Where to eat in the 905?
A good friend of mine recently asked that…it's a tough question. I guess there are a few reasons why this is so…first Mississauga is mainly suburbia and most people who live here are content to stay at home during the week to cook at home then rushing off to send their kids off to after-school activities or watching the boob tube after a long day, long commute home. This unfortunately, doesn’t foster a thriving foodie community, at least I don’t think it does.
A good friend of mine recently asked that…it's a tough question. I guess there are a few reasons why this is so…first Mississauga is mainly suburbia and most people who live here are content to stay at home during the week to cook at home then rushing off to send their kids off to after-school activities or watching the boob tube after a long day, long commute home. This unfortunately, doesn’t foster a thriving foodie community, at least I don’t think it does.
That being said, given time
and effort one can find a few gems in far ranging cultures to satisfy your need
for good food while staying in the 905 area code. Here below I’ve compiled a shortlist
of a few of my fave places to go. These are in my opinion my choices for great
food, some cheap and secret some are legendary.
If you have others to suggest please do so for the benefit of my friend
and myself! If you disagree tell me why and who is better as I am always
looking for new choices.
This is by no means a
definitive guide to dinning in Mississauga, but I would confidently say that
this is a pretty darn good start for those who are adventurous and looking for
goodeats closer to home if you live in the 905. These are not comprehensive food reviews just my
recollections of past visits and advice. Look for future posts or the archives
for more comprehensive reviews of each location.
Enjoy!
French/Continental Fine Dining
Breakwater- Waterside Inn Hotel
Breakwater is the only restaurant
in Mississauga to have a 3.5 star rating from Toronto Life, the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator and a CAA 4 Diamond Award. But more importantly,
this is where I apprenticed my culinary before heading to London, United
Kingdom. The dining room is stunning, the food innovative and the service is
impeccable. Truly a unique and wonderful dining experience one that I would
reserve for special occasions. Port Credit is truly the jewel of Mississauga
and I would suggest a lovely walk about town before or after your meal which I
am sure will be memorable.
Why this place? This one is for
special occasions, the service is truly silver service and the food is lovely.
15 Stavebank Road South,
Mississauga, Ontario
www.watersideinn.ca/breakwater/
Glen Erin Inn 
I have on many
occasions visited the Inn and enjoyed a lovely meal. In particular, I have
enjoyed their lunch and brunch menus both of which I would recommend. The menu
ranges from continental to French influence; the wine list leans towards VQA
and is pretty adequate. Their tea
service is quaint and encompasses most traditional favourites. Very reminiscent
of the Old Mill, in style located in beautiful Saw Mill Valley area of
Mississauga.
Why this place? Great for business lunches, ladies of
leisure, tea service and breakfast brunch
1695 The Collegeway,
Mississauga, Ontario
Ten Restaurant 
Is one of two
restaurants in Mississauga, the other being West 50 Pour House & Grill that
are owned by a partnership that has been developing the restaurant scene in
Mississauga. I can be honest the results have been mixed, in my opinion it has
been a bit of the case of more style over substance so far…but I have been very
hopeful that this will change. Ten being my choice to enjoy for a wide variety
of wines and spirits with great finger food and a busy night life over the week
and especially on the weekends. There is a dress code, this is definitely a
stylish establishment and not my reco if you are looking forward to a quiet
night. The wine list is very strong and diverse with VQA, Australia and Italian
wines being showcased very well, they were awarded the Wine Spectator Award in
2012 for their selection. Here's a comprehensive review from a friend Stella a.k.a @Foodieyu on twitter and her amazing blog Food Junkie Chronicles
Why this place?
A great glass of wine, some nice bar/lounge food, a night out to party on the
weekend this is the spot
139 Lakeshore Rd. East,
Port Credit, ON
Asian/Sushi/AYCE
Prince Sushi
One of my faves
for AYCE sushi regardless if it is in the 905 or the 416. The sushi and the service has always been
consistently good. The restaurant is traditionally decorated with a modern
twist, the menu selections cover the gamut of sashimi, rolls to cooked
favourties. Reservations are taken with larger groups and I would highly
recommend that you do as seating is limited and this place does do brisk
business.
Why this place? Delish sashimi, sushi and other Japanese food
items, well worth the drive north of the 401.
90 Courtneypark Drive East
Unit #4,
Mississauga, ON
Thai by the Lake - Bamboo Legend
This truly
unique gem of a restaurant has been a fixture in Mississauga for as long as I
can remember. The Port Credit area has gone through a very serious and intense
revitalization, tourism increases every year and the Thai by the Lake has been
witness to all these changes and more. I
don’t have much to say except that if you like authentic Thai/Viet cuisine, you
must visit! It is truly that good! There are a few locations listed on their
website but I can only reco the Lakeshore location. Give them a try you will
not be disappointed, at last update I believe that the renovations have been
completed and I believe that there is a roof top patio…I will have to check
this out asap!
Why this
place? Great authentic Thai, great
people and friendly service, good food!
152 Lakeshore Blvd. East,
Mississauga, ON
Emerald Chinese Restaurant
Located near the
heart of Mississauga is Emerald Chinese Cusine, probably the most popular
Cantonese restaurant in the 905 area code.
I have been here on numerous occasions, well known specifically for
their Dim Sum and a very noisey dinning room and long line-ups this place is
not for the uninitiated. It can be quite
daunting to come late into Dim Sum service, however, if you are like me and
prefer to come early, enjoy a cup of jasmine tea, read the paper and wait for
the chefs to come in to open the full menu at 11am than yes, it can be very enjoyable.
Let me explain, the kitchen is open and will steam everything thing and
anything on the Dim Sum menu but if your cravings lean towards fried noodles
and the like…you will have to time your visit to grab a table just before the
full menu is opened. The Dim Sum is good, not excellent but most definitely
some of the best that you can get in Mississauga.
Why this place? Come early, be prepared for a busy dining
room but a wide selection of Dim Sum and average service but noticeably better
treatment if you become a regular.
30 Eglington Avenue West,
Mississauga, ON
The Food Court @ Dixie Park Mall
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| Photo Courtesy of www.insauga.com |
This is a secret gem that many who have lived in Mississauga for years do not know about. This is a small cluster of restaurants in an otherwise under-used plaza on Dixie Road south of Eglington. But, those who have ventured and discovered this small food court have loved it. The food tastes range from Korean, Japanese, Chinese vegetarian to Wonderful Cantonese cooking. Each stall vying for your business, making the quality of food surprisingly good. It is probably the busiest part of the mall especially on weekends. I have been visiting this location over the years and will actually drive from Etobicoke and have a meal from time to time. A must visit…please keep this place a secret between us as I would hate to have to fight for a table with you. Just kidding….
Why this place? The food is hot, good and cheap! Great for
lunch and dinner during the week when you can't be bothered to cook for yourself!
1550 South Gateway Road,
Mississauga, ON
Pho Mi Asia 
What can be said
about one of my favourite Vietnamese restos, hands down? Located in a strip
plaza off of Dundas near Dixie, it is very unassuming but has a large bright
dining room and when hockey season gets started the game is most certainly
on. The food is fantastic, hot and fresh
and rarely disappoints. I have several favourties from their #303 to the house
standard #201 which is lovely. Their
fresh pork and shrimp rolls are stunning, I often will visit to take out a
large order to bring home and enjoy after a day at work. Highly recommend this
place, it can be busy at times but is worth it.
Why this place? Soup and noodles are great, authentic and
lovely. Service is average to good. I often go for lunch as well as a later
dinner. One of Mississauga’s best for Pho…maybe in Toronto as well.
1248 Dundas St East,
Mississauga, ON
Semi Korean
& Japanese Restaurant - Food Stall 
This is most
definitely one of the top top top secrets in Mississauga as it relates to how
unlikely you would believe this place would provide great food. First this mall is for a lack of a better
word a dive. The good thing is that it has ample parking covered and direct
access via elevator. Forgetting that, you find the “food court” and I use the
term very loosely…Semi Korean food stall. It’s been reviewed you say…Toronto
Life you say…it’s had its share of accolades you say…interesting. Cheap too?
VERY interesting indeed! A lovely
husband and wife team have been cooking longtime favourites out of their food
stall for years, the previous owners taught them everything they know…the food
is hot, it is so bloody good…can’t say enough!
Pork bone soup, the soft tofu and seafood hot pot…oh my…so good! I
wouldn’t visit the food court for any other reason…there is no need. I come for
the Korean and then leave pronto!
Why this place? Truly a diamond in an otherwise unimpressive
food court in Mississauga. A must go if you are even remotely interested in
authentic Korean/Asian flavours. This place on the secret scale is HOT HOT HOT!
2580 Shepard Avenue,
Mississauga, ON
Jade Bakery 
I swear that I have driven by this place hundreds of times in my life
and never given this place a thought. If it wasn’t for the advice of some
family friends, I would never have know about this place. Now this is truly a hole in the wall in yet
another dive of a mall. Plenty of parking on the outside, not many seats on the
inside come early or don’t come until later…rush hour could catch you
waiting…and if you are like me I don’t like to wait for food. This place is actually better described as a
canteen rather than a restaurant. Owned
by a Husband and Wife team they do booming business in Dim Sum. After a bit of coaxing and observation I
findout that the majority of their business is wholesale. They are one of the primary suppliers for Dim
Sum for many of the restos in the GTA and in Ontario. Many if not all T & T Markets are supplied
by this little business. When you visit
it is not uncommon that you find the ladies wrapping dim sum or making the
awesome spring rolls right in front of you.
What makes this place special?
The Dim Sum are cooked to order, steamed to perfection and served to you
without any pretention. This place is as
basic as you can imagine…Styrofoam plates, squeeze bottles of hotsauce and
bottles of soya sauce from the serve yourself fridge are what’s in order. But the food makes up for it all and the
price is to die for…it is beyond cheap.
One caveat, don’t come expecting noodles or a very wide assortment of
Dim Sum, but what they have on offer is the best you can get, fresh and
hot. They are also a Chinese bun bakery,
go for the baked BBQ Pork Bun, without a doubt the best I’ve ever had. They sell out everyday. Come here for the Dim Sum and leave with
their buns and frozen Dim Sum for you to try to steam at home on your own!
Why this
place? Good freshly steamed Dim Sum,
restaurant quality wholesale prices and of course the baked BBQ Pork Buns!
680 Silver Creek Blvd,
Mississauga, ON
Sam Woo Restaurant
Admittely, I haven’t been here in quite sometime so I had to refer to other reviews to see if my memories have served me correctly. What I can tell you is that my Parents like this place and I used to as well. Sam Woo has the best BBQ Meat, Roasted Pork with Crispy Skin, Soya Sauce Chicken and Roasted Duck in the city. I have had their Dim Sum here in the past, I can’t really say that it stood out but many people will tell you it is still very good. What I do love is their selection of late night food, their Roasted Duck and Noodles in soup is devine, their Wonton Noodle Soup is a fave, their stir-fried noodles and congee are excellent. Not too expensive especially if you go in a group, which I strongly believe is the best way to experience Chinese food as it gives you an opportunity to try more stuff. This place can get busy, Dim Sum in particular so plan ahead.
Why this
place? The noodles and BBQ meat are
really great!
660 West Eglinton Avenue,
Mississauga, ON
To be continued.....featured next post
Pub House
The Pumphouse Grill Co.
The Crooked Cue
Meat and More Meat!
Leao Douro
Aristotle
La Castile
Burgers, Sandwiches and Other Tasty Things
Burrito Boyz
San Francisco’s
Indian/Curry House
Bombay Bhel – A la Carte
Taste of India - AYCE
I would encourage you to comment your fave restaurant in Mississauga, Bramption in the comments section: I would be very happy to check it out!
Enjoy good food as often as possible whether at home or out at your Fave Resto!
Sound Advice? Yes?
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