Doro Dines: O’SOMAE
I am your very typical millennial: slightly overworked, usually juggling 1-2 side projects, and extremely fond of brunch. During my trip to Toronto in April 2022, I had the opportunity to try a new brunch spot in East Chinatown (Gerrard/ Broadview) with 3 amazing friends! We originally planned to go to Lady Marmalade but due to a 30 minute wait, we moseyed a few doors over instead and found ourselves at a new brunch spot, called O’SOMAE.
O’SOMAE is located at Gerrard St E and Broadview Ave, located in Toronto’s East Chinatown. Broadview is the closest TTC station (17 min walk or 7 min bus). They serve your typical western brunch fare with poutines, burgers, waffles, bennies, and traditional American breakfasts. They typical millennial can find avocado toast here as well. O’SOMAE also offers beautiful brunch picnic boxes (takeout only) that appeared to be all the rage during Toronto’s lockdowns last year.
As a group of 4, we have a tendency to order the same dish when we go to brunch… when we were in Vancouver, we all ordered the bo ne from The Lunch Lady. This time around, it was chicken and waffles for the table and a duck poutine to share. Allow me to walk you through it!
for me: chicken and waffles
As I was craving something savoury, I ordered the chicken and waffles. The waffle was the star of the show: it was not too sweet, not too salty, and cooled down prior to serving (a technique I’ve learned and come to appreciate from the many bubble waffles I would eat during my trips to Hong Kong) so it didn’t become soggy on the plate. Can you tell that I have an immense dislike for soggy food? It infuriates me. Truly.
Chicken and waffles at O’SOMAE: boneless chicken leg and thigh, Belgian waffle, blueberry chutney, maple syrup, served with cajun home fries, house salad, and fresh daily fruit
Drink menu and bar at O’SOMAE
The chicken itself was lightly battered but as it was all chicken thigh, I found that it contained far too much fat. 9/10 times, I am team chicken thigh, but this was just too much. The chicken and waffles were served with syrup and a blueberry puree (they describe it as a chutney but I found that to be a stretch), which complemented the savoury components of the dish. The side salad and fruit were perfect in balancing the heaviness of the overall dish.
Rating: 3.75/5 (3.5 tbh but that perfect waffle deserves an extra quarter point)
Duck poutine at O’SOMAE: pulled duck confit, caramelized pears, sriracha mayo, hollandaise, served on hand-cut Yukon fries
Brunch at O’SOMAE: chicken and waffles and duck poutine
for the table: duck poutine
We also ordered the duck poutine to share. The duck itself was slow cooked and shredded - it was good, but after strolling along Broadview and East Chinatown, my craving for roasted duck amplified. I wish they had used sliced roasted duck instead, as it would have been a great way to pay homage to the community. A poached egg on top would have added some extra colour and creaminess, and made the dish feel more “brunchy”. I found the hollandaise quite disappointing as it was barely there. The shoestring fries were a crispy delight, but sogged up very quickly in a poutine - I feel like a potato wedge or thicker fry would have done this dish justice. However, the pear was exquisite and provided some much needed textural contrast to an otherwise soggy dish. Overall, the poutine components were quite promising but missed the mark this time around when it came to the overall cohesion of the dish.
Rating: 3.5/5 (components were there, execution could have been improved upon to really bring the dish together)
a sweet sip: orange juice
Orange juice. I love orange juice. This tasted like Sunny D, which was nostalgic, but didn’t fit the ambiance and mood of the place. I would have loved some freshly squeezed juice, but at $3 (and knowing how many oranges it takes to squeeze SO LITTLE JUICE), I really shouldn’t complain.
Rating: 3/5 (can I really rate store-bought OJ? Apparently I can.)
overall thoughts
PN, DL, ML, and myself! D, M, and I met through a work project in Mar 2020 and D and P are engaged! We make an effort to hang out whenever we are in each other’s cities and I am so grateful to have them in my life.
Overall, I loved the casual, laidback vibe of O’SOMAE. Many of the staff were Pan-Asian and it provided me with a sense of comfort and familiarity. I also found it inspiring as an aspiring entrepreneur: I’ve joked about leaving my corporate job one day to open a pilates and brunch restaurant, but feel a lot of pressure as a second-gen immigrant to “pursue the safer path” (aka a white collar job) as this was the narrative that I heard growing up.
There were some visible service hiccups that come with any newer restaurant: we were brought the wrong drinks (they were meant for the table across from us) and our food was almost brought to the wrong table (the servers scurried past us with 4 plates of chicken and waffles and then did a 180 back to our table). I do want to note that the latter is something that the average diner likely wouldn’t notice, but as an avid people watcher + foodie (and general observant human), these things don’t go unnoticed during my dining experiences!
The plateware and cupware were just gorgeous - I’m a sucker for soft, pastel pottery. Drinks were also served with cork coasters to prevent water rings/ spill marks! If any of you have been over to my place, you’ll know that I’m a complete stickler for coasters because water rings just drive me up the roof. I appreciated that touch. Using coasters also ensures that their wooden tables will stand the test of time!
For a brunch restaurant ironing out its kinks, O’SOMAE is very promising. As it stands, I’d give it a solid 3.75/5, but I feel like it’ll only go uphill from this point on and can’t wait to go back the next time I’m in town!
What I ordered:
Chicken and waffles: boneless chicken leg and thigh, Belgian waffle, blueberry chutney, maple syrup, served with cajun home fries, house salad, and fresh daily fruit ($20)
Duck poutine: pulled duck confit, caramelized pears, sriracha mayo, hollandaise, served on hand-cut Yukon fries ($14)
Orange juice ($3)
