NO LONGER AYCE - Friendship Restaurant (Chinese/Caribbean)

Update: 2021-Aug-20 - There is no more buffet/AYCE at this location post-lockdown, and it is unknown if and when it will ever return. I am therefore removing it from the active list, and will follow up periodically and restore it should it return to AYCE status.

Friendship Restaurant is located at 2912 Sheppard Ave. in Scarborough, just east of Victoria Park. Friendship has been here a long time as I used to eat here at least 17 years ago when I worked in the area. I went for weekday lunch buffet. Friendship offers a small steam table buffet with about a dozen trays on it and three soup trays. Pop is $1.25 per can, not AYCD. Unfortunately, they were only two other customers there for most of the time I was present.

Chicken wonton soup was quite good with nice broth. Hot and sour soup was also good and had some heat to it; although it did not appear so, it was fresh. Spring rolls were slightly oily but still good. Chicken balls were a little dry but also good even without anything on them. Caribbean chicken was delicious and very well-spiced. Deep fried chicken wings were very good and not dried out. Vegetable chow mein was also very good, not dried out, and well-seasoned.

Sweet and sour pork ribs were excellent, not too sweet and delicious. Szechuan beef was delicious, nicely spiced and with some persistent heat. Fresh vegetables were good and were indeed fresh, having not sat in their steam tray too long. Roti bread was fresh, moist and quite good. Curry chicken was excellent, well-spiced and with good warmth. Jerk chicken didn't have much jerk flavor, more like just roast chicken, but it was still good as that. Vegetable fried rice was good though it did need a little soy sauce to liven it up.

There are no desserts with the buffet lunch, but I am not complaining. Why? Because all-you-can-eat weekday lunch was $10.95. No, that isn't a typo… many places will charge that much for one mediocre lunch entree. Friendship Restaurant is thus a very good to excellent value, and definitely recommended for a casual lunch. Although the offerings were very standard, almost all were good, none were bad, and the price is incomparable.

Rating: 8.5/10