Vegan Buffet at Abyssinia

I was on 95 Street for an evening meeting last week and noticed that Abyssinia, an Ethiopian restaurant practically next door to my meeting, had a vegan buffet on Wednesdays and Fridays for only $15 starting at 5 p.m. As it was a Wednesday, I decided to give it a shot. Eight hot trays featured dishes including yellow chick peas, red lentils, kale, spinach, mushrooms, cabbage, squash, and carrots and potatoes. There was also a heaping plate of injera bread, and a bowl of rice. The dishes were spicy but not overwhelming, and a few could have been hotter in terms of temperature (but on the other hand, that also kept the spice heat level down). My personal faves are the carrots and potatoes, the yellow chick peas, and the squash, the latter having a sweetness that cut the spice. I would recommend going a little later than 5, as a few of the dishes as well as the rice were not available yet, and I was already full by the time they were out. For $15 this is an excellent value and a great introduction to Ethiopian food.

Sandwich and Salad at Cafe Blackbird

I have been wanting to give Cafe Blackbird another try, and had the opportunity a couple of days ago. I tried the smoked salmon, spinach, and cream cheese sandwich for $9. The sweet, pickled onions added a flavour dimension different than the capers and onions which typically come with smoked salmon. The salmon was fresh and plentiful, and while the baguette from Cobs was delightful, I really missed the dense, chewy sensation of a bagel. The portion just seemed a little light for the price.

On another plate was a salad of spinach, kale, and tomatoes, with a dressing of olive oil and lemon. At $7 for a half size, the portion was quite generous, the kale and spinach filling and crunchy. I would have loved more sliced almonds on top. The dressing gave the salad a fruity after taste which was pleasant. However, the dressing was also loaded with garlic, which became stronger the more I ate. It is a good thing I did not have a hot date afterwards! The flavours of the individual salad components were enough that it did not need such a strong dressing. Lighten up on that a bit and Cafe Blackbird will have one of the best salads in the city.

The Gobbler at Press'd

I grabbed a quick bite last week at the university location of Press'd. I normally order the Bird, which has turkey, sprouts, and avocado (I skip the cream cheese). The Gobbler, I am assuming which is a seasonal special, has turkey, spinach, and cranberry sauce (I also skipped the cream cheese). My verdict? There was too much cranberry sauce, and it dominated the taste. I felt like I was eating a sweet spinach salad at some points where the turkey was thinner. If you love cranberry sauce and spinach you'll like this. Otherwise, I am sticking with the Bird.

Vegging Out: Veggie Sandwich at Friends and Neighbours

I returned to Friends and Neighbours Cafe (10834 82 Avenue) yesterday for another late lunch. This time I tried the veggie sandwich, which included a load of soy bacon, spinach, avocado, and tomatoes with red pepper spread on a toasted whole wheat bagel. The sandwich was not exactly as described: the menu said there was also grilled tofu, and made no mention of the red pepper spread, but the soy bacon was plentiful and the spread worked overall to bring the flavours together. For my side I picked the hash browns, which are really more like home fries. A note to vegans: the bagels and buns used for sandwiches at Friends and Neighbours are pre-buttered (margarine, actually). However, I could not taste it and would not have known about it at all had I not asked. Still, this may be an issue for some of you, so I thought I should mention it.

Veggie Dumplings at Pho Delight

Whether you call it Pho Delight or Friends and Neighbours (only a wall separates the two sides of what is basically the same restaurant at 10838 82 Avenue), you can order a variety of pho soups, western meals, and vegetarian dishes no matter where you sit. I tried the veggie dumplings as a snack. Five dumplings were filled with a tofu and vegetable mixture that tasted predominantly from spinach and peas. The texture was very pleasant and the outer shell tasted a bit like pan-fried pancake, although some were a bit overdone. Overall though this was a solid vegetarian take on an Asian favourite appetizer.

Palak Paneer at Naanolicious

I had lunch at Naanolicious with a co-worker last week, and was thrilled to discover Palak Paneer on the menu of specials. The spinach curry with pressed cheese is one of my favourite East Indian dishes, and I had yet to find it on their menu. The curry was creamy, smooth, and not overpowering, while the cheese was delicate in flavour and had a good, firm texture. One of the best I have had in a long time.

Veggie Pakora at Naanolicious

Veggie Pakora, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Veggie pakora has never been my favourite item at East Indian restaurants because I find they tend to be very dense and dry. However, I decided to try Naanolicious' take on them when I was there the other day for supper.

I was pleasantly surprised. The pakoras (which is like a fried dumpling of potato and spinach, dipped in lentil dough) were bite-sized but very flavourful - and moist. Yes, they were a little greasy, but enhanced the flavour, along with the chutney served to the side. This is a really nice dish to share as an appetizer.

Remedy for Hunger - Palak Paneer

Oh Remedy. It has been far too long. #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I haven't been to any location of Remedy in ages, so when I was craving Indian food for lunch earlier this week I headed over to the downtown location.

The meal was huge! Thick, pureed spinach curry with firm paneer cheese and lots of chickpeas - just to make the meal even heavier. I paired my meal with rice, which was incredibly aromatic. For only $10, this seemed like about twice the portion I would get at other places, for half the price!

Combined with the iced Kashmiri chai as my beverage, there was no way I was going to finish. The next time I eat at Remedy, I will bring a friend!