Cuban Lunch at Delux

This past weekend, I went to Toronto with my mum and sister to visit my other sister who lives there. Without giving too much away, let's just say we had an important task on hand. It involved shopping. And we needed fuel.  Somehow I'd heard about Delux on Ossington Street so we decided it to make it our pitstop for lunch on Saturday. I love the design of this place, beautifully simple and comforting place settings with a clear simple menu design.

It seems Edison bulbs are popping up everywhere in restaurant design these days and despite their ubiquity, I do enjoy them. The warm soft glow they give is wonderful. Someone told me that Edison's original design was quite environmentally friendly compared to the bulbs that followed later. So it's interesting that we are now looking back to older designs for both aesthetic and practical reasons.

Delux offers a Cuban Lunch featuring traditional Cuban Sandwiches and other Cuban inspired dishes. I opted for the Achiote and Lime Chicken Avocado Sandwich which was served on lovely thick bread.  I also had a very fresh and light jicama salad.

My mother chose the Empanada, which was really more of an open-faced galette style pastry. It was filled with chicken and chorizo and had a wheat flour pastry (as opposed to a corn style).  Despite the debate over the accuracy of the nomenclature, which ensued at our table, it was very delicious and yummy.

Dessert was one of the lovely highlights. We opted for traditional cuban coffee and donuts. The espresso coffee is served with sugar added and in thimble size paper cups.  I remember seeing this in Miami years ago so it brought back some memories for me.  The donuts were cake style vs yeast style, a gourmet Cuban version of the 'Tim-Bit' for the Canucks out there. The cream served alongside was drizzled with dulce de leche which made these irresistible and more-ish.

More than anything, I have to commend Delux for the warm welcome and service they provided. Despite having just one person to manage the entire front of house, she managed to serve us promptly and with a friendly and engaging attitude despite having her hands very much filled. One of the best experiences I've had in a restaurant in a long time.