Tuesday, February 16, 2010

M&B Yummy Vegetarian


www.mbyummy.com

- Christopher Tuckwood

Dining at an Ethiopian restaurant is always a fun experience and a bit of an adventure. Although they all offer the same basic dishes (and background music), each place has its own spin on East African cuisine and culture. M&B Yummy, located in the middle of hipsterville at 1263 Queen St. W., is no different in this respect, but offers a unique spin by being Toronto’s only entirely vegetarian (in fact, most of the dishes are vegan) Ethiopian restaurant and does so at reasonable prices to boot. Ethiopian food is usually known for being vegetarian-friendly anyway, but M&B let’s those among us who shun meat try normally off-limits dishes like “chicken” and “beef” tebs. Let’s take a journey through the M&B experience.

When one first enters the restaurant, they are welcomed by a mellow and subdued atmosphere conducive to conversation and socializing. The lights are dim and the music is low, being nothing special in itself since all Ethiopian restaurants seem to be playing the same soundtrack (though its entirely possible that my ear is just not yet sophisticated enough to appreciate the nuances). The décor at M&B isn’t as reflective of Ethiopian culture as you’ll find at a lot of other restaurants, but was instead an eclectic mix of knick-knacks including a three-foot statue of a stereotypical Italian chef reminiscent of Super Mario. Perhaps this is a reference to Mussolini’s brief colonial ambitions in Ethiopia?

Service was lax, especially considering that we were initally the only people in the restaurant. While our server had an average level of friendliness, questions about the food generally didn’t lead to any elaboration beyond a simple reading aloud of the menu. Had we been illiterate this would have been helpful, but not so much under the circumstances. Speaking of the menu, anyone wanting to have more choice of the authentic Ethiopian dishes would be well-advised to visit here for lunch since – once again, despite being the only people in the place – many items seemed to be sold out by dinner time.

Now, let’s move on to what everyone really cares about – the food! The offerings at M&B are generally just standard Ethiopian fare that can be found at about thirty other restaurants around Toronto. It’s the vegetarian and vegan options that really set it apart. The fake meat in the “beef” and “chicken” dishes was surprisingly tender and give the curious vegetarian a good idea of what they’ve been missing everywhere else. The modest price of $9 per person gets a shared combo platter with hearty portions of several different stews. A sidenote on the injera flatbread with which you’ll be eating: most restaurants offer an unlimited supply but M&B charges for extra helpings. The initial portion is generally sufficient, but the extra charge seems unnecessary. Overall, though, the main meal was quite tasty and filling.

While there were no issues with the main platter, the beginning and end of the meal left something to be desired. The appetizer options included some curiously non-Ethiopian foods such as slightly soggy spring rolls. No major complaints there, but it seems like if you’re going to offer something out of character for your type of restaurant, you should make a point of cooking it properly. Dessert included some interesting options including a vegan cheesecake. While this was surprisingly delicious to one who didn’t know what to expect and was more than a little sceptical, portion control and presentation literally left much to be desired as different patrons got significantly different sized and shaped pieces.

So, what’s the final verdict on M&B Yummy? Overall, the restaurant ranks slightly above average for its vegetarian combo platter but most of these dishes could be gotten at lots of other restaurants in more easily accessible areas. However, the fake meat dishes really set this little place apart and are definitely worth the trip out of the way for any curious vegetarians who want to see what they’ve been missing elsewhere. This place definitely isn’t a good choice for a first-time Ethiopian dining experience, but is worth the trip for anyone making the rounds on the East African culinary circuit and wanting something different at a reasonable price.

Ratings (out of 5 stars):

Service……… ***
Food……………… ****
Ambiance…… **
Overall……… ***