Weekly Lunch Pick
Manpuku
In the Village by the Grange, this friendly Japanese noodle and dumpling hot spot proves that food courts can outshine their surroundings. By Andrew Brudz
Manpuku's steaming niku udon soup has us re-thinking
food court fare
Image credit: Matthew Fox
The place: The year-old Manpuku, calling itself a “modern Japanese eatery” in the Village by the Grange, is a welcome addition to one of Toronto’s best food courts. Mercifully sectioned off from McDonald’s, Island Foods and other, lesser food booths, the split-level dining room is casual and reserved for Manpuku customers.
The crowd: On this rainy Friday afternoon, Manpuku is teeming with Asian OCAD students. Aside from a few AGO visitors, we’re the only gaijin in the steamy, bustling noodle bar.
The deal: The three-course lunch combo includes donburi (rice and meat) or udon soup, and, for an extra toonie, two of the following: miso soup, ramen chips, salad or takosen. The menu also offers a no-brainer, but original, feature that allows diners to add a top-up serving of noodles ($1.10) for any remaining broth.
The dish: Salad comes quickly and is refreshingly simple: crispy onions on a lightly dressed pile of greens. The hot bowl of niku udon ($6), which the menu unfairly describes as “basic” and “plain,” arrives loaded with chewy, perfectly cooked noodles and savoury shredded beef (though the provided bottle of spice is there for a reason). This is Japan’s answer to comfort food. Our server warns us that the takosen will take 15 minutes to prepare, but with the udon for distraction, we barely noticed the wait time. Takosen consists of pan-fried balls of dough and octopus (an izakaya favourite in Japan but a rarity in Toronto) served with shrimp crackers, forming crisp little sandwiches. They’re hot and gooey, served with a sweet daub of mayo and sprinklings of bonito flakes and seaweed.
The time: 33 minutes in the middle of the lunch rush.
The cost: $16.50 (including tax, tip and a small Asahi beer).
Manpuku, 105 McCaul St. (at Dundas St. W.), Unit 29-31, 416-979-6763, www.manpuku.ca.
1 Comments
Comment on this story
Neither Andrew Brudz nor Toronto Life necessarily agree with the comments posted here. Editors will not correct spelling or grammar. Toronto Life reserves the right to edit or delete comments entirely. Read our full policy
Some articles on this site require that you have a Torontolife.com account in order to comment, and this is one of them. If you do not have an account, you can register now.
When you're done eating your noodles at Manpuku, head over to Chinatown and track down a DVD of the recent Japanese movie UDON--preferably a LEGAL DVD, of course, best found at the oft-overlooked Wa Yi Trading Co. store--and truly fall in love with this Japanese "soul food" dish, and learn a thing or two about making it, for good measure.
April 29, 2009 | by CoolestMovies