Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo is known for its graphic tees depicting everything from Mickey Mouse to Andy Warhol鈥檚 silkscreened prints听to Keith Haring鈥檚 funky figures. To commemorate听the , it鈥檚 selling three special tees and tote bags, each听celebrating a听long-standing Scarborough restaurant on the Sheppard Avenue East strip in Agincourt.
鈥淔ood places bring people together. They hold a lot of memories, your cherished moments 鈥 that鈥檚 the hold these places have on people,鈥 said听, whose watercolours of 海角社区官网landmarks led to Uniqlo asking her to create a design depicting Markham Station restaurant.
鈥淭he social media reaction and messages I鈥檝e gotten just shows (Uniqlo) chose really well with these staples,鈥澨齭aid 海角社区官网food illustrator听, who was commissioned to paint Perfect Chinese Restaurant and Mona鈥檚 Roti. 鈥淭he food scene and culture in 海角社区官网is big because it鈥檚 good. You have everyone around the globe coming here and bringing their authentic recipes.鈥
To mark the opening of a new Uniqlo at Scarborough Town Centre, the store is selling T-shirts celebrating three beloved area restaurants.
UniqloOnly available at the Scarborough Uniqlo, this collaboration is the latest听attempt to bring the rest of the GTA up to speed on听Scarborough鈥檚 role as听a culinary powerhouse. For many听area residents, these places are a second home. For听newbies, here鈥檚 why they鈥檙e so beloved.
Perfect Chinese Restaurant
Before Markham and Richmond Hill became the go-to areas for Chinese food in the GTA,听Agincourt was where the Chinese community gathered in the late 鈥80s and 鈥90s (it was also home to North America鈥檚 first indoor Chinese mall). Many of听its restaurants have听closed, but since 1984,听听(4386 Sheppard Ave. E.)听has been open 24 hours a day, serving a giant menu including听dim sum, $20 wok-fried lobsters and Peking duck from morning to, well,听morning and beyond.
Among the popular dishes at Perfect Chinese are all-day dim sum, fried lobster and Cantonese fried rice.听
R.J. Johnston 海角社区官网StarFor night owls, it鈥檚 the place to hit up when the bars and clubs close. For students, it鈥檚 one of the few sit-down restaurants where a gourmet meal can be had for听less than $20. For retirees, it鈥檚 a ritual to read the paper and order a basket of siu mai in the morning.听Or, if you鈥檙e a regular, it鈥檚 where you can sing karaoke in one of the private rooms at 11 a.m. on a Wednesday. For my family, it鈥檚 the听spot to visit after leaving the airport, knowing the kitchen will be open no matter how听late the flight was.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not just a restaurant,鈥 said Marry Cen, who鈥檚 been the manager for the past decade. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had weddings, anniversaries. We have seniors who book the karaoke rooms or play mahjong. We might not be making a lot of money on the food, but it鈥檚 part of our culture to keep the prices low so we have a place for anyone in the community to come to.鈥
In addition to being a 24-hour restaurant, Perfect Chinese is a popular karaoke spot.听
R.J. Johnston 海角社区官网StarWhile it鈥檚 one of the older Chinese restaurants in the GTA (the sturdy metal chairs alone听have been around for 40 years), the place has kept up with its changing surroundings. As a large听Southeast Asian population moved into the area, Perfect added Thai dishes. When more Chinese businesses either closed or moved north (and the adjacent Dragon Centre started to decline), the restaurant听expanded within the Mandarin Shopping Centre, turning empty storefronts into karaoke rooms and reception halls.
鈥淧eople know we鈥檒l always be here no matter what,鈥 said Cen. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what keeps them coming back.鈥
Markham Station
The spacious diner at the corner of Sheppard Avenue East and Markham Road听owes its odd name听to a planned transit station that never materialized. Founder Perry Panagakos kept the name听when, in 1988, he converted a听听(a now-defunct restaurant chain) he managed into听a 鈥檙ound-the-clock diner at 5117 Sheppard Ave. E.
Markham Station鈥檚 founder decided听to open 鈥檙ound the clock听to compete with a Denny鈥檚 that used to be down the street.
R.J. Johnston 海角社区官网StarHe decided to open all hours听to compete with a Denny鈥檚 that used to be down the street, said Panagakos, who runs the diner with longtime business partner Jim Psihopedas. 鈥淲e went head-to-head, and we鈥檙e (still) here and they鈥檙e not,鈥 he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e more than a breakfast place. Our roots were burgers, steaks and souvlaki.鈥
It鈥檚 still a reliable place for a plate of juicy chicken souvlaki so flavourful, the听tzatziki is optional. The Early Train, a three-egg breakfast special,听comes with听bacon, ham or sausage and home fries, roasted potatoes or rice for an inflation-busting听$10.
Markham Station is known for its hearty all-day breakfasts and chicken souvlaki.
R.J. Johnston 海角社区官网Star鈥淲e kept to the basics, and 90 per cent of the menu has been the same,鈥 said Panagakos鈥 son Jacob, who manages the Richmond Hill location of Markham Station听that opened three years ago. 鈥淢y听dad started up Markham Station when he was 22 and he hasn鈥檛 stopped.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so many different cultures, especially in Scarborough. But it鈥檚 great to see the newer population appreciate Markham Station鈥檚 food. We鈥檙e going to make sure it鈥檒l stick around for another 30 years.鈥澨
Mona鈥檚 Roti
Scarborough has no shortage of acclaimed roti spots, but one of the most popular is (4810 Sheppard Ave E.), where customers can look behind the counter and into the open kitchen. Its namesake owner, Mona Khan, is among听those rolling out hundreds of parathas and dhalpuris for wholesalers and walk-in orders alike.
Khan started her roti business in Marabella (now San Fernando), a town in Trinidad and Tobago, during the 鈥70s.听In the 鈥80s, she and her husband moved to 海角社区官网to start a family, bringing along her roti-making expertise.
鈥淲hen I was five or six,听I remember my mom making hundreds of roti at home for local Caribbean restaurants,鈥 said daughter Reesa Khan, who manages the takeout shop. 鈥淪he鈥檇 be up at 5 a.m. making the dough by herself. It became too much to do at home. Word spread, and instead of supplying four or five restaurants, she was at 10, 15, 20.鈥
Mona took over the lease from one of the shops she supplied听and opened the brick-and-mortar Mona鈥檚 Roti in 2003, cultivating a devoted following. The boneless chicken roti remains the most popular order, but the vegetarian roti is the sleeper hit for听offering an array of mix-and-match curries and slow-cooked veggies (my choice combo is spinach, pumpkin and mango).
A vegetarian roti at Mona鈥檚 Roti comes with a wide variety of options.
R.J. Johnston 海角社区官网Star鈥淭here are customers that听remember me as a five-year-old,鈥澨齭aid Reesa. 鈥淭here are people who remember picking up rotis from the house. There are even people who used to go to the restaurant in Trinidad and followed us to Scarborough.鈥
Piping hot and kissed with dots of smoky char, the flatbreads continue to win over diners after all these years. 鈥淭he key is my mom. Mona is there every day making sure everything is in听tip-top shape,鈥 said Reesa. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of pressure when it鈥檚 your name on the sign.听Even though she鈥檚 turning 75 in May, she鈥檚 still there and still going.鈥
鈥淚 can鈥檛 sit still. I have to be busy,鈥 said Mona, as she worked a batch of dough in听the kitchen. 鈥淚 feel good when I come in here, and I want to be here every day. You have to be hands on and have a staff that wants to be here. I鈥檝e had people who have been here for 10, 12 years, and since we opened.鈥
For Reesa, to be on a merch drop alongside two other restaurants she considers Scarborough royalty is an honour.
鈥淢arkham Station and Perfect Chinese are the after-party places to go to听with your friends. To be included with (them means)听we鈥檙e up there with them.鈥
Correction - April 29, 2024听
This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly referred to Dragon Centre in Agincourt as the Dragon City Mall.听
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