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MILLIE CREPERIE

November 21, 2014September 16, 2019Leave a comment

161 Baldwin Street
Toronto, ON
http://www.milliecreperie.com/

This little three tabled restaurant located at Kensington Market serves up Japanese style crepes, not only do they have sweet dessert ones they have absolutely delicious savoury crepes. The thing the attracted me to come was the Mille Crepe cake which is notorious to Lady M, unfortunately they weren’t selling them by the slice that day.

Instead we got the Japanese special, strawberry, azuki, green tea gelato, macha sauce & chipped cream ($6.75). The crepe is a little thinner compared to your traditional crepe. The green tea gelato was really good, just a sold yummy crepe.

The favourite of the day was the Pork Belly Okonomiyaki, cabbage, carrot, okomoni sauce, Japanese mayo, bento flakes, and miso-braised pork ($8.00). You had me at pork belly, everything about this crepe was on point. The miso-braised pork belly was definately the star though, the fat just melted in your mouth and the meat was so tender and flavourful, just serve me a bucket of that please!All the flavours blended so well together, a great crepe to share (if you don’t mind spit swapping) or even a quick light lunch.
The picture does this crepe no justice. They were generous with the portions of sliced pork, even after finishing the crepe you didn’t feel groggy or like you just ate chucks of fat.

In store they have a lot more choices for their savoury crepes and I can’t wait to come back to try more!

The only complaint I have with the savoury crepe was the crepe vessel, they use the same wax paper wrapping as they do with the sweet ones so it’s hard to hold a piping hot crepe. We had to play hot potato with it and by the end of the crepe all the pork fat was pooled at the bottom or had already dripped on your freshly washed pair of jeans.

LAMESA

April 20, 2014September 16, 2019Leave a comment

669 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON
http://lamesafilipinokitchen.com/

I haven’t written a post in over a month and I wasn’t sure if I was going to start again but when my friend Manal took me to Lamesa for my birthday, everything changed, I still rave about how good the food is.
Manal made reservations for their “Hand to Mouth” event that happens every two weeks. Basically you’re eating with your hands, there are no utensils but plenty of wet-naps, this style of eating is called “kamayan”. The chefs plate the food live in front of you while explaining every sauce and ingredient as it’s being beautifully placed on the banana leaf lined table.

The table lined with banana leaf.

It cut out before the chefs finished cause Manal’s phone ran out of memory.

The finish product!

Everything was so good, so simple and yet so complex. The sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavours all worked together to create something so magical and beautiful. My favourites of the night was the simple Lumpia, Filipino spring roll, garlic rice, and the fish based sinigang. I wish I got to try the pork but Manal is a pescetarian so we opted out of that.

We finished off the meal with their French Toast Turon, egg dipped bread with sweet plantain in a spring roll wrapper.

Who doesn’t like deep fried goodness smothered in a sweet syrup?

Toronto is known for the array of Asian cuisine with the long lists of well known restaurants for Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. I’m not sure if I’m just ignorant but I can honestly say I don’t know any other restaurant serving up modernized Filipino food. I think Lamesa is doing a great job introducing Toronto to Filipino food and I can’t wait to go back for more.

So if you’re still confused about what Filipino food is Head Chef, Rudy Boquila, simply puts it like this “Imagine a native Malay cook with a Chinese roommate being taught by a Spanish Chef with a love affair for everything American and you will begin to understand what Filipino food is all about.”

AKA TEPPAN

March 13, 2014September 16, 2019Leave a comment

3235 Highway 7 | Markham, ON

The concept behind Aka Teppan is from the infamous Pepper Lunch franchise in East Asia. Meals which consist of either rice or pasta with a protein are served on a sizzling hot plate. Aka Teppan opened up not too long ago in the First Markham restaurant strip and it’s already getting a lot of buzz. I read that people are willing to wait over an hour to get their sizzling plate meals! The restaurant is somewhat small, seating around 30 people. Service is fast but the plates don’t all come out at once, I watched tables where one diner would finish their entire meal before the other people even got theirs.

Jess and I got the original Steak on Rice, $8.99, it comes with corn, green onions and their special soy sauce mixture.

It was good but not as good as Pepper Lunch, if I had a craving, I suppose this would do. You can also had extra corn, cheese, egg, etc. but for an extra charge.

Cherry got Pasta with Chicken with a tomato sauce, no complaints from her. I had some of her pasta and I didn’t think it was anything special.

CANOE RESTAURANT & BAR

March 10, 2014September 16, 20192 Comments

66 Wellington Street West | Toronto, ON
http://www.oliverbonacini.com/canoe

Canoe is one of my favourite restaurant in Toronto but sadly my wallet doesn’t always agree with my dining habits. Licious a great way to try higher end restaurants in the city without breaking the bank. Canoe is located on the 54th floor of the TD bank tower and offers amazing views, prefect for when you’re trying to impress someone with great city views and amazing food. The windows wrap around the whole restaurant and the open kitchen makes the whole restaurant larger in size.

We started off with a Sundried Tomato Chickpea Spread with warm bread.

For appetizers Desi and I got the Cured Rainbow Trout with pickled turnips, marinated radish & crème fraîche.

Manal got Butternut Squash & Ginger Soup with Peekytoe crab, tarragon yoghurt & rye croutons.

Everyone else got the Pressed Maple Braised Willowgrove Pork with heirloom beans, wild mustard & puffed wild rice.

For our entrees Zoe and I got the Torched Heritage Salmon with dinosaur kale, pickled peppers & ancient Algonquin grits.

Jo and Desi both got the Ontario Strip Loin Short Rib with gherkin sour cream & cheesy alliston spuds.

I decided on the Wild Rice Pudding with poached apricot, rose vanilla sauce & pistachio for dessert.

Everyone else got the Three Milk Cake with vanilla mousseline, caramel cream & kernal peanuts.

Overall the meal was fantastic, everything was well cooked and seasoned. My favourite appetizer was the Pressed Maple Pork, it was flavourful and hearty. My cured trout was beautifully presented but lacking in some seasoning. My salmon entree was one of the best Licious entrees I’ve never had, the salmon sweet and savoury but I wish I got more of the “grits”. The Strip loin, in my opinion, was the best entree of the night, tender and the short rib was super rich. I loved my rice pudding dessert.
Canoe is one of my favourite restaurants and I had another fantastic OB meal experience.

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SENBAZURU SUSHI BAR

February 27, 2014September 16, 2019Leave a comment

9665 Bayview Avenue | Richmond Hill, ON

I had a catch up dinner with my friend, Manal, a few weeks ago. We decided to meet up for dinner at a middle point between our houses and it happened to be Senbazuru. I’ve been living in Richmond Hill for more then 10 years now but I’ve never even heard of it (thank goodness for Urbanspoon).

We started off with two Sushi Pizzas, Spicy Salmon and California, both were $9.00. Sushi Pizza is a deep fried rice patty topped with different various toppings. I really liked the spicy salmon, it wasn’t overly spicy and the sauce had a slight sweetness to it and the salmon was fresh. I really enjoyed the crispy texture contrast with the soft salmon was so yummy!

We also got the Dynamite Roll (Shrimp Tempura, Avocado & Mayo), $5.00. This wasn’t anything special.

We were still hungry so we got the Spider Roll (Soft Shell Crab, Fish Egg, Avocado, Cucumber & Mayo), $11.00.
I love soft shell crab and this one didn’t disappoint.

Overall Senbazuru Sushi Bar serves up good sushi at a decent price, family friendly and the servers are quite attentive and friendly.

HELLO DARLING

February 26, 2014September 16, 2019Leave a comment

827 Lansdowne Ave | Toronto, ON
https://www.facebook.com/hellodarlingcafe

Looking for a new brunch joint? Hello Darling opened it’s doors the beginning of this year, the interior is quite quaint, friendly and welcoming. I love the simple decor here with the mismatched cups and plates and fresh flowers on each table.

Everyone got either coffee or tea, I opted to get the Rhubarb & Ginger Soda. It was not too sweet and really refreshing, not as much rhubarb flavour as I wanted though.

The menu changes daily with their menu hand written on their black board.

Everything is is made in house and they source their protein from Rowe Farms which is awesome knowing where the products are actually from.

My sister and my boyfriend both got the Huevos Rancheros served with fried eggs, mixed peppers, rice & beans, pico de gallo, avocado, purple slaw and Mexican cheese. This isn’t your stereotypical huevos rancheros, super light and healthy version.

Chris got the Apple Cake French Toast, served with rum raisins, maple syrup and whipped cream (opted out).

My mom got the Eggs Any Style which is served with hash brown, toast, light salad and fruit. No complaints but also nothing very fancy.

I got the Roasted Vegetables with poached eggs, butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potato, fennel, pita za’atar, white bean hummus & kale chips. I really loved my dish, it was healthy, light but also very substantial. All the different textures made up for the lack of meat.

I would highly recommend checking out Hello Darling if you’re looking for a vegetarian and vegan friendly meal but also very satisfying for meat eaters alike.
The wait time for food is a little longer than usual but the food and service make up for that.

RUBY WATCHCO

February 19, 2014September 16, 2019Leave a comment

730 Queen Street East | Toronto, ON
http://rubywatchco.ca

This is my second time coming to Ruby Watchco, you can read about my experience here. I got the chance to come again with some of my old coworkers.

The menu for the night.

We started off with the Smoked Trout Mousse with Dill Lemon Relish with Crostini. This was an add-on to the meal for an extra $16. I wasn’t a fan of the mousse by itself but when eaten with the relish and crostini, it was perfect.

The salad of the night was Kale & Potato Salad with romaine hearts, radicchio, 10 year old cheddar, potato coins, garden radishes, cucumbers, pickled mustard seeds and a spicy samba dressing.

The salad was lightly dressed, I was expecting more of a kick with the dressing but it was mellow and somewhat bland.

The famous Ruby Watchco Biscuits, still so good but much smaller compared to last year.

For the main we had:

Slow Roasted Rack of Pork with Mustard Apple Chutney
Root Beer Baked Beans with Herb Sour Cream
Charred Broccoli with Confit Garlic Butter
Heirloom Carrot, Cabbage & Red Beet Slaw with Toasted Ristachio & Raisin

For the cheese course we got an Owl Ash Brie like cheese with sweet & sour oranges, carrot marmalade and rosemary honey. I really enjoyed the cheese, creamy, mild and perfect with the carrot marmalade.

For dessert we got June’s Almost Famous Lemon Cheesecake with vanilla roasted blueberries.

The cheesecake was creamy and smooth but by the time dessert came along I was incredibly stuffed and couldn’t finish it. My favourite part was the blueberries.

At my last visit, Chef Lynn was on tour for her t.v. show, Pitching In, but this she was in and Desi and I got a picture with her! She’s super nice and friendly, exactly how she is on t.v.

I love coming to Ruby Watchco, always guaranteed good food and great service, our server was funny, outgoing and attentive.

LUMA

February 19, 2014September 16, 2019Leave a comment

350 King St W | Toronto, ON
http://www.oliverbonacini.com

This was my first time at LUMA and I was surprised by how nice and elegant the space was. I’m not sure what I was expecting but the interior cozy, warm, and classy. LUMA is located at the TIFF lightbox right above their sister restaurant, the Canteen.

We got to nibble on some warm bread with white bean and hummus dip while looking through the menu. The hummus was addictive, I finished all of it.

For my appetizer I got the 100km Celery Root Soup with maytag blue cheese, apple and bacon compote. The soup was creamy and velvety, it had a nice flavour without having too much of a off-putting celery flavour. I love the sweetness of the apple compote with the savouriness of the soup.

Philip got the Fregola & Mixed Bean Salad with a 62.5° celsius hen’s egg, charred treviso, onion, chilies and anchovy lemon dressing. He really enjoyed the dish, no complaints from him.

I got the Roasted Trout with glazed roots, puffed wild rice and brown butter bay scallops for entree. This was hands down my favourite dish of the night, everything was perfect. My trout was perfectly cooked with an incredibly crispy skin. The puffed rice gave the dish a nice crunchy texture with every bite and the beets were light and refreshing contrast to the butter scallops.

Philip got the Braised Willowgrave Pork Shoulder with shiitake mushroom pilaf, green mango pickle, rice paper crunch and honey truffle sauce. The pork was tender and delicious.

I got the Steamed Banana Pudding with burnt marshmallow ice cream for dessert. I was somewhat disappointed with the dessert, I wasn’t expecting a banana muffin let alone a dry banana muffin. The ice-cream made up for the dryness of the cake but wasn’t anything special.

Philip got the Chocolate Espresso Budino with an almond biscotti. Incredibly rich and intense with chocolate flavour, a coffee is a must with this dessert to cut the richness.

Overall I had a great experience at LUMA, great food and good service. I loved the atmosphere and a perfect location for date night without breaking the bank. I would definitely try to come back for their regular menu.

ROSE CITY KITCHEN

February 16, 2014September 16, 20192 Comments

406 Queen Street West | Toronto, ON
http://www.rosecitykitchen.com

Rose City Kitchen is a new addition on the Queen West & Spadina Strip, serving up quick and delicious Middle Eastern Sandwiches and snacks. Last week I was invited to a preview of what the restaurant was all about. This tiny shop makes everything in house and also has their own special pita sandwich recipe. How it works is you can choose from 5 different sandwiches and then you have the choice of 4 different protein you can fill your pita with, chicken, steak, falafel or halloumi cheese.

We got to try the Basic Vegetarian Poutine with aioli, tabouleh and grated cheese. A Great take on a Canadian classic. The poutine was delicious, it was light, flavourful and I couldn’t stop picking at it. You can get it topped with chicken, steak, falafel or halloumi cheese.

The Falafels (deep-fried patty made from ground chickpeas, spices and seasonings) have a fluffy inside with an incredibly crispy exterior, so good with he hummus.

The interior is small with a few high top tables and stools and is mostly a grab and go kind of place. The atmosphere has a clean industrial feeling with pops of red and black around the space. On one side of the wall there is a giant photograph of Petra (the archeological city in Jordan), the kitchen is open where you can see the gorgeous red titled stone oven where they make all their pitas in.

The RCK original with Steak (humus, tabouleh, home fries, carrots, lettuce, garlic oil, cherry harissa).

The Greek with Chicken (Tzatziki, pickled red onions, tomatoes, Cabbage, Iettuce, oregano, garlic oil, halloumi).

The Moroccan with Chicken (harissa, couscous, cabbage, red onions, tomatoes, almond. Apricots, parsley, chickpeas).

The Lebanese with Chicken (garlic sauce, pickles, lettuce)

They also have the Egyptian which isn’t pictured and it comes stuffed with eggplant confit, chickpeas, dates and garlic oil.
Rose City Kitchen is a nice healthy addition to the Queen West area and an alternative to all the burger joints you find nearby.

QUEEN MARGARITA PIZZA

February 5, 2014September 16, 2019Leave a comment

1402 Queen Street East | Toronto, ON
http://queenmargheritapizza.ca

Desi and I opted for an early dinner, we arrived around 5:30pm and the restaurant was empty. The have a smaller downstairs area which is more like the bar area and a spacious upstairs with an open pizza pit area. The restaurant is super industrial looking with exposed ceilings, brick walls, and giant windows but incredibly warm and cozy.

We started off with the Grilled Baby Squid served with arugula salad. I felt like the squid was undercooked but our waitress ensured us that was how the texture was supposed to be. It wasn’t anything special or memorable.

The Giovanni Pizza, fior di latte, prosciutto di parma, arugula and cherry tomatoes, $19. The prosciutto wasn’t overly salty and it was sliced paper thin which I loved. The arugula salad on top cut through the meaty prosciutto, the pizza felt light and healthy.

The Bello Pizza, mushrooms, goat cheese, red pepper, italian sausage, red onions, $17.

Out of the two pizzas, I enjoyed the Bello more. The homemade sausage was tasty and I loved the combination of all the toppings together. The crusts were crispy, light and airy all at the sometime.

For dessert we opted for the Hazelnut Tiramisu, creamy and not too sweet.

The pizzas here are solid and the service is friendly, a great neighbourhood gem. I would probably only make another visit if I was in the neighbourhood, wouldn’t make a special trip.