Wahed Shawarma (Aurora, On)

Peerless
 
As you may have figured out, I love shawarma. The heavily seasoned, super marinaded, rotating meat of the Middle East. It's really pretty simple, I love meat, bread, sauces, seasonings, spices and ethnic food. Which, when veggies are added, exactly what shawarma is.
It should then come as no surprised that in the Spring of 2012 I was very excited to see a little mom and pop shawarma place open out on the main drag, Yonge St. in the little town where I live. 
 
Wahed Shawarma is a small Iraqi place in the south end of town in a little strip mall. The name translates from Arabic to mean "Unique" or, as the title of this review suggests, "Peerless." In the town of Aurora, if not York Region, that may simply be the case.

Like with all good shawarma places, pretty much all food items are made in house with the exceptions of the breads and are tasty and fresh. While the shawarma itself is not the best I've had it's certainly first rate. The Falafel is another story. It's awesome and flat out my favourite. Opinions bolstered by the many Middle Eastern people I've talked to while waiting in line. All rave about the place so don't just take it from this Canadian. Those who know, know.

One thing that they do as well that I really love is put a bowl of "croutons" on the counter for you to nibble on while you're there. Said croutons are deep fried, seasoned pieces of pita bread that are used in Fattoush. The Middle East’s version of a bread salad.

Wahed's interior is not much to look at but then again, it doesn't need to be. A gaggle of tables and chairs in a dining area that has seen better days. There's the counter/prep station just as you walk in. Requisite religious items and pictures of the homeland decorate the walls. The main kitchen is in the back corner where all the main cooking and prep work are done.
 
But enough with all this, let's get a look at the food. 
 
First off let me say that the pitas they use are rather small. So if you’re a big eater, you may want to order 2. They’re a little more bready than others I’ve had. Most are pretty thin with a crispier shell while these have a bit of fluffiness to them. Inside and out. That said, they’re also among the most inexpensive shawarma.
 They also serve them “clamshell” style, not “tucked and rolled.” I prefer the latter. It doesn’t affect the taste either way. Just a preference in presentation and maneuverability. After assembly they get a quick grilling in a sandwich press. 
 
The Falafel is outstanding. Like any shawarma place worth its salt, they cook it to order. These chick pea dough balls have a nice crispy exterior (because they’re cooked to order and don't sit around steaming and getting gummy) and a fluffy interior. They have a really nice “fried” taste with a good hit of cumin and a bit of cardamom. As I said before,  I’d have to say this is my favourite falafel in the GTA. I don’t do hot sauce on it though. I just don’t like it hot. 
 
The Chicken Shawarma is also quite good. Juicy, chickeny and highly seasoned with overtones of cinnamon.  They have the standard toppings and I get all of them. They have a pretty kick butt hot sauce and aren’t shy with it either. If you ask for it spicy, you get spicy. Not some hint of it that leaves you wanting more.
The Beef Shawarma is even better. Similarly spiced however the beef tends to stand up a little more than the more delicate chicken. Again, with everything and spicy is my order. I simply love it.
I must say though, these days I'm on a "Mix" roll. That is to say, I get a mixture of beef and chicken. Blended together they work well and don't fight with each other.
 
So there you have it folks, some great shawarma and falafel north of the city.
 
You can find Wahed Shawarma at 14810 Yonge St in Aurora, On.

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Oddly enough, this may be the only restaurant on the planet that isn't on the web, facebook or Twitter. It's such a hidden gem that even Urban Spoon doesn't know about it yet.
 
Well that's all for now folks, catch ya next time in the food court.

White Squirrel Snack Shop (Toronto, On)

Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks

This restaurant ceased operations as of November 1, 2013


It’s always interesting and even exciting to see a new “Foodie” part of town develop. The intersection of Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue in Toronto has, in the past, just been an area that, more or less, intersects the Business, Entertainment, Fashion and Chinatown districts. While still in its infancy, it’s looking like it’s trying to become it’s own little sub district. Call it the “Snack” district if you will. Within the last couple years no less than 5 places have opened up serving high quality fast food. Taking advantage of the lunch late night bar crowds. The latest of which, White Squirrel Snack Shop offers a little taste of Toronto.

In 2009 David Ginsberg opened White Squirrel Coffee Shop just west in the Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood. It’s been a hit ever since but the small shop doesn’t have a full kitchen. Wanting to expand his horizons, David found a spot and together with Chef Chelsea White crafted a menu that takes from Toronto’s strength; Diversity. Influences from across the globe can be found in items like Nachos, Fried Rice, Souvlaki and Po’ Boys. Many of those items coming in full or snack sizes.
The Snack Shop operates out of a store front on Queen Street West. Up front is the dining area with it’s half dozen or so seats as well as couple tables beside the counter. Which is about half way through the space. The restaurant has high ceilings and is very long and narrow. Two things really stand out, first is the completely unfinished wall down one side and the enlarged 100 year old map of the city on the other. The map is beautiful with it’s collage of vintage photos adorning. The unkempt feel of the place… not so much. The kitchen is in the back and where you pick up your goodies.

And speaking of those goodies, let’s have a look at some.


They make their own hot sauce and it’s just as good as anything you’ll find anywhere. There’s a hint of smokiness that comes from Chipotle. Other than that there’s a medley of chilies and other flavourizers. The whole purpose was to make it flavourful and not just hot for hot’s sake.


The Kimchi Fried  Brown Rice is a bit of an odd dish. Brown fried rice with kimchi, oyster mushrooms, tofu and topped with grilled bok choy. What I’ve heard and read so far, for the most part matches my findings. Which are that it wasn’t really what I was expecting (not that I really know what I was expecting), wasn’t wowed by it but at the same time, found it addictive. It was slightly spicy with a bit of crunch and packed with flavour. About half way through I decided to add a bit of the hot sauce. It was just that much better. Adding another layer of flavour and kicking the spice level up a few more notches really helped solidify this dish for me.


I thought the Sweet/Spicy Wings were quite good but not really my thing. They come grilled and tossed in a maple, chili, lime, cilantro sauce. They have good flavour but I find the sauce a bit thin. I like a heftier sauce that really sticks to them. I also found that the taste was somewhat restrained whereas I like a bolder flavour. So all in all they were really good but just not what I go for.


The Cubano is one tasty sandwich. Slow roasted pork, smoked ham, slaw, grainy mustard and pickles on fresh French Bread. White Squirrel’s version of this classic Florida sandwich is fairly close to traditional. The use of grainy mustard and slaw a slight departure but it holds fairly true. And does it justice. The most pronounced flavour is the piggy, roasted pork. The rest of the ingredients all play supporting rolls. The bread is delivered fresh from a local bakery every day and is excellent.


Their Snack Shop Burger is pre ordained with a half pound of house ground beef on an egg bun with caramelized onions, pickles and dijon mustard. While it’s not my “Go to” burger (bacon, cheese, pickle, raw onion, prepared mustard) I thoroughly enjoyed this. Make no mistake though, that is because of the meat. It’s excellent. The bun is good. It doesn’t detract and is sturdy enough to stand up to the oozing juice. The toppings are okay but nicely balanced. The sweetness of the sautéed onions equally measured by the pickle and mustard. The beef is, well, beefy. It is loosely formed into a patty and though it was cooked to well done, it’s still plenty juicy. The nice thing is, it’s ground corsely enough to still have a pleasant chew. This is just a great burger.


So whether you’re stumbling out of a bar or escaping the rat race, White Squirrel has some tasty treats for you.

You can find White Squirrel Snack Shop at 507 Queen Street West in Toronto, On.

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You can also find them on the web and Twitter.



Well that’s all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.

Tenoch Restaurant Grill & Bar (Toronto, On)

“La Real Y Autentica Camida Mexicana”

Further to my discussion about the state of Mexican food in Toronto let me offer up Tenoch in Toronto's Oakwood neighbourhood. A community within the city that's getting more and more of a Spanish flavour. More and more these days Mexican and other Latin expats are immigrating to the area. With them of course comes culture and most importantly the cuisine. It's become the part of town to which people of South and Central American countries flock after their soccer team wins during the World Cup.

Tenoch gets it's name for the now mythical leader of the ancient Aztec world. Debates have ensued as to whether he was just a myth but the evidence suggests he lived from 1325 to 1375. Tenoch was honoured when a new city, cut into an island in Lake Texacoco (near present day Mexico City) was named Tenochtitlan. It soon became the capital of the Aztec empire and the largest city in the pre Columbian "new" world. Today, Mexico City's Zócalo, is located at the site of Tenochtitlan's original central plaza and market. Many of the original city streets correspond to modern day roads.
As such, I'm sure you can imagine the food is from the Mexico City region.

Tenoch is not much more than a store front from the outside. Pictures of specials adorn the front window and almost dare foot traffic to walk on by.
Inside it's like a great little cantina. The seating is ample and there is karaoke in the back. There's a bar in the middle that is where, outside of the food, my favourite feature is located. The collection of Mexican wrestling masks.  The kitchen is located in the back and just about everything they sell is made in house.
So let's get a look at these Mexican goodies.
As a typical garnish you get, naturally, salsa. In this case, Salsa Verde (green salsa) and an orange sauce made of reconstituted chilies.
The orange sauce has a nice flavour with some smokiness to it. As though there's some fire roasted component in there. The kick is mild but there.
The Salsa Verde is fabulous. Very fresh tasting with a nice balance of onion, chili and cilantro. It packs a bit of a wallop so be careful.
In English, Alambre means "Wire." There seems to be some missing links in the evolution of this dish because, at it's roots, it should be a skewered dish. It has become however, a dish that is diced meat (usually steak) sauteed with onion, chiiles and (usually) bacon. Here we have Tacos de Alambre with red and green chillies and also ham. It's covered with cheese and is incredibly tasty. The tortillas aren't made in house but are authentic corn tortillas that I suspect come from La Tortillaria. I mixed and matched lime juice, orange sauce and salsa verde and everything just worked. There was no combination that was better than the other  and that was better than without condiments. It was all just so good.

In Mexico City if you serve torta you serve a Torta Cubana. Never mind the name, it has really nothing to do with Cuba. A torta is a Mexican sandwich served on a crusty, oblong bun. While no 2 torta are alike, this becomes more so with the Cubana. It's an amalgam of all the torta a restaurant will serve. Here, being the house specialty, they've rebranded it, Torta Tenoch. Quite frankly, it's a monster. 12 ingredients not including the bun. I don't carry a scale but it has to come in around 3lbs. It's a ton of food in sandwich form. We have Roast pork (Pierna), breaded fried steak (Milanesa), hotdogs, ham, pastrami, cheese, tomato, onion, avocado, mayo, re-fried beans and fried egg. It's an absolutely incredible sandwich. Big enough that one half was lunch and the other, dinner. Tasty enough to be among the best sandwiches I've had.

Like any good Mexican place they make their own Tamales. They offer 3  types and this specimen, Mole, has chicken in mole sauce as it's stuffing. First off, lemmie tell you, it's huge. I think they needed 6 husks to keep the thing together. It was very tasty but did have some weaknesses. One such flaw what that the filling was a bit on the sparse side. I thought there was enough mole to carry the dish but the chicken was a bit lost. As well, it was a bit on the dry side. A common malady for these things. I thought the orange chili sauce drizzled on it helped with that an also added a bite that was nice. The corn flavour from the masa was excellent.

In the Quesadilla category you'll find Chicharones con Queso. Chunks of pork skin simmered in a red chili broth and stuffed with cheese into a corn tortilla. Rather than baked in an oven or grilled over coals of some sort, this one seemed to be fried. It gave the exterior a nice crispiness while still allowing some pliability. That filling was exceptional. A hint of spice balanced nicely by the cheese with the richness of the pork being countered by an acid (probably lime juice) in the broth.

So there you have it folks, some of the best Mexican food I've had in one of Toronto's hidden gems.
You can find Tenoch at 933 St Clair Ave W in the heart of Toronto's burgeoning Latin American community.
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You can also find them on the web and facebook.
 
Well that's all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.

Samoon Sandwiches

Disclaimer: This is not a political opinion piece. I'm trying to stick to straight facts here. So please, let’s keep this discussion to the food.
 
Unless you've been living on Mars, in a cave and under a rock, you've probably heard that the United States invaded Iraq and deposed Saddam Hussein. Claiming victory several months later and leaving the country in a quagmire. While on the surface, ridding the country of a murderous tyrant seemed like a good idea, if you get a chance to talk to someone from Iraq, a different picture takes shape. One where a delicate balance, held together with Saddam's iron fist, has been upset. One where, clearly, they were better off with the devil they knew. In this case, instead of the many devils they didn't know. I've been lucky enough to converse with some Iraqi people who've left the country because it had simply become too dangerous. As one told me, "Used to be 1 Hussein. Now there's 100."
 
For young Sahar and her extended family, the opportunity to leave the homeland and come to Canada has been life changing. Now here 7 years, they've opened a small restaurant serving some of the tastes that they brought with them. Popular Middle Eastern specialties such as Shawarma, Falafel and Baklava, (popular here too) are on the menu but what really makes Al Tanoor so much more than just another in a line of Shawarma places is the tandoor they have in their kitchen. Breads like Samoon, a bun like device and Tanoor, similar to Laffa and simply know as "bread" are baked daily on site and bring a taste of Iraqi to the GTA.
 
Al Tanoor sits in a strip mall in Toronto's Wexford neighbourhood. A growing Muslim community. Logically, it's in the best area in the city to secure yourself a Shawarma. Either of Iraqi, Lebanese or Turkish decent.
Inside there's a handful of tables with chairs and a counter at the back of the dining room. That's where the Shawarma does it's magical dance and things are grilled. There's a hot bar with rice and other dishes as well as the condiment station where sandwiches and the like are fitted out.
The main kitchen, where the tandoor resides, is in back. 
 
So let's get a look at these Iraqi delights.


Being cooked in house (and their specialty), the Samoon bread was beautifully fresh and tasty. It makes me think of what the offspring of a pita and Italian roll would be. Quite conducive to stuffing as it seems the interior is a bit more airy. The house special (shawarma) comes on one of these buns instead of  a pita.
 
Kibbe (meaning Ball) is a bulger wheat croquette native to the Middle East. This version has highly seasoned ground beef stuffed into the dough and is then deep fried. This particular specimen is very tasty but, (I guess me being a sauce guy) I thought it could use some sort of dipping sauce. Traditionally they’re either eaten with or without a condiment. Your choice. Sahar suggested concocting a sauce for next time.
 
The Chicken Shawarma special (here in a Samoon)  is some of the best in the city. Terrifically flavourful, I was able to get it cooked a little more well done. It may seem counter intuitive to cook the chicken to well done but there’s enough fat to keep it moist while the shaggy bits of meat get beautifully crispy. A terrific contrast in tastes and textures. All in all, this is a fantastic sandwich and a steal at $2.99.
The Ayran yogurt drink, in my mind, is kinda meh. It’s quite popular but I didn’t care for it. It tastes like salty yogurt. I sometimes think I need to try it again but bring some juice mix.
 
Also fantastic is the Beef Shawarma. Nicely seasoned and very tender. On a pita is my favourite way to have Shawarma and this is no exception. The condiments are fresh and they have one of the better hot sauces for these sandwiches there. Good flavour and plenty of kick for such a little amount. The condiments are pretty much your usual suspects. Toum (Garlic sauce), lettuce, tahini, onions, etc. One of the best Shawarma in the city. Ask for a beef and chicken mix for something a little different.
 
Shish Tawook, meaning “skewered chicken” in English is just that. Marinated cubes of breast meat, skewered and grilled. AT's version is simply fantastic. Heavily season it came perfectly grilled. The meat was very tender, had a nice exterior while remaining very moist and flavourful inside. There was a pretty ample amount as well. The Tahini and hot sauce make it even better. Full marks here to Sahar as she absolutely nailed the cooking on this. Shown above with salad it made for a full and healthy lunch. I subbed out the rice for Tabbouleh.
 
Al Tanoor make easily my favourtie Baklava as well. This traditional Iraqi style baklava uses simple sugar instead of honey. It’s used a bit more sparingly and allows the top layers of phyllo to puff up nicely and stay crispy. The whole thing is much more reserved in the sweetness department. As such, it’s much, much more appealing.
 
Well there you have it folks, a taste of Iraq without ever having to jump in an up armoured  Humvee and risk life and limb.
 
You can find Al Tanoor at 1993 Lawrence Ave E. in Toronto, On.

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You can also find them on facebook.

 
Well that's all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.

Kickin' it Old Shul

They say, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” For Zane Caplansky, truer words may never have been spoken. Not a fan of what he considered sub par deli in Toronto he would pester friends to smuggle the good stuff back from Montreal. Not a long term solution Zane taught himself the centuries old art of curing meat and began making his own goodies. At first it was to satisfy his own palate. Eventually, at the behest of his friends, he opened a little spot in the Monarch Tavern. To say he was a hit doesn’t begin to scratch the surface. Eventually he’d outgrow the hotel and open his own place. I’d love to say that it was a run away smash hit but that doesn’t tell the story. Simply put, the review are mixed.

There has, perhaps, never been a restaurant that stirs up more passion than Caplansky's Deli in Toronto. For the most part, no one LIKES this place. They either love it or hate it with a heat of a thousand white hot suns. It's just about that simple. I have to admit, I do love the place. I’m not alone either. He’s got fans at the New York Times, Maxim and Gourmet Magazines and both John Catucci of You Gotta Eat Here and Guy Fieri and the Triple D gang have paid visits. He’s also featured in the David Sax book, Save the Deli.

Sitting just north of Toronto’s Kensington Market neighbourhood Caplansky’s is a beautiful place. Decked out in blue and white the corner unit reminds me of a circa 1940’s milk carton. The small patio is abuzz on summer nights and the whole restaurant nicely complements the trendy neighbourhood.

Inside is just as nice. A mismatch of tables and chairs complement the old school feel inside. The pressed tin ceiling was preserved and art deco lighting brighten the place. The large windows allow plenty of light during the day. It just has a nice warm yet utilitarian feel inside. In front where you wait to be seated you’ll find the “Trophy case.” Displaying the many dessert options available. Mid dining room there’s a counter where the meat is sliced and wares are sold. Always on patrol is Zane himself. Ebbing and flowing between the dining room to great guests and the kitchen in back.

So let’s get a look at what’s coming out of that kitchen. All sandwiches are served on near by Silverstein's bread and come with a Putter’s pickle.

They have a caddy on the table with your typical ketchup and mustard. They also have 4 of their (made in) house mustard varietals. All come in your standard mustard squeeze bottle.
Mild and Delicious: Yes it is.
Hot and Horseradish: This is really nice although I think a hint more horseradish would improve it. That said, it may make it too much like the next one.
Super, Extra-Hot Mustard: Wow!! This is not for beginners. Perhaps not quite to the level of Keens but in the same ballpark. It's everything you want from a hot deli mustard.
Honey Mustard: I really don't care for this one. I don't like the balance between honey and mustard. It's pretty much honey with some mustard. Not nearly enough to balance out the sweetness. I'd like more mustard than honey.

Being a Jewish deli you absolutely can’t have pork products. But, but bacon!!! Well don’t you worry, Zane is curing and smoking his own. From cow. Beef Bacon is really interesting. It’s got just about all the attributes of regular bacon but lacks the bold, assertiveness. I described it to my wife as “gentle bacon.” It’s just more subtle and delicate in flavour.

An often soup du jour is Bean with Bacon. More like a thick stew actually at first glance it looks like chili. Loaded with tomato gravy and beans with some meat. Just remove the cumin (an other chili seasonings) and you have this dish. It's very nice and homey and tasted great on a cold winter day. 

I'm somewhat torn with the Smoked Meat Poutine. Fries covered with cheese curd, topped with smoked meat simmered in gravy. Did I enjoy this dish?? Sure I did. It was tasty. Do I think I could've loved it?? I think so. First and foremost I don't like matchstick fries. Much like with pasta, the chunkier the sauce, the bigger the noodle needs to be. So a heftier fry would work better for me. Also, my favourite way to eat poutine is to let the cheese curds melt. Ya, the fries get a bit soggy but I like the trade off. The gravy here wasn't hot enough to melt the curds. It wasn't cold though, so don't misunderstand. And I just plain prefer regular poutine best.
For those that it matters to, the cheese curds had some squeak to them. For those who don't understand, poutine freaks rank curd squeak as one of the most important parts of the dish. Much like hot dog nuts are all about the snap of natural casings.

A recommendation by one of the wait staff is a combination of Pickled Tongue and Smoked Meat sandwich. First of all it's not like Montreal Smoked Meat. It's not supposed to be either. Caplansky's is doing their own style which I thoroughly enjoyed. Hand sliced it was so tender it pretty much fell apart. As did the tongue. This was a terrific sandwich. It came on that same basic rye and I added a good dose of the SEH mustard. It was smoky, beefy and rich. It was fantastic.

The Bingo is a Friday sandwich of the day. Slices of fried salami on an onion bun with slivered red onion and cheddar cheese. It came dressed with the honey mustard. Again, as with the other sandwiches, I added the SEH mustard and it knocked it out of the park. The griddling of the salami really gets the oils going and helps carry the flavour. I'd have liked to see more cheese but that's just a fine tuning detail.

Definitely my favourite sandwich is the Meatloaf. It comes on Ciabatta and you can get cheddar. Which I did. The meatloaf has smoked meat in it and is as good a meatloaf as you’ll find. The bold tomato flavour of the sauce is a great complement. My big concern is the bun would be too chewy and the guts would squish out the back. Not so, the tender bun is perfect and tasty to boot. I added a couple pieces of the cow bacon on half of it and while it was somewhat lost, the crunchiness added was nice.

The dessert (trophy) case is full of homemade goodies for your sweet tooth. I've had 3 options now and they've all been great.
Lemon Square: Rather like a square of Lemon Meringue Pie withouth the meringue. The crust is a bit like short bread which was fine. The curd was sturdy with a nice, but not puckeringly so, tartness that I loved.
Apple Crisp Pie: Among my favourite apple pies I’ve had. Bold with cinnamon just the way I like it.
Chocolate Cake: Let me just put it this way. If you love chocolate cake, you’ll love this.
Pecan Pie: It looks great in the case. A perfect looking pecan pie under a swirl of chocolate butter cream. It tastes great but sadly, when it’s heated that icing melts. I also found the chocolate distracts from the pie. It was good though I’d rather have the pie unadorned.

So there you have it folks. Fine old school deli served in a nice place.

You can find Caplansky’s at 356 College St. in Toronto, Ontario.

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You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.


Well that’s all for now folks, see you next time in the food court.

Fine Hungarian Cuisine

In June of 2011, Judit Szamosszegi introduced the flavours of the old country at Paprika Euro Deli. Just off Main Street in Newmarket. The smallish store featured, among other things, meats, dry goods and hot table. So popular was said hot table that a year later when the adjoining spot on main street came available, she jumped at it. She and her husband George opened The Goulash House serving York Region some of the finest Hungarian food in Canada.

I’m told it doesn’t get as cold in Hungary as it does ‘round these parts in the winter. While that’s probably a good thing for them when the mercury does dip, Hungarian cuisine seems to be just about the best comfort, stick to your ribs, stay warm kinda food that is perfect on a cold snowy night.
Sometimes called Magyar Cuisine after the primary ethnic group of Hungary. Rife with meats and fresh vegetables, owing to Hungary's farming heritage. The cuisine in general seems to have a nice blend of what one would consider eastern and western European dishes. Things like schnitzels and perogies would be fine examples of those.

Location, location, location is what they say and this place is all over it. It sits in a corner unit of a heritage building with beautiful, large front windows. If you don’t mind being in a bit of a fish bowl, those tables there are great. Inside wood and exposed brick dominate. The whole place just has a nice warm feel that the food supports nicely. It’s just a great place.

So let’s get a look at this food of which I speak.

The Hungarian Sampler platter is an assortment of cheese and meats from the attached deli. Everything on the plate was at least very good but the two stand outs were the Smoked Mozzarella (top right) and the Smoked Salami (bottom right). The Liptauer (Cheese Spread) (bottom left) was also quite enjoyable. It came with some very nice bread.

Chicken Paprikash is as synonymous with Hungarian food as Goulash. This example (the only one I've ever had) was simply marvelous. Not very spicy and very smooth. The chicken was nice and tender and the Nokedli (Hungarian Spätzle) was a perfect vehicle for the extra sauce. I added some of the offered hot sauce (very similar to sambal) and it gave it just that much more punch. 

The national dish of Hungary is Beef Goulash and as such, you’d best make it well if you have a Hungarian restaurant. Especially if that’s the name on the door. Well, this is every bit the hearty, delicious dish I know. A rich, thick, yet delicate flavoured gravy with chunks of tender beef shank swimming in it is poured over Nokedli and served in a kettle. The hint of caraway and paprika gently flavour the dish. It’s somewhere between soup and stew. Quite frankly, it’s simply incredible and would be the best thing on the menu if not for….

…Potato Paprikash. This dish has so much going on and is just so incredibly delicious. Slices of potato are simmered in a paprika broth that’s flavoured with Csabi sausage and garnished with a piece of Debreceni sausage. Served with the Nokedli it’s just so tasty. As much as I wanted to say the goulash was the best, this dish is just that much better.

The Dobosh cake is really good. a 7 layer torte topped with caramel (in this case a caramel topped cookie like thing). It had good over all taste and wasn't sickeningly sweet. We quite enjoyed it.

Not nearly as much as the Somlói Galuska. A mixture of Chocolate, Vanilla and Walnut sponge cakes with custard, topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, topped with a cherry. It's heavenly.

So there you have it folks, some fantastic Hungarian food a little north of Toronto

You can find The Goulash House at 200 Main St. S, Newmarket, On.

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You can also find them on facebook.


Well that’s all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.