Restaurant: Young Animal
Address: (Temporarily on Mondays Only) 2901A Dundas St. W
Phone: 416-569-8949
Operating Hours: (Temporarily on Mondays Only) 6 PM - Close
Website: www.younganimal.ca
Menu
Review
I was invited to try out a pop-up Trinidadian restaurant called Young Animal. The owner wants to bring attention to Trinidadian food because it's not commonly found in Toronto. Jamaican cuisine dominates the Caribbean food scene here when in fact there are 25 countries that make up the Caribbean. Trinidadian food has African, Indian, and Chinese influences due to the history of the island. The first dish I tried was the Curry Chicken Roti, commonly known as a Buss Up Shot ($8) in Trinidad. It's broken up roti that you dip into curry and eat with your hands. This is an Indian-inspired dish with very mild spiciness. So it's great for people who cannot handle spicy food!
After, I had the Jerk Trout (the type of fish changes depending on when you visit) with Fried Plantain and Curried Callaloo ($10). This is one of the best dishes I've had to date. I couldn't stop raving about it afterwards to the chef. It's very rare that a dish truly stands out to me because I like practically everything! However, the Jerk Trout does not taste like typical seafood. There's no fishy taste and the combination of flavours simply melts in your mouth. I cannot highly recommend it enough!
The last dish was the Doubles with Tamarind and Mango Chutney ($5). In Trinidad, this is commonly eaten during breakfast. It's a type of sandwich that contains two dough buns with chickpeas squished in between. It's a very tasty vegetarian option!
Young Animal is currently hosting pop-ups on Mondays at Cut the Cheese in the Junction. So if you are in the area, I highly recommend that you check them out! This is a great way to try Trinidadian food if you are looking to explore other Caribbean options within Toronto.