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.

Champy’s Famous Fried Chicken (Chattanooga, Tn)

“Saving the World, One Chicken Leg at a Time”

Life on the road was getting pretty tough for Seth Champion. With his wife, Crissy, living in Savannah, Georgia they managed 3 Lenny’s Sub Shops. All the while Seth travelled and advised franchisees. They’d had enough. Chasing a Lenny’s franchise opportunity of their own, they pulled up stakes and set up shop in Chattanooga. Their business got off to a good start and before long, were approached with an offer. Too good to pass up, they sold and decided it was time to venture out on their own. They knew with Seth's business background and old family recipes they were sure to succeed.

In 2009, Seth and Crissy opened Champy's Famous Fried Chicken. To say it’s been a big hit is an understatement. We arrived for dinner the night before Thanksgiving and found the place was almost full to overflowing. Their bar and grill has quickly become a staple in community and has gained plenty of notoriety nationally and as you can tell by this Canadian knowing about it, internationally. Some claim it's the best fried chicken in the nation. While that's a pretty big claim there's certainly good reason. As you'll soon read. Such a demand has also meant expansion. They've now opened 3 other stores. All in Alabama.

The moment Seth and Crissy saw what would become Champy’s Chattanooga location they knew they'd found the place. It sits, very conveniently, directly across the street from UTC.
It’s outward appearance is that of a seaside bar. Inside it has all the trappings of a dive bar. Memorabilia and other paraphernalia adorn the walls as to cover old paint and cracked plaster. In this case, old album covers and dollar bills are among the more notable items. They've tried to capture the feel of the Mississippi Delta that's near and dear to them. Mix together Delta Blues, 40 oz. beers and great food, you've surely got a recipe for success.
As an added bonus for the males in the house, the wait staff are female, young and cute. They’re also very good. Helpful with the menu and given that everything is cooked to order (and fried chicken taking extra time), very expedient.

As we all know, it can be difficult at the best times to live up to a reputation. Well I’m hear to tell ya, Champy’s is “All that.” So let’s have a look shall we??

At the table where the ketchup and sundry items are you’ll find a bottle of their home made hot sauce. Called Mississippi Sweet Heat it’s somewhat your typical hot sauce in that it’s peppery and vinegary. This also has a bit of a sweetness component. It’s actually not all that hot, sweet or vinegary but walks a nice, fine, balancing act. It played nicely on the Fried Dill Pickles. I never used it on anything else but in hind sight, I’m sure it was be a nice addition to the beans. A little acidity in beans is nice.

A really nice way to start off, especially if you’re a group, is the Smoked Sausage Plate. Cajun smoked sausage is accompanied by cheese cubes, pickles, pickled peppers and dusted with seasoning. The sausage is fantastic. Garlicky and smokey and just fantastic. I can’t say it any other way. The cheese is really nice and where the pickled peppers juice got on it, even better. The pickles are really nice but nothing spectacular. Just solid. Nothing wrong with that. The pickled peppers aren’t all that hot. Hot enough if you don’t enjoy but not something the grizzled old vets would consider hot.

The Hot Wings are another nice side. I’m starting to realize that I’m just not a huge fan of smoked chicken wings. Which these are. I think the combination of smoke and wing sauce doesn’t work. The best I’ve had are my own and I do more of a BBQ sauce on them. I think that works better. The night I had them there was no shortage of people ordering. A few baseball teams came by after their games and several people ordered and enjoyed. I would order them again but they aren’t my favourite thing on the menu is all.


I totally get Deep Fried Dill Pickles. They’re pickles which are good. They’re deep fried which is also good. So the two should work. I’ve just never loved them. Not so with these ones. Cut into spear shapes they’re far and away the best I’ve had. The crunch of the breading was exceptional and the Ranch Dressing was a perfect complement.

As you can well imagine, growing up in Canada means that my exposure to Delta Tamales was nil. I didn’t even know there was such an animal. Delta Tamales, or Hot Tamales as they’re called “Down Yonder” are very similar to the Latin varietal but are made of cornmeal not masa. They also seem to be smaller and are usually but not always, covered in a thin tomato sauce or gravy.
These particular specimens are filled with ground beef and nicely seasoned. Definitely with cumin but there are certainly other flavours along for the ride. I loved them. Mrs. Sippi thought they were very good but not excellent. Growing up just above the Delta, she’s far more familiar with them.

Last but more certainly not least the Fried Chicken. IT. IS. AWESOME. Oh my, this, simply, is what God intended when he invented Fried Chicken. Crispy, juicy, “chickeny”, herby and, what put this over the top, slightly spicy. Not sure where it’s coming from but that little bit of bite really gives it personality. By “bite” I don’t mean a lot of heat either. This is not Nashville Hot Chicken or anything close to it. Just enough to bloom your taste buds and give it some character. Not so much as to turn off those not into hot stuff.
I really liked the slaw that accompanied it. It had a good cabbage taste and had a little something, something which I think, was apple. All in all, one of the better tasting slaws I’ve had.
The beans were fantastic. Kind of your standard pork and beans but a little smokier and as you can see they have kidney beans in them as well. They add just a bit of earthiness that I totally enjoyed.

When in season they do Crawfish Boils. Pretty much exactly the same as a Low Country Boil or Frogmore Stew, it’s mud bugs (crawfish) cooked in a fiery, heavily seasoned broth with Cajun Sausage, Corn and Potatoes. As an added attraction they add Mushrooms. The whole thing is just poured out onto a plate and you dive right in. This particular incarnation hit all the right notes and had a strong hint of all spice. Not something I’ve seen but being a Canadian, this was not something with which I grew up. Mrs. Sippi has had this plenty and declared Champy’s version simply the best. Be fore warned though, if you do not like spicy stuff, you will not be able to handle this. By the time we finished, our mouths were on fire.

If you have room for dessert there a couple options for you. Mississippi Mud and Key Lime Pies. The Ms Mud was good and came from a bakery in Nashville. I must admit it didn’t really excite me but a chocolate based pie for a chocoholic is always acceptable. The Key Lime (shown) is made in house and is quite good. I have a bit of a hard time judging this for two reasons. It’s got a bit of a delicate taste and having it on the heels of the power packed crawfish my tastebuds were probably worn out. As well, I made one for my mom just the week before and, as usual, I prefer what I make at home. Make no mistake though, this is some good stuff.


So there you go fried chicken aficionados, some of the best bird this side of Neptune.

You can find Champy’s at 526 East M L King Boulevard, Chattanooga, Tn.

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


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

Authentic Mexican

It’s a known fact. The Greater Toronto Area has no good Mexican restaurants. Or is it?? Long the opinion of locals the tide does seem to be turning. Mexican places that are opening in the city these days are getting better and better. There are also some top notch places just outside the city as well. Mostly to the north although I'm given to understand the epicenter of Mexican food in Ontario is Leamington. But that isn't really close to the GTA. In any case in small towns, far enough away from the urbanization of Toronto yet close enough to farms (and the abundantly fertile land of the Holland Marsh), good Mexican is starting to pop up as well. With the Mexican population growing rather generously in these areas due to the need for farm hands, entrepreneurial ex pat Mexicans are opening businesses to serve their fellow countrymen.

One such place can be found on the newly redesignated Main Street in Newmarket. Made in Mexico is quite simply that. Owned and operated by a Mexican family serving authentic Mexican food. While it is a family affair, it can sometimes seem like Fernando is really in charge. You'll see mom or dad hovering around in the back ground, ensuring everything is running smoothly. You'll see Romena in the kitchen toiling away. But walk in and most likely you'll be greeted by Fernando and his effervescent personality.

On the outside MIM looks like it's tucked in to an old furnature store. There's lots of display windows which can make for nice people watching but also has you in a bit of a fish bowl.
The inside is pretty much straight up restaurant. Tables, chairs a bar, you know, a restaurant. Decorating the walls are carachatures of Mexican celebrities as well as Mexican themed posters. The old building lends a certain charm to the place as well.
In the kitchen they're doing everything from old Mexican favourites to Tex-Mex that people enjoy. Having lived on both Mexican coasts the menu is a little more diverse. As is the cuisine in the country as a whole.

So let's have a look at these goodies shall we??
 
Frijoles Charros is the Mexican version of the old soup, bean with bacon. (And chorizo.) A hearty chicken broth filled with bacon, chorizo and pinto beans. It’s just simply awesome. Although the cumin flavour does slightly come through, really, this soup is so well balanced it more or less has one flavour. Comes as an appetizer or a side.  
 
The Flautas, to me, were good but nothing more. Keep in mind that I’m not really a flauta person. I wouldn’t have ordered them but a nice couple were leaving as I went in. They recommended them so I bit. Don’t get me wrong, they really were good. Stuffed with chicken, smothered in mole and topped with a drizzle of crema. Everything about them was top notch. They just aren’t my thing. If you like ‘em, I’m sure you’ll like these.

The Beef Tamales (which aren’t on the menu) are simply great. Very corny and beefy. It was a fairly typical size and came with a traditional salsa which was totally unnecessary.
The Chicken Tamales are even better. Same great corn flavour with great chicken taste. While it was great on its own, the salsa verde made for a nice complement.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Shrimp Tacos but think they could’ve been even better. First off, they were nice and light. A tempura like batter nicely encased plump shrimp. They were stuffed into a tender corn tortilla. Here’s the thing though. They were garnished with a “Mexican slaw.” A very creamy slaw that you’d find in a BBQ joint more likely. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t good either. It was just odd. I’d have liked to see some onion, cabbage, cilantro and lime juice instead. I’d certainly order them again with no problem.

The Queso Fundido topped with Chorizo was phenomenal. Baked cheese topped with a nice oily (home made) chorizo. It came with a half dozen warm, corn tortillas. I just scooped up some of the ooey, gooey goodness, put it in a tortilla, rolled it up and thoroughly enjoyed. Absolutely fabulous.

If you still have room after your meal check out the Chocoflan. Their spin on the Mexican favourite, flan. Here we have a Devilsfood cake married with flan. It’s ridiculous. If you like chocolate cake and flan then this is for you. It has all the best aspects of the two in one convenient package.

So there you have it folks, some really terrific Mexican a short drive from TO.

You can find Made in Mexico at 196 Main St. S, Newmarket, Ontario.

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You can also find them on facebook and Twitter.


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

DAVWUD

Día de los Muertos

Even though it lasts 2 days (November 1 & 2) in Mexico this national holiday brings families together to celebrate the lives of those who have gone before. Translated to English as “Day of the Dead” the celebration is marked with Marigolds, sugar skulls, gifts of food and drink and visits to grave sites.
Coinciding with All Saints Day and All Souls Day the modern incarnation has its roots in the Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. It has evolved as most holidays have. Once a month long celebration the two days are generally broken up. November 1 known as  Día de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents) to honour children and November 2 as Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) to honour elders.
Private altars are constructed to encourage visits from the departed souls.One such altar I found was at The Tamale Store in Phoenix, Arizona.
This take out only shop fresh makes tamales then freezes them for take home heating and consumption. Though you can however get TRE’s (Tamales Ready to Eat) at a variety of local farmers markets.
The menu changes seasonally but remains fairly consistent. Offering meat, non meat, vegan and even desert styles. All made by hand from fresh, quality ingredients. Sold in heat ‘n serve pairs.
For the take home consumer, heating instructions are simple and on a take out  menu for your convenience. They are simple and as follows.
Remove tamales from their plastic and wrap in damp paper towels.

Nuculate on high (1,000 watt microwave) for 4 minutes. Remove from paper towel.

Remove the parchment paper wrapper.
Extracate the corny goodness from the husks, cover with your favourite condiment(s) and enjoy.
So now that you know how to deal with these little babies I’ll bet you’re wondering how they taste. Well the tamales are the best I’ve had but keep in mind, I’ve not had a lot. The masa had a good corn flavour and they didn’t skimp on the filling. The chipotle chicken and red chile pork (shown above) were packed with flavour. The chicken especially. In the veggie category the grilled poblano and jack cheese were very good for not having meat. LOL. Only slightly less were the green corn and cream cheese. The Law (my cousin) on the other hand has had many in his life and ranks these up there with the best. Several local publications rank them best as well.


You can find The Tamale Store (store) at 13046 N. Cave Creek Rd. in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Well that’s all for now folks. See ya mañana in the food court.

Davwud

Small “Bus”iness

You know the place. In a bit of a sketchy part of town. Unappealing curb appeal. You wonder how it can stay in business. You feel like you need to wash up just for seeing it. Ya, you know what I’m talking about.
It’s sometimes worth taking a chance on rather dodgy looking place though. Look past that queasy façade. Stop, get out of your car and smell. Do you smell food?? If so, that’s a good sign. Look at it. Does it have a crowd around (or in) it?? Yes, again, a good thing.

In Huntsville, Alabama at the corner of 9th and Governors in a rather unfortunate looking parking lot, you’ll find El Cazador (the hunter). Affectionately known to locals as “The Taco Bus” it’s the brain child of owner Filiberto Pelayo.
Filberto, originally from California opened the parent restaurant, Taqueria El Cazador on Memorial Parkway (Huntsville’s spine). He’s added three satellites, (one in sister city Decatur) with the bus becoming an institution. It’s made the list of Huntsville’s 10 Oddest Eateries and getting the reputation as being the best Mexican food in town.

From the outside it looks, well, like a bus. Not a fun looking one either like the Partridge family’s but almost more like a prison transfer bus. There’s also a covered picnic area beside.
The inside is pure functionality. Stainless steel lines the “Dining area” and kitchen. The menu is posted on a wall beside the cash register. A lone, over worked fan keeps the air moving inside in the absence of air conditioning.The cramped kitchen is where all the magic happens. Food is prepared on site with the support of the main restaurant by one or another of the Perayo family.
If you’re a little nervous about the cleanliness, don’t worry, The Taco Bus scores in the high 90’s on their health rating.

Our visit was just after the 11am opening so we pretty much had the run of the place. A quesadilla and a bunch of tacos made up a nice, fresh tasting lunch.

So let’s get a look at the goodies.

We skipped the local soft drink products for the Mexican varietals. Mrs. Sippi’s grapefruit soda was a bit like Fresca but a lot less sweet. My sangria flavoured soda tasted like a non alcoholic sangria. It was pretty refreshing and certainly a nice change.We got squeeze bottles of the two house sauces, red and green. Both were spicy and full of flavour. They didn’t over power with heat but merely elevated. I particularly liked the green tomatillo sauce.The chicken quesadilla was the best I’ve had. The bar I used to hang out in made a terrific version as do I. This one was simply better. A great balance of meat and cheese.The pork and beef tacos were exceptional. The beef was especially complimented with the salsa verde. The taco shells packed a big corn flavour.So we ordered more tacos. This time beef tongue and cheek. I’m new to tongue and have enjoyed it very much but this was only okay. The beef cheek was very tasty on it’s own but probably a little too delicate for the taco. So both were good but not as good as the others.They make a really good chicken tamale. The chicken had a more subtle flavor than I was expecting but the masa packed a great corn taste.Not to be out done the carnitas tacos were fantatic. Especially with the salsa verde to kick up the heat. Their fresh corn tortillas are fantastic.Perhaps the best thing on the menu (so far) is the birria. This beef stewed in a chili broth is packed with flavor. The warm tortillas and garnishes provided an extremely tasty and filling lunch.You may have noticed some carrots in the pictures. The above picture shows carrot, chili (Serrano) and onions. They were all pickled (probably together) and had a good vinegary taste and a pretty good amount of pop to them as well. They aren’t blow the doors off hot but quite fiery still. I will again point out that everything had a nice fresh taste. There was a certain lightness to it as well. We ate a fair bit of food for two people yet didn’t have that “Oh god, I ate too much” feeling after.

You can find The Taco Bus at the corner of 9th Ave and Governors Drive NW in Huntsville, Al.


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

Davwud

The Great Toronto Ethnic Bakery Tour

If you've been reading along you'll probably know that I live in Toronto. At least, the Toronto area that is. What you may not know is that "The Big Smoke" as it's called is as multicultural a city as there is on the big blue marble. This of course means there is ethnic food from every corner of the globe.

With our love of ethnic foods and bakeries in tow, a small group of local Chowhounders set out to sample some of the delights, both sweet and savoury which our immigrant compatriots have bless the city.
There is too much to go into great detail about everything so I'll hit the high points in terms of taste and interst. Focusing on 4 of the 7 bakeries and 2 places we got side tracked.

Our first stop was Columbus Bakery at 2931 Dufferin St. south of Lawrence.

Specializing in Columbian baked goods, it's quickly becoming a favourite of mine and some of my partners in crime.
We tried over half a dozen treats from the sweet and the savoury as well as a Columbian soft drink.

Pony Malta: A carbonated drink with a malted molasses taste to it. I found it to be okay and if I went back would order it again. I doubt I'd have it somewhere else though.

Carimanolas: Fried cassava (yucca) fritters stuffed with minced beef that make a great little snack when you're on the road. Perhaps a touch greasy for some but I love them. Perfect with or without hot sauce.

Tamales: Not the same as most tamales as they are much bigger and not wrapped in corn husk but banana leaves. A great corn taste from the massa. This particular tamale was chicken and contained some vegetables and a whole drumstick. Bone and all. I thought it was the best tamale I'd had but sadly, it's in short company. Eaten on arepas (cornmeal pancake) with hot sauce it was fantastic. (sorry the pic is a bit blurry). The white thing is the arepa.

Other samples consisted of giant alfajores (a shortbread type double decker cookie), empanadas (made with a corn meal shell that certainly need the hot sauce), chicarones (fried pork belly, skin on. Can't go wrong there) and a tamarind stuffed puff pastry (we don't know the name of but was also good).

We showed up hungry and ate a little too much for our first stop. As you can imagine, we compounded the problem at our second stop.

On we went to Doce Minho a little further south at 2189 Dufferin St. specializing in Portuguese fare.

I'm a chocolate nut but if I'm not having chocolate my favourite sweet is pasteis de natas. The famous custard tarts are simply out of this world good.

There were two things surprising to everyone. A custard filled donut (bottom right). Given that is has custard in it, it probably shouldn't have surprised. The other was a neat little boat filled with a sweet custard that was the colour of sweet potato (top left). There was a good almond tart (middle) and a nice piece of chourico (we laughed at the sausage being a palate cleanser) that was quite tasty too(bottom left). (blurry again)

We also had some savoury pasteis as well. Salt cod, shrimp, beef and chicken flavoured fritters (I mean seperately, not all meat mixed together).

Athen's Pasteries is as you can imagine, Greek. Right in the heart of Greektown.

First thing you'll notice is the goodies were right in the front window. All portioned and cut right there for the passers by to see.

If the pastries in the front window wasn't enough to convince you you were on to something, the fact that they make and sell their own phyllo is should seal the deal.

Kreatopita: Much like Spanakopita but with a meat filling. Fantastic.

Spanakopita: (right) Perhaps the most well known of the Greek pasteries, it's phyllo stuffed with cheese and spinach. Most were in agreement it was the best we'd had. Strong spinach taste without overwhelming.
Tiropita: (left)As above with Feta. Often called cheese pie it too was great.

All the above had flaky, buttery phyllo.

We also had Loukoumades. (above on the bottom) A donut like doughball drenched in honey. Unbelievably sweet and somewhat one dimensional. The addition of cinnamon turns something somewhat boring into a nice sweet treat.

Later in the afternoon we made our way to Babu Bakery and Sweets. Located in the back of a strip mall at 4800 Sheppard Ave. E. it's a take out only Sri Lankan place offering both the sweet and the savoury. Suffering from sugar shock we stuck the hot tables. Upwards of a couple dozen delicious looking a la carte offerings all of which I'd never sampled. We took our goodies and had a picnic in a local park.

Beef String Hopper: (left) Named for the string like rice noodles. At first bite it was quite good but unassuming. As a few more bites came so did the burn. Not overpowering but a nice back bite to it.
Chicken Kothu Roti: (right) HELLO!! Bang, tasty with an up front heat that'll get your attention.
Chicken Hakkah: (bottom) My favourite. I like sauce and spice which is exactly what this delivered.
An ingenious "PeteRock" slipped out to Mona's Roti (4810 Sheppard Ave. E.) and picked up, you guessed it, roti. Mona's roti was very nice, fresh and perfect with all three dishes from Babu.

A couple of us had (what I'm told is) sahlbet. A fruity drink made from a base of milk and rosewater. It needs to be stirred as the rosewater sinks to the bottom. I liked it.

The other unscheduled but well worth it side trips was to Simba Grill at 375 Donlands Ave. to pick up some Tanzanian style samosas to compare with those from Samosa King. Not a bakery but since we were driving right by it....

Tanzanian style samosas sport a phyllo type wrapper. We opted for the beef filled.
I prefer this style and these were as good as it gets. Another reason why we stopped.

The more traditional style have a more standard dough. Both are deep fried.
The Samosa King samosas were fine. The are loved by many but it's most likely because of the price. (5/$1) I've had much better.

Another goodie from Mona's was a Doubles. A sandwich of two flatbreads filled with chana (spiced chick peas). It's called doubles. As in, one "Doubles." It was excellent.

We also stopped at Lebanese Bakery for (obviously) Lebanese. I thought it was okay, nothing special. I did like the baklava.
Ponchos Bakery offers up Mexican breads. It seems none of us are into Mexican breads. For the most part we found them dry. Probably they're meant to be eaten with coffee or some sort of drink. I did like the strawberry flavoured empanada.
We skipped Fragrant Bakery (Chinese) since we were just flat out spent. Sensory overload and/or food coma were the reason.

Well that's all for now folks.

Davwud