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Introducing: Salad King, the Yonge and Dundas cheap eats stalwart reborn

Salad’s new kitchen and dining room (Image: Renée Suen)

It’s been 10 long months since its kitchen last sent out an order, but judging from the reaction over Salad King’s soft opening this past weekend, there’s no question about who reigns over the corner of Yonge and Dundas. The mainstay of cheap eats might have been shut down on the eve of its 20th anniversary (following a building collapse), but after battling through a tricky renovation in a new space, the King is back, with even shinier new digs.

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The Dish

Opening

February 7, 2011 | 4:15 pm

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Salad King confirms grand reopening date (for real this time)

Salad King’s now-destroyed old digs (Image: Shuichi Aizawa)

We’ve just received the news that Salad King will be ready to serve its first bowl of golden curry on Tuesday, February 22, with the official grand reopening to follow on March 16. Ernest Liu, owner of the venerable cheap eats temple, confirmed that Toronto Hydro started its long-delayed work this morning (initial reports had the opening date pegged as February 12). Liu is hopeful that the job, required for the new high volume kitchen’s power draw, will be complete by the end of the week. Construction on the dining room is already in its final phases.

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The Dish

Opening

January 11, 2011 | 4:10 pm

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A peek inside the construction of Salad King’s new digs

More than 40 banquette seats will flank Yonge Street in Salad King's new space (Image: Renée Suen)

Just days after a six-alarm blaze tore through the remains of Salad King’s old Gould Street home, we visit the restaurant’s new site, located across the street in the historic Thornton-Smith Building, directly above Foot Locker. Although the grand reopening of the Ryerson cheap eats staple is still weeks away, this is a taste of what to expect from the new 4,600-square-foot space, designed by Munge Leung—the same team responsible for the old location’s signature stainless steel decor. Some highlights: a bigger, faster kitchen, unisex washrooms and new booths in addition to the old Salad King’s communal tables. Click here to see the construction pictures »

: Able-bodied patrons can access the second-floor restaurant via a wide stairwell at the end of a long hallway, while an elevator (right) is being installed for diners with disabilities.

: A hostess stand will greet patrons as they reach the second floor. Takeout orders can be placed at the station to the left.

: Salad King’s partition plan shows the large dining room with an area sectioned off for booths (centre right), the kitchen (left), and a number of individual unisex toilets (lower left).

: More than 40 banquette seats will flank Yonge Street, and an enclosed structure will feature booths for 32 people. Salad King’s signature cafeteria-style seats will be at the heart of the restaurant, with room for 88 diners.

: Unlike at the old Salad King, the kitchen is now on the same level as the dining room. To the left are the unisex washrooms; to the right, the takeout counter and bar, complete with a cozy nook for those waiting for their take-away orders of golden curry.

: The new location is equipped to serve at a capacity 20 per cent greater than the already impressive volume for which the original Salad King was famous.

: Eight unisex washroom stalls will end the male-female lineup disparity.

: Looking on from the new Salad King as heavy machinery tears down its old Gould Street home.

Chili heads itching for up-to-the-minute reports on the renovation can follow Salad King’s Twitter feed (@SaladKingTO), which is maintained by the folks at Munge Leung Device 222.

The Dish

Weekly Lunch Pick

November 1, 2010 | 8:07 am

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Weekly Lunch Pick: the $7 stew at Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu

Kimchee, tofu stew, rice and soup at Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu (Image: Renée Suen)

What this little Korean institution lacks in decor it more than makes up for with its namesake specialty, served as part of a set menu ($7–$9). We’re greeted with a cup of barley tea and complimentary dishes of kimchee, simmered soybeans and blanched bean sprouts. Soon, a bubbling cauldron of kimchee-tofu stew peppered with bits of pork and beef arrives with a small egg that we crack into the spicy broth. While the egg poaches, a server ladles black Japonica rice from a hot stone pot into a cool dish, then fills the empty pot with water for the meal’s second course: burnt rice soup. The tofu stew is a filling and fiery affair, and the soup acts as a hearty digestif.

The time: Everything arrives within 10 minutes, but it takes 28 more to finish the ample food on the table.

The cost: $10, including tax and a $2 tip.

Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu, 691 Bloor St. W. (at Manning Ave.), 416-537-0972.

The Dish

Neighbourhoods

July 29, 2010 | 5:00 am

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The Dundas West Guide: our 21 favourite places between Ossington and Lansdowne

The strip of Dundas West between Ossington and Lansdowne has not been immune to the wild gentrification going on directly south of it. New restaurants, stores and bars have been cropping up for the past couple of years (Red Canoe, a swank Canadiana shop, opened two weeks ago), but there is a hesitation in the ’hood to turn Little Portugal and Brockton Village into the next Ossington. Incoming business owners make a point of blending in with the long-standing family-owned bakeries, soccer bars and pho stops. Even in new establishments, the decor has a thrift shop feel, and the prices cater to locals rather than destination diners. From east to west, here are our 21 favourite Dundas West spots for cheap eats, good music and authentic Portuguese cuisine. By Karon Liu. Photos by Jenna Marie Wakani.

The Dish

Where to Eat Near...

June 22, 2009 | 2:45 pm

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Where to eat during Pride 2009

The Gay Village is buzzing as it gets ready for Pride’s climax this weekend. As any yearly attendee knows, Church Street’s focus during the last weekend of June is on fun and drinking—not dining. For Torontonians and tourists looking for great food and respite from the crowds, here are our picks for where to eat during Pride 2009.

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The Dish

Weekly Lunch Pick

May 13, 2009 | 10:25 am

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Toronto Life’s Weekly Lunch Pick

(Photo by Catherine Hayday)

Our intrepid foodie locates an amazing taco-and-salad combo in the west end—a steal at $11.

Find out where>>

The Dish

From the Print Edition

May 12, 2009 | 11:48 am

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Best meals under $25

Image credit: Jack Dylan

The new order in Toronto restaurants is high-quality deliciousness at a reasonable price. These classy dishes prove that even on a budget, we can have our cake and eat it, too.

Where to get the best bang for your buck>>

The Dish

Deathwatch

May 1, 2009 | 1:12 pm

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Cluck, Grunt and Low silenced: The carnivore’s paradise closes rather abruptly

Quiet, you: Cluck, Grunt and Low gets its plug, not its pork, pulled (Photo by LexnGer)

Quiet, you: Cluck, Grunt and Low gets its plug, not its pork, pulled (Photo by Alexa Clark of CheapEatsToronto.com)

The meat lovers among us were surprised and saddened by today’s unexpected news: Cluck, Grunt and Low—the Annex’s go-to ribs palace—will be shuttering for good tonight. Morale at the barbecue pit has been low since Monday, when the staff was notified that the restaurant was closing; but they were not told by either owner Wesley Thuro or the general manager. “I think the owners no longer want to play,” says a frustrated and shocked server who declined to give a name. “Given the way the economy is, April was going quite good. In fact, we were making back the money that we didn’t make during the winter months, when business tends to be slower.”

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The Dish

Weekly Lunch Pick

April 30, 2009 | 9:49 am

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Our latest selection for an amazing lunch

Top it up: Manpuku offers noodle refills

Top it up: This week's pick offers noodle refills

We add to our list of Toronto’s best lunch deals after heading into the wilds of the food court.

The find? A Japanese noodle house that puts its surroundings to shame—and does it for about $15.

• See this week’s pick>
• See all our weekly lunch picks>>

The Dish

From the Print Edition

March 27, 2009 | 9:24 am

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WHERE TO EAT NOW: Toronto’s top 10 restaurants, top new restaurants, and much, much more

Pan-friedn chop from this year's number one restaurant (Photo by Christopher Stevenson)

Pan-fried pork chop from this year's number one restaurant (Photo by Christopher Stevenson)

James Chatto’s eagerly awaited annual ranking of the city’s best restaurants is now on-line. Find it as part of our “Where to Eat Now” package:

• Top Ten Restaurants 2009

• Top Ten New Restaurants 2009

• Best Bang For Your Buck

• Best Banquet Burgers

• Best Brunch 2009

• Best Burritos 2009

• Best Cheap Eats

• Best Cheap Eats Under $10

• Best Desserts 2009

• Best Group Dining 2009

• Best Neo Indian

• Best of the Suburbs 2009

• Best Vegetarian 2009

• Best Wine Lists 2009

The Dish

The Downturn

February 20, 2009 | 11:53 am

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A dole of his own: Mystic Muffin offers its own stimulus package

Elias Makhoul stimulates as he pontificates (Photo by Chloe Ellingson)

We didn’t think it was possible, but Mystic Muffin just got a little quirkier. Now, in addition to doling out his famed apple cake, falafel and political opinions (muffins take a back seat), owner Elias Makhoul is giving us extra reasons to adore his Jarvis and Richmond eatery: he’s picking up the tab. Makhoul is responding to dismal sales by implementing two policies for regulars who are out of work:

1. The Stimulus Package: free meals if you’re unemployed, or free apple cake if you bring your lunch from home.

2. Recession Readiness Course: free cooking classes for those who can no longer afford to eat out.

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