Review: Village Restaurant

Review: Village Restaurant, Toronto
420 Spadina Road (At Lonsdale)
Cuisine: Diner staples - Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
Sandwich: Triple Decker ($7.50 + tax) with fries ($1.50)

The Village Restaurant is a popular diner-style restaurant in the heart of Forest Hill Village. Locals flock to this cozy neighbourhood stalwart for reasonably priced brunch, large portions, and the comfortable setting. The Village Restaurant also offers takeaway for those of us who like to enjoy their club sandwich in private.

Inside, the Village Restaurant is decorated in a manner that my grandparents would be proud of. Patterned upholstery, lots of exposed wood, old style lamps, and a very impressive old wooden bar add a real homeliness to what could easily have been quite an unforgiving space. The only things that detracts from this feeling are the four widescreen LCD televisions, positioned at angles so that you can always see one whilst you are eating. Though this clash of cultures is a little awkward, I quite enjoy keeping up with the news while I eat - especially when eating alone - and so I was happy with the distraction.

I ordered the Triple-decker ($7.50) - a take on a turkey club - based on favourable reviews, a side of fries ($1.50 extra) and a vanilla milkshake. Unfortunately they had no ice cream and so I ended up with a tomato juice instead. I mention the lack of ice cream because this was the second time in two visits that the Village Restaurant was without a quite vital ingredient. On a previous visit for brunch, mid-morning on a Saturday, there was no hollandaise sauce - not because it had run out, they just hadn't made any. This, coupled with the missing ice cream makes me wonder if there are some problems with ordering/stocking.

Whilst ordering, I had thought that $7.50 seemed like quite a lot for a club sandwich without fries. Once it arrived, it became clear that I was wrong. In fact, ordering fries was a mistake and one that I regretted immediately. The mountain of a sandwich that I was presented with was as much food as I usually eat in a day. I have a large mouth, capable of conquering towering burgers and fully stuffed Subways but, in attempting to take a bite out of the triple decker, I encountered lip-stretching, jaw-locking pain. That's how big it was.

The sandwich itself was a pleasure to behold. Nice, thick, toasted bread stuffed full of home-cooked turkey, crispy bacon strips, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. The bacon was just crispy enough to add a wonderful crunchy texture, without being overcooked. The toasted bread held together well and was full of flavour and the salad ingredients were fresh and plentiful. 

Only the turkey was a bit disappointing. I appreciated the thick cut, home-cooked slices but it was a little too dry. It also lacked seasoning and so it was quite bland. Turkey is a dry meat at the best of times so the problem wasn't how it was cooked - rather the amount of turkey in the sandwich. The ratio of turkey to other ingredients was probably about 2 or even 3 to 1. There was so much that this dryness became the overriding experience of the sandwich, despite lashings of mayonnaise to counteract it. If the sandwich had been slightly smaller, with a more evenly balanced ratio of ingredients, then it would have been easier to eat, moister overall, and more flavoursome.

As far as mistakes go, being too generous with meat is not one worth complaining too strongly about. The ideology and the intention behind the sandwich was perfect - a more considered approach to the construction is the only thing that could have made it better.

My only real complaint is that, for somewhere with reputation as a friendly, family restaurant, I didn't feel as welcome as I expected to. The service was polite but a little distant and I wasn't offered refills of my glass of water nor any condiments (beyond ketchup that was already on the table) with my meal. It was this that disappointed me and tarnished an otherwise positive experience.

Pros

- Portion size
- Fresh, in house ingredients
- Comfortable, diner setting.

Cons

- Sandwich construction
- Dry/bland
- Service could have been better.

Review: Subway Flatbread

On the most recent of my thrice-weekly visits to Subway I was very excited to see a new product being advertised - the flatbread sandwich (left). Any fundamental change to the Subway menu, as opposed to a limited edition sandwich like the recent Buffalo chicken, is a cause for celebration as their success record so far has been excellent.

By starting to toast their sandwiches, Subway added a missing (and much needed) element to their menu - crunch. I remember bemoaning the fact that all Subway sandwiches would devolve into a squishy mess during the course of eating, or even in the bag on the way home. This was because the bread is quite flimsy to start with and the addition of those much-needed sauces twould quickly turn flimsy into soggy. By changing the texture of the bread through the toaster, a consumer's whole experience of eating a Subway could be altered into something more robust. This alteration to the foundation of the sandwich, i.e. the bread, effected the whole Subway menu without changing any of the ingredients - a master stroke.

I had similarly high hopes for the flatbread as it addresses another fundamental problem with Subway sandwiches - bread variety. Yes Subway does have six types of bread, but they are really two types of dough (white and brown) with four different toppings. Therefore, the bread itself is always the same in taste texture (aside from toasting) and so the consumer's experience is somewhat limited.

Subway does offer wraps but when I worked there I always wondered why anyone would buy them, unless they had to due to a dietary requirement. Subway wraps are more expensive than the bread and you get much less sandwich filling due to the size contraints (this is not the case everywhere. Some stores charge no extra but the amount of filling - particularly salad - is much lower). So essentially you pay more for less which makes no sense to me and I don't consider them as a viable alternative.

Enter the flatbread. It is sold at the same price as a 6-inch sandwich (for now at least) and it holds just as much filling as a traditional bread. The flatbreads are a uniform size and so your sandwich will always be the same length, as opposed to the short end of a poorly-risen dough that you can sometimes end up with. I seized the opportunity asked for turkey and ham with cheese on a flatbread. I had it toasted, at the recommendation of the staff, with all salad, mustard and BBQ sauce (delicious combination I assure you). So far so good. 

However, the flatbread is not exactly what I expected. The image (above) advertised gives the impression of a bread that is sliced down the middle with a hinge cut, much like the traditional Subway bread but flatter. This is not the case. It is actually a large rectangle, much like a naan bread with corners, that is folded over the top of the fillings. The result of this is that, if the sandwich is fully unwrapped, it has a tendency to flop open.It is also very soft and doughy and remains so despite being toasted, which can lead to the sandwich falling over unless held tightly. The open ends, open side and limp consistency are not designed for holding a sandwich together. This problem is further compounded by the silly paper sleeve that it arrived in, rather than the traditional Subway wrapping. This paper sleeve is open on one side and so taking the sandwich anywhere in its bag is risky at best.

So at any moment the sandwich could fall open, slump over, or lose all of its fillings in a mass exodus of a scale that has not been witnessed since...well...Exodus. Functionally speaking, the flatbread is a flop in more ways that one.

Fortunately there are redeeming features. First amongst those is the fact that it is delicious. It's soft, fluffy and warm with a slightly charred taste after toasting. It is much like eating a cross between a potato cake (or potato farl as they are called in Ireland) and a naan bread, in both flavour and texture. Very pleasant indeed.

It is also considerably different to the rest of the bread selection and this is variety that I welcome. I find that the Subway breads can get a little tiresome (perhaps less frequent visits would eliminate this problem) and so this change to the fundamental element of the sandwich makes the whole experience seem new and interesting again, whilst lending a lightness to the sandwich experience. And this lightness comes despite the actual serving size being more (by weight) than the traditional bread.

Pros:

- Tastes good
- Adds variety
- Uniform size

Cons:

- Functionally terrible
- Higher calorific value (still less than herbs and cheese)
- Paper sleeve

Verdict:

Whilst the Subway flatbread might not be designed to hold your meatball sub together, it makes a pleasant change from the bread that I've become tired of. It may not be practical for day-to-day sandwich consumption but, as an interesting and tasty diversion, it certainly has a place on the menu and in my lunch rotation.

6.5/10

Review: Ackee Tree

Review: Ackee Tree, Toronto
170 Spadina Avenue (at Queen)

Cuisine: Jamaican - roti, sandwiches, curries, stews and jerk dishes with rice.

Sandwich: Jerk Chicken Sandwich ($6.99 + tax)


I made my way to Ackee Tree after finding this list of the 'best sandwiches in Toronto' and reading the sparkling review of Ackee Tree's jerk chicken sandwich (left). I made it as far as "assertively spiced and remarkably juicy" before hopping on the subway to find out for myself.

Ackee Tree is an unmissable restaurant on the west side of Spadina, slightly north of Mcdonalds. There is an enormous, sign above the entrance, advertising the carribean roots of Ackee Tree through the use of bright colours and a palm tree motif. Inside it is a long, narrow restaurant illustrating a typical Torontonian mix of cultures - reggae music on the radio and CP24 on the flatscreen TV's. There is a long counter on the right with a variety of delicious looking dishes, covered and uncovered, being kept warm and on hand for for serving. The menu is a blackboard behind this counter, listing (in a slightly messy way) the specials of the day and the standard menu items.

My jerk chicken sandwich took 5-10 minutes to arrive and I was disappointed to discover that I was to pay $6.99 + tax - the takeaway menu has the 'Ackee Tree Jerk Sandwich' at $5.99 and the review in NOW magazine states $5.95. However, nestled in a corner of the blackboard behind the counter I found 'Jerk Chicken Sandwich - $6.99' and so handed over my money without complaint.

The sandwich itself arrives on coco bread with a generous helping of jerk chicken, a thick slice of both grilled sweet pototo and tomato, and a sauce described as 'jerk mayo' though it tasted more like a chipotle dressing. It is served with a dollop of creamy homemade coleslaw on the side which acts as a cooling diversion from the scotch bonnet-induced heat of the jerk chicken.

I think the word to describe this sandwich is 'hearty'. It is filling, rich, and warming. The sweet potato was a revalation and added considerable, but subtle, flavour to the sandwich. The tomato also provided some cleansing freshness to contrast the creamy sauce.

Unfortunately I found this sandwich rather disappointing for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was not a well balanced sandwich. There was far too much of the dressing which therefore became the overriding flavour, whilst also having the effect of making the sandwich seem rather greasey. Coupled with the sweet potato, it was an extremely rich sandwich with not a lot of flavour. Jerk seasoning is a wonderful, spicy, earthy flavour that I enjoy very much but it was barely discernable amongst so much mayonnaise. The only 'jerk' element that managed to cut through the sauce was the heat of the chillis. I think that the jerk chicken should be the highlight of a jerk chicken sandwich but in this instance it served more as background texture. 

Beyond the compositional issues, there were a couple of other things that had a negative impact on my assessment of this sandwich. There were two quite large (i.e. over 2cm) pieces of bone in my sandwich, and one large piece of gristle. This is a serious sandwich sin and something that implies a lack of care and diligence when building a sandwich.

I also thought that the coco bun was a bad choice of bread for this sandwich. Whilst it was quite tasty, it was thin and extremely spongy which meant that it disintegrated amidst so much sauce. By the time I'd eaten one half, the other half was falling apart in a big, saucy mess. Something thicker or denser would have been a better choice for such a moist filling.

Verdict:

For something that was advertised as 'the best jerk chicken sandwich in Toronto', I found this experience very disappointing. Poor compositional choices, a lack of care and the insignificance of the jerk chicken make for a sandwich that is rich but short on flavour and difficult to eat. I enjoy jerk chicken as a wonderful, fresh experience when coupled with caribbean flavours like mango or pineapple, because I think that this makes the most of the jerk spice flavour. If you want something sticky, rich and filling then certainly Ackee Tree's jerk sandwich is worth a try.

Pros:

- Large portion size
- Sweet potato in sandwich
- A good level of spice

Cons:

- Poor bread choice
- Too much mayo/sauce
- Bones/lack of care
- Muted jerk flavour

Score:

5/10

Review: Eastern Twist

Review:

Eastern Twist, Toronto

505 St.Clair Avenue West (at Bathurst)

(Also at Passmore Ave and Markham)

Cuisine: Paratha Wraps (pic left), rice dishes and noodles in milk

Sandwich: Chicken and potato curry paratha wrap ($7.95 + tax)

I had walked past Eastern Twist a number of times on my way home before I finally decided to venture inside. It is a small place, right next door to a Subway, with a neon sign next to the door advertising 'Butter Chicken, wraps, noodles'. It is cosy inside, with a few tables to sit-in and eat should you desire, a counter that runs the full width of the shop and thereby splits the space, and a reasonable sized kitchen beyond which can be viewed through a window. The menu is diplayed above the counter, with handwritten signs showing addtions to the menu diplayed on the glass screen that covers the salad portion of the counter.

A short conversation with the friendly girl behind the counter reveals that it has been open for quite some time, and has received some excellent reviews (displayed on the website and on the walls of the shop). Apparently business has been slow until a recent and inexplicable surge as people have started to take notice and wander in, just like I did.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with parathas, it is basically a chapati (indian flatbread) that has been spread with butter (or ghee), folded up and then rolled out flat again. This process is repeated a couple of times, resulting in a rich, flaky, multi-layered flatbread, often served as a decadent (i.e. fatty) alternative to chapatis. Recipe can be found here. I've never come across the idea of using them instead of tortillas to create a wrap so found idea an intriguing take on fusion fast-food.

I ordered the chicken and potato curry wrap, and was given the option of white or wholewheat. The paratha was freshly made in the kitchen behind, resulting in a waiting time of 5 minutes or so but the delicious, hot flatbread was worth the wait. It came out with a generous helping of chicken and potato curry down the middle and I was asked what salad and sauces I would like. The selection was very standard - onions, lettuce etc - apart from one item which is a curried carrot and cauliflower salad. This salad absolutely makes the sandwich - I think it is flavoured with cumin and coriander, possibly with a little fennel as well. I took the servers recommendation and ended up with tamarind sauce and hot sauce.

 

The resulting wrap is about 8 inches in length and 3-4 inches diameter. For $7.95, this is an enormous amount of food and was enough to feed me for dinner. The chicken and potato curry is hearty but a little bland, but this was made up for by the excellent carrot and cauliflower salad and the tasty sauces, all of which added considerable flavour and interest to the wrap. The paratha is buttery and tasty, holding together well under the weight of so much food and moisture from the curry and sauces. The freshness and spice of the salad counteracts the butter of the wrap, resulting in a sandwich that tastes well balanced, each part having a distinctive flavour that compliments the other. The curry filling acts more as texture than anything else, taking on and holding together the flavours that surround it and adding a thick, saucy element.

 

 

Verdict:

 

I think that on my first visit I got the best that Eastern Twist has to offer. A fresh paratha, excellent portion size and well balanced accompaniments. Having visited a few times since I have fIound that the quality varies a little depending on the time of day/who is working in the kitchen. If every visit to Eastern Twist was as good as my first, I would not be able to recommend it enough, but due to some inconsistency I can only say that it is good rather than excellent. I will certainly be revisiting Eastern twist for a more in depth investigation of the menu, and to find out which of my experiences illustrates the true quality of their product.

Summary:

Pros:

- Large portion/good price

- Good range of menu options

- Inspired fusion of Indian food in an easy-to-eat format - paratha tasty and holds together well

- Carrot and cauliflower salad

- Tamarind and hot sauce - both delicious

Cons:

- Inconsistency in quality/size across menu

- Only works as a whole - richness of paratha a little overwhelming if not balanced by salad

- Slightly bland curry filling - made up for somewhat by the excellence around it.