An Asian street food restaurant in Toronto has shut down at its current location after five years in business.

Rickshaw Bar owner Noureen Feerasta cites the COVID-19 pandemic as well as personal stress and health issues both mental and otherwise as the cause for the closure at this time. 

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"Rickshaw Bar is just 5 years old for the world. To me, it's my life's story. Being born in a Gujarati family, moving around the world, my cultural upbringing, my traditions, my Ismaili heritage, my bond with my family and so much more is represented in Rickshaw Bar. It's been my identity," Feerasta wrote in an announcement on social media.

The announcement balances the ups and the downs she's gone through running the business, reflecting on long hours and mental anguish as well as an incredible opportunity to indulge her true passion. Rickshaw was known for dishes influenced by India and South Asia such as curries, lamb and sharing plates.

"We weren't really a takeout place. So we closed that," says Feerasta. "I prolonged it as much as I could."

The restaurant initially closed for the first shutdown in March, then opened for takeout around May, officially calling it quits on Nov. 1.

In her announcement, Feeresta said: "I know this isn’t goodbye. Though I have bittersweet memories, I have learned a lot and I promise RB will be back, better and stronger and this time hopefully not at the expense of my mental and physical health."

Though the news is sad, lovers of Asian food aren't totally out of luck when it comes to this space: Garab Serdok of Momo House and Tibet Kitchen should be opening a Tibet Kitchen location here by mid-January.

"There is nothing to do for the renovation," says Serdok. "The property itself is too good." He says another Momo House is too small for this location, which is about 2,000 square feet. That's a lot of space to enjoy some quality Tibetan food in 2021.