Don’t wait for retirement to try Vintage Garden
VINTAGE GARDEN
K (out of 4) Address: 1038 McNicoll Ave. (at Victoria Park Ave.), 416-756-0304, facebook.com/VintageGardenDiningRoom/ Chef: Franky Yeung Hours: Wednesday to Monday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations: Yes Wheelchair access: Yes Price: Dinner for two with tea, tax and tip: $30 I had lunch the other day in a Chinese old folks home. It was not as expected. The restaurant, Vintage Garden, is open to the public. It sits in the bottom of a seniors life-lease building in Scarborough. Because the residents are aged 55 and up, the food is said to be lower in sodium, sugar and oil. There is no alcohol.
“It’s supposed to be healthy,” says one diner I approach, a grandmother of four.
Unlike the nursing home cafeterias I’ve been in, Vintage Garden feels like a regular restaurant — just with Wheel-Trans out front.
The vibe
Getting to Vintage Garden takes some doing. My colleague Tony Wong, who recommends the place to me, warns it’s “nearly impossible to find.”
True, the restaurant hides in plain sight on the ground floor of a red-brick tower, the door opening onto a well-tended lawn. An understated sign says simply “dining room.” Do they even want nonresidents? I wonder.
“It’s for everybody,” the manager reassures.
Once inside the clean, unfussy space, I feel welcome. Diners chat over huge bowls of noodles. They make retirement look good with their stylish eyeglasses and souvenir jazz festival T-shirts.
Chiu Chow
The menu, by chef Franky Yeung, specializes in the cuisine of the Chaozhou (Chiu Chow) region of Guangdong.
There are a few provisos. Payment is cash only. All set menus incur a 10-percent service charge (applied elsewhere only for large groups).
You will also be charged 25 or 40 cents for takeout containers, depending on size.
Set menu
The set menu I order certainly yields leftovers. Dinner for four ($66.88) starts with a clear soup built around glassy fish maw, soft tofu and firm shrimp. One of my guests, a former Hong Kong resident, praises the subtle flavour.
The rest of the meal soon covers the table. There is a cold appetizer of juicy duck interlaced with fried tofu. A whole steamed tilapia is showered in preserved mustard greens. Chunks of dark chicken meat are stir-fried with tingly Szechuan peppercorns. Rice ($1.50 a bowl) is extra. Velvety red bean soup ends the meal.
Pleasant tangle
À la carte is another option at Vintage Garden. That’s what I choose my first visit.
Vermicelli with spicy eggplant and pork ($11.99) promise some bite.
Vinegar announces itself in the steam wafting upwards from the wavy plate. You don’t need glasses to see the chili flakes and sliced garlic.
The noodles are marvellous, thin and firm. The ground pork is fiery from ginger and chili. Pale purple eggplant batons soak up the essence of the sauce but not any oil.
The dish is simple but full-flavoured. If this is life after 55, bring it on. apataki@thestar.ca, @amypataki