Lala Bistro
145 Roncesvalles Ave.
416-516-2577
Rating: ****
Hours of Operation: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day
Time In: 1:43 p.m.
Time Out: 2:49 p.m.
Low $: Apple Square $2.26
High $: Farmer’s Platter for Two $38.25
Roncesvalles is finally free of construction, so heading out to one of their many restaurants is a pleasure.
Polish food is a must in this neighbourhood, so we duck into Lala Bistro, which is a hub of excitement due to the FIFA semi-finals playing loudly on the big screens.
You might think that dishes such as cabbage rolls are too heavy for a day like today, but lucky for us, the food is surprisingly light.
Potato Pancakes ($7.75) are accompanied by fresh coleslaw and slightly sweet beet salad. The three pancakes are rich, crisp and huge — more the size of a steak than pancake. And Dumplings ($8.25) stuffed with meat (pork) are like dim-sum, but lighter. Smothered in sour cream and topped with crispy onions, they are as suitable in summer as in winter.
Maybe you’ve decided to eat salads all summer, but I think this is much more fun.
