Restaurant spotlight #1: Chillax Eatery & Mart

Chillax Eatery & Mart is a laidback, family-friendly brunch and bistro spot in North York that serves a lovely mix of Asian fusion and Western-style cuisine. This unique restaurant comes with a special perk — its first floor is a grocery store stocked with authentic Asian products like snacks, ramen, candy, and more.

Staircase leading up to the dining area

Upstairs, the cozy dine-in brunch area is decorated with red brick walls, healthy green plants, and comfy cushioned chairs, creating a warm and welcoming dining atmosphere, especially in contrast with the -12 C snowy weather. The space was very kid-friendly (see picture below), as I noticed plenty of families with young kids enjoying their meals. The service was great as well — both of our servers were fluent in English and Mandarin, and were very nice and accommodating.

A shelf filled with cute stuffed animals to keep you company while you ate

Now, onto the food! The menu was impressively diverse, offering options from western brunch classics like omelettes, waffles, and pancakes to traditional Asian dishes. To start, we ordered the fried garlic tofu, and it was a hit — crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and perfectly seasoned with a balance of sweet and spicy.

Bite-sized fried garlic tofu tossed in house-made sauce

My eyes lit up as soon as I saw Loh Bah Png (a Taiwanese pork belly rice bowl) on the menu, as it was one of my favourite comfort meals growing up in a Chinese household. And it didn't disappoint — the pork was tender, flavourful, and mixed deliciously with the rice. The scallions and house-made pickled mustard over top added a satisfying crunch and an extra layer of flavour. My only tip: the portion is quite hearty, so consider sharing or ordering for lunch or dinner.

Loh Bah Png (Taiwanese pork belly rice), served with pickled mustard, scallions, and a marinated egg

We also tried their western brunch special, the Morning Delight Breakfast, which lets you customize the style of eggs and the meat side. It even came with a side of guacamole! My favourite part of this dish was surprisingly the fries — they were so crispy and well-seasoned, I dare say even better than the classic MacDonald's ones.

Morning Delight breakfast with sunny-side up eggs and smoked salmon

Pricing: The total came to around $50, plus 18% tax, which I found to be fairly reasonable especially given the generous portions and high-quality dining experience.

Chillax Eatery & Mart is definitely a spot I would visit again, and I highly recommend checking it out! It's perfect for families with young kids, Asian international students looking for a cozy hang-out spot, or lunch as a friend group with diverse food preferences.

Dish of the Day (TRY IT!): Loh Bah Png

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next week!