Plan B
About
South African
Location
Adress: 2943A Bloor Street W, Toronto, ON M8X 1B3
Phone: (416) 231-4444
Work Hours
Business info
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Reviews
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Kashif B.
We've had a four year old craving for South African food and our appetites were finally whetted - not fully satisfied but it's been a great start !!
We heard of Plan B via an article on BlogTO and have been wanting to visit ever since - however staying in the suburbs and having to drive ~50 kms one way does tend to make one reschedule plans. Things fell into place today and we decided to make sure we blocked our calendar for lunch.
I always dread parking at Bloor but here it was a breeze - perhaps the fact that we reached there at 3 pm had something to do with it and we secured parking right opposite the restaurant.
The restaurant itself is cozy - there are 2 tables which can squeeze in 4 diners each and a larger table with space for 8 guests plus some bar-stool seating for 6. But make no mistake - this is a place with a BIG heart.
The owner Haroun is an absolute delight and we had a fun time catching up on old memories of Jozi - from breakfast at Spur, to eating at Fordsburg, to seafood platters at Ocean Basket, massive sandwiches at Akhalwaya's, chicken liver at Nando's, Portuguese food at Calisto's and Adega's, bunny chow and rotis at Govender's in Durban, etc.
As a person who has been wandering in a parched desert greedily gulps down buckets of water when he finally reaches an oasis, we ordered the Platter for 6 with 3 sides. The platter had boerewors, sausages, chicken, steak and lamb chops. The sides we chose were a garden salad, pap with tomato chutney and chips/onion rings.
The boerewors were hands down winners - beautifully spiced, tender, moist and very nicely braii'ed. Next would be the sausages which were again slightly charred on the outside but still juicy and flavorful. The lamb chops were a smash hit as well with their sticky sweet basting sauce reminding us of the BBQ sauce at Steers. I felt the chicken was a bit overdone and had dried out - however, the kids absolutely loved it. The steak was good too but felt a tad dry.
The chips were superb and I wish we had told Haroun to make them "slap chips" - which are essentially wider/bigger french fries that have been given a generous dousing of vineger and salt and wrapped in a newspaper or some such and left for a bit. I love my chips slapper than most. The onion rings were great as well being crisply fried but without being oily. The pap and chutney combo used to be my daily lunch - Pap N' Vleis which was usually a wors or a chicken 1/4 leg. The tomato chutney that accompanied the pap was truly extra-ordinary and once again brought alive taste buds that had been lying dormant for more than 4 years.
All in all, this is a truly remarkable establishment with a passionate owner who I'm sure is going to take this restaurant to great heights. We did share some menu ideas - breakfast options, bunny chow, sticky toffee pudding, etc. Here's wishing you the very best of luck Haroun. -
David N.
I can't say I was super familiar with South African food, so when the opportunity arose to check out a well-regarded purveyor of that country's fare, I was pretty excited.
We showed up just after 11:00 on a recent weekday, and the place was predictably empty. We decided to share one of their Braai (grill) platters: Mixed Braai Platter for 1 ("Boerewors, Lamb Chops, and Chicken"), and we got that with Potato Salad and Pap and Tomato Chutney.
The food was ready about 15 minutes later and it's good, mostly. The three meats were definitely the highlight, and my personal favorite was the boerewors (which is sausage). It had a smoky, distinctive flavor, and certainly didn't taste like any other sausage I've eaten recently.
The chicken was tender and benefited from the grill's char, while the lamb chop was a little tough and ultimately the weak point among the proteins.
The side dishes aren't much to get excited about, unfortunately. The potato salad tasted as though it emerged directly from a package, while the pap and tomato chutney was decent, admittedly, if a little on the bland side.
I should also mention that this platter costs $20, despite the fact that it doesn't really come with a lot of food. We figured, given that price point, that we'd be able to share one platter, but that didn't turn out to be entirely true.
Still, I'd go back if only to eat more of that boerewors. -
Jaz K.
Let me apologize beforehand if I get a little overenthused here.
5 stars for:
The Concept: the only bona fide South African restaurant that has the right atmospheres, sights, and aroma of the food
The Food: Authentic absolutely. May not taste exactly like home but it's still delicious and memory makes one think the food tasted better.
The Owners: lovely couple very easy to talk to genuinely appreciate what you've done here
The potential: Biltong, Vienna sausages, and other South African specialties are on the way the owners say!
Lovely place and the owners are great. If you're a South African ex pat well worth a visit. Wish them all the success -
Nick B.
Amazing. That's really all there is to it. I heard about this spot from a guy I drove for Uber, talking about how Toronto has so many great places. He was South African and insisted I had to try it. And I'm glad I did.
Plan B is a clever name - it refers to the three major options: Burgers, Boerewors (farmer's sausage), and Braai (barbecue). I had the mixed braai, which comes with chicken (fried or piri-piri), Boerewors, and either steak or lamb. Sides I had were potato salad and pap & tomato chutney.
Everything was amazing. Grilled perfectly, flavourful as all get out, and the portions weren't ridiculous. Definitely good value.
It's all halal, if that matters to you. -
Daniel B.
After a review on BlogTO I wanted to try South African food at this small burger joint. Although the place sells burgers, they also sell South African barbeque. The traditional sausage is called a Boerewors. Orders are taken at the cashier.
I ordered the Miss B' Boerewors. You get two sausages in the bun and its covered in Apricot Chutney, tons of caramelized onions, raw onions, shredded cheese and lettuce. The sausage was delivered on a wooden plank, so the presentation was nice. The first thing I noticed was the texture of the sausage. It was soft (no snap), but it was good, more tender almost steak like. The sausage was great! The onions and Apricot Chutney all worked together. It was salty and sweet absolutely delicious. I can't wait to return and get the meat platter. I think the sausage would be great as a stand-alone and I want to try their lamb.
The only knock on my meal was the cost. The sausage was 13 bucks by itself. It would be better if it came with fries or if they lowered the cost to the 8-10 range. For 13 dollars I could get a Sub which is more filling as the sausage alone left me still hungry. All in all, it's a great place and I do recommend everyone try it. The flavors were unique, delicious and I will return.