599996 Sat Feb 28 10:43:57 -0800 2009 38 23 Ontario (including Toronto) 0 4460694 My family lives near Scarborough, so we often don't feel like going downtown when we go out for dinner. We're tired of the beach and we've exhausted the Danforth....Scarborough is HUGE, so there must be some good restaurants somewhere? We're not too picky on cuisine as long as it's good, has vegetarian options (one of us is veggie) and has a liquor license. TIA! Sat Feb 28 10:43:57 -0800 2009 222345 kweenshaker 1 4460815 The standout in Scarborough is Zen Japanese. Exquisite quality and of course they're licensed. In Scarborough you may as well not open your doors in the first place if you can't hand over a beer. http://www.zenjapaneserestaurant.com/ Sat Feb 28 11:46:03 -0800 2009 4460694 12072 Googs 1 4461208 My "good food" places in Scarborough unfortunately aren't restaurants. They're take out joints, small eateries, and many places I'm not sure qualify as "restaurants". However, when I want dim sum in the area, I go to Dragon Dynasty in the mall on Brimley & Huntingwood (but 15 mins north will open up better (and more expensive) options). Fratelli Village Pizzeria is also a good family resto. I also like Gumi for Korean food. They all are LLBO and have veggie options. As you said, Scarborough is huge. How about a intersection to center the recommendations? Sat Feb 28 14:45:09 -0800 2009 4460694 68179 Wandering Foodie 2 4461223 Thanks for the replies so far. I'd prefer southwest scarborough, but would travel further north for anything out of the ordinary. Sat Feb 28 14:52:58 -0800 2009 4461208 222345 kweenshaker 2 5128110 I agree, Scarborough isn't the sort of place for sit-down dining, but, for take-out there are some good joints. Burgers: I hear lots about Johnny Burgers and Real McCoy which are both good, but for my money, there are few better than a complete hole in the wall at our local strip plaza called Maple Garden restaurant. The chocolate shakes are made with real ice cream and are smooth - the best chocolate shakes around. The hours of the restaurant are weird but Paul makes a good burger, fries and onion rings, and, did I mention the shakes? Meadowvale and Dean Park Road. Chinese: We're still looking on this one. Green Tea Restaurant on Island Road is our "go-to." Greek: Friendly Greek (it's two person platter feeds our family of five - admittedly small kids). It's much better than Mr. Greek Junior - the tzaiki is fresh and the meat flavourful. Morningside/Lawrence. Thai: Not quite Scarborough (but close) is Linda's in the newly renovated Don Mills Centre. There you can order the best Thai dish ever - Golden Curry Chicken. This is a restaurant that used to be located above the enigmatically named and legendary Salad King near Ryerson U. We also have gone to the Thai Orchid in Pickering, which is good, but doesn't really compare to some of the downtown fare. Middle Eastern - Ok, there is one of these in the Scarborough Town Centre food court, but, the best to be had is the Medina's in the Pickering Town Center. Their combo plate is a great Chicken Shwarma and Beef Tawouk (I think that's what it is). Anyway, easily one of my favourite take out meals. This is a great thread! I've got it bookmarked. Sat Oct 24 15:19:50 -0700 2009 4461208 1118878 scarborough 1 4461585 I recently tried Hopper Hut in the plaza at the north-west corner of Kennedy and Ellesmere; it was our first experience with Sri Lankan food, and it was excellent. Two words: crab curry. So much flavour... gorgeously intense. I thought about it for days. Can't remember if they have a liquor licence though. Sat Feb 28 17:51:56 -0800 2009 4460694 20140 Olivia 2 4461670 Hmm I'll definitely give that a try....I don't think I've ever had Sri Lankan food and I love trying new cuisines! Sat Feb 28 18:40:42 -0800 2009 4461585 222345 kweenshaker 3 4463463 Just asked a friend, and it's unlicenced. It's too bad as a beer (or three) would be amazing with the foods we had. Still worth a visit though. Sun Mar 01 13:58:45 -0800 2009 4461670 20140 Olivia 4 4465046 That's a shame. Do you know if they're open for lunch? Mon Mar 02 05:45:28 -0800 2009 4463463 222345 kweenshaker 5 4465131 I only ever go there for lunch, so that one's covered. It's really good stuff, though last few times I have been it wasn't as incendiary as I remembered.... maybe I just ordered the wrong things! Mon Mar 02 06:20:59 -0800 2009 4465046 173919 elrik 2 4652808 Was the crab curry spicy? I can take mild to somewhat moderate spicy, but that's about it. Mon May 04 10:26:48 -0700 2009 4461585 84151 red dragon 3 4711143 Sorry, it's been a few months, so I can't remember if the crab itself was particularly spicy. When I go back I'll make a note of it and post again. Sun May 24 13:52:58 -0700 2009 4652808 20140 Olivia 1 4461753 Despite what the regulars say, (they are so jaded!) I like the husband/wife team at Aoyama 2766 Victoria Park, for realistic Japanese food, especially sushi and sashimi. For me, the seafood has has been excellent, and the service by Caroline superb, It is best to go at non-rush times. Sat Feb 28 19:14:08 -0800 2009 4460694 56131 jayt90 2 4461840 i really liked Aoyama as well! My other suggestions are: - Fratelli's (def check out this place!) - Federicks and Lin Garden for hakka chinese food - Cafe Michi - Roti Hut (they renovated the place and it now has a pretty big dining area) - Real McCoy (great burgers and donut onion rings) - Asian Legend - Tandoori Pearl (i've only been there for lunch but its really good) there are tons of places to go in scarborough...it really depends on what you are looking for. Sat Feb 28 19:52:55 -0800 2009 4461753 236500 helen0505 3 4461860 Thanks for the suggestions! We really just like food (lol) so fire away any more suggestions you may have! We just haven't explored Scarborough much, mainly because of the (unfair) bad rap. Sat Feb 28 20:04:55 -0800 2009 4461840 222345 kweenshaker 3 4462011 I used to go to Aoyama all the time when they first opened, but haven't been for a long time. Their quality went down when they were getting a lot more people. Not sure if they are better now, will go back and check them up sometime. Some more suggestions: - Pho Vietname(Kennedy and Ellesmere) is good for Pho and Vietnamese rice dishes. - Kenny's Noodles at Midland and Shepperd is good for certain dishes(some can be crappy), they have the best Ox Lungs with Vermicelli in the city. Sat Feb 28 22:41:17 -0800 2009 4461840 115305 wciu 1 4465616 Vincent's spot, Midland on Kingston Road. Mon Mar 02 08:55:06 -0800 2009 4460694 189979 smr714 1 4474160 Lin Garden, Pharmacy and Sheppard. Great Hakka. Wed Mar 04 16:20:26 -0800 2009 4460694 12977 Brain of J 2 4476851 Ugh, you serious? not to judge your taste but Lin Garden is straight garbage, there's no flavour, just heat Thu Mar 05 12:33:59 -0800 2009 4474160 182736 Bobby Wham 3 4655125 I disagree with Bobby Wham. I like Lin Garden. It's like Hakka comfort food. Their chili chicken is so much better than the place at the corner of Kennedy and Lawrence (Spicy Dragon?) or the other one i tried on Lawrence E. (K......?). Tue May 05 05:16:44 -0700 2009 4476851 11490 Yongeman 1 4476848 Dumpling King! there's so much good stuff in Scarb Thu Mar 05 12:32:59 -0800 2009 4460694 182736 Bobby Wham 2 4653305 where is dumpling king? also, i disagree about lin garden...i think the flavour is great! but i still prefer federicks. Mon May 04 12:29:00 -0700 2009 4476848 236500 helen0505 1 4653166 I like eastern twist: http://www.easterntwist.com/index.php But it's a takeout joint. Mon May 04 11:53:39 -0700 2009 4460694 23150 eco987 2 4653228 is this place still open? i tried to go a several months ago, and there was a sign on the door saying that this location was now closed, and to go to the st. clair location Mon May 04 12:09:41 -0700 2009 4653166 251794 tygrr_lily 3 4654713 Hmmm. I don't know. I haven't been for over a year now. Maybe call the number on the website? Too bad... Mon May 04 20:58:53 -0700 2009 4653228 23150 eco987 1 4653833 Armenian Kitchen on Vic Park north of Eglinton (perhaps techinically in North York), Pho Saigon at Warden and Eg, and Krispy Roll at Warden and Eg -- these places are all casual, reasonably priced and have tasty food (including some veg options). Mon May 04 15:01:12 -0700 2009 4460694 138160 torontofoodiegirl 1 4653880 I'd recommend Ruby's (McCowan and Finch) for dinner (they have a great vegetarian selection - try the Buddha's Delight with soft tofu, and vegetable soup with fresh bean curd sheets). A veg place that I've enjoyed is Lotus (Midland, south of Steeles) -- not the biggest fan of their (or anybody's) faux-meet, but their other dishes are delicious. Mon May 04 15:20:17 -0700 2009 4460694 93263 Yum2MyTum 2 5130289 They used to be good, but had problems with quality and pests. Now they're closed for good. Sun Oct 25 18:00:20 -0700 2009 4653880 156425 scarberian 1 4656230 Some of the best Cantonese food is available at Maple Yip (Brimley/Sheppard). The service is hectic and you might have some difficulty with the menu (there is some English but not everything is translated) but the food is excellent. Divine Wok (Birchmount/Finch) is also pretty good, though the neighbourhood is a bit sketchy. Also, Hunter's (Birchmount/Huntingwood) has one hell of a good Greek salad and the pizza is pretty good too. I also frequent Ming's Noodles (Kennedy/McNichol) [try the French Toast] and Pho 88 (Warden/Bamburgh Circle) for a cheap, yummy meal. Tue May 05 11:17:57 -0700 2009 4460694 262600 chefhound 1 5129161 Some good recommendations here, I do mostly takeout and there are some very solid options in Scarborough. My faves are: Middle eastern- Shawarma Empire, Ibrahim BBQ and Pizza - both on Lawrence just west of Warden. Fish and Chips- Malt 'N Salt on Lawson Dr and Highland Fish & Chips at Ellesmere and Conlins. Indian- Cheetal Indian Restaurant at Military Trail and Old Kingston Rd. Thai- Red House Thai (it's actually in Pickering at Kingston Rd and Whites Rd). Pizza- Fratelli Village Pizzeria On Old Kingston Rd in Highland Creek (it's a real hidden gem!) Calabria Bakery (Thursday and Fridays only) on Midland Rd. Homeburgers and onion rings- Shamrock Burgers on Old Kingston Rd at the Highland Creek overpass. Inexperienced cooks can overcook the burger, keep an eye on them! The old guy with the lazy eye is the best. Roti- Roti Hut on Pitfield Rd. Hakka- Lucky Chinese at Scarborough Golf Club and Lawrence. The Crispy Beef and the Kan Shu green beans at Lin Garden at Pharmacy and Sheppard are great though. Avoid Johnny's, it's pre-fab crap with a low price. In this case you definitely get what you pay for. Sun Oct 25 07:48:23 -0700 2009 4460694 45153 Dr Butcher 2 5130367 Middle Eastern - lots to choose from around the Lawrence, Vic Park - Warden area. Fish and Chips - I agree Malt 'N Salt hands down Indian - Indian Spice Kitchen on Markham Rd., just south of Painted Post on the West side is strictly vegetarian Vietnamese - Pho Dau Bo (Lawrence and Markham- north east side) Italian - Fratelli's definitely. Great atmosphere, great service, excellent food. Shamrock's - what Dr. Butcher says about the old guy is true, but added to that make sure you order the HOME BURGER or was it called the Shamrock? Anyway just make sure it isn't the pre-fab "bear claw" type of burger. Black Dog Pub- good atmosphere, good service, good variety of dishes (carnivores and vegetarians) and the quality is very good. Located on Island Rd. just east of the No Frills (south of the 401 off of Port Union Rd.) Sun Oct 25 18:13:24 -0700 2009 5129161 156425 scarberian 3 5130392 Definitely agree about Black Dog. Quality is much better than most pubs. Sun Oct 25 18:21:03 -0700 2009 5130367 26815 hungryabbey 1 5131740 here are a couple of places we frequent... decent restaurants, easy on the wallet, and tasty... (not all are in Scarborough proper... I am assuming you are looking for good food to eat... in the nabe...) Zen Sushi - Eglinton & Midland - my favourite sushi place (also have set meals & non-sushi meals which are equally fabulous) - need a reservation on Fridays & Saturdays for sure... it's always busy. Krispy Roll - Thailand / Viet place - on the east side of Warden just half a block south of Eglinton. Cheap & cheerful.. Arkadia - Greek food (I saw a recommendation for Mr. Greek's I thought) - Eglinton & Birchmount Bistro Camino - not in Scarborough but close - Main & Danforth - delicious & really chowhound worthy (CH'ers love it) Congee Queen - on the westside past the Shops on Don Mills Bamiyan Kabob - for Afghani- no licquor licence - kind of a take out feel but different type of cuisine... (located on Overlea) Mon Oct 26 09:54:27 -0700 2009 4460694 11551 Apple 2 5145050 Better than Krispy Roll is 7 Star Thai Cuisine just about a block south of there at 781 Warden Ave. Very reasonably priced. You have to coach them to make your dishes "Thai spicy", but aside from that they deliver value for the money. http://www.dine.to/7starthai Sat Oct 31 09:25:44 -0700 2009 5131740 12072 Googs 3 5154364 Can I get more info on 7 Star? What kind of Thai dishes do they have? How authentic is it? Do they have northern dishes, like Khao Soy? Any good spicy salads? Thanks! Wed Nov 04 04:52:10 -0800 2009 5145050 31675 capiscum 4 5163156 Not pandering to the neighbourhood would be death to any place anywhere. You'll get the experience you request at 7Star. In other words, if you ask them to make it as they would serve to themselves then, yes, you can get a pretty tasty experience there. If you're dining with your grandma and make no special requests you won't have to ask for extra water for the table. Here's their dinner menu. http://www.dine.to/menus/menu_1040_document.pdf Sat Nov 07 08:09:36 -0800 2009 5154364 12072 Googs 5 5168576 Funny - I hit krispy roll almost every week without fail- but I have wondered about 7 Star... will have to check it out... Mon Nov 09 16:56:47 -0800 2009 5163156 11551 Apple 1 5131922 Here are two really good Indian restaurants in Scarborough that I learned about through Chowhound. Have now been to both and highly recommend them. Anjappar Chettinad (around the corner from Zen Japanese, at Markham & Eglinton) http://www.anjapparcanada.com/ Karaikudi is on Kennedy, east side, between Lawrence and Ellesmere. http://www.karaikudi.ca/home.html Mon Oct 26 10:50:15 -0700 2009 4460694 19782 Full tummy 1 5154369 In Scarb, it's all about the takeout - you can find amazingly amazing delicious cheeeap food, but always, always under fluorescent lights. In terms of Hakka, I vote for Lin Gardens over Federick's, but my favourite is Tangerine, at Markham Rd. and 14th, in Markham. I love the Pakistani takeout at Shahi Karahi (Markham and Lawrence). The chicken tikka rolls are amazing, as is the saag paneer. Wed Nov 04 04:55:11 -0800 2009 4460694 31675 capiscum