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Danforth condo development sparks controversy—but this time the building’s height isn’t the problem (hint: there’s arson involved)

The alleged arsonists of a Danforth store and the new condo developers are one and the same (Image: Harsha K R)

If you follow Toronto’s real estate beat, you’re probably familiar with the basic life cycle of condo development in the city, so please excuse us if we’re a little unfair to all sides for brevity’s sake. First, a developer proposes constructing something higher than a two-storey home. Then, the community objects to the preposterous height and the city intervenes, proposing a settlement that makes exactly nobody happy. The developer responds by going to the Ontario Municipal Board, which, in turn, gives that same developer everything it wanted in the first place. And—voila—a new condo is born. Given that twisted process, we think it’s safe to say the city’s relationship with tall buildings is pretty darn dysfunctional. But for once there’s a condo tower set to go up that blows all that out of the water. Unfortunately, not exactly in a good way.

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The Dish

Opening

February 23, 2011 | 10:32 am

6 Comments

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 Informer

March of Crimes

February 8, 2011 | 12:06 pm

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Toronto Police issue least-breaking news ever: Empress Hotel fire was arson

The police investigate the first and Yonge and Gould Streets (Image: Danielle Scott)

When the Empress Hotel—better known to most Ryerson students as “the old Salad King building”—burned down last month, the circumstances were sketchy enough that we suspected that some kind of shenanigans were to blame. And, according to the Toronto Police, we were right. Yay us.

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The Dish

Opening

February 7, 2011 | 4:15 pm

9 Comments

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

De-licious

January 26, 2011 | 5:08 pm

1 Comment

Alternalicious: a roundup of this year’s Winterlicious rebels

Few subjects are as divisive among Toronto diners and industry people as the merits of Summer- and Winterlicious. While the biannual culinary event may help restaurants fill empty tables during an otherwise slow season, as we’ve explored before, participation in the city-run festival can have its limitations (dining rooms filled with stingy tippers, owners bound by the city’s rules). As in previous years, a number of restaurants have decided to strike out on their own with prix fixe specials.

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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 Informer

Cityscape

January 3, 2011 | 1:17 pm

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Salad King’s famously neglected former home burns down in totally not-suspicious 4 a.m. fire

The Empress Hotel last April, after the collapse of its wall (Image: Matthew Fox)

When the front fell off of the Empress Hotel building—or what Ryerson students called Salad King—back in April 2010, a lot of questions started being asked about the owners, and whether they’d properly maintained the building or had been engaged in what preservationists call “demolition by neglect.” Questions got sharper when the owners, the Lalani Group, applied to demolish the structure rather than rebuild it as the city demanded. And this morning we learned that the Empress Hotel is now a burnt-down wreck after firefighters were called to a blaze early this morning. Curiouser and curiouser.

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The Dish

Restauran-TO

November 26, 2010 | 3:46 pm

1 Comment

Salad King coronation pushed back to January; Ryerson students still hungry

Crumbling empire: Salad King's old location on Gould Street suffers from partial wallessness (Image: Matthew Fox)

Hungry Ryerson students are going to have to suffer through yet another exam period without the aid of cheap yet nourishing Thai. Salad King, that improbably tasty staple of downtown cheap eats, won’t be reopening until at least the end of January 2011, according to a thorough report by the intrepid SK watchers at Torontoist. It seems owner Ernest Liu had underestimated the amount of time it would take to convert the sports bar above the Foot Locker across the street into a new palace of stainless steel and satay.

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The Dish

Opening

August 25, 2010 | 4:13 pm

4 Comments

Salad King restored to throne; Ryerson students look forward to eating again

Crumbled kingdom: the Salad King's former home (Image: Matthew Fox)

Put down the fried butter, because this is the greatest food news we’ve received all week. Salad King, the cheap Thai restaurant that has been feeding downtowners for nearly two decades, is planning to reopen in December—just in time for Ryerson students to start cramming for exams.

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The Dish

Deathwatch

April 16, 2010 | 5:12 pm

3 Comments

The curse of 335 Yonge Street continues: wall collapses at Tatami Sushi

The corner of Yonge and Gould has to be the worst place in the city to set up shop. This afternoon, the brick wall above the relatively new Tatami Sushi restaurant collapsed, and now the entire area is closed off. Photos of the debris are already flooding the Internet, thanks to the fact that Ryerson University is right there. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt.

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The Dish

From the Print Edition

February 12, 2010 | 10:59 am

13 Comments

Toronto’s best Thai dishes

Happily, Thai spots are starting to serve Thai food the way it’s meant to be (not sickly sweet). Here, the city’s most authentic dishes.

Red curry with lychees from Mengrai Gourmet Thai (Photo by Daniel Shipp)

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The Dish

Opening

October 20, 2009 | 1:39 pm

12 Comments

Toronto the Guu’d: Vancouver’s popular izakaya chain lands on Church Street in December

My friend Guu's got a new debut: Osdas is overseeing the opening of the restaurant's first Toronto location (Photo by Renée Suen)

My friend Guu's got a new debut: Masaru Ogasawara is overseeing the Toronto opening (Photo by Renée Suen)

“Patience is a virtue” is an axiom that Toronto fans of izakaya have been repeating to themselves since we first reported that Guu, the west coast’s popular Japanese restaurant, would be coming to town in 2009. Recently, we met up with Masaru Ogasawara, the chef at one of the Vancouver locations (Guu in Gastown), who gave us the lowdown on the opening date (early December), the cause of the delay (the municipal strike) and the location (398 Church Street, near Carlton).

Right away, he tells us that Guu’s new home will be in a strip mall close to the Ryerson campus. The middling Sushi Plaza restaurant that once occupied the space has been gutted, leaving barren walls and ceilings, and kitchen equipment shoved into one corner. The 76-seat Guu will fill the space with long communal tables—think Salad King, but with more wood than chrome—designed by Bennett Lo, veteran of Spring Rolls. Come summertime, 20 more seats will be added on a patio.

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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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