Fresh Slice

Fresh Slice (2nd floor food court, Pacific Mall, 4300 Steeles Avenue East, Markham, Ontario)

905-604-2791

I don't know what the middle flavour was; I just kind of pointed at it. The pizza isn't bad. Compared to Pizza Pizza, it's gourmet. The crust isn't super thick, but it holds up okay. It also isn't bland. I think the white sauce on the middle slice tasted like ranch dressing. 

Would I return? Yup. It's cheap and fast. It's hard to find a complete meal for $5 these days, but they managed to make it work. 

Total damage: $5 for three slices and a pop. 

Toronto à la Cart

Toronto a la Cart (Yonge and Finch)

Just south of Yonge and Finch, in front of the Shoppers Drug Mart, one can usually find a huddle of people around a Korean food stand at night. This is the only Toronto a la Cart location where I've actually spotted patrons. There are some interesting offerings, including kimchi dumplings, the red bean fish-shaped waffles, squid balls, pork belly bacon, and cup noodles. Since the nearby H Mart no longer sells the fish-shaped red bean waffles, this is a pretty good alternative at a price of 3 for $2. Though I must say that they didn't look as nice as the ones that Galleria used to have. 

Jo tried the fish cake in soup ($1) and squid balls.

Everyone seemed to like the MSG-filled broth that came with the fish cake. The squid balls were kind of like crab cake consistency, and not really exciting. They were also a bit dry inside.

Cup noodles ($3.50)

This actually looked like it came in a coffee cup. Jo said she saw them use a whole pack of noodles and was pleased with what she got. The broth seemed to be the same as the fish cake broth, but pepper was added so it was a bit spicier. 

Would I return? Yes, considering that I didn't get anything from there yet. Those cup noodles also looked pretty cool. This could easily provide a cheap dinner on the go.

Hong Kong Style Café

Hong Kong Style Café (Apple Creek Boulevard and Woodbine Avenue, Markham, Ontario)

These Hong Kong style cafés usually have afternoon tea specials where cheap food combos come with a drink. Sometimes, there's a siu yeh menu too, where snack food is cheap after dinner time (maybe around 9 or 10 p.m.). This place does not have a siu yeh menu. 

Soup noodles and fried chicken wings.

The noodles were doughier than expected, and it tasted like comfort food.

Jess was expecting no more than three pieces of chicken, but this place showed her up when the plate arrived with four.

The chicken wings were crispy, but Jess and Jo said that it didn't look as good as the chicken wings from the mango dessert place at First Markham Place.

Jo's pineapple drink.

It tastes like canned pineapples (liquid included) with ice.

Would I return? Sure. This place has some pretty low prices for food that's filling. 

Total damage: approximately $6 for my food.

Baskin Robbins 31 Cent Scoop Night

Baskin Robbins is having their annual 31 cent (plus tax) scoop night in support of the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation. That's April 27th from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at all Baskin Robbins locations in Canada.

Click here for more details.

Galleria

Galleria (7040 Yonge Street, Thornhill, Ontario)

905-882-0040

Hours: 24 hours daily

That 30% off box was actually 50% off. Yaay!

There was a large amount of tobiko on top of the green tea rice roll. 

The green tea taste is kind of cool, but the fact that they've been refrigerated for so long made the sushi kind of stiff. It's $0.05 for each extra packet of soya sauce. The wasabi packet was nose-drippingly spicy. It stung more than most restaurant wasabi that I've had.

One thing to note about Galleria's new location is that it's a lot less exciting. There's a massive wall dividing the grocery store, and it just gets in the way. There's no more outside stand that sells those red bean fish-shaped fried treats, and there's no central freshly cooked food area. Part of why I used to like Galleria so much was for the outside stand, and the hot dog sticks wrapped in fish cake. They also don't have as much randomness, like crazy fridges for sale (e.g. Swarovski fridge). They did, however, have my favourite msg crackers. 

When I went to purchase my discount sushi, I was really taken aback by just how polite the cashier was. There was a greeting, a "thank you", and she handed my change back to me with two hands. Two hands! Considering the treatment I get in regular grocery stores, I was super impressed. Something about her manners made me think that she wasn't born here. 

Would I return? Yes, I need more msg crackers, and I like people with good manners. Cheap discount sushi is good for people on a tight budget who need dinner - late at night. 

Sakura

Sakura (Village by the Grange food court, 109 McCaul Street, Toronto)

Chicken katsu. 

I honestly didn't have enough time to eat this properly. I basically shoved it down my throat in under five minutes. From what I could gather, the chicken was crispy, and the rice could have used more sauce. In my rushed eating, I noticed no awful bites. 

Would I go back? Yes. It's affordable and decent for students. With anything deep fried, if it's crispy, it's on the right track. It took maybe around five minutes for my food to be done, and it was served hot. I also like how they made the price with tax into a nice amount that returned no stupid change.

Total damage: $6.25. 

Baldwin Palace

Baldwin Palace (1 Baldwin Street, Toronto)
416-593-4788

Crispy beef and broccoli dish.

Thanks to Andrea for the picture!

This was the dish Felicia ordered last time we were here. This time, about seven of us ordered it remembering how good it looked before. I can say that I wasn't disappointed. The beef was crispy, and there was ample sauce to mix with the rice. At a price that's cheaper than most McDonald's combos, there's not much I can really complain about. With this lunch, I was full beyond dinner time. 

Would I return? Yes. It's fast, cheap, and the portions are large. And the beef was really crispy!

Total damage: $5.50 + tax + tip. 

Village by the Grange food Court

I think this place was called Ked Ked's or something along those lines.

This was number 17 on the menu, and it's pretty much stir fried beef, broccoli on steamed white rice.

The portion might not be as impressive as the other places in the same food court, but the beef was pretty good. What was strange was that the girl sprinkled a rather large amount of pepper on top right before closing the box and handing it to me. Had it been anyone but me receiving the take-out, he or she might have been deeply disturbed. I was okay with it because that's what I used to do to all my food when I was little.

Would I return? Maybe. The price is right, but I might want to try the other options first. The food wasn't exactly instant, as the chef in the back was cooking most things to order. There was a vat of curry sitting in a heated tray in front, but I wasn't too interested. 

Total damage:  approximately $5 + tax.

Baldwin Palace

Baldwin Palace (1 Baldwin Street, Toronto)
416-593-4788

This place offers cheap Chinese lunch meals near Chinatown.

Ma po tofu rice

Can't really complain. The portion is large, the price is student, and the food is decent enough. 

Would I return? Sure. It wasn't particularly busy during lunchtime on a weekday, and it's probably one of the cheaper options in the immediate vicinity.

Total damage: $5.50 + tax + tip. 

Ding Dong Pastries

Ding Dong Pastries (321 Spadina Avenue, Toronto)

416-640-2761

How can one resist going into a place called "Ding Dong"?

I had been craving some butter cookies with a chocolate button.

They weren't as nicely made as last time. The chocolate drizzles off to the side of many, and doesn't stay mainly in the centre. The box is different, possibly smaller. The chocolate part was more melty than before (perhaps because last time I had these, it was winter). The cookie part was also a bit softer than I remembered.

Downgrades aside, I'd still get them again. 

Total damage: 2 boxes for $5. 

P-Mall

Pacific Mall (4300 Steeles Avenue East, Toronto)

Curry fish balls from a random bubbletea shop.

Cheap and satisfying. They poured extra curry sauce in the cup, which was rather nice.

Total damage: $1.50 for 5 fish balls.

T&T Cheapo Dinner

T&T (1 Promenade Circle, Thornhill, Ontario)

Spicy scallop maki roll ($1.99) and marinated dish combo A ($2.99)

Nothing's cheaper than reduced food at T&T near closing time. The marinated tofu strips were a bit hard. The soy beans and peanuts tasted fine. The maki roll was actually spicy, and there was a lot of rice around them. I can't really complain though, seeing as how the total was less than $5 before taxes.

There's a small eating area with tables and chairs, which is pretty convenient. There's also a microwave and a hot water dispenser. 

I looked through the grocery store for my MSG loaded rice crackers, but they only had the wasabi flavoured ones available.

Damage: $4.98 + tax.

Goldsor

Goldsor (550 Highway 7 East, Richmond Hill, Ontario)
905-881-8392

Clam fusilli 

This would be selection 'O' on their afternoon tea (3 - 5 p.m.) special menu. It comes with a drink. It's pretty filling as a meal. The vegetables are of the frozen variety. The clams are present. It's nothing I wouldn't be able to make at home, but they make it for an affordable price. Chris summed it up as "pasta, clams, and tomato soup. And frozen vegetables." And that's pretty much all there is to it. 

Would I return? Well, I keep going back to this joint because it's cheap. And they're actually kind of nice there. 

Total damage: $12 for the pasta dish and a French toast. Each of those came with a (hot unless you want to add 50 cents) drink. 

Goldsor

Goldsor Restaurant (550 Highway 7 East, Richmond Hill, Ontario)
905-881-8392

Beef noodles

Vegetables are from frozen, but it's still pretty tasty. I like how the noodles are brown with flavour. 

Milk tea.

For the late night menu, most items include a drink. 

Mel's baked lobster and steak with fries.

The lobster is drenched in sauce, but Mel seemed to like it enough. 

Josie's spaghetti.

Would I return? Yes. This isn't my first time there, and that's because it's so cost efficient, I can't resist. Their late night menu is super cheap. I also like that they are open late. 

Hai Tang Cafe

Hai Tang Cafe (38 Buttonfield Road, Markham, Ontario)
905-477-8332

Beef brisket rice noodles in soup with a milk tea.

Pretty good, pretty cheap. 

Would I return? Yes. It's pretty good and pretty cheap. :)

Richmond Court

Richmond Court (328 Highway 7 East, Richmond Hill, Ontario)

905-886-7066

Beef with macaroni in soup.

That was an insane amount of beef that I was not expecting. I liked that the beef wasn't overcooked and weirdly chewy.

Plain fried rice noodle rolls with sweet and peanut sauces on the side.

Simple, yet delicious. 

Would I return? Yes. The food is cheap and filling, and it tastes good. I like this Richmond Court better than the one at Times Square Mall because it seems cleaner and a bit friendlier. It's also less crowded, but it closes earlier. 

Total damage: I don't remember... something affordably cheap. 

Goldsor Restaurant

Goldsor Restaurant (550 Highway 7 East, Richmond Hill, Ontario)
905-881-8392

Smoked salmon fettucini.

Iced milk tea.

Cheap afternoon tea specials. The vegetables are of the frozen variety, and the meat might be a bit sparse, but you pretty much get what you pay for. I thought the iced milk tea was pretty good.

Would I go back? Yes. How can I say no to that kind of cheapness?

Total damage: <$10 all inclusive.

Galleria

Galleria Supermarket (7171 Yonge Street, Thornhill, Ontario)
905-771-1474
Hours: 7:30 a.m. - midnight 365 days a year.

If you go late at night (I went around 8 or 9 p.m.), you can find loads of premade food on sale. It's pretty great if you're looking for a cheap, late dinner. 

I paid for these at the main cash registers, and asked if I could eat them at the tables at the back (in the food court type area). They put a "paid" sticker on the boxes and I was on my way. The cashier even gave us an extra set of chopsticks.

Unagi don.

The eel was a bit chewy and the rice was a bit hard.

Kimchi rice balls.

These were pretty exciting. They're slightly spicy, and there are chopped vegetables in them too. 

Red bean snack from the food stand just outside the grocery store.

It wasn't super hot this time, but it was still warm. They're still 3 for $2. 

Total damage: $5.39 for the two pre-packaged, boxed food. I also gave Renée $0.50 for one of her red bean fish-shaped snacks.

Richmond Court

Richmond Court (Times Square Mall)

It should be warned that this restaurant isn't the cleanest of its kind. If you have a large table that requires lots of cups of tea, a server might very well be sticking their fingers inside the cups filled with tea to bring them over. I'm pretty sure that's not standard health regulation procedure, but I think they favour efficiency.

Fried rice with salty fish and chicken pieces.

The salty fish is definitely salty. They like to mound the rice on a large plate. During this particular visit, we found a hair in the rice.

Rice noodle rolls

Decent. Average.

Would I return? Sadly, I probably would. It's cheap Chinese food that's available late at night. Good for midnight cravings. Not good if you want a nice dining experience. I think some of the servers have permanent stank face.

Total damage: I honestly can't remember, but I can assure you that it was cheap.

Leslie Cafe

Leslie Cafe (140 Ravel Road, Toronto, Ontario)
416-493-4933

Renée took me to this Hong Kong style Cafe near Leslie and Finch Avenue. It looked pretty new (and clean). 

My BBQ pork with noodles and bacon, eggs, and toast combo.

It comes with a hot drink, so I got milk tea.

Renée's meal.

I was expecting a little more meat on the noodles (maybe just one more piece), and for the meat to be more red in colour (and more flavourful) like at other places that I've eaten BBQ pork. Renée told me that homemade versions aren't as red, and I accepted that explanation. It's just not as good as the other places. 

In terms of quantity of food that is included in these combos, it's massive. I probably would've been fine without the extra plate of food. 

The place is nicely decorated and it had a really relaxed atmosphere. 

Would I return? Yeah, the price is right.

Total damage: approximately $5.

(I coincidentally found another blog where someone ordered the same thing I did. You can check out their thoughts here. I'm all about multiple perspectives.)