OEC Café

My co-worker comes here often for lunch and I've been wanting to try them for awhile. Unfortunately, it wasn't what I expected. I always like to think that I didn't order the right item. Their menu is pretty limited. They have sandwiches, Tonkatsu plate, and some veggie noodles. The only thing that stood out was good service and lots of outside seating area to enjoy your food. They're located in 345 Queen Street on the ground floor of the building. I ordered Tonkatsu plate for $15. It came with a choice of brown or white rice, toss salad, and pink Tonkatsu sauce that was a light mixture of mayonnaise like a frosting texture. That was unique. Traditional Tonkatsu sauce was already drizzled on top. Tonkatsu is generally a lean, tough meat and I'm sad to say that was the case. I noticed that other people ordered sandwiches so maybe that's their winning item.

This small unassuming shop on Queen street has owners that love and care about their business. Every morning they spend the time washing and cleaning their outdoor tables so lunchtime patrons can enjoy their food. They post their specials on instagram daily and the menu changes. So you know everything is fresh.The vegetarian soba noodles are my favorite. The noodles are cooked perfectly and pairs well with their seasoned sauce. The option includes a brown rice musubi which has a lot of flavor. The cold pumpkin and broccoli are perfect accompaniments and kinda a pseudo appetizer/dessert. You can also order green tea or other juices in their cold fridge.Everything screams mom and pop. Happy to give this small business my lunchtime patronage.

I've gone here a few times for lunch and the food has always been delicious. The place is a hole in the wall and can be easily missed. Their menu alternates everyday so make sure to follow their Instagram account for their menu. They also sell out really quickly so make sure to go just before the lunch rush.My favorites from here are their tonkatsu plate and crispy chicken plate.They offer white or brown rice. Their tonkatsu is so crispy and they have a unique creamy pink sauce that pairs really well with the tonkatsu. This was some of the best tonkatsu I've had in the downtown area. Their crispy chicken stays pretty crispy even with all the gravy. Their gravy is super flavorful and pairs really well with the chicken. If you're looking for a quality and filling meal in downtown at a reasonable price, check this place out!

Hidden gem in downtown! All the food I have tried here is delicious! It is definitely comfort food, and tastes like your grandma made it :). The menu rotates often but it is all Japanese-type Fusion food.My favorites are: crispy chicken with mushroom gravy over pasta, and crispy pork and mapo tofu (a little spicy though)... and best of all, they have the option of having white rice or brown! (The brown rice is cooked well and is not hard like some other places). The salad that accompanies the dishes is also fresh and has a delicious Asian-type dressing.Service is always friendly AND they have quick service too!In addition to their rotating menu, they also offer sandwiches (ie: egg salad sandwich, tuna melts, etc), salads, cold noodle salads, musubis, and even a spam & egg kimbap (this is really good too). Looking for a nice refreshing iced coffee? Yup, this place has it too!I highly recommend trying this place out and follow them on Instagram! They are reliable in that they post their menu for the following day every night!Delicious food, quick and friendly service, and affordable!

Menu changes daily so def follow their IG so you know whats in the menu. While it changes daily, the same things pop up every week though, so not totally different. I like it because its something different to get in this area, which is kind of sparse when it comes to lunch places. You end up eating at the same places every single day, and it gets boring. Cinnamon roll is more like a cinnamon danish. Super good though, especially if you heat it up a bit first. Their food is tasty and reasonably priced. Mostly Japanese inspired dishes, but there are a few non-japanese thingsCashier is always niceFood comes out pretty quickly too

OEC is my top pick for lunch in Downtown. Yummy food, great variety, and super affordable prices! Not to mention the owners are so nice too.Lots of people talk about their tonkatsu with pink sauce, but my personal favorite is the crispy pork with mapo tofu. It's the perfect combo and really filling too. This crispy pork is fried in a batter similar to fried chicken, so it's something different from the panko-coated tonkatsu. Delicious!It's super convenient that I can call in my order and it's ready really fast, like 5-10 minutes.Their menu rotates daily so make sure to follow them on Instagram. There's so many options, including healthy ones like the hiyashi chuka cold noodles. I still have yet to try everything, so catch me coming back here for lunch on the regular.

Everyone has a pic of their tonkatsu. That's probably because it is sooooo good. And that pink sauce....what is in that pink sauce that makes it so good. It is nothing I have ever tasted before. It really compliments the tonkatsu well. I have tried a few other of their items but this is the thing always keeps me coming back for more. I love the name of this place. It is a play on words - Oishii (Japanese for delicious) so they called it OEC. Cracks me up every time. The lady in the front is so nice all the time....so Japanese style. One tip is that if you follow them on Facebook you can find out their daily specials menu.

Rating: 7/10OEC is a play on the Japanese word おいしい (o-i-shii). Every day they have 2-3 different lunch specials, which are shown on their Instagram daily, and a regular menu of sandwiches and pastries. I got the Tonkatsu with Pink Sauce, one of the most popular plate lunches. Overall, the taste was above average and at a reasonable cost ($14). The pork was cooked well and still juicy with a crunchy panko coating. The brown rice was surprisingly moist and the salad had a good dressing. I personally didn't care for the pink sauce, which seems like a tartar sauce (Probably a play on a Japanese nanban sauce). I would rather just have more Tonkatsu Sauce. Only problems are that there is no parking besides street parking and it's a bit hard to find the restaurant. My friends have been telling me the crispy pork with mabo tofu is the best thing on the menu, so I will come back when they have that available.

I got their chicken karaage chicken plate. It comes with a spring roll, rice, and salad. Great prices and yummy plate lunches in Downtown! Love this place!

Soba was delicious! Paired perfectly with the sesame dressing. Small restaurant located in downtown. Parking is a bit difficult. Fast and friendly service!