Restaurants
Okay Okay Diner
My favourite pancake has a home and it's at 1128 Queen Street East. Hot off the grill and topped with fresh whipped butter, the big fluffy wonders at Okay Okay Diner give any flapjack operation a serious run for their money.
With a side of maple syrup and infused with either bananas or blueberries, the pancakes are among the star attractions at this popular Leslieville hang-out which oozes character from its plush red banquets to retro TVs each tuned to a different (inaudible) channel.
Settling in for a late brunch on Sunday, we start off with some fresh orange juice ($2.50) and a bottomless cup of fair trade Sumatran coffee. The coffee is strong, deeply aromatic and delicious and by the third refill we're re-thinking plans for a post-meal top up at Tango Palace down the street.
The menu features brunch only on weekends but a range of more typical diner fare (onion rings, sandwiches) during the week. For this meal I'm feeling like a bit of a mix and mash and order a series of sides including hash browns, a blueberry pancake and two poached eggs ($1 each).
The aforementioned pancakes are amazing - thick and fluffy with a melt in your mouth consistency. The eggs perfectly poached. The only disappointment are the hash browns. For some reason, the kitchen opts for what looks like the frozen patties one would find in the freezer aisle of No Frills. It's an odd choice considering that home made hash browns are what most diners (and brunch spots in general) do so well.
Across the table, the Eggs Brunhilde are also a big hit. Poached eggs, asparagus, and smoked salmon on hash brown patties, topped with a homemade horseradish Hollandaise sauce and served with a slice of watermelon. The eggs are perfectly cooked, the aparagus thick and fresh, and the sauce infused with a subtle yet distinct horseradish twist.
The only request for next time would be to substitute the hash browns for a thick piece of toast which would be a better option to soak up the yolk.
Photos by me and Jerrold
Discussion
30 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
Great service, great food, great prices! When you go here, you feel right at home!
Having said that, I'm eager to try out Okay Okay!
I will be reading it often so that I can get your feedback.
p.s. WE LOVE ARE NEW AREA ,THE PEOPLE HERE ARE FANTASTIC THANK YOU GUYS !
newspapers) when Tony's was snapped up) and turned into okay okay.
I agree that it's over priced, for what should be basic food at times. But I'm happy that it wasn't gutted but was left as a diner. Other diners in the area have been leveled and turned into chi chi dining spots. There used to be a slew of these from Broadview and into the beaches, probably the largest that were left in Toronto, where a regular man on the street went to get a cheap meal. The diners stuck around due to the depression of the are for most of late 70's, 80's and 90's.
For the man/woman on the street (poorer people in the area), restaurants like these takes basic foods and tack a few dollars to the price by adding a few fancy ingredients, that's where the "pretentious" comes in. But it seems that's how food is being marketed theses days.
Poorer people in the area are already complaining because most of the restaurants that have open up or are opening up are catering to upper scale professionals...and many from out of the area.
There is no substitute for QUALITY, Many would have crawled over broken glass to have brunch at OKOK, now it's more of a take it or leave it place - much to my disappointment! please make improvements....
I recommend the French Toast, it's the best I've ever eaten, the fruit with the cinnamon stuff on top mmmmmmmmm. And I also am an avid fan of a side of bacon with everything, even if it comes with Bacon. Jennifer smirks everytime, cause she knows it's coming :)
have you tried the pancakes at Bar One on queen west yet?
Mmmmmm... if pancakes are what you love, please do try. :)
I would say the the food is overpriced for the quality of service and flavour offered.
And pretentious, yes! For a place to charge that much for a sandwich yet can't be bothered getting a decent loaf of bread to make them with is just insulting. And it's not as if they weren't asked.
Looks like there may be new owners again now. Have to give them a try.