Tag: Seafood

KINKA IZAKAYA

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4775 Yonge Street, Unit 114
North York, ON


As of November 1st, 2015, the franchise agreement between Kinka Family Inc. and Kitanoya Marketing Corp ended which resulted in the Toronto Guu Izakaya locations being renamed to Kinka Izakaya. Formly known as Guu Izakaya, Kinka has been one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto. Last summer the they opened their third location in North York which makes all the uptown kids much happier.

Kinka North York is probably my favourite Kinka to visit, large floor to ceiling windows (which open out to the patio) gives the restaurant a nice airy atmosphere perfect for summer and winter alike.

Salmon Oshizushi (blowtorched Atlantic salmon pressed sushi) & The daily special of Deep Fried Okra. The Salmon Oshizushi is one of my favourite dishes to order at Kink North York (I think it’s exclusive only to this location). The smokiness from the blowtorch & the ginger and green onion garnish gives a nice contrast to the fatty salmon and soft lightly sweet rice.
It was my first time ordering the deep fried okra with matcha salt and I thought it was a bust, the batter was too thick and not crispy. I also couldn’t get the right ratio of matcha salt to okra, it would either be too bland or way too salty.

The Kinka Scotch Egg was also another daily special which I thought was fantastic, the sweet creamy sauce complimented the scotch egg perfectly.
Other favourites that are must tries are Scallop Sashimi Salmon Oshizushi and Takoyaki.

I love the Takowasabi (marinated octopus with wasabi stem) from Kinka.
There’s plenty of other favourites, I highly recommend visiting with a party of 3 – 4 people so you can order a variety of different dishes without having too much of one item.


The name “KINKA” means “Golden Flower” which symbolizes “Happiness” in Japanese. At KINKA IZAKAYA our mission is to serve each and everyone of our guests “happiness” with both our mouth-watering dishes and our highest quality service. This is why our friendly and energetic staff is an integral part of what makes KINKA IZAKAYA extraordinary and a cut above the rest.

GIACOMO’S

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355 Hanover Street Boston, MA

One of the most famous Italian restaurants in Boston. Past reviews have appointed Giacomo’s as one of Boston’s must visit tourist restaurant with horrible and rushed service but I firmly disagree. Giacomo’s doesn’t take reservations and people start lining up at 4:30pm for the restaurant to open at 5pm. The restaurant is tiny with tables extremely close together but I didn’t mind, I love seeing what other people are eating.




We started off with the small Calamari, $7. I loved the light batter that coated the rings and tentacles, the marinara sauce had a nice spice and tang to it. Even for a small I thought the portions were quite generous.


The Butternut Squash Ravioli (Diced Asparagus in a Prosciutto Mascarpone Cream sauce), $16. I can honestly say Giacomo’s has the best ravioli I’ve ever had. Even though it was in a cream sauce, the dish wasn’t heavy and it was a the perfect balance between sweet and savoury.

Shrimp & Scallop Spaghetti with Pesto Sauce, $16. What can I say? Everything about this dish was perfect, so simple but so well made.

I can’t wait to visit Boston again and visit one of my favourite restaurants!
I highly recommend going early before 5pm to get a seat!

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BELLE ISLE LOBSTER AND SEAFOOD

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1 South Main Street 
Winthrop, MA

Belle Isle is one of my favourite restaurants in Boston to get my lobster roll fix. The lobster roll is a little on the pricier side but it’s worth every penny. The seafood is always fresh and perfectly cooked. Belle Isle is located a few stops outside downtown Boston which is somewhat of a trek but easily accessible but the train.

Haddock with onion rings and chips, $14.99,  had a nice light batter without being too heavy or greasy. I really love Belle Isle’s coleslaw too.

The lobster roll is $23.99 and it comes with your choice of fries, onion rings, coleslaw or rice pilaf. The bun is nicely toasted and packed with fresh lobster meat both tail and claw. The lobster has a minimal coating of mayo and a squeeze of lemon juice, there are some lettuce for a crisp refreshing texture.

The crab cakes (not pictured), $13.99, were a little too salty for me. The plate comes with 3 large crab cakes, onion rings, fries and coleslaw.


Belle Isle renovated a few years ago from a dingy shack to a clean airy spacious restaurant with a beautiful view of Boston. Not only does Belle Isle sell cooked foods, they sell fresh seafood to take home.



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THE CHASE FISH & OYSTER

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10 Temperance Street, 5th Floor
Toronto, ON

The Chase was the only Winterlicious restaurant I attended this year and I was ecstatic, I’ve heard great things about the chase so at a $35 price point I thought it was a steal considering an entree can range from $25-60 a plate.

We started off with around of oyster shooters for the table, it was fresh and light without an overly alcholic-y aftertaste. It was a perfect way to start off a great meal.

I started off with the Salmon Tartar (Horseradish Crème Fraiche, Beet Relish, Crispy Capers). I loved everything about this dish, from the delicate salmon to the sweet beets and the salty capers. Everything was perfectly balanced and the lightly toasted bread was a great vessel without being overly crunchy.

The Lobster & Tomato Bisque (Brandy & Green Peppercorn Cream) was the other appetizer that was one of the other choices. The soup was creamy and full of flavour but I felt like it was more like a tomato bisque with chunks of lobster.


The Pan Seared Arctic Char (Potato Rosti, Braised Red Cabbage, Caramelized Apple, Chestnut) was hands down the favourite of the night. The star of the dish was the char skin, it was incredibly crispy and was cooked to perfection & light.
The Braised Beef Short Rib (Stone Ground Grits, Wild Mushroom & Charred Scallion Relish, Crispy Onions) was a great choice for meat eaters, super hearty and fulling. The dish as a whole was a little too heavy for me from the creamy grits to the meaty short rib all topped off with fried onions but nothing to cut the richness.

I’m always on the fence about ordering donuts from restaurants because I’m not a fan of cake donuts, so when our server mentioned it was a yeast donut I had nothing else on my mind, donut for dessert it was! Donuts (Cinnamon Apple Compote, Caramel, Calvados Cream).
My favourite dessert was the Caramelized Banana Sundae (Peanut butter Ice Cream and Warm Date Toffee) something about the deliciously sweet toffee & caramelized banana with the contrast of the salty peanut butter ice cream was heavenly. Sweet, salty, hot and cold, everything in one dessert.

I’ll definitely be back for their regular menu and will be a must for all ‘licious events. The chase was one of my favourite restaurants I’ve been to at the $35 price point.

COPA BY SEA

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230 Adelaide Street West
Toronto, ON
I cannot speak highly enough about Copa by Sea, I’ve never been so impressed with the quantity and quality of food and service at a buffet. The concept of the buffet is the same as their upstairs restaurant, Copacabana Brazilian Steak House. There’s open concept kitchen that lets you see and smell what the chefs are grilling.
There was an endless amount of crab legs, smoked salmon and shrimp cocktail near the bar area but wait, save room for everything else!
You can also order from the “a la carte” menu which consists of a selection of ceviche, sushi rolls (dynamite, spicy tuna etc.), nigiri sushi and PEI oysters (4 per person). I wasn’t a big fan of the ceviche so I would recommend skipping it all together, a little too sour with a bitter taste at the end but everything else was good & fresh.
The side dishes don’t end yet, you can get french fries, onion rings, fried calamari, soba noodle salad, corn bread and lobster & shrimp mac n cheese! All the sides were pretty standard but the lobster mac n cheese is a must try!
Okay, let’s just take in how much food that was and we haven’t even gotten to the main attraction. Let’s talk about the Rodizio (grilled over a charcoal flame and served tableside), firstly you don’t even have to get out of your seat to get food cause the food comes to you! My long list of personal favourites were the garlic shrimp, teriyaki salmon, black cod (I could eat my weight in it), fillet of branzino, umadashi scallops, ribeye, beef ribs (so incredibly tender), lobster & shrimp mac n cheese, crab legs and fried banana.
pictured; Bacon wrapped cod
On my plate I had part of a lobster & cheese biscuit, garlic shrimp, bacon wrapped cod, teriyaki shrimp and lobster & shrimp mac n cheese. Everything was cooked so well, probably better than most restaurants in Toronto.
If you’re sick of all the seafood, you can get the buttermilk ribeye that’s grilled to perfection.
pictured; umadashi scallops
If you have room for desserts, the two options are grilled pineapples or fried banana that’s coated in cinnamon sugar then drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauce.
The service was great too, they would periodically come and change your plate so flavours don’t mix
too much, everyone was friendly and attentive. They’re having a limited time price for $30 per person (super great value) but if you miss that you can come back on your birthday with friends and eat for free (might be for a limited time as well). I’ve never written a post so quickly before because I never felt so passionate about a restaurant and their price to food quality ratio but I highly recommend checking out Copa by Sea!

FISHMAN LOBSTER CLUBHOUSE

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680 Silver Star Boulevard | Scarborough, ON
https://flctoronto.com/

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.

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DRAKE ONE FIFTY

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150 York Street | Toronto, ON
http://www.drakeonefifty.ca

Drake One Fifty opened it’s door a few weeks ago in the heart of the Financial Distract, the sister restaurant to The Drake Hotel, the restaurant is an incredible 6000 square-feet space with an open concept kitchen, a large wrap around bar and endless seating. The decor is a mixture of retro meets modern with a little bit of rustic.

I was invited to the Family and Friends appreciation dinner by Manal, basically it was a dress rehearsal dinner for the grand opening. That night the one drink, starter, entree and dessert was on the house, we clearly order more and were going to cover the extra expenses.

We started off with the Warm Olives ($9) followed by a small Seafood Platter (Mussels, Shrimp Oyters and Clams, $50) and the Scallop Crudo (with Preserved Lemon, Kohlrabi, Black Olive Reduction, Puffed Rice, $17)

Our server suggested we split our dinner into three parts considering the amount we ordered, everything wouldn’t fit onto the table at once.  For the second part of our dinner we had the Octopus Salad (Grilled Octopus Tentacle with Teardrop Tomatoes and Greens, $17), then the Grilled Truffle Cauliflower ($14) came and we opted to add on grilled scallops for an extra $12.

For our entrees Manal got the Pickerel (served with Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower Puree, $17) and Michelle and I got the Steak Frites (served with sauteed greens and mushrooms, $38).

All the desserts were priced at $9. First one we tried was the Mint Ice Cream served with a Coffee Macaron, chocolate shavings and some sort of crumble. Then it was the Lemon Brûlée Tart with a Toasted Vanilla Marshmallow and Camomile Tea Caramel. The last dessert we tried was the Olive Oil Cake served with Vanilla Ice Cream, and an Orange Sauce.

Everything was amazingly cooked and executed with incredible flavour combination, not only is Drake One Fifty a great addition to the Financial Distract, it’s a great addition to the Toronto dining scene. Our  server was fantastic and knowledgable about the foods and wines. Prices are a tad steep in my opinion but definitely worth the splurge.
My favourites of the night were the Scallop Crudo, Truffle Cauliflower and the Pickerel. They seem to have a pretty delicious looking brunch menu as well.

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post are my own.*
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BUSTER’S SEA COVE

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93 Front St E | Toronto, ON

I’ve been to Buster’s Sea Cove plenty of times but weirdly I’ve never blogged about it. Buster’s is located in the historic building, St. Lawrence Market. I love St. Lawrence Market, sometimes I just walk around because I love looking at food and knick knacks.

I arrived around 11:30am and there were some stragglers but once 12 hit, it was an organized chaos. They have one person walking through the line with a mic taking people’s orders to cut down on the waiting time on orders.

I decided to get the Crab Cake Sandwich, the sandwich was huge that I could only eat half of it. One thing that I love about Buster’s is that they toast the bread.

The crab cake was full of crab with little filler. When I had the other part of the sandwich, cold, it was equally as delicious as when it was hot.

I urge everyone to check out Buster’s Sea Cove on a Saturday when St. Lawrence Market also has a farmer’s market across the street with local vendors and farmers selling their fantastic goods. It’s my favourite place on Saturday mornings and I’m not usually a morning person!

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RODNEY’S OYSTER HOUSE

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469 King St West | Toronto, ON
http://rodneysoysterhouse.com/

Kevin took me out to a pre-birthday dinner, we headed over to Rodney’s Oyster House because we were both craving oysters and they open till 12am (I get finish classes at 9pm). We arrived around 9:45pm and it was still packed with business people and couples which was surprisingly up lifting. The decor was very touristy and casual.

Our main objective were the oyster but we couldn’t just eat oysters for dinner, well we could but it wouldn’t seem right or very dinner-y so we decided to share everything.

The Steamed Mussels, $14, arrived first and we literally devoured them in less than 5 minutes. The broth was a light creamy, garlic-y broth was absolutely delicious, we used the complimentary bread to soak up all broth.

We also got the Lobster Club for $23, it came with huge onion rings. The club was packed with lobster and bacon, how could you go wrong? It was amazing.

And our feature of the night, the oysters.

There isn’t a menu for oysters and we didn’t really know how to order them so the waitress just brought us a variety of them. We got 1 dozen to share but I could’ve eaten 1 dozen myself! Our selection included: Kusshi (Vancouver), Village Bay (New Brunswick), Onset (Boston), Marina Top Draw.

We loved all the oysters, super fresh and sweet. The oysters came with an array of sauces like a simple mignonette, different hot sauces, cocktail sauces to just lemon and horseradish.

All though everything was good, Rodney’s is the place to go for oysters and I will definitely be back.

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THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

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581 King Street West | Toronto, ON
http://www.totga.ca/

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.

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