RESTAURANTS ~ Siddhartha 2.9 out of a rating of 5

Last evening we had dinner at Siddhartha on 647-A King Street West (King and Bathurst). I’ve always found this particular location a bit fascinating, as it seems to be Bermuda Triangle of locations at which a new restaurant turns up every year and then suddenly disappears. Over a year ago it was another Indian restaurant and after that it was a Giovanna’s pizza place. So a few months ago I watched with trepidation and hope as it become the Indian restaurant and buffet Siddhartha.

So last night we walked home through the blistering cold and into the cozy warmth of Siddhartha. It is very tastefully decorated with the typical Indian ornamentation: gauzy curtains from the ceilings, statues, pictures, muted lighting and calming Indian music in the background at volume levels conducive to eating and talking. The people working in the restaurant were very nice and friendly and most important – very attentive.

And now the food. First we checked out the buffet and then the menu. Of course with the buffet being at the very reasonable price of $10.99, was too hard to resist. Also, we were very hungry and cold and wanted something ASAP.

There was lots of choice at the buffet but strangely enough nothing was marked so we didn’t know what the different dishes were. We could tell one was cabbage, one was cauliflower and potatoes, one was mixed veggies but we weren’t sure if one of the meat dishes was lamb or beef or what specific Indian dish the chicken was. Was it chicken curry, butter chicken, chicken vindaloo? Who knows?

The food was good and hot. There was also small a desert buffet which included ice cream (vanilla and mango I think) gulab jamun (milk dumpling dipped in sugar syrup and rose water) and lots of fruit (grapes, cantaloupe etc.)

The problem with buffets is no one really knows when to stop eating. Probably everyone should stop after they’ve consumed the first full plate and their stomach is saying, ‘I’m quite full and satisfied. Thank you very much.’ But even the most logical person will still get up for 2nds and 3rds and desert. I didn’t get to that level fortunately at Siddhartha but I did get up for 2nds and a bit of desert which I should have skipped. But then that’s the lure of the buffet.

Overall, I would recommend Siddhartha. It’s good, inexpensive Indian food in a nice clean place with polite and attentive staff.

BOOKS - Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella (2001) 3.8 out of a rating of 5

The reason I read this book was because it is everywhere. I see people reading it on the subway, the streetcar and while they’re walking home. I see women in suits on Bay Street with it under their arms or sticking out of their briefcases. So I thought let me read it, cause I’m missing the boat or something.

Well I found this book a really great read most of the time. The writer does a good job of getting the reader into the main character Rebecca Bloomwood’s head so we can see why she does what she does. You find much humour in the main character's actions while still feeling compassion for her as her shopping addiction spirals out of control no matter how hard she tries. However, I did feel very let down near the end of the story as everything ends up being resolved a bit too easily. Not only does Rebecca save the day for a pair of older neighbours who been taken advantage of by a big bad insurance company but she also manages to get money to pay for her staggering debts and also find true love with a very rich and handsome man. (Isn’t this what we all want !!??) Okay, it can happen in the real world. But it was just little to convenient and easy for me. Even so – read the book. You’ll enjoy it even though I’ve spoilt the ending. Sorry. But it is my blog.

Hi,

All my friends call me Mon and I live in Toronto, right next to Teena, the blogger (is that the right term?) so that made me decide to give this a try.

So this is my first posting. I am doing it because I thought it was a very interesting way for my friends and family to see what I have been up to. I'll try my best to keep it updated.

- M