Beef Short Ribs at Naanolicious

My favourite East Indian restaurant, Naanolicious, has a new menu which is much simpler and streamlined from the previous one. Fortunately, most of my favourites made the cut, but there are a few new things for me to try. One of them is the beef short ribs. Three Korean ribs (or, Miami ribs, as these were known in my household) are cut into small pieces with the bone in the middle, and grilled with Naanolicious's signature spices. The result is a crunchy, dry rib that makes an excellent appetizer, or meal if combined with some naan or rice. Naanolicious is a Halal restaurant, so while pork dry ribs are not an option, this is a great choice and a welcome menu addition.

Breakfast for Lunch: French Toast at Friends and Neighbours

I had brunch at Friends and Neighbours (10834 82 Avenue) last week, and was in the mood for something sweet, so French Toast was the order of the day. Three thick slices of French bread was slathered in a rich egg batter that was literally overflowing off of the sides of the bread. I added a couple of eggs and veggie bacon to make it a full meal.

The Pho Files: Pho Ga at Pho Huong/Mama Pizza

I've been visiting Pho Huong (also known as Mama Pizza, located at 10531 107 Avenue) quite a bit in the last couple of weeks. I decided to stray from my rare steak/well-done brisket combo soup, and tried the pho ga (chicken pho). The chicken was fresh and plentiful, topped with crispy onions for additional flavour. The broth was rich and strong, with a definite salty taste that penetrated the noodles. If you like chicken soup and don't mine a salty broth, you will love this pho ga.

Breakfast for Lunch: Chicken and Waffles at Central Social Hall

After walking past it innumerable times, I finally made it into Central Social Hall - for brunch, no less. The chicken and waffles I had were the most decadent ever. The waffles were unmistakably made from scratch, light and fluffy to perfection. Rich red wine gravy was drizzled liberally, as were blobs of cranberry compote. The chicken was lightly coated and consisted of juicy breast meat. This was definitely a brunch to remember.