Framed photograph of John Maxwell on counter at Allen's restaurant, November 18, 2022.
Chef Vijeyaratnam, Allen's, late 1980s to 1990s. Courtesy of Amalan Vijeyaratnam.
"Chef Viji's Excellent Curries" from Allen's, 143 Danforth Avenue, November 18, 2022.
Allen's
A Danforth Instituition
If you were to drive along the Danforth, you would get a small introduction to the diversity of food available in the city. While it is often associated with Greek cuisine in Greektown or the annual Taste of the Danforth, the Danforth is also home to many restaurants that sell dishes that originate from nearly every part of the world.
Allen’s is one of these restaurants, an Irish pub opened in 1987 by prominent Toronto restaurateur John Maxwell, naming it after his partner and mentor, Joseph C. Allen. Maxwell has played a part in the history of several other restaurants in the city, most notably institutions like the brightly-painted P.J. O’Brien on Colborne St. and Dora Keogh, now called Noonan’s, which is next door to Allen’s.
Allen’s has every hallmark of a classic pub, with wooden tables, cozy booths and hearty pub fare. In the back, the patio is overlooked by ancient willow trees, some of the oldest in the city. It is also known as a champion of local foods, with an impressive list of VQA wines and the use of Ontario-raised beef, making it beloved for both the quality of the food and the impact of its ingredients. Other highlights of Allen’s include its annual steak fest in January and its hormone and antibiotic-free burgers.
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Allen's
Ponniah Vijeyaratnam
Allen’s has also been home to a long list of Tamil cooks in its kitchens. Maxwell’s career in Toronto began when he moved here in 1979, just before the influx of Tamil refugees. Since then, he has employed many Sri Lankan Tamils in his kitchens, including Chef Ponniah Vijeyaratnam.
Vijeyaratnam is originally from Jaffna, the capital city of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, but he left in 1978 due to rising tensions on the island that would eventually culminate into war. Only 17 years old, he spent time cooking in Greece, New York, and Argentina before arriving in Canada in the early 1980s. In Toronto, Vijeyaratnam met John Maxwell through another Tamil, beginning a long partnership in the city’s restaurant industry.
In 1992, Vijeyaratnam was made head chef of Allen’s, and has since made a clear impact on the menu. Beyond the pub staples, Vijeyaratnam’s curry dishes are also popular menu items, and despite a few attempts to take them off the menu, they were always brought back by popular demand.
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Allen's
A Family Affair
When Maxwell retired from the restaurant business, Vijeyaratnam and his son, Amalan, bought the restaurant from him, with Amalan running the front of the house. The kitchen is still staffed by many Tamil chefs, who continue the restaurant’s reputation for delicious food. More than just a restaurant, Allen’s is a neighbourhood institution, with customers coming in as much for the staff and atmosphere as they do for a plate of curry or a glass of wine.
