A new whirl 2018.09 edition

Greetings! I've been documenting the new fun activities that I tried every month since March this year. In September, my new whirl was easy thanks to a few of my friends who invited me to meet them individually for lunch. We cook and eat meals at home most of the time so these lunches were nice opportunities to try restaurants that are new to me or that I visit infrequently. I should mention that Toronto is a multicultural city and the wonderful restaurant choices reflect our diversity.

On my first lunch date, my friend and I just walked into Penelope's, a Greek restaurant, without reservation. We got seated right away. My friend ordered grilled lamb chops while I tried the Grilled Atlantic Salmon. My grilled salmon was served with salad, rice pilaf, oven roasted potatoes, lemon, and oregano. I could have easily gone for the souvlakis, or moussaka, or dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) but I felt like having fish that day. The service was prompt and friendly. The lunch crowd was mainly business people. We were both satisfied with our meals and would come again.

Grilled Atlantic Salmon at Penelope's

On my second lunch date, my friend reserved a table for the two of us at Scaddabush, an Italian restaurant. She ordered a gluten-free meal while I tried the Spaghetti Sorrentina with their Charity bread. My spaghetti was served with tomato sauce, basil, baby arugula, olive oil, cracked pepper, and a fresh mozzarella cheese ball at the top. The service was prompt and friendly. Both of our meals were tasty and came with big portions even though we ordered the Small portion. The next portion size is called Regular in the menu. We would come again to Scaddabush.

Spaghetti Sorrentina at Scaddabush

On my third lunch date, my friend and I went to Pai, a Thai restaurant, without reservation. This place is much bigger inside than what it looks like from the outside. I arrived first and got a table for two right away. Within ten minutes all other tables were taken so Pai is a popular place. The atmosphere was casual with loud music in the background so we needed to speak louder than normal. I ordered Chef Nuit Pad Thai with mild level of spice, while my friend had the Green Curry dish which he thought was amazing. My Pad Thai included stir fried rice noodles, house-made tamarind sauce, bean sprouts, tofu, egg, chives, Thai coriander, fresh lime, home roasted peanuts, and my choice of shrimps. It was delicious. We both agreed that we would return here for Thai food.

Chef Nuit Pad Thai at Pai

My fourth lunch date was at Il Fornello, an Italian restaurant where my friend and I had a nice table by the window with street view. We each ordered a two-course lunch prix-fixe. Mine was Pizzetta Pollo "BBQ", a mini pizza with Pomodoro sauce, mozzarella, slow-roasted chicken, chipotle BBQ sauce, roasted red pepper, charred red onions, and a small mixed green salad. I forgot to take a photo before eating my meal. Both of us enjoyed the food but the waitress was rushing my friend unnecessarily so her service could be improved.

My fifth and last lunch date in September was at Aroma Indian Cuisine, a restaurant that offers all-you-can-eat Northern Indian lunch buffet, and mild to hot à la carte options. My friend and I got a table right away just before the place filled up. We both went for the lunch buffet. I tried their Naan bread, butter chicken, tandoori chicken, veggies, beef, and Gulab jamun with ice cream for dessert. My friend is from Goa, western coast of India, and she said Aroma's food is very good. I agreed! I forgot to take photos of the buffet before the lunch crowd arrived so maybe next time. The service was good with frequent water refills at the tables and plenty of food at the food stations. We'd return for Indian food here.

I'm grateful for good friends, good food, and fun conversations that made me happy in September.

RELATED POSTS:

• Riding public transit in Santiago, Chile in March
• Learning French online starting in April
• Taking a trip to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in May 
• Featuring my first guest blogger and exploring Warsaw, Poland in June
• Experiencing new art and sushi in July 
• Visiting Auvers-Sur-Oise and eating Cambodian beef lok lak in August

Do you like trying food from different cultures? Does your town or city have diverse cuisines? What's your favourite food? I'd love to hear your comments.

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