Lunch time on the fourth floor has taken a turn for the delicious. Our little corner of the city has seen a slew of new restaurant openings. So, in the name of research, we decided to check them out and decide the hype for ourselves.
Banh Mi Boys – @banhmiboys
392 Queen St. W.
After a longer-than-expected renovation, Banh Mi Boys is finally open again. The shop, owned by the three Chau brothers, puts a modern spin on the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich. Banh mi offerings range from the traditional – grilled pork ($4.99) – to the innovative – duck confit ($7.49), crispy squid ($5.99). They also offer steamed buns (bao, $3.49), tacos ($3.99) and, our personal favourite, kimchi fries ($5.99; fries, kimchi, scallions, pulled pork, mayo, ZOMG). Deservedly, the place is super busy so be prepared for a bit of a wait. Also, we suggest doing take-out as we smelled pretty greasy after eating in.
The Big Fish
406 Queen St. W., open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday; 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sundays. 416.603.8102.
A few doors down from Banh Mi Boys is The Big Fish. As the name implies, their menu offers a great range of seafood items but they’ve also got lamb, beef and sausage burgers (all organic meat from Rowe Farms; from $8.85). During our visit we had fish on the brain, so tried out the basa (similar to catfish) grilled fish sandwich ($7.75) and the English-style haddock fish and chips ($9.50). The grilled fish was covered in a cornmeal and flour coating, which gave it a nice, unexpected crunch.
Beast’s Beastwich Take Away Lunch – @BeastRestaurant #Beastwich
96 Tecumseth St.
Beast is known for their delicious dinners and weekend brunch, but as of last Friday they’ve introduced a new take-away lunch called the Beastwich. Available each Friday from noon until they run out, Beast will offer a sandwich, side and dessert for $10. Each week’s sandwich will be based on a different theme and will come in a meat and vegetarian version. We checked out the inaugural #Beastwich last week, with their Jamaican theme. They offered a pulled Jerk chicken sandwich, with a delicious white bean side salad.