Little Tibet

Restaurant: Little Tibet

Address: 1449A Queen St. W

Phone: 416-532-9728

Operating Hours: Mon-Fri 4 - 10:30 PM, Sat-Sun 12 - 10:30 PM

Website: www.littletibet.ca

Exterior

Menu

Banana Fritter with Vanilla Ice Cream, $6.99

Potato Fries, $6.99

Fish Chili (Dry or Gravy), $12.99

Gyuma, $9.99

Dropa-Khatsa, $9.99

Butter Chicken, $10.99

Little Tibet Special Fried Rice, $11.99

Tofu Broccoli Eggplant, $9.99

Little Tibet is a dine-in Tibetan restaurant by the same owners of Momo Cafe & Zomsa Bar. Unlike its sister restaurant, they have a wider selection of traditional Tibetan food, including Thukpa (Tibetan noodle soups), Chowmein, and Tibetan Momos (stuffed dumplings, which you can read more about here). They even have Traditional Tibetan Butter Tea known as Po Cha. This drink has a soup-like texture and a salty taste, which is an acquired taste for those who are not accustomed to it.

If you are not familiar with Asian dining, usually the plates served are meant to be shared with everyone at the table. That is no different with Little Tibet. You can order different seafood, beef, pork or chicken platters to share. Also, if you are a vegetarian, they have a decent amount of vegetable dishes served with rice. This is the perfect place for anyone looking to try more Tibetan delicacies. 

Can't dine in? You can order online, get delivery or take-out! They also cater and do birthday party bookings. 

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Momo Cafe & Zomsa Bar

Restaurant: Momo Cafe & Zomsa Bar

Address: 1498 Queen St. W

Phone: 416-551-0997

Operating Hours: Mon-Sun 9 AM - 9:30 PM

Website: www.momocafe.ca

Exterior

Menu

Momo Cafe & Zomsa Bar is a Tibetan takeout place in the heart of Little Tibet and Parkdale. This is where you would go to get your fix if you would like something cheap and yummy! Not to mention, Tibetan food is it's own unique palate in the world of Asian cuisine.

The restaurant specializes in Tibetan momos. What are momos? Momos are stuffed dumplings that are a traditional delicacy in Tibet and Nepal. You can find a variety of different momos at Momo Cafe & Zomsa Bar. You can get their vegetarian and meat-filled momos pan-fried, steamed or fried. If you decide on their fusion with sauces, it varies from Butter Chicken to Sweet and Sour. What if you are not in the mood for momos? Then they have a variety of combo meals that will fill you right up! The restaurant is more of a takeout place, however there are seating inside and plenty of patio seating during the warmer months.

They also do charitable work such as providing free lunch to the homeless and hospital workers within their community. If you are looking to try Tibetan food in Parkdale and love to support businesses that give back, take a look at Momo Cafe & Zomsa Bar!

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Wilder Food

Homemade Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookie in the top right

Cafe: Wilder Food
Address: 382 Keele St.
Phone: 416-901-2960
Operating Hours: Mon-Sun 8:30 AM - 5 PM
Website: www.wilderfood.ca

Interior

Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: Yes to all

- Also has homemade cashew milk available

- Coffee beans from Propeller Coffee

- Chai is made from scratch

- Organic tumeric and matcha latte available

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Yes to all

- Menu items are wheat-free and refined sugar-free

- Everything is locally sourced

- Spelt flour is used

- Golden Milk available

Cashew Milk Flat White, $4.50

Turkey Brie Open-Faced, $11

Dragonfruit Acai Smoothie Bowl, $9/$10

Review

Wilder Food is a quaint cafe located in the Junction, tucked in the north-west corner of Keele and Dundas West. Spacious and cozy, Wilder Food offers a lovely array of breakfast and brunch items. If you bring friends or family, they have a selected assortment of games you can enjoy yourself with. I went through a couple of fun rounds with Exploding Kittens!

I got to try some of Wilder's menu items, including one of the specials which was the Turkey Brie Open-Faced, which was absolutely to die for! I'm not sure how often they would have this dish on special, but I highly recommend it if you see it on the menu. I also got to try the Dragonfruit Acai Smoothie Bowl, which I would like to describe as "summertime in a bowl". It's super refreshing, packed with healthy goodness and perfect after a good workout or when summer finally rolls around. The Cashew Milk Flat White was very rich and creamy. I don't drink flat whites normally so I can't really compare but I didn't mind it's thick texture at all!

If you live in The Junction or in a nearby area, I definitely recommend coming to Wilder Food for brunch. It's an underrated cafe with loads of Instagrammable and delicious plates for everyone to enjoy! Cause if these photos do not convince you, I don't know what will.

Yunshang Rice Noodle (North York)

Restaurant: Yunshang Rice Noodle
Address: Unit 5, 5285 Yonge St.
Phone: 416-233-6662
Operating Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30 - 12 AM
Website: www.yunshang.ca

Interior

Menu

Temporary Soft Opening Menu

Yunshang Bridge Rice Noodle, $19.99

Yunshang Rice Noodle with Mixed Mushrooms ($11.99) plus extra Seafood ($2.99) and extra Beef ($2.99)

Top left clockwise: Deep Fried Cuttlefish Balls, $6.99; Sliced Beef, Tripe and Ox Tongue in Chili Sauce, $8.99; The Salty Popcorn Chicken, $6.95; Cold Glass Noodle in Chili Sauce, $5.99; and Deep Fried Squid Tentacle, $6.99 

Review

Yunshang Rice Noodle is the largest Canadian-owned rice noodle chain that is opening their 9th location in North York. Under 3 years old, they are rapidly expanding with 5 more locations opening up across North America. Their base broth is made fresh from pork bones that is cooked for 12 hours daily. There is no MSG in their food and they cook with only the freshest ingredients.

I tried a few of their dishes, including their limited edition Yunshang Bridge Rice Noodle ($19.99)! This is set of rice noodles with assorted premium seafood presented beautifully on a wooden bridge. You get to choose between 5 different noodle soups. I chose the Coconut Curry Rice Noodle, which has a hint of spiciness. You first place all of your raw meat into the boiling soup. After you let it cook, you can place your rice noodles in to eat. This is definitely a creative way to display and eat Chinese rice noodle. I enjoyed the variety of toppings available.

My friend and I devoured the Deep Fried Cuttlefish Balls ($6.99), which we definitely recommend. The Salty Popcorn Chicken ($6.95) and Deep Fried Squid Tentacle ($6.99) were decent, but not much different from other Chinese restaurants. The one dish I advised everyone to stay away from is the Cold Glass Noodle in Chili Sauce ($5.99). I am not a picky eater but this was one of the few dishes I was unable to finish, and I always finish my plate.

For their grand opening celebration, Yunshang Rice Noodle will be giving away FREE Yunshang Bridge Rice Noodle to the first 100 people on March 15th and March 16th. It starts at 6 PM and only at their new North York location. No purchases are necessary and first come, first served (no reservations). After that for a limited time only, 50 Yunshang Bridge Rice Noodle sets are available daily.

Hestia

Cafe: Hestia
Address: 66 Wellington St. W
Phone: N/A
Operating Hours: Mon-Fri 7:15 AM - 4:30 PM, Sat-Sun CLOSED
Website: https://en.hestiatea.com/

Interior

Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: Yes to all, including oat milk!
- Hestia has their own tea blends, straight from Montreal
- Coffee beans from De Mello Palheta
- Milk is steamed in all the lattes
- All drinks can be iced upon request, no extra charge

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Yes to all
- Baked goods from Desmond & Beatrice, La Bamboche, and Bunner's

Review

Hestia is a Montreal tea bar that opened their second location in Toronto last August. It's located within The Path, so it's only opened during office hours on the weekdays. If you are not familiar with The Path, it's an underground network linking different business buildings and subway stations together. It can be quite a maze for someone who doesn't work in the Financial District. I looped around a couple of times trying to find Hestia, which was tucked away in a corner.

Hestia's mission is to serve you the best tea possible, with blends sent straight from Montreal. They serve the finest selection of tea and their matcha is the highest grade from Kyoto, Japan. This location does have espresso-based drinks for people that need their coffee before work. However, try the tea lattes if you can! Each tea leaves have already been measured out in vials, so you can guarantee that your drink will be steeped just right.

I definitely recommend their Matcha Latte and Chai Latte. They normally don't change out their menu because they want to do the classics. However, you can expect at least one seasonal drink on the menu. Hestia is perfect for tea lovers that are looking for their perfect blend that isn't from a teabag.

The Haam

Restaurant: The Haam
Address: 342 Adelaide St. W
Phone: 416-977-7258
Operating Hours: Mon-Thurs 11 AM - 3 PM & 5 - 11 PM;
Website: www.thehaam.ca

Menu

Cerviche, $14

Seaweed Sashimi Salad, $12

Spicy Chicken Karaage, $14

Panko Soft Shell Crab, $14

Miso Eggplant, $10

Unagi Pressed Sushi, $15

Tokyo Rose, $11 (front)

Review

On their website, The Haam states that they serve Korean food. In actuality it's more like Asian fusion with a mix of Korean, Japanese, and Mexican. I had the chance to try a few of their appetizers. I quite enjoyed the Panko Soft Shell Crab ($14) and the Miso Eggplant ($10), but I thought all the appetizers were quite good.

I got the Tokyo Rose cocktail, which was quite pretty look-wise but taste-wise it was simply a-ok. By the time my Unagi Pressed Sushi ($15) came out, I was already quite full from the appetizers alone. The Unagi Pressed Sushi is still an excellent dish and I wished I had more room in my stomach to enjoy it properly without overstuffing myself.

The restaurant is not that big so I suggest you make a reservation if you go in the evening or weekend. I think the diverse menu and atmosphere makes it a cute date spot. It's not overly fancy or intimate but the space is small enough to give you that cozy feeling. Not to mention they have some adorable menu covers, ranging from Studio Ghibli to Disney!