Ever had those days where you wake up craving schnitzel?

Me too.

A little birdy had told me last week about an excellent spot called Schnitzel Works in an industrial area near Cyrville LRT station. All they make is schnitzels, he told me.

Industrial area restaurant in the east-end? Making one thing really well? It’s like this place was calling my name. Even the Google reviews seemed promising; at the time of writing, the restaurant has an average rating of 4.7 stars out of five stemming from hundreds of reviews.

I reached the restaurant around an hour before closing time, well after the lunch hour rush has dissipated.

I was greeted by a server called Aaliyah, the owner’s granddaughter. She recommended the jaegerschnitzel platter. I also ordered a takeout sandwich for Danielle.

The Spanish sandwich was served with sauteed onions, hot peppers and melted cheese. All sandwiches are served on a fresh kaiser bun with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato.

She later claimed this was one of the best sandwiches she’d ever had.

Aaliyah returned to my table not 10 minutes later with a piping hot chicken schnitzel, covered in gravy and mushrooms, served with a generous side of spaetzle and braised red cabbage.

The schnitzel was perfectly breaded, crispy on the outside, while the meat was tender and juicy. As the menu said, it was lightly spiced—as it ought to be. A German friend had once told me a good schnitzel is meant to be simple, hearty and not excessively spiced.

I loved that I had gravy to smother the spaetzle, which can be a little bland. However, the variety made by Iveta—the owner and cook—was flavourful, with each eggy mouthful serving as a nice contrast to the schnitzel’s crispy texture.

On my way out, I thanked Iveta, originally from Slovakia, who opened the restaurant with her husband 13 years ago.

She had helped operate her aunt’s restaurant in Vienna year ago. That’s where she got her knack for making schnitzel—and it shows.