I got the opportunity to check out the Happy Place Toronto for free opening weekend. If you live under a rock and you don’t know what the Happy Place is, it’s a massive pop-up experience is filled with larger than life size installations, multi-sensory immersive rooms, and dozens of moments curated to “Capture Your Happy”. They say happiness is free but to enter the Happy Place, there is a fee of $35 (weekday)/$40 (weekend).
The coolest part of the pop-up would probably be the giant ball pit you can jump into.
I would definitely feel pretty unhappy if I had to pay $40 a pop to take some photos at installations where you only had 30 seconds. The Happy Place was alright but $40 for some Instagram photos doesn’t seem like it’s worth it to me, I’d rather spend that money on some delicious brunch.
Fishman Lobster Clubhouse Restaurant used to be located at Steeles Avenue East maybe a year ago, they moved to this new location and expanded. I’ve been to the old location and the seafood was fantastic but the service was horrible. They were rude, pushy, and tried to up sell you on everything.
I recently revisited FLCR for my father’s birthday at their new location. We went for lunch on a Wednesday and it was surprisingly full. Honestly, who eats a whole lobster meal for lunch?! (We were pressed for time and there were only a few days left until my dad left for Shanghai.) We got the special but changed up some items so we could get the infamous lobster tower! So the following dishes may seem sparse and unappetizing.
We started off with E-fu Noodles with Lobster Broth. The noodles were bland and tasteless on their own, the true flavour came from the broth but it wasn’t anything special.
Then came the Plain Congee and the boiled Green Veggies, both we bland with no seasoning.
The Fried Rice with Clams and Lobster Roe was next. I found it too fishy tasting and somewhat greasy.
The star of the meal was the lobster! Lobster Claws & Legs in Hong Kong Style, deep-fried with chili, garlic and served on a bed of fried baby fish. The mountain of lobster was incredibly impressive and incredibly delicious. This 8 pound beauty fed 5 of us and we were beyond stuffed at the end of the meal, we took the rest of the tower home.
FLCR only accept cash payments so bring lots of cash because your bill will be pretty high at the end of your meal. I would probably only come back for an extremely special event. I would only recommend ordering the seafood dishes, everything else on the menu is mediocre at best.
It’s going to be a super simple to the point post, dined here away back and my memory is somewhat foggy. The space was dark, sleek, and had very pub/bistro kind of vibe.
Saint Cheeseburger served with bone marrow aioli, American cheese, dill relish & fries, $18.
Fried Chicken served with seer potato mash and watermelon relish, $19.
Roasted Pork Chop with apples, pan jus and crackling, $18.
Came here with a few coworkers because every other restaurant we wanted to try was packed on a Thursday night around 7:30pm. The food was average for the price, service was good but nothing really stood out or impressed me. I heard good things about their brunch, maybe I’ll give The Saints another go sometime in the near future.
Not even a year old, Smoked and Cracked is the new lobster joint to hit up midtown. Michael Kash and Ron Raymer are first time restaurant owners and their doing it right, simple foods but made incredibly well. The restaurant looks like it was ripped out of a maritime styled magazine; small chalk board menu, minimal decor, wood furniture, open kitchen, and only about 30 seats. I just love everything about this place. Having said that, the restaurant is lacking in ventilation so it was a little stuffy and hot.
We started off with a nice bowl of hot Lobster Bisque, $11.95. The soup is served with homemade crostini.
The soup was creamy, rich, and full of lobster flavour but not heavy, it was pack with large chunks of lobster meat. I would probably just suggest getting a cup of soup if you’re getting something else to eat, it was super filling. My favourite lobster bisque is still probably from Lobster Trap.
My mom got a cup of the Lobster Chowder, $7.95. It was nice and chunky with diced carrots, potatoes and lobster. I wasn’t really a fan of it maybe it was because I drank my lobster bisque first so the chowder seemed flavourless in comparison.
She also got a Breakfast Panini with pea meal bacon, cheese, and egg, $6.95, which is also served with a side of homemade potato chips.
There was nothing special about the sandwich, it was just made well but nothing amazing. The chips were so addicting though, a thicker cut chip which was crispy but not greasy. They were still crunchy the next day.
I got the Breakfast Panini as well but with lobster, egg and cheese, $9.95. I think this is probably the best deal on the menu, you get lobster in every bite without going over board in price.
The lobster was the star and everything else just enhanced it.
So freaking good.
My sister got the Cold Lobster Roll, $15.50. The picture speaks for it’s self, giant chunks of lobster, like probably a whole tail and a half. Perfectly cooked, sweet, succulent with no fillers or no mayo. It was a nice change from the stuff that’s usually slathered in mayo with shreds of lobster. My only personal complaint was that they didn’t use any of the claw meat!
Smoked and Cracked has the cutest bill holder, empty lobster claws!
They also have lobster boils which comes with 1 1/4lb lobster and all the fixings, not sure what the fixings are cause they never mention but it’s $44 per person. If you’re in the mood for lobster but not looking for the price tag that usually comes along with it, hit up Smoked and Cracked cause they know how to make lobster right!
I’m not usually in the Parkdale area but long story short, they were the only restaurant willing to accommodate a walk-in of 8 on a Sunday night at 7pm. The restaurant is small with only one large table at the front of the restaurant, there are high tops on one side and bar seating on the other. Chantecler’s set up is much like Black Hoof with one stove top. Our waiter recommended us to order the whole menu and double up on some dishes for our large group which we were happy to do so.
We started off with the Oysters served with lemon and kimchi juice, $15 per dozen. No complaints here, the oysters were fresh and the kimchi juice is a nice alternative to your traditional Tabasco while giving it a more tangy flavour.
Then came the Veg-Noodle Salad, potato noodles, smoked shiitakes & sesame, $6. The salad was nice and tangy but it wasn’t anything amazing.
The highlight of my night was the Popcorn Shrimp, $11, it’s literally shrimp with a popcorn batter crust. The shrimp were huge and it had a slight king of spiciness with an incredibly crispy batter. I could’ve eaten buckets of this. A must order when at Chantecler.
Next was one of the best Beef Tartares (with peanuts, wasabi, fish sauce & shrimp sauce, $12) I’ve had. It was served with shrimp chips. The beef was nice chopped and super tender, and the wasabi wasn’t too overpowering.
Fancy Wings, fried garlic and scallions, $10. I really enjoy of crispy and meaty the wings were but they were too vinegary for my liking.
Right after was the Crispy Soggy Calamari with caramelized peanuts & tamarind sauce, $11. It smelled so good as it arrived at the table; it was nutty, crispy, sour, sweet, and savoury all in one bite. The calamari was tender and well cooked.
The Shrimp and Vermicelli, $8.50, was just average for me. I’ve had much better in terms of taste in other Chinese restaurants.
We got both lettuce wraps, the first one to arrive was the Fish Wrap, haddock & Japanese tartar sauce ($4.50 each). Nicely battered, it was super light and refreshing even though the fish was deep-fried.
Next was the Pork Special Wrap – dried oyster, roast seaweed & puffed wild rice ($4 each). I’m on the fence on this one, I didn’t not like it but it wasn’t anything memorable for me.
Chectecler is probably most known for their Lettuce Meal (braised beef cheek & slow smoked pork shoulder served with lettuce, steamed rice, house pickles & sauces, $21). This is a meal meant to one for two people. Basically you create your own lettuce wrap with all the accompaniments, I enjoyed the beef cheek much more than the pork shoulder. I thought this would have been much better, I wasn’t blown away by anything and everything was just okay.
We also added Crispy Tofu for an extra $10 because we had a pescatarian, nothing special again.
By this point everyone was stuffed but as soon as our waiter mentioned fresh donuts as one of the dessert options, my ears perked up and suddenly had room in my stomach. We got the Ice Cream Sundae, $10, with all the fixings. Fixings include brûlées banana, Maltesers, frosted cereals, nuts, and smarties.
It was so simple but so good, just perfect to end a meal. Last but not least, Homemade Donuts with grapefruit cream, $5.
I loved everything about this dish; soft, hot sugary donuts! I didn’t like the cream with the donuts but we did enjoy it by it’s self.
Overall a fantastic meal with a very attentive and accommodating staff, our cups were never left empty and they described what every dish was as they were being served.
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