Couldn't agree more. I'd be hard-pressed to think of a more overrated eatery in the city. Most of the people that love it are the students that probably haven't had a decent meal since Mom made it for them.

It's sort of like a west Indian curry that sometimes has potatoes - there's a lot of Muslims in Thailand so this is typically what they eat. In real Thai restaurants it's called 'Massaman Curry' or something similar.

Can't wait to try it! Having Khao Soy (my very favourite dish in the world, sadly very hard to find in Toronto) so close to work is dangerous!

Surprisingly, the Queen Mother has a version of Khao Soi! It's okay - the spices are correct but there's something off about it. I LOVE the KS at Vanipha Lanna though. Everything there is so authentic and amazing, even if the service usually ranges from okay to abysmal.

I'll definitely have to try Eastern Twist! I've passed by that place dozens of times.

Ugh, I had the misfortune of trying Royal Meats a few weeks ago. SLOW service (waited more than 30 minutes for a simple burger) and it just wasn't that great.

Go to Apache or something. Royal blows. I can definitely agree about Thyme 4 though. Pretty incredible.

Does it have to be takeout?

Anatolia (which is turkish food) on Dundas near Kipling Station is incredible.

Those chocolate brownie cookies. They are the illest cookies, for real.

I can wholeheartedly suggest Vanipha Lanna on St. Clair. Having been to Thailand, this is as close as you'll get to real authentic spices and dishes (even the elusive Khao Soy) of that region.

What's the Pocky selection like?

Tucker's is great - what about Town & Country?

Is McNies around/still good? They're at Martingrove and Burnhamthorpe.

A lot of places do this, from the crappy mall sushi you get at the eaton centre to Hosu at Queen West (I think they can sub brown rice into any roll). A lot more sushi places have started offering it as an option.

You can alternately go up to Brar Sweets at islington and albion. They're 4 for $1 and quite good. Also try their paneer pakoras...So amazing.

Awesome! Thank you!

Anyone know of a store that carries it within walking distance of the Eaton Centre? I'm stumped!

Thanks for any help.

The Prague Deli on Queen has a great selection.

The ones from Soma are off the chain!

Actually East would be a good choice as he might dig the view of Much across the street. If you go for a really early dinner (around 5ish), there's usually something going on that day for Much on Demand.

I know there'll be a lot of hate for it on here, but he might dig HAL Burger.

I could go on about the meat there, but it seems that's been covered :)

I really like that they have other stuff there too - organic pasta and produce, salads, cheeses, chocolate, and they even carry Ace breads.

Oh and try their beef/elk jerky. It is out of control.

Not so much with the couches, but Anatolia at Dundas/Kipling is possibly my favourite resto in the city. Unique little vibe and they have belly dancing on the weekend (I think). It's Turkish cuisine by the way, so the food's very rich and definitely hearty.

Are they still open? I'd heard they closed down, but I just saw that there's a DJ event coming up there on Saturday.

If you're looking for an alternative to Yang's, try Syogun. The menu is quite extensive (with Rainbow Rolls, Spider Rolls, sashimi, etc) and the service isn't rude.

http://foodpages.ca/30701?showmap=1&a...

One more vote for the Yellow Griffin Pub. For sheer variety alone, you probably have a better shot at "the perfect burger". I think they have something in the neighborhood of 50 variations, and each of those can be made with chicken, beef, or (if I recall) lamb.

If anything, I would've missed HAL for those butter tarts alone. They are to die for.

Went to HAL's on Friday and they're not closing, just looking for a new location with better foot traffic during the day (can't really blame them).

They'll remain open until they find a new spot. Woo!

It falls well past the borders above ;) but this is the best Ethiopian I've ever eaten. Beautiful space too, but that's New York for you.

http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/...

Ah yes, I love the Prague!

Any other great deli-style potato salads, or even high-end spots for it?

I'm a potato salad fiend. I love it in every form...Vinegarette, creamy, whatever. It just reminds me of those family picnics we'd go on as a kid, or those backyard BBQ's in the summer.

So Chowhound, I ask you - where can I get an amazing potato salad?

Went to Lalibela last Friday and found it to be really unremarkable. By Christ, that had to be the worst Ethiopian experience (in terms of service) I've had in Toronto...Much worse than Addis Ababa, that's for sure.

Firstly, after confirming it twice, the waitress brought us red wine instead of white. Then, instead of the Ethiopian Potato Salad, I received the tomato salad (which, by the way, ew).

My gf really enjoyed the vegetarian platter, but I found the meat platter to be uninspired and very very dry (found myself rationing the sauce that came with the stewed hen to use with the very dry ground beef and very tough lamb). The only thing I'd give Lalibela is the portion sizes, but I'd rather get less of something good than a lot of soemthing mediocre.

All in all I'd give it a 6/10 at best. Addis and Ethiopian House are far better.

Ah, I thought ognir was looking for streets with restos that they may not have tried. There aren't too many in the way of new restos, but definitely some classic spots.

For new/trendy restos, maybe the Front/Church area, or the Distillery?