One recently discovered ethnic food that I have discovered since I left the environs of White
Here in Toronto there is a chain of restaurants, hole in the walls actually, with the exotic name of Ali Baba's. Doesn't that name conjure up images of early 1950's MGM movies of harem girls on polished marble floors with colorful see through diaphanous harem pants?
For some reason every time I hear Ali Baba I think of magic carpets and that beautiful English actress Patricia Medina from that long ago forgotten Fifties movie that starred Abbot and Costello. You know how some people get an earwig from a tune they've heard and can't get out of their minds? For me certain names evoke images in my mind of Fifties movie stars. The Fifties was a special time for me, Ron the Movie Fan. But I digress.
Sunday night I was just dying for an falafel. Ron, the kid who used to devour the giant hoagie has moved on to Ron, the old guy who now devours giant falafels. As Pat sat across from me at Ali Babi's with his modest sized falafels, he cast an incredulous look to me and asked "Are you really going to eat that whole thing?" I responded "Just watch." It was gone folks, all gone in about fifteen minutes. Delicious!
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| Me in front of one of my favorite eateries in Toronto |
I'm still on my vegan diet since I arrived in Canada on the 15th. As expected I've lost weight. My weight has dropped below 160 lbs to 159 lbs. That means I've lost six pounds since I crossed the Canadian border from Buffalo New York last week.
I don't miss the meat folks! Last night I took Pat's advice and we walked down to a Vietnamese veggie restaurant. The place was just a hole in the wall (a lot of these local ethnic restaurants seem to be a hole in the wall.
Right away, upon entering the restaurant I felt out of place. It was very small but very crowded . . . . . . . with Vietnamese. There was one other Caucasian couple in the restaurant, seated back in the corner. We were seated next to a round table of about eight family members who were all eating from a big plate in the middle of their table. Eating with chopsticks. Uh oh. I've never eaten with chopsticks. So, in addition to feeling like a big white giraffe who has entered a Vietnamese family dinner, I looked in askance at the chopsticks our waitress placed in front of me.
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| My host in front of Simon's Wok restaurant on Gerrard Avenue in Toronto, Canada |
So where are my pictures? Folks, the place was so small I was embarrassed to take photos and show myself for the ignorant, rude tourist that I really am. Although I don't think it would made much of a difference if I had taken photos. Below is a photo I took of the entree that I ordered . . . . . and didn't like. Eggplant or something or other. Yes, I'm still trying to find a good eggplant dish. So far the Rehoboth Diner still wins out with their Eggplant Parmesan.
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| Eggplant Something or Other - I gave it to Pat and ordered Pineapple Something or Other
We have a few more things on our agenda folks during my Canadian Adventure. My host asked me if I wanted to to the Edge Walk atop the CN tower. Hmmmmmm . . . . . . . . maybe but not on a stomach full of an Ali Baba falafel
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