I recently met up with an old friend that I haven’t seen in too long, we decided to check out the new Joey’s Restaurant recently opened at Yorkdale Mall. We headed over for lunch at around 12pm and surprisingly it wasn’t as packed as I expected. This Joey’s is extremely large with two floors, the ground floor for lounge seating and the top floor for dining room seating. The top floor has an open concept kitchen which I always think is amazing and I love the warm atmosphere & decor.
Mike wasn’t that hungry so he got the Ahi Tuna Tacos, $12, (seared rare, toasted sesame, ginger coleslaw & wasabi aioli).
I got the Ahi Tuna Club, $17, (grilled rare, bacon, red pepper relish, arugula, panko onion rings). I loved the sandwich, perfect balance of textures & flavours. The fries were thin cut like McDonald’s which by the way are my favourite fast food chain fries.
Joey’s will definitely be a go to chain-restaurant in the future, perfect for date nights, business meetings or even just catching up with old friends.
Joyce, Kevin and I decided to give Hawker Bar a try for our monthly dinner. We walked into a tight narrow space with a a few four seaters, a hand full of tables for twos and a nice sized bar. I really enjoyed the warm and dimly light restaurant, it felt really warm and inviting (you can tell from my bad quality red-hued photos). I also love the rustic touches here and there like the cardboard menu and the gorgeous wood tree stumps as seats.
I knew we had to order the Chili Salt Tofu, $6, silken tofu with chili salt served with their house BBQ sauce. When we visited Khao San Road last time their deep fried tofu was out of this world, sometimes I still have dreams about it. Hawker Bar’s version was good but none comparable to Khao San Road’s, also their BBQ sauce tasted like Chinese hoisin sauce mixed with some black bean paste.
The Singapore Chicken Wings, $10, were absolutely delicious, finger-licking-good kind of good. They were coated in a thick, sticky sweet chili soy sauce that was amazing. The chicken wings were extremely crispy and juicy.
My favourite entree was the Rendang Curry with braised ox cheeks and coconut rice. The curry was surprisingly sweet with a hint of heat, not your tradition curry you would you think of. The ox cheeks were incredibly tender and I love the fragrant coconut scented rice.
My least favourite was the Hainanese Chicken Rice, $13. Traditionally Hainanese chicken is made with chicken leg but Hawker Bar used chicken breast which usually I prefer but it was dry and over cooked, it felt like they pre-cooked it and then microwaved it to order. I even tried to smother it was sauce and it didn’t help.
The Laksa Lemak was in a thick and rich coconut curry soup with yellow egg noodles, fresh snow peas, egg plant, red pepper and tofu puffs. I wasn’t really a fan and I thought it was just average. I’m not a laksa expert or anything but I felt like it wasn’t as flavourful as it’s supposed to be. There’s also an egg but Joyce devoured the whole thing without sharing, pig!
Fulling incredibly stuffed, Joyce really wanted to get a dessert and we settled on the Banana Fritters, it’s served with red bean ice cream and a honey drizzle. I loved that the banana batter was vibrant green (from the pandan syrup which gave it a slight hint of nuttiness). The dessert was perfect, crispy batter, hot banana inside and the ice cream (I honestly thought it was mocha ice cream, I couldn’t taste any red bean).
Overall it was a good meal but Hawker Bar is definitely not authentic but it does have an intimate bar and they are open till 2 in the morning all from Tuesday to Sunday, crazy! I must mention the fantastic service, the servers were informative, welcoming and overall really friendly.
Cafe Michi is somewhat hidden, located in a little plaza in Scarborough, you would never think such a small hidden restaurant serves up such fresh and delicious sushi. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Cafe Michi but when my mom’s Japanese friend recommended even she was eager to try it. Cafe Michi is the sister restaurant of the famous Kaji restaurant in Mississauga, supposedly Kaji trained the sushi chef here.
I knew I was going to order something with sashimi or sushi, as I scanned the menu everything seemed to be a bit pricy but luckily I was with my mom (bank of mommy)! Both my mom and I got the Chirashi, $28, but it comes with salad, tea or coffee and a slice of cake!
The combination of seafood seems to be quite ordinary but the quality of fish was so fresh, everything was sweet and melted in my mouth. My favourites were probably the scallop, snapper (which I usually hate) and salmon. It doesn’t seem like a lot of food but after the cake I was stuffed.
My cousin got Chyu-chin Bento, $23. It came in a 3 tier bowl. On top was the karaage (fried chicken) in a peanuty sauce (words of my cousin). 2nd layer was 2 pieces of some of the best red snapper, salmon and tuna. In the final contained a bowl of unagi (eel) on a bed of rice.
He’s a big foodie and he definitely approved.
My uncle for the Pork Katsu Curry, there was a choice between regular and large but he just got the regular. I didn’t get to try any but no words came out of his mouth while he ate which means one thing, too good to take a break to talk.
My aunt the Seafood Udon, she said it wasn’t anything special.
All the meals also came with your choice of cake, we got to choose from 6 different flavours. I got the tofu cheesecake and both my cousin and I thought it was the best cake choice out of all three. Smooth, silky and light.
This one was the green tea with red bean, this one was good and full of delicious green tea flavour.
Lastly was the sake chocolate cake, this one was my least favourite cake mostly because I’m not a fan of alcohol.
Le Cafe Michi is definitely worth trying, more expensive compared to most Japanese restaurants but you pay for what you get, The quality of the food is superb. I would rather eat less mediocre Japanese food and save up for expensive but delicious sushi.
I’ve been dying to try GHD for the longest time but it’s just located so West and too far from home. The vintage-like style makes it so cute, neutral wall colours with pops of bright colour decor everywhere.
Look at this delicious spread of doughnuts, the glorious doughnuts range from $3 – $4.50 each or $20 for half a dozen. A little pricey for a doughnut but at GHD go all out on toppings like bacon, whipped cream or meringue tops and they are bigger than the average sized doughnuts.
I did my research before heading over so I knew exactly which ones I wanted. Between Philip and I we got 6 doughnuts and yes, I ate 3 by myself all in one day. I know it’s a little excessive but when will I ever be near the west end again? From top left going clockwise: The Elvis (peanut butter frosting, banana chip & bacon), Banana Cream Pie (pastry cream filling, whipped cream, banana chips & cinnamon dust), Chocolate Pistachio & Maple glazed.
This lovely beast is the Lemon Meringue, filled with lemon curd & topped with meringue.
This one was my favourite doughnut of the bunch, light yeast-risen doughnut with a buttery lemon curd topped with a light fluffy meringue. I wasn’t a big fan of the meringue but I loved everything else!
Lemon ricotta fritters, 3 for $4. I wasn’t a big fan of these, I didn’t really like the texture but the flavour was great and it was a bonus for Philip, he got to eat all of them.
Although I loved the doughnuts from here, it is quite far from home so I don’t think I will be back for quite sometime.
Welcome Santouka, yet another ramen restaurant has graced Toronto. Santouka Ramen started off a 9 seater from Hokkaido, Japan in 1988. Now with restaurants all over Asia, United States and now Canada, how could I not try Santouka? Dundas literally has 4 ramen restaurants within a span of 3 blocks and just on the corner of Dundas & Church lays Santouka.
Philip and I came on a Wednesday afternoon and luckily the weather was in our favour, the 35 minute wait wasn’t terrible at all. We opted to sit at the bar where I can see all the action happen. Action Shot.
As the steamy bowl of noodles arrived at the table, I was incredibly excited and had high hopes for Santouka. One look down and my mouth started to water (heck, I’m salivating right now thinking about it.) Philip and I both got Toroniku Ramen, $15.90,this is the only one where the cha-shu is served on the side. The Tonkotsu soup was piping hot which I love, so hot that I had to spit out the noodles I shoved in my mouth (classy eh? I know!). I always feel like the best part of a good bowl of noodles is the temperature of the soup. The soup is much oilier than most other places but Philip says it’s to keep the broth even hotter. The pork was super tender and packed full of flavour, the fat just melted in my mouth but the best part was hands down the ramen. They were perfectly cooked with right amount of doneness, the best ramen I’ve had in Toronto.
As I enjoyed my noodles, I zoned out everything and just heard slurping. Yes, it was that good. As full as I was I couldn’t finish my bowl of noodles yet even when the bill came I found myself still slowly picking at them.
Santouka is a little pricer than the typical ramen place but definitely worth every penny. Hands down this is my favourite ramen place.
If you watched Top Chef season 2, you’ll probably know who Carl Heinrich is or at least recognize his face. This recently opened restaurant has been well received so we had to give it a try ourselves.
When you walk in you enter a narrow space with tall ceilings and modern decor, the restaurant doesn’t look that big until you walk up the stairs to another dining space with the clear view of the kitchen.
There is also a chef’s table at the back of the restaurant with a clear view of all the action happening in the kitchen.
We started off with the Polenta Fries, $8, with bomba mayonnaise and marinara. I really liked this dish, the polenta was soft and creamy with an ultra crispy exterior. I wasn’t a fan of the bomba mayo which was a little spicy but I really enjoyed the fries with the marinara sauce. I would definitely order this again.
We also shared the Richmond Station Charcuterie, $14. I can’t remember all the items on the board but basically we got salami, smoked ham, some sort of lamb pate?, beet chutney, two different mustards and two deep-fried balls (I really can’t remember what these were but they were delicious!). It wasn’t the best charcuterie board I’ve had but everything was tasty.
My first time having beef tartare, this one came with hickory sticks, haricot salad and a fried egg. At first I only had the beef and potato together and it wasn’t anything special but once eaten with the egg it was delicious. Jess said it was death on a plate, e coli & salmonella all together but she couldn’t resist and had to try some.
For my main I got the Stn. Burger, $21, with aged cheddar, beet chutney, rosemary fries and radish salad. The burger was super juicy and the sweet/tart beet chutney was perfect contrast to the fat in the beefy burger.
The rosemary fries were thin and crispy but the radish salad was kind of a let down, nothing special about it. Angela got the Bread Crusted Whitefish, $26, with lobster, cauliflower chowder, parsley & celery. I thought this was the best entree we ordered. The fish was super crispy and moist, the lobster was perfect and the chowder was flavourful and light.
Both Cherry and Jess got pasta options. Cherry with the Mushroom Ravioli with braised swiss chard, caper vinaigrette, parsnip chips, $23. The pasta was nice and thin and packed full of mushroom stuffing.
Jess got the Wild Boar Ragu with hand made orecchiette, tomato, toscana cheese. I didn’t think it was anything special but it was still delicious.
We never finish a meal without getting dessert and Richmond Station had some pretty tempting options. We settled for 3 out of the 4 options given.
First we started off, in my option, the best bread pudding I’ve ever had! Studded with cranberries and served with apples, almonds, the most delicious butterscotch sauce known to man and their homemade almond ice cream. It was just perfection, I would definitely just come back for this dessert alone. It was on their daily special menu but I really hope they keep it on their regular menu.
We tried the Spiced Butternut Squash Cake served with mascarpone, honey, and toasted pumpkin seeds. After eating the bread pudding nothing else tasted as good and I was a little sad. The cake itself was moist and dense, it was like Christmas in cake form, packed full of holiday spices.
Lastly we had the Station S’More, basically it was a slab of chocolate, graham crumbs sprinkled all over the plate, a half baked meringue blob, smudges of cherry sauce and some sort of cookie. Needless to say I wasn’t a fan and I was really looking forward to enjoy this dish. Overall our meal was great and the service was fantastic, I loved how the servers took the time to explain what was in each dish. Carl himself even came out to ask how we were enjoying our meal.
“Richmond Station is a stopping place, a bustling neighbourhood restaurant in the downtown core. We are committed to delicious food and excellent hospitality.” This quote is on their website and everything about it is true.
Darren really wanted to try The One That Got Away so we headed downtown a few weeks ago. We got here around 1:30pm and it was pretty packed, loads of people got take out and lots of people just try to wait for a seat.
We got the Fish Basket to share, $15.99, the “basket” had 2 shrimp, 2 scallops, loads of calamari, 1 piece of haddock, fries, tartar & coleslaw. Honestly when Darren opened the box it didn’t look that appetizing but let me just tell you, you should judge a book by it’s cover, cause boy was I surprised by the taste (sorry bad photo).
The shrimp and scallops were gigantic, fresh and perfectly fried. I thought the haddock was delicious and not greasy but the calamari was just average.
One of the guys next to us was eating a salmon burger and it looked delicious so I know what I’m getting on my next visit.
Kevin & Joyce suggested going to Khao San Road for dinner last week for our monthly dinner date, I’ve never been so I quickly went online to read some of the reviews. After reading a couple I knew I was in for some amazing Thai food, bloggers deem Khao San Road to be the best Thai restaurant in Toronto. We got there around 8pm and still had to wait for about 15 minutes for a seat.
Khao San Road is a tiny restaurant near the entertainment district, no fancy signs. Actually no signs at all to indicate where the restaurant is.
We started off with the Garlic Tofu, $9, tofu is breaded in a crispy garlic & fresh kaffir lime coating served w/ sweet & tangy garlic sauce.
This was probably my favourite dish of the night, they used semi-firm tofu which I love and it came out piping hot and super crispy. You could taste the taste a hint of the kaffir lime which kept the dish light.
Joyce insisted on getting the Shrimp Chips served with Tamarind sauce, $5. Maybe we were super hungry cause we devoured those chips so fast! They’re different from your average shrimp chips
As for the mains we shared Khao Soi, silky coconut milk soup mix with red curry and lime topped with crispy noodles, $13. You had a choice of chicken or braised beef, we opted for chicken.
The soup was incredibly thick and creamy, it was more like a sauce. Chicken was tender and the noodles soaked up all the flavour from the soup. I really liked the crispy noodles on top too, gave the dish more texture.
Green curry is the only curry I get when I’m having Thai food, I feel like it’s lighter and more aromatic, so it was no question (at least in my mind) we were going to try Khao San’s green curry. Made with green chilies, Thai basil, kaffir lime, bamboo shoots and green peppers, this curry didn’t disappoint at all.
Joyce got the Pad Thai (Sam Roas version) , $15, a little pricy for pad thai but definitely worth it. It was a perfect combination of flavours from sweet, salty, spicy & sour. It differs from other Thai places that use a tomato/ketchup based sauce which can be overly sweet and artificial tasting.
Probably the best pad thai I’ve ever had.
Two long communal tables with bar seating and smart hooks under the table for purses and bags.
After experiencing Khao San Road for myself, one of the best Thai restaurant’s I’ve been to. The food is packed full of flavour, spices and herbs, nothing but authentic (not like I’ve been to Thailand though). Definitely looking forward to coming back and trying the rest of their menu.
WVRST is basically Octoberfest in restaurant form, a wide variety of sausages, fries and beer. From the outside WVRST can easily be mistaken as a lounge or club, the exterior bricks are painted a dark charcoal grey with bright red signs, super chic. You walk up a few stairs to the large open concept restaurant with big wooden communal tables and mismatched bar stools is a perfect combination of rustic yet modern without making it look like a barn. Did I mention the lighting? Hundreds of light bulbs hanging from the ceiling give it more the restaurant a softer more feminine feeling? I’m not sure how to describe it but I really loved the lights.
Look at the array of sausages! Not a meat eater? WVRST has got you covered! Veggie sausage!
The deal with WVRST is that you order at the counter, pay, then they’ll give you a number, you take a seat anywhere and they will bring you your order when it’s ready. Don’t forget to tip!
I got the Elk sausage infused with cumin & porcini on a bun for $9, which is a little expensive but totally worth it. When you get it on a bun you have two options for toppings: grilled onions, grilled sweet peppers, sautéed jalapenos and sauerkraut.
I really liked my sausage, it was moist and falvourful. I’ve never had elk before and it kind of just taste like beef but beefier. The sausage had chunks of porcini mushroom throughout. Yum!
Darren got the Chorizo on a bun for $6.
As soon as I saw Duck Fat Fries, I just knew I had to get them. They were probably the best fries I’ve ever had, they had the perfect crispy to soft ratio and the saltiness was spot on. For our dipping sauce we got the WVRST which was a spicy mayo based sauce, you don’t get the heat until the very end.
When you first walk in there’s a poster with the house rules. “if you can’t handle your beer, order a soda.” Cute!
Verdict: this place is a must try for meat lovers and vegetarians alike. I can’t wait to come back and try their other sausages like kangaroo!
This little Japanese restaurant opened up on Main Street Unionville for a few months now, which once was a hooka bar. This little restaurant has about 4 tables which could probably seat a maximum of 20 people, they do have a patio but won’t be used much since Toronto is cold most of the year.
Super small interior with typical Japanese decor & paintings, nothing fancy or worth mentioning.
Darren got two rolls, the Dynamite Roll & Spicy Salmon Roll. The dynamite roll was just average but still good but the spicy salmon roll lacked salmon, the main component were the crunch bits from left over tempera. A little pricy for what they were but we figured Main Street rent was probably pretty expensive.
I got the lunch special which includeda Veggie Udon and Spicy Salmon Roll for $10.95. The udon came piping hot! The broth was flavourful and the udon noodles were soft yet chewy at the same time, perfect texture.
Overall the prices are a little expensive and the waitress wasn’t very attentive considering we were the only table there. I had to walk up to her while she was on her computer to get the bill. Definitely not my first choice for Japanese food.
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