I was in Toronto, fighting G-20 event traffic, added security, and a shortage of hotel rooms. After a long day at the office, I wanted to head back to my hotel with some take-out. I was craving something Asian and checked out Yelp and Urban Spoon to find a nearby restaurant. Salt & Pepper seemed to fit the bill and was only a couple of blocks away. While I am usually cautious about restaurants located in strip malls, I was in a suburban instead of city center area and decided to take a chance.
Exterior Signage
There were no customers, but it was still early (5:30 p.m.). I reviewed the menu, informed the server I wanted something spicy and usually had Kung Pow or something similar, and asked if he could make any recommendations. He was not forthcoming with suggestions and did not seem excited about the offerings. I ordered the Kung Pow Chicken, the Salt & Pepper Shrimp appetizer (a signature dish), an order of steamed rice, and a mango juice while waiting. I took a seat, sipped my mango juice, took in the interior décor, and listened to an interesting mash-up of LA-based rap meets Bollywood. I really liked the fun design of the light fixture over the cash register and thought it would be interesting for a tiki party.
Interior Light Fixture
When I returned to my hotel, I opened up my packages and was faced with too much food. There was easily three cups of steamed rice and the Salt & Pepper Shrimp was as large as my entrée.
Salt & Pepper Shrimp (front) and Kung Pow Chicken (back)
While I could have easily fed four adults with the amount of food, the actual food experience was disappointing. The Salt & Pepper Shrimp was well seasoned, but over breaded. I peeled the shrimp out of their bread cocoons for consumption. The Kung Pow Chicken, usually a safe bet, had a soupy tomato sauce base and was not spicy or well seasoned. While I am willing to try new approaches to old favorites, the Kung Pow Chicken was not worth eating. Most of my meal ended up in the trash and I raided the vending machine in the hotel lobby.
Salt & Pepper
35 Brunel Rd. #4
Mississauga, ON L4Z 3E8
905.568-9900
June 21, 2010
Salt & Pepper Shrimp $12.99
Kung Pow Chicken $10.99
Steamed Rice $ 3.99
Mango Juice $ 2.99
Total $30.96 Canadian
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