Pasha Malla is the author of The Withdrawal Method, a collection of stories on the longlist for the 2008 Giller Prize, and a forthcoming book of poems, All Our Grandfathers are Ghosts.
(Photo: Jason Bomers)
You've got $10 to buy lunch - where do you go?
Oh, wow. Okay. If I'm in the east end, Motimahal (1422 Gerrard Street East) for the non-veg thali. Slightly further west, Angkor (614 Gerrard Street East) is a fantastic family-run Cambodian place with good lunch specials. I used to work at Beverley and Baldwin, so for lunch around there I'd often go to Jumbo Empanadas (245 Augusta Avenue) in Kensington Market, Island Foods (275 Dundas Street West) in the Grange for the chicken roti, Yiu Wah (421 Dundas Street West) for dim sum, Mother's Dumplings (79 Huron Street) for dumplings, or Sandwich Box on Queen (now closed, but open at other locations).
The budget's unlimited, someone else is paying and the choice is yours - where do you pick for dinner?
I've never really eaten at a super high-end restaurant in Toronto, so I'd have no idea where to start -- although it's not hard for me to find places that stretch my budget, so... The Host (14 Prince Arthur Avenue) is really good, and I'd like to try Amaya (1701 Bayview Avenue) for Indian. Batifole (744 Gerrard st East) is a nice place, too. Or I'd go somewhere for one of those $100 steaks you hear about. I've never had a steak like that.
Tell us some of the food shops you frequent when buying groceries to cook for yourself.
I get my coffee beans at Louie's (235 Augusta Avenue) in Kensington Market, and fish at Bill's Lobster (599 Gerrard Street East) in Chinatown East. For Indian spices and supplies, B.J. Supermarket (1449 Gerrard Street East) in Little India. Nasr Foods (1996 Lawrence Avenue East) in Scarborough is a great place for Middle Eastern groceries. Fruits and veg, any of the markets along Spadina -- I had my first sugar apple recently and it was something else! I love the cheese shops at St. Lawrence Market (92 Front Street East), particularly one that sets up across the road on Saturdays. In school I worked at Shay Gourmet (290 Merton Street - now closed) and they had a lot of awesome stuff, but I can't really afford any of it. Mostly I just shop at No Frills (449 Carlaw Avenue and other locations).
When ordering in for a quiet night at home, what's your favourite place for take-out or delivery?
I like the chicken at Churrasco of St. Clair (679 St Clair Avenue West). A bit farther west, Khmer Thai (1018 St. Clair Avenue West) is a good take-out spot as well. I'm nuts for the foul (fava bean salad) at Ghazale (504 Bloor Street West & 661 College Street).
Oh, no, relatives are coming to Toronto from out of town - where do you take them?
Am I paying? Then I'd cook. If they're paying, dim sum at Lai Wah Heen at the Metropolitan Hotel (108 Chestnut Street).
Your favourite place to grab a couple of drinks and hang out where everybody knows your name?
My favourite bars are The Gem (1159 Davenport Road), The Only Cafe (972 Danforth Avenue), Communist's Daughter (1149 Dundas Street West), The Press Club (850 Dundas Street West), Hair of the Dog (425 Church Street) and The Monarch Tavern (12 Clinton Street). It's not a bar but Dark Horse (682 Queen Street East) is my favourite place to sit around, drink a coffee, and read the papers. And I have still have a soft spot in my heart for the Absinthe Pub (4700 Keele Street) where I did a fair amount of drinking when I was at York University.
What's coming up?
I've just returned from the Thin Air writers festival in Winnipeg, and in October I'll be at the Ottawa Writers Festival. I'm typing away at a couple of new books, so that's keeping me pretty busy. I'm mostly excited for the NHL hockey season to get started -- my Habs looked pretty good at the end of last season, and for the first time in ages I think they've got a decent shot at the Stanley Cup. [Yeah, yeah, rub it in! - Leaf-loving ed.]
Tasting T.O. is a regular feature where we ask local artists, writers, musicians, foodies and other personalities about their favourite places to eat and drink in the city. If you or someone you know would like to be featured in an upcoming instalment - especially if you have an upcoming event, gig, release, etc. to promote - please get in touch.
