Cheap Thrills Guides: Toronto Restaurants

Reviews:

Move over, Zagat. There's a new guide in town. Dining guide, that is.
Cheap Thrills Toronto covers 90 of the city's favourite restaurants, "affordable places that serve wonderful and varied food from all corners of the globe," write editors Nancy Marrelli and Simon Dardick.

Similar to the grass-roots Zagat, the Cheap Thrills pocket guide relies on passionate foodies rather than professional critics to make the assessments. Unlike Zagat, this guide gives us in-depth reviews and restaurant histories. Welcome, too, is the inclusion of multicultural foods.

The establishments are cheap all right--ringing in under $15 before tax, tip and alcohol--but thrilling? That's for you to decide. Me, I'd check out some of these recommendations any day.

--Restaurant critic Amy Pataki, The Toronto Star, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002

Online Sampling of Toronto Restaurants:

Jodhpore Club
33 Baldwin St. (at Henry St.)
Subway: Queen's Park, or College streetcar
Phone: 416.598.2502
Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30am-3pm & 5pm-10pm
Credit cards: V, MC, Amex; Alcohol: all
Wheelchair access: no
Average main course: $8

Jodhpore Club in the heart of Baldwin Village serves North Indian and Goan specialties.
House specials include tandoor salmon, beautifully- marinated in a fresh paste of mint, fenugreek, mustard and carum seeds from the legendary West Coast of India, then cooked slowly over coals. The delectable Pudhine lamb chop is Kabul-style (wrapped and cooked in its own steam), lightly marinated in yogurt and mint, then barbecued with herbs. Chicken Jalfrezi is boneless tandoor chicken sautéed with sweet peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Beef narangi is braised in a wonderful aromatic sauce of orange and spice. Seafood is done Goan-style with Portuguese-influenced fiery peppers and vinegar marinades. Veggies are prepared with a deft touch. The daily lunch buffet ($7) is fast and fabulous! Braised lamb shanks and prawns with mint, cilantro, chillies, and coconut are both winners. Their version of mango lassi is exquisite.
Jodhpore Club opened in 2001, named for the town of Jodhpore in northwest India, and famous for the very old game of polo that was popular in 19th century India, and adopted by the English. Owner-chef Jay Vaidya from New Delhi knows his stuff. He's a gifted chef who combines local ingredients with his knowledge of North Indian and Goan cooking styles. Everything is richly flavoured, artfully-spiced and designed for good eating. You won't find fancy décor but it's a pleasant place on a charming block, with warm copper touches and lots of ambiance. It's small so be sure to reserve! Jodhpore Club turns out consistently terrific food that's great bang for your buck!

Kom Jug Yuen
371 Spadina Ave (at Cecil)
Subway: Queen's Park or Spadina
Phone: 416.977.4079
Hours: Mon, Wed, Thur, Sun 11am-1am; Tues 11am-11pm;
until 4 am Fri & Sat
Credit cards: V, MC, Interac; Alcohol: no
Wheelchair access: no
Average main course: $7

Kom Jug Yuen serves fresh Chinese food at really low prices in an unassuming space in Chinatown.
One of the house specialties is the crispy beef, a real salt hit but truly outstanding and addictive. Thin deep-fried crispy rounds of salty beef are served with a spicy sauce. Noodle dishes are spicy, with the curried Singapore vermicelli a special treat of shrimp and vegetables made fresh every time and served steaming hot. Pickerel in black bean sauce is also excellent. BBQ pork, duck and ribs are done nicely, with a big portion for a small price. The duck is moist with an intense and smoky taste. There are specials featuring food that is not haute cuisine but fresh and honest, not soggy or dried out after sitting for hours on a steam table.
Kom Jug Yuen has been around for about 20 years and it is very well known in the Chinese community as a place to get decent food at indecent prices. It's a bit of a dive, and the atmosphere and ambiance leave a lot to be desired but there's always takeout. They're open very late on weekends so it's a perfect destination after a night out on the town. The bonus is that for a Toronto Chinese restaurant the service is fast, friendly and courteous--the staff even smile! Kom Jug Yuen is a great place for those who want to eat well on a very tight budget!

Golden Star
7123 Yonge St. (at Doncaster), Thornhill
Subway: Finch; then Yonge St. bus north
Phone: 905.889.6891
Hours: Mon-Thur 10am-midnight; until 1am Fri & Sat; Sun 11am-midnight
Credit cards: Interac only; Alcohol: beer & wine
Wheelchair access: no
All-Star burger: $4.25

Golden Star in Thornhill is a family-run burger mecca.
The menu is not extensive--this is a burger place and it has no pretensions to being anything else. They do have a very nice Steak-on-a-Kaiser, a quality 5-ounce ribeye from Nortown Butcher. They also have grilled breast of chicken on a bun with BBQ sauce, or you can get a pound of char-grilled chicken wings (about 8 pieces). The double-deckergrilled cheese is a thick and cheesy classic on white bread. There are Yves-brand veggie burgers if that's your style and regular frozen meat type burgers but everyone ignores them. The burger of choice is the homemade All Star burger--a juicy and delicious 6-ounce char-grilled burger that's the pride of the house. The BBQ sauce is the secret creation of original owner Frank Doria. They dress the hamburger with your choice of topping and, of course, the special sauce. Fries are fresh cut daily and fried in vegetable oil. Forget dessert, have a milk shake or drop into Chapters across the street and buy a book instead.
Frank Doria started Golden Star in 1965 in this location. There are red and grey booths, butcher-block tables, and a long counter where you order food, cafeteria style. They have outdoor seating in the warmer months. This is still a family business run by son Frank Doria Jr. and family. They care about what they do and it shows in everything about this place. It's comfortable, relaxed, and the quality is consistent. Many loyal fans go to great lengths to get their All-Star burger fix. Bring on the burger sweepstakes--this one's a contender!