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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Sho Izakaya

Restaurant: Sho Izakaya
Address: 1406 Queen St. W
Phone: 647-350-1406
Operating Hours: Mon CLOSED, Tues-Thurs 5-10 PM, Fri-Sun 11:30 AM - 11 PM
Website: www.shoizakaya.com

Interior

Menu

Wasabi Tako, $4

Black Pepper Steak

Spicy Avocado Rolls

Black Bean Noodles, $7

Pork Belly Ramen, $9.50

Mackerel Boxed Sushi, $11

Review

I went to Sho Izakaya for my first ever food Instagram meet. I met a couple of cool Instagrammers and we bonded over some delicious Japanese food. Sho Izakaya is a fairly new restaurant on Queen West that's quite low-key and provides a limited, but very affordable izakaya items! Since they are a newer establishment, they are still in the testing stages of the menu.

The restaurant was kind enough to let us try a couple of things that were not yet on the menu, including the Black Pepper Steak and Spicy Avocado Roll. My favourite dish would have to be the Wasabi Tako. It was my first time ever trying it, so I was excited to consume a lot of wasabi. The Black Bean Noodles were surprisingly a lot bigger than any of us expected. It was basically a full size bowl, which one could consume as an entree instead. There's currently only one ramen dish, which is the Pork Belly Ramen. So if you are looking for a variety of ramens, then I recommend checking elsewhere. However if you do order this bowl, it would be great to eat regardless.

I highly recommend Sho Izakaya if you love izakayas but you can't afford places like Kinka Izakaya without crying over your bill. Sho is not only wallet-friendly but provides delicious food and Japanese-quality service. Plus, if you go now you don't have to worry about the craziness of lineups before it actually gets the recognition it deserves.

Grand Electric

Restaurant: Grand Electric
Address: 1330 Queen St. West
Phone: 416-627-3459
Store Hours: Sun-Tues 12 PM - 12 AM, Wed-Sat 12 PM - 1 AM
Website: www.grandelectricbar.com

Review

Food of Choice: Baja Fish and Pork Belly Tacos, $3.60 per taco

I was job shadowing in Parkdale when I came across Grand Electric. Having heard many favourable reviews, I decided to pop in for lunch. The bar had a very relaxed vibe. There was loud hip hop music playing and the staff were in casual clothes. The space wasn't very big but luckily I came at a less busy time because apparently the wait time to be seated takes forever during certain hours.

There were no hand-out menus and their entire menu was on a chalkboard. Therefore, the choices were pretty limited. When I saw that the tacos were $3.60 each, I cringed a little. I hummed and hawed for a bit before deciding on one Baja Fish taco and one Belly Pork taco.

When I received the tacos, I understood immediately why people warned me about how pricey Grand Electric was. The size of the tacos were so small! Someone who enjoyed having more substance in her meal, I wasn't too please with the portions. There was no way I was going to order another round to get a satisfying lunch because I knew it was going to cost me a hefty penny.

I definitely love the Baja Fish taco. It was extremely tasty and unique. The pork belly was also good, but being Asian and having to eat a lot of pork belly already, it was nothing new. If you come to Grand Electric, you would definitely appreciate the gourmet tacos.

The Abbott

Cafe: The Abbott
Address: 99 Spencer Ave.
Phone: 416-876-3855
Store Hours: Mon-Fri 6:30 AM - 7 PM, Sat-Sun 7 PM -7 PM
Website: www.theabbott.ca

Wi-Fi?: Yes
Study Appropriate?: Yes
Stamp Cards?: Yes

Interior

Menu

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

- Organic and fair trade coffee
- Resiprocate is the supplier
- Sells different kinds of soda, juices, and spritzers; Blue Sky
- Syrups extra for 75 cents: vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, strawberry, pumpkin pie

Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Yes to all
- Plenty of different snacks available
- Gluten-free macaroons from Desmond and Beatrice
- Vegan peanut butter banana muffins
- Vegetarian sandwiches available
- Dairy-free squares
- Fruit and meat pies: pear, apple, mixed berry, chicken, and beef

Double Shot Cappuccino, $4

Latte, $3.25

Review

Choice of Drink: Double Shot Latte, $4

I previously went to The Abbott this past year and fell in love with it. I love how it is nested under a steel staircase, tucked away on the side street. Considering the horizontal space of the cafe, I really like how they maximized and decorated the space. It has such a homey feeling to it.

There is a large wooden table, which allows for any group work or a crowd of three or more to enjoy their coffee. There are also 5 small round tables, which only holds up to two people. This cafe has a much more intimate atmosphere though, perfect for catching up with an old friend or have a date. 

So for my second trip to The Abbott, I was prepared to get the information I needed for this review. I got to communicate with the friendly barista, Dylan, who answered my questions regarding their menu. When I chose the double shot latte, I forgot to asked for latte art, something I love to get if a cafe does it. Dylan was sweet enough to make me a fresh latte on the house to attempt on designing a heart (the latte in a white cup under the menu section). So you could say that night I was very well over-caffeinated with two cups of lattes. The double-shot latte was bitter in the beginning on the first sip, but immediately was fixed with three spoonful of brown sugar.

I was there for a good couple of hours, working on my homework. The Abbott is a neighbourhood cafe, therefore, I noticed a lot of patrons being familiar with each other. I really enjoy how The Abbott has such a welcoming feeling to it. It's one of the few cafes I intend to return to if Indie Coffee Passport no longer existed.