I didn’t expect to find some good food along Dundas Street. When I lived in Toronto 10 years ago, I don’t recall coming down to this part of Dundas for food. However, there are definitely a couple of gems along this stretch of Dundas between Chinatown and University Avenue.
Eat Fresh Be Healthy
For dinner, I was totally on my own. So the very first night I was in Toronto, I met up with a friend and his wife to have dinner. It was their choice. They took me to a place I had never been before. My friend said it was an unsuspecting restaurant along Dundas Street near the bus depot that you would never expect to have great food. This was sounding awesome already.
So my dinner the first night back in Toronto was Eat Fresh Be Healthy. The name of the restaurant already threw me off. It’s not your usual restaurant name; however, it conveys the philosophy of the restaurant. As I looked at the menu, you could tell the dishes were meant to be upscale. The price was totally down to earth, though. The menu was simple and offered 3 courses for dinner for $25!
[Pardon the grainy iPhone photos]
It was really good food for $25. My pork chop was a little more seared than I’m used to but it was sure juicy and tasty. If you do plan to go to Eat Fresh Be Healthy, then reservations are highly recommended. There are not many tables in this establishment.
Sensotei
The next night, I was totally on my own for dinner. I had spotted this Japanese ramen shop a few doors down from Eat Fresh Be Healthy. There was a line up outside the shop. That’s usually a sign of good eatery. This night I returned to try Sansotei.
I had a craving for Asian food. So spotting this ramen shop the night before was just perfect. I made my way to the restaurant and, yet again, there was another long line up outside the restaurant. However, the line up quickly shrank as patrons got seated inside. There was only two people left in the line. I promptly crossed the street and took my spot at the end of the queue.
The seating inside was tight in this narrow restaurant. It makes me think that they were aiming not only for authentic Japanese food, but also for the re-creation of a busy Tokyo ramen shop seating arrangement. I was by myself so I got slotted into a seat at a table of 6. There was a couple of 2 to one side and then a group of 3 on my other side and in front of me. Needless to say, it was a cozy seating arrangement.
Upon reading the reading menu, I decided to have the spicy tantan ramen. That looked like the most interesting thing on the menu. I also added a bottle of Sapporo and a side of gyoza (because I’m a potsticker/gyoza freak).
After I had ordered the spicy tantan ramen, two girls ended up sitting next to me. They also ordered the same ramen, but were told that it was sold out for the evening. So I must have gotten the last one of the night. Lucky me. I enjoyed the spiciness of the ramen when it arrived. It was what I need to just give some stimulation to my taste buds. However, what I really enjoyed was the gyoza. The gyoza was crispy and the skin amply thick and substantial. It was actually one of the best gyoza I had ever had. (Keep in mind that my taste memory is poor, though :P)
Previously on metrobabel:
At the end of September, I had the chance to be in Toronto for a work-related meeting. The weather in Vancouver had already an added crispness while Toronto was still hovering in the low 20′s and high teens for temperature.
metro babel 
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