The Golden Turtle, reborn: a quick tour of the renovated Ossington Vietnamese staple
The Golden Turtle, reborn: a quick tour of the renovated Ossington Vietnamese staple
By Andrew D’Cruz | January 25, 2012
By Andrew D’Cruz | 01/25/2012
Before and after
Faithful west-side devotees of the Golden Turtle, Ossington’s beloved pho institution, were distraught last month when they discovered it papered up. After soldiering through a post–New Year’s recovery period without the usual salty-spicy fortification, they can now breathe easy: it’s back, it’s a little shinier and the prices are unchanged. We dropped by to check out the new art, chandeliers, windows and kitchen.
113769 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-16-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-16.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-16.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-16/ golden-turtle-reno-16 0 0
113768 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-15-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-15.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-15.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-15/ golden-turtle-reno-15 0 0
113767 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-14-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-14.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-14.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-14/ golden-turtle-reno-14 0 0
113766 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) Fancy new pendants The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-13-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-13.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-13/ golden-turtle-reno-13 0 0
Fancy new pendants
113765 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-12.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-12/ golden-turtle-reno-12 0 0
113764 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-11.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-11/ golden-turtle-reno-11 0 0
113763 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) Same old pho The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-10.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-10/ golden-turtle-reno-10 0 0
Same old pho
113762 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) Look, Ma, a chandelier The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-9-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-9.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-9/ golden-turtle-reno-9 0 0
Look, Ma, a chandelier
113761 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-8-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-8.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-8.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-8/ golden-turtle-reno-8 0 0
113760 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-7-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-7.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-7/ golden-turtle-reno-7 0 0
113759 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-6-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-6.jpg 624 415 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-6/ golden-turtle-reno-6 0 0
113758 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-5-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-5.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-5.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-5/ golden-turtle-reno-5 0 0
113757 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) A shiny new kitchen The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-4-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-4.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-4/ golden-turtle-reno-4 0 0
A shiny new kitchen
113756 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) Fancy new backsplash The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-3-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-3.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-3.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-3/ golden-turtle-reno-3 0 0
Fancy new backsplash
113755 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-2-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-2.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-2/ golden-turtle-reno-2 0 0
113754 (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani) The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-1-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-reno-1.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-reno-1/ golden-turtle-reno-1 0 0
113773 (Images: Renée Suen and Jenna Marie Wakani) The Golden Turtle, reborn https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-opener-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-opener.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/golden-turtle-opener.jpg 656 375 [] https://torontolife.com/food/golden-turtle-renovation/slide/golden-turtle-opener/ golden-turtle-opener 0 0
(Images: before , Renée Suen; after, Jenna Marie Wakani)
looks great. i’m so glad they were actually renovating and not closing!
I like the new look, but admit to missing the old vibe. I guess with the 905’ing of Ossington, the Turtle had to step it up in terms of visual appeal. Awesome that the food prices are unchanged though !
The Golden Turtle is one of two restaurant veterans of Lower Ossington that are keeping pace with the flavours of the month. While I respect that, I’m not sure why this lipstick on a pig reno deserves a write-up.
BTW: Over the last 5 years, their food prices have also kept pace thanks to ‘slumming’ hipsters.