Core Dump 2.0

Yesterday we went down to Toronto’s Kensington Market, an area I haven’t visited in about 25 years. It hasn’t changed that much. On the last Sunday in each month, the streets are blocked off and the whole area becomes a giant pedestrian mall. Neat, and they should do it every weekend.

We had lunch at the market’s lone sushi restaurant, Oishi Kada, on Augusta just south of College. It was excellent.

As you can see from the picture, it’s not big or fancy. We were the only customers inside when we went in, although there were a few people on the patio. I’m surprised, given the crowds on the street, that it wasn’t busier because the sushi was outstanding. Here’s a quote from a BlogT O review, which is where I found out about the place (good timing too, as it was posted the day before).

Spicy tuna and salmon rolls were wrapped with a creamy slice of avocado and hot mayonnaise. I asked about where the fish was from, Alaska, but couldn’t work past the language barrier to find out the type of salmon. It didn’t seem deep enough to be sockeye but it was delicious nonetheless. The ultra soft yam tempura roll was melt-in-your-mouth delicious and sweet with a light deep-fried batter.

Eye Magazine published another review a few years ago.

I’m not familiar with the different varieties of sushi (we had the maki and another kind of rolls) but it was certainly the best sushi we’ve ever eaten. And it was cheap, we fed the three of us for $30. If I’m ever in the area, I’m going there again.

BlogTO has been running a series of “Get to know a street” posts about some of the less well-known streets in Toronto. In Toronto, you can find shops and restaurants worth checking out, tucked away in corners of Toronto off the main drags and tourist strips. One of these is Overlea Boulevard, a street that I was on just a couple of weeks ago on my way to an eye checkup. I had no idea it was such an interesting area, although I did know about its multi-ethnic character.

Overlea Boulevard in East York is a hub of South Asian retail shops, grocery stores, restaurants and, uh, East York Town Centre. While the area is not exactly scenic–mostly low buildings and hydro wires–what Overlea Boulevard lacks in outward aesthetic, it makes up with cultural substance. This street (actually, two streets: Overlea Boulevard and Thorncliffe Park Drive) offer various samples of Indian and Pakistani life, from authentic dishes to Halal groceries, to Bollywood movies and clothing. But of course, this wouldn’t be Toronto if there wasn’t a Timmies on the corner. Besides that, here are some places to check out on and near Overlea Boulevard.