Last Saturday, I visited a food court in a condominium building near Yonge Street, just south of Sheppard Avenue West. I was here to visit Nanashake before the store closed down for the season.
After getting what I had wanted there, I needed to fetch some lunch. Hey, I'm in a food court. Perfect!
I wandered around, looking at all the eateries. Most were northern Chinese cuisine. I was looking for dumplings, but nothing grabbed my attention. What did scream at me was Allwyn's Bakery. Hey, I haven't had Caribbean food in ages. Sold!
The funny thing is that it's right next to Nanashake. I went into the opposite direction around the food court to get here.
I have flagged visiting Allwyn's Bakery for a while. There are locations across the GTA. I just happened to be in the right place on a Saturday afternoon.
When it comes to Caribbean food, most folks go with jerk chicken. I'm different. My go-to favourite is oxtail. It's weird because I tend to order all things chicken, but it's oxtail here.
The woman behind the counter was nice. I ordered the oxtail with peas and rice. She asked me whether I wanted the regular or large styrofoam container. Considering how much I love oxtail, I went large.
The woman kept confirming and reconfirming. I am a pretty patient person, but I can see that habit to annoy people who are in a hurry. She asked whether I wanted the coleslaw with the rest of my food or on the side. I went with the latter.
As I was waiting for my food, I spotted beef and chicken patties. When she came back, I asked if I could get a dozen of chicken patties. I went with mild spiciness, just to be on the safe side. She ended up giving me beef patties. I was good with either, frankly.
I paid using a debit card. Only cash and debit cards are accepted. I tapped and all went well. You can grab paper towel and plastic cutlery on the counter.
A male staff member came over and packed my box of patties with my meal. I thanked them both and happily carried my food to my car.
While driving off to my next errand, the yummy oxtail aroma filled my car up. I was so happy. Why can't some perfume company capture that scent. I'd so wear it.
Highway 401 was super congested. I exited at the next ramp and did the scenic route instead. As usual, it was busy on the street.
I decided to crack open the small container of coleslaw while stuck in traffic. It made me so happy having a light bite. The coleslaw was one of the best that I've had. It was creamy, crunchy, and tangy. I enjoyed it so much that I was pretty sad when I was done. It certainly made my drive more cheerful. I should get a tub next time.
After completing my errand, I sat in my car and ate my oxtail meal, as I was hungry. It was so good. I was one happy oxtail fan. It was flavourful, meaty, and yummy. The beef melted in my mouth. The peas and rice were done perfectly. Rice can put a damper on a meal if it's not yummy. It was odd that this thought came into my mind when I was driving.
I absolutely loved the oxtail. I can't wait to return and get some more.
I was thrilled getting a dozen beef patties. I haven't had one in ages, too. It's like eating the centre of a beef patty all the time with every bite. I'm not the type that likes a ton of crimped crust. These ones suit my needs. The only downside is that I felt like it needed more filling. You get a good amount, but it's so flavourful that I wanted more.
Perhaps I will try the jerk chicken when I return. However, the oxtail has my heart, so it won't happen for a while. It was a great find and I'm a fan.
Parking can be crazy in this area. Parking is available either on the street or at a couple of nearby parking lots. I got street parking (it's great brushing up on my parallel parking skills), which is $3 an hour on a Saturday. If you choose one of the parking lots, it's $4 an hour.
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