Foodie utopia has gone to some new spots around the downtown core of Toronto – today I bring to you another excursion to the Baldwin Village – an excursion I took one afternoon for lunch, before my evening class I was attending for the summer. Charidise offers authentic Taiwanese cuisine. I’ve seen many of my classmates/friends make their visits here, and I was curious to try it for myself. I had actually passed by the restaurant one time when I was making a trip to Kuni Sushi Ya with my boyfriend a couple days before, and I had no clue it was so close!
And so with a nice afternoon to myself, a determined mind and a hungry stomach, I decided to take a walk from the University of Toronto campus to Baldwin Village and give Charidise a try for myself.
I recall some construction happening at the front of Charidise for renovations, but the place overall presented a nice modern feel and clean environment. They kept an updated theme, making good use of technology with monitors displaying beautifully lit menus and options for patrons. The serving is designed like a take-out restaurant – you would order up front and either have it to go or receive a buzzer where waiters will come and serve you at your table. Service overall was very kind, and took my lunch order swiftly and efficiently. I ordered Popcorn Chicken Rice for a grand total of roughly $14, and decided to dine in the establishment to see how serving takes place.
I waited for my meal for roughly 10 minutes, which wasn’t too bad of a waiting time considering the amount of people coming in to order take out, or waiting on their meals themselves. I liked the buzzer system because it allowed the waiters to find customers’ tables quickly and serve their food. My waiter came to my table, served the tray to me, and left – I was left with a beautiful display below.
Although the apple seemed a bit out of place on the tray, I thought it was a unique decoration to the presentation of my lunch. I did eat it, but I personally like apples without the skin, so I cannot really testify to my liking of the side.
From pictures I’ve seen online, I came into Charidise thinking that the portion size was going to be too small, however it was actually a decent sized meal! The popcorn chicken smelled phenomenal and I could tell it was fresh because it was steaming with heat and the entire aroma of the lunch was satisfying my sense of smell, as well as tugging on my hunger.
On the side, there was a succulent tasting sauce which I spread all over the chicken – this was very tasty. It had a sweet tasting type of taste – almost like sweet and sour sauce. Regardless, it added beautifully to lunch I was having.
I may have came here alone, but with the help of technology, I wasn’t too far from having good company while I ate with my phone and laptop in hand! It was a great and quick meal to have before my class, and it was definitely worth the price for the quality and quantity it provides. I was very happy to have gone to have a new post for foodie utopia, as well as catch up on some well-deserved solo time. Just me and my meal!
For more information on Charidise and what you could order, visit their website: https://www.charidise.com/
Plating – ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡
Ambiance – ♡ ♡ ♡
Taste – ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡
Service – ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡