One of my favourite new patios is Not My Dog. At first glance, Not My Dog appears to be another cozy bar in the heart of Parkdale with art on the walls, small wooden tables and live music some nights of the week. But when the snow melted a few months back, there was a bit of a revelation. Decending the stairs past the bathrooms and through another set of doors reveals a great little patio; and one of the best places in the city to grab a pint of Stella and a tasty bowl of chicken curry.

And that's just what we did earlier this week. The menu at Not My Dog is quite surprising. Influenced by asian flavours, the chef serves up snackable items like samosa, edamane and wasabi potatoes as well as hearty mains such as Miso Neau (warmed eggplant with sesame and miso dressing) and Kyoto Gumbo (vegetables and rice noodles). Nothing on the menu is more than $8.

Heavily recommended is the chicken curry. The curry has enough of a kick to be flavourful and exciting at the same time. For those who might find it a tad piquante, it's served with a side of yogourt which can be used to tame the flames. The helping is big enough to be filling and satisfying but didn't leave me bloated like some curries tend to do.