Cravings

I was craving to see my grandson, Alex; He has been busy arranging his eastern jazz tour beginning this weekend. He also is excited about launching his new CD on Feb 12 at Trane on Bathurst at Dupont. Alex agreed to come with me to Mastermind to help me select some birthday presents. We were on north Yonge St and hadn’t any idea where to go for lunch. We asked at Mastermind for suggestions. We were advised to try Cravings right across the road. We had never heard of it.

We were immediately impressed with the décor. It is modern with clean lines and good taste. It looks fresh and inviting. We had no idea what to expect and were delighted to see it was an Asian restaurant with a lovely menu.

Alex opted for a daily Prix Fixe menu. I am embarrassed to say it was only $12.00. Alex enjoyed it all and we agreed this is the best value in town. He began with a bowl of Hot and Sour Soup. The second course was a plate of Califonia Rolls. Again delicious. Alex’s main course selection was a Curried Chicken in a Red Curry Sauce. Every course was nicely presented and thoroughly enjoyed. He had many options in each course.

I opted for the Udon Soup with Shrimp Tempura. A very large pottery bowl was filled with delicious soup, noodles and vegetables.($11.00) I loved every bit. I couldn’t even finish it but Alex is always willing to help me out. In addition I received a plate of Tempura. There were two shrimp and several vegetables in a crispy delicious tempura batter. I loved every bite and couldn’t believe our good luck. Throughout the lunch we were laughing at our past lunch experiences. We always seem to ‘fall into’ a new wonderful lunch experience. It is great fun to discover a new place that you really enjoy.

It is possible to enjoy a meal with several tapas selections. Shrimp Tempura (3) are deep fried and served with a dipping sauce.($7.00) Vegetable Tempura (6) offers a variety of squash, zucchini, sweet potato and taro.($6.00) Garlic Tiger Shrimp are served with an almond crust.($9.00) Ufo is a spicy tuna on fried sweet potatoes.($10.00) For a more substantial feed Shrimp Teriyaki ($18.00) or Salmon Teriyaki ($19.00) might be the right choice. Thai Green Curry can be ordered with vegetables ($10.00), chicken or beef ($11.00) or shrimp ($13.00) Thai Red Curry is also available with vegetables, chicken, beef or vegetables. All the curry dishes are less than $13.00.

The classic Pad Thai is a Thai style stir-fried rice noodles with chicken and shrimp in tamarind fish sauce topped with ground peanuts.($12.00) Shanghai Fried Noodles is based on wheat noodles with chicken and shrimp and stir fried with Chinese soya sauce.($12.00)

I loved watching the delicious looking plates being delivered to the various tables.

This is a great deal. We loved our food. The menu is extensive. The prices are beyond belief. If you have a craving for Asian food you might want to try Cravings.