Four Four South Village

Restaurant: Four Four South Village

Address: 474 Yonge St.

Phone: 416-413-9802

Operating Hours: [Soft Opening Hours] Mon-Sun 11 AM - 11 PM

Website: www.facebook.com/FourFourSouthVillage

Interior

Menu

Milk Tea Slushie with Tapioca, $5.99; Jade Cucumber, $4.99

Counterclockwise from top: Spiced Edamame, $4.99; Black Fungus in Vinegar Sauce, $4.99; Jade Cucumber, $4.99; and Braised Beef Shank 

Braised Beef, Tendon, & Tripe Noodles Soup, $15.99

Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles, $11.99

Braised Beef, Tendon & Tripe Rice, $15.99

Snow Cake with Red Bean & Coconut, $2.99

I had the pleasure of attending Four Four South Village's soft launch last week! It's a newly opened Taiwanese restaurant located near Wellesley Station and named after a residential district in Taipei. It's a spacious restaurant decorated with a simple but Asian-influenced design. When you are seated, there are menu sheets for you to fill out, similar to what you would get at an AYCE sushi restaurant.

My friends and I ordered one dish from each section. The cold dishes were like appetizers but none really stood out to me to order next time (I admit, I am spoiled with Korean restaurants that serve these side dishes for free). My favourite dishes were the Braised Beef, Tendon, & Tripe Noodles Soup, $15.99, and the Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles, $11.99. I found the prices for certain menu items to be a bit pricier than other Asian restaurants I normally go to. I personally would come here for the Noodles with Sauce options because they're more in my price range. The Milk Tea Slushie with Tapioca is also quite fun to drink. Unfortunately at the moment they have a very selected number of drinks available. 

If you are a fan of Taiwanese food and don't have the time to trek to areas such as Markham to get your fix, Four Four South Village would be a great place to check out!

Hoja Luwei

Restaurant: Hoja Luwei
Address: 615 Bloor St. W
Phone: 416-536-0615
Operating Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30 AM - 11 PM
Website: N/A

Interior

Review

My Order: Lamb Combo, $9.50

Hoja Luwei specializes in Taiwanese street-style cuisine, located in Koreatown. You're given a checklist menu to customize your own noodle bowl with sauce or broth. If you are indecisive like me, you can simply check off one of their combos with pre-selected ingredients. If you are a picky eater or want everything piled onto your bowl, you have the option to select as little or as many ingredients as you like.

I was actually confused with the menu at first, so I was checking off the combo along with a bunch of other things. Once I realized my mistake, I immediately selected the lamb combo just to keep it simple. I went for the broth but I probably should have gone for the sauce instead because I prefer my food more dry. Nonetheless, it made a hearty meal that was perfect for the cold weather.

The shop is set up to have a "street-style" vibe, similar to the food shops that could be found on the streets of Asia. They have one long communal table with high seats and very limited tables that seated two people. Which makes for great lunches but not somewhere you'd host an event/dinner.

Hoja Luwei is an affordable restaurant that allows people to get a taste of Taiwanese street food. It's an ideal spot to drop by for a filling lunch or to have something to warm you up on a cold night.