Nice and cheap Asian in Toronto
No this post is not about me trying to sell my services 
Ever since arriving in Toronto last October I’ve been interested in finding good (taste and value) Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine.
Admittedly I’ve only been to a handful of places and haven’t been obsessed with trying out every restaurant in Chinatown. That would be insane.
So there are three places that I can recommend thus far (interestingly enough 2 of the 3 are vegetarian joints):
1. Buddha’s Vegetarian (Chinatown)
Where: 666 Dundas St West (from Spadina Ave head west towards Bathurst St, go past Kensington Market & Augusta Ave)
The good: The servings are huge and it’s great value for money.
Spicy Tofu with vegetables. $7.50 CAD and that’s a small serving that you’re looking at… bargain!
The bad: Don’t go for the ambience because there is none. It’s kind of crampy, especially for groups larger than eight. They really should knock down that wall that separates the two seating areas and make it one big open space but I guess they don’t have the budget or they just didn’t think about it. Don’t expect meat because it’s strictly vegetarian (I guess this isn’t necessarily bad if you happen to be veggie or vegan!).
Additional Comments: The food is not quite as devilish as the address, and the menu is typically engrish, but it’s great value for money!
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2. King’s Cafe (Kensington Market)
The good: Food is good, even the fake meat, and there are lots of variety of vegetarian options. Able to accomodate large groups (with booking). Outside dining at the front for nice summer days. Decor is cool.
The bad: Dessert selection limited (maybe I should suggest that they serve bubble tea!). Not as good value for money as Buddha’s.
Additional comments: great place for large groups, and it’s right by Kensington Market. The Embassy Bar is across the road if you should feel like an alcoholic fix.
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3. Pho Hung (Chinatown)
Where: 350 Spadina Ave. (in between the Nassau/Kensington and Dundas St W street car stops)
The good: Makes a decent Bún bò Huế. It’s not quite the quality of the Bún bò Huế at Gia Hoi in Sydney but I enjoyed it. Servings are generous and pricing is good.
The bad: Don’t expect any kind of service here. Just don’t. Oh and they randomly switch the complimentary tea from hot (which is the standard) to ice cold (just weird). They even did it on the same visit last time we were there.
Additional comments: My veggie friends Rosie and Neesa rave about the great food here. They also agree that the service is sucky. Oh and make sure you try the deep fried banana. Just do it.
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