Restaurants
Sweet Lulu
As the prevalence of "NO SUBSTITUTIONS!" clauses on menus grow, it's getting harder to customize your dish in this town. Now, while I can hardly blame the eateries for wanting to cut back on stress for their chefs, not being able to add or leave things out can really cut down on your dining options.
Sweet Lulu (859 Queen St W) appears to not only understand this dilemma, but actually embrace the notion of letting diners pick and choose. Their 5-step menu makes for countless combinations of noodle or rice bowls just as you like 'em.
Stopping in for dinner last night with a friend, we order up:
Dish A -
1) steamed jasmine rice +
2) green curry +
3 (curry means skip to #4) +
4) vegetarian
5) -
Dish B -
1) wheat noodles +
2) thai +
3) shredded ginger + lemongrass +
4) chicken breast w/ vegetables +
5) cashews
Both dishes were made fresh while we waited and arrived steaming and delicious. "Dish A" was technically wrong in that it had rice stick noodles instead of rice and tofu with veggies instead of vegeterian, but i didn't even complain 'cause it was just really good.
"Dish B" was right on. The only complalint would be that it was a bit oily. Still, the spicy goodness didn't last long in the bowl.
A bonus with choosing the green curry was that there was so much curry milk left over that we took it to go and had a great sauce for today's lunch.
Oh, and lastly, before we left, another group of people sat down and started raving about the "rice ribbon" noodle option.. apparently we "missed out" big time, so we'll have to stop in again to try that out with a whole new combination.
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Sweet Lulu - 859 Queen St W
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my cousin and i went there on Saturday Feb 12 during the West Queen West even that was happening and having eaten there already, I told him that it was a good place to eat with decent pricing. We went in and there was a girl in the kitchen who told us to sit anywhere we want. There were seats free close to the cash area but there was a jacket hanging off one of the chairs. We asked if anyone was sitting here and she told us very nicely I would point out, that the jacket belongs to the server but that he can move it. So we sat down...
We waited for about 2 mins which is not a big deal and then the server rudely told us, while putting the menus on another table, that he was going to move us there, which was close to a couple who was already sitting there. I told him that the girl in the kitchen told us we could sit here. He replied rudely, "oh...well ok then" leaving the menus on the table he wanted us to sit at. He turned his back on us and I asked, " would you like us to move there?" and he answered, "well, if the girl told you that you can sit there, then its fine!" My cousin picked up the menus from the other table and we started to look at it when we realized that we didn't want to eat there. He continue to be very nice to the couple that he wanted us to sit beside so I told my cousin that I want to leave. We packed up our stuff and left.
I called on Monday Feb 14 to complain and it sounded like the "manager" was also the server who was working on Feb 12. I told him what happened and that if it was YOU who was doing that, it was a turn off and that it was unacceptable. Even though he apologized, you could tell he was faking it. He also said that he was going to see what he can do about it which of course you know it means, nothing!
I have NEVER, EVER experience such rude service at ANY restaurant in Toronto let alone walk out! My cousin and I are those types of people who aren't very rude or impatient in ANY way so for us to get up and walk out, really meant that we were really turned off. We would NEVER go back there NOR recommend ANYONE to go.
This is not fine dining folks, nor a place to go on a first-date, that's for sure. But for quick, tasty, functional eating, this is a great little place.
My only complaint is that it's a bit overpriced. It's about $13 a bowl including tax + tip, and I'd prefer something closer to $10.