Delivery Food in Toronto

[creativeingredients]

I'm curious as to everyone's finds about delivery food in Toronto.

Other than Pizza, I've really come up empty handed. I've tried various Chinese places, but none have compared to Chinatown.

I know there are lots more choices for take-out, but I need delivery. I'm in mid-town.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

I hungrily await.

[KevV]

Strange topic for me, this. I don't order delivery as I'm a big home cook.

However, I know that Bacchus Roti (haven't been there in a long time, but has a good rep in Now or Eye or whatever) delivers in the W.end. Probably not up to mid-town, but perhaps 'delivery rotis' can inspire you in new non-pizza/non-'chicken fried rice' directions? Is there a shop nearer your place?

Edited February 4, 2006 by KevV (log)

[Csaville]

http://www.orderit.ca/forms/Home.aspx

[Csaville]

Also..

http://www.superwaiter.ca/

[Nondoctor]

Living at Harbord and Spadina I have found the only reliable delivery to be Gigi pizza.

But one gets a little sick of pizza after a wee while.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks

[creativeingredients]

Chantel:

I tried superwaiter once. I may have picked a bad restaurant. I ordered from Purple Rice. Delivery took forever. I tried to spell my address for them, but they insisted they knew exactly where to go. They ended up going somewhere in North York instead of Toronto. When the food finally arrived, it was terrible. The worst pad thai I've ever had.

If you've had luck with them, perhaps I'll try again, but a different restaurant.

I think good quality delivery is just hard to come by in Toronto.

[creativeingredients]

Kev:

Those rotis sound wonderful! I will do an Internet search and let you know if I come up with anything within delivery distance.

[Nondoctor]

Last time I checked Bacchus Roti had stopped delivery service.

[Madge]

Peking Express (Parliament and ??Gerrard) has pretty decent Chinese food and a reasonable delivery time.

[KevV]

Last time I checked Bacchus Roti had stopped delivery service.

Jeez - well then things have definitely changed since 1995!

Anyway, they're too far away for our thread-starter, I think, so the idea was meant more for inspiration than anything else.

[child of the storm]

I moved here two years ago, born and raised in Montreal, and I guess I just took delivery for granted - you can get virtually any kind of food delivered in the 514. I love to cook but hey, I'm busy, and in Montreal I had delivery at least once a week. Once I had Ethiopian delivered on a date where we unexpectedly stayed at mine, and it showed up nice and hot, the injera fluffy and just right. Here in Toronto, forget about it, except for the occasional pizza or Swiss Chalet (and I prefer St. Hubert).

This thread is making me homesick.

[KevV]

I moved here two years ago, born and raised in Montreal, and I guess I just took delivery for granted ... Here in Toronto, forget about it, except for the occasional pizza or Swiss Chalet (and I prefer St. Hubert).

This thread is making me homesick.

... And me sick. God, you sound just like my wife!

Well, at least the LCBO beats SAQ anyday. (Even though they don't deliver!)

[child of the storm]

LCBO Vintages is good, it's true.

But there's something to be said for a depanneur that will deliver you beer and wine (plonk, but still) in the dead of winter!

[creativeingredients]

Now I'm hungry for injera and all I could get is Swiss Chalet .

The good news is that the local newspaper is going to feature Chinese delivery food next month. I'm not sure if it's just Chinese or all Asian food. I believe the chef from Lai Wah Heen is going to help with the evaluation. Too bad they don't deliver - actually I don't think I could afford it.

[KevV]

LCBO Vintages is good, it's true.

But there's something to be said for a depanneur that will deliver you beer and wine (plonk, but still) in the dead of winter!

←

Yes. Touché. Although overpriced plonk, at that.

[Endy']

The good news is that the local newspaper is going to feature Chinese delivery food next month.  I'm not sure if it's just Chinese or all Asian food.  I believe the chef from Lai Wah Heen is going to help with the evaluation.  Too bad they don't deliver - actually I don't think I could afford it.

←

which paper? I'll have to keep an eye out...

[creativeingredients]

Endy:

It's the Forest Hill Town Crier.

[Endy']

thank you! I'll find a copy then

[creativeingredients]

The March issue of the Village Post just came out.

I must have misunderstood - I thought they were going to rate take-out Chinese Food. They are actually just rating Sweet & Sour Chicken with the help of Ken Tam from Lai Wah Heen.

The winner is C'est Bon at 2685 Yonge St.

I'm not a fan of "chicken balls." I prefer the downtown Chinese restaurants where one must avoid hitting one's head on the hanging ducks at the entrance. Plastic table cloths are a must. My Chinese friends no longer go downtown, but to China Town north east. Does it have an official name? Great food, great prices, but long drive.

[Endy']

Chinatown northEAST, or NORTHeast?

we tend to not refer to the former (Scarborough Chinatown, which isn't worth much anymore), and the latter is generally collectively "highway 7". Or maybe you mean the Kennedy stretch, Steeles to hwy 7, which is typically just "Pacific Mall" because that's all that's worth caring about up there ...except for the stripmall at Kennedy and 7 (SW corner) that a friend calls the "eating plaza" (it's literally about 30 restaurants). I believe that's the home of the Decent Seafood Restaurant, which is a pretty awesome name considering the Fantastic Seafood Restaurant is just a few minutes down Kennedy (I know there's an Excellent Seafood Restaurant in town somewhere too, but I don't know it).

[Jake]

Endy, you seem to know the #7 area around Warden -- can you suggest anywhere for lunch? Please, NO chicken balls! Spice is good.

[Endy']

sorry, I don't actually know it that well, but the "eating plaza" (see upthread) is maybe a good start, Kennedy and 7. Service is usually pretty fast (and, uh, barebones) in Chinese places so you should be able to zoom over, eat, and come back. Just start eating at 1 corner of the plaza and in a month or 2 you'll have tried all the options (but I do remember liking something on the south end...the name had something to do with congee...or maybe it was only in Chinese that it did...sorry...).

I haven't been, but Ding Tai Fung at First Markham Place (Woodbine and 7) is known for their...I don't know what they're called in English, but they're a sort of dumpling that's steamed, circular base, swirly pattern, and they have a lot of "soup" trapped inside (so be careful you don't burn yourself on it when you bite in -- no, seriously). As a matter of trivia, the restaurant is named after one of the same name, also quite famous for their "dumplings", in...I think either Taiwan or Shanghai. No relation.

also at First Markham is Congee Wong. Congee, if you didn't know, is "porridge" of rice...my favourite is "blood jello and fish slices" ("blood jello" is steamed pig's blood, cubed), but you can't really go wrong with one of their "super bowls" (I forget what they're called exactly) that have a ton of different things in them. Lean towards seafood over land meats, though. And you can't eat congee without "oil sticks"...which can be labelled anything from "doughnuts" (not even close) to "fritters" to "dough sticks" in English. They're basically strips of dough that have been deep-fried to a crisp, almost crunchy texture, very poofed-up. Meant for dipping in your congee.

[Jake]

Sounds great, I love congee. Thanks for the info.

[Endy']

oops -- preaching to the choir, I see. No matter. Go get some pig blood, and then come back and gross out sadistick

[sadistick]

Since I am most likely going to be ordering in tonight, I thought it may not be a bad idea for a topic on the best places for delivery within the GTA for various types of cuisine.

I will add my thoughts later - but specifically, for my search tonight, we are deciding between...

Chinese

Japanese

Thai

Since location sometimes may be an issue, we live around the Avenue and Lawrence area...

I'll tell you right now - My favourite pizza place with widespread delivery....Pizzaville!