depending on one’s personal taste. The grilled beef tongue (Gyu Tongue) was a unique dish simply seasoned with salt. It had a good flavour but has challenging liver-like texture which may not appeal to the masses. The Tontoro (pork cheek), is once again simply prepared but may be a bit too fatty for some palates, especially if the fat is not rendered enough.

guu shrimo — Ebimayo (prawns with spicy mayo)

guu tongue beef tongue) — Gyu Tongue (beef tongue..partially eaten)

Mundane

Regarding the experience, the environment is loud and the service is sketchy. It was very difficult to order extra food, get a drink or even the bill. I’ve already commented about the mackerel. Some may argue that the organized chaos adds to the fun but to me it’s an annoyance especially if it interferes with the flow of the meal. In addition, they have a rather ridiculous reservation policy which can be summarized as “We will only accept reservations when it’s not busy”.

My Take

A visit to Guu is like landing a gig as an extra on a bad Japanese game show or a B-rated film. The “fun” atmosphere is loud, chaotic and only adequate for conversation if you’re on a bad first date or with your mother-in-law. The set-up is not conducive to organized and efficient service. There is a wide variety of well-prepared simple and more exotic foods in reasonable portions for sharing which appeals to a spectrum of diners (including about a dozen vegetarian options if you don’t include the free smiles, passion and cheers).

In sum, it’s a good place to go if you have a small group with a variety of taste, if you don’t care about talking to them too much and if you have a lot of patience. Just keep an eye over your shoulder in case you spy Psy eating tontoro in Toronto or there is a random attack from Godzilla or Mothra.

Tag: japanese

Review:Toronto:Queen West:Banh Mi Boys

Review:Toronto:The Annex: Guu Sakabar